Originally Posted by ATLDisco

Vandev,
You make an interesting point, in that the value of a rover (depreciating asset) should dictate the cost of ancillary systems and parts. I do not agree with that. If you dig deeply into the business model that is the automotive industry, parts and service are the profit centers that keep the show afloat. I'll try and dig up the link, but a few years ago, the wall street journal priced out all the spare parts you'd need to build a Toyota Camry, and it came out to north of $130K. And you'd still have to put it together!

I do marketing work around the A, and am constantly engaged in debates about what things "should cost".

Yes, your rover cost 34k new. However, how much of that money is actual value and how much is overhead and profits for a business? Did you get $34k worth of value for your money, or just a 20k car and $14k worth of prestige? Or 10K worth of car, 10K of employee healthcare, and 14K worth of "look at my new bada$$ ride"?

On average, 22-25% of a cars cost new goes to employee pensions and healthcare. Industry standard, look it up. Kinda interesting to me.

Buying new v.used is a large debate, and I'm not about to try and put it to rest, but I always buy used cars. Sure, I can afford a new one, but what's the point? Despite what the marketing department (a very, very smart and well paid bunch BTW) tells you, a new car won't get you laid, give you superpowers, or make you a better person. Sorry.

Also, from a philisophical point of view, I don't like "overengineered stuff" - i.e., why spend $2500+ when a $1K kit will work fine? The finer technical details are debatable, but at its most basic, the idea behind this is to make it work, and be installed by me. The sequential kits, such as the RPI, are meant for people who don't really want into the guts of their cars. If you'll notice on the website, they install them. They are designed to be heavily reliant on computer tuning, and I they use 8 parts when 1 will do. Not my style.

I prefer to get in there, get my hands dirty, and learn about this stuff. The rover's value is debatable, but I've now had 3 of these, they've all worked great when taken care of, and I've never had to spend more that $4600 to buy one. Yes, new cars are nice, but at the end of the day, if I blow this engine up with propane mishaps, I'm not out more than $2500.00....which I'm willing to gamble on this one.

It's just about choices, one is not necessarily better than the other, I would just rather keep my money in the safe than drive a new Rover. I have no problem with the cost of parts, that's just part of it. But for my money, I'll take the used one for $4-5K and just deal with the little stuff. You and I have to pay the same for parts anyway.....

Originally Posted by Savannah Buzz

I bought a "runner" (barely) for $1750. No matter how much I tinker with it, it will never be worth the original price that first owner shelled out of about $39,000 plus dealer fees. It will always be a lump of coal self powered teapot, with cousins that climb mighty mountains and ford crystal clear streams, and engage in all sorts of mud slinging. I'm content to putter along and not overheat. Looking at the price of a new MAF for a 97 D1 puts things in perspective real quick (just about what I paid for the truck).

Originally Posted by Harvlr

I won’t argue with your experience, but I’m not making sense of that. My understanding of fuel control is that it will give a bit too much fuel for any condition, and then lean it based on the reading from the upstream O2 sensors.

Originally Posted by Extinct

You are going to think I am crazy but unplug all four oxygen sensors. Mine have been dead on my daily for 2+ years and I get 17mpg highway at 70 mph