Taking a total loss worth it?

Posted by WoodenAmbition9588@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 13 comments

At the beginning of 2025, I bought a 2nd gen cummins for 9k. I really rushed into the deal without inspecting the vehicle and the owner didn't have any paperwork. Fast forward to now and I'm just shy of 28k into the truck and that is solely on repairs or preventative maintenance. I didn't expect to make this become a project, but understood that a 25yr old truck would have some issues, not as many as mine. I've only done work on the mechanical side of things and nothing ascetic aside from original rims and some meaty tires. The car i wanted prior to the 2nd gen was an Audi a6 and it was going to be my daily. Now I'm this deep into the truck and I found the car id like. Do I just continue to dump money into the truck to get it a better resale (I know I won't get everything I put into it) or lose most of for a car that I wouldn't have in the shop every month. This is just a run down of what my question/problem is, I'm not too upset on taking a loss. I do appreciate the truck, but its become a burden.

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13 Comments

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arkutek-em@reddit

Could you keep both vehicles? Get the truck ready to tow the Audi to the racetrack after you modify it for track duty.

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WoodenAmbition9588@reddit (OP)

Ha! In a perfect world, sure. I always wanted a 2nd gen, but now having a family and this money pit..id rather have the Audi and drive something that's not broke down all the time.

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Aggressive_Ask89144@reddit

Depends on the Audi 😭. The B9s are pretty solid though.

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Able-Passenger1066@reddit

Now that you invested that much into new better than new parts, how much left do you have to invest before this this has no weak points and runs for hundreds of thousands?

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WoodenAmbition9588@reddit (OP)

I'm not sure how much further I have to go, but I just dont see it being worth it anymore.

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Able-Passenger1066@reddit

It's too late

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MOIST_MAN@reddit

How is that possible? have you been paying a shop? Restoring old vehicles without DIY'ing it is a rich man's game

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WoodenAmbition9588@reddit (OP)

Yes, a shop. I have a well paying career plus some money saved.

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Trogasarus@reddit

I was offered a job restoring and building air cooled 911s and other similar era cars. The people who dropped them off handed the place a blank check. The owner told me the lower range was 150-300k$. The fact that youve made a post asking these questions shows that its not paying well enough. Not trying to tear you down, just trying to keep expectations realistic. Like others mentioned, if youre not doing the work, its going to cost. Alot. Alot of money, alot of time, alot of not driving it or whatever you want to do with it.

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WoodenAmbition9588@reddit (OP)

Just for clarification, are you saying the truck isn't paying well enough or my career? Im not restoring it to some degree or make it a show truck.

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Trogasarus@reddit

I mean, you may not have enough free funds to throw at a project like this. While this isnt a class 8 truck, most trucks that have a diesel powertrain are expensive to maintain compared to a commuter vehicle. The idea is that this piece of equipment is used to make money, and when it is down, it costs the owner/operator profit. And when you compare profit vs repair costs, its usually easier and cost effective to repair the equipment as quick as possible to continue making a profit. Versus, this car gets me to my job and to pick up kids and groceries.

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WoodenAmbition9588@reddit (OP)

Funny you mention class 8 as I do drive a semi. But I now understand what you're saying and I agree

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Quagga_1@reddit

We've all been there. Bitten off more than we can chew, or got deep into a project before realising that it was all a big mistake. You have done the hard part of being honest with yourself. The most important thing now is to learn your lesson and not repeat the mistake (i.e. insufficient planning/homework before committing). Now the only remaining problem is mathematical. How much is the project worth as is? Are you near a milestone? If so how much to clear it? How much value would it add? And thus is it worth investing further? For example... Say the project vehicle is mechanically sound, but looks like crap and won't sell for more than 10k. If you can spend another grand or two on a respray and then sell it for 20k, go for it! Or if you are close to sorting out registration or the first start, it might be worth going the last mile to add value. But sadly most cases are less clear-cut and you are often better off parting the vehicle out, rather than trying to sell the whole project. This can be a bitter pill to swallow, but throwing good money after bad is not the answer. Life is too short to fight a project you have fallen out of love with. I would cut my losses and get the car I really want.