Total Cost of Ownership

[DeeCee]

well you did ask honest and the sentiment is that generally, its option 4 or 5 with the possibility of option 4.5.

comes down to what it is and perceived advantages/disadvantages of buying one of the 5 options available.

Some latitude must be allowed for as you haven't stated the specific equipment and its based on honest experiences with respect to purchasing.

You did state the scenario, and I'm assuming it is relating to the turbo discussion in tech. So based on that scenario, I would still look at option 4.5 or 5.

[pc]

BTW if you read the question and take note of the quoted life expectancies which do you think is really the cheapest option over the life of the vehicle

Is your mystery part a set of Apex seals?

Cheapest option is option 3, if selling the vehicle immediatly option 1, if going to sell within the year option 2. (only if you have no conscience though)
demo derby go for 2nd hand option 1.

[rollaholic]

calling people cheapskates is a bit harsh. no-one wants to pay more than they have to, and not everyone has large budgets. with moderate goals and tough toyota engines its possible to achieve decent results without extending your mortgage to shop out of HKS catalogue or whatever.

[fivebob]

calling people cheapskates is a bit harsh.

In the situation stated they are being cheapskates, especially when it's false economy, as it often is when buying cheap parts. Take a look at the thread title to get an idea of what I'm on about.

no-one wants to pay more than they have to, and not everyone has large budgets.

Then perhaps they shouldn't buy large budget items until they can afford to, buying cheap parts is often a very expensive way to achieve your goals. As pointed out above, in the long term the cheapest option overall is often the most expensive at time of purchase.

There are ways to economise without sacrificing performance & reliability, buying secondhand is one of those.

It's also not always about reliability, sometimes it's about features and usability. e.g. in 2001 I bought a Motec M800, today it's still considered top of the range, yet I haven't had to spend any more money to keep updating it, software updates are free, and I could sell it for not much less than I paid for it. Whereas if I'd purchased some of the other ECU's available I would either had to pay for continuous upgrades, or replaced it several times over probably selling the old ECU at a considerable loss, and I would still not had the functionality that the M800 gives me. It will run any car I would am likely to buy in the next 20 years for just the cost of a new loom (about $200). By the time I've finished using it it will have cost me about $150/year. If somebody offered you a Motec for $150/year would you take it?

[soven]

Some things are worth paying extra money for, some things are not. Finding out the best way to spend the limited cash is the key. No need to buy top of the line every time.

[Dell'Orto]

I'm picking quality alot more lately, however there's not always one price for a quality Item. I'll spend a bit of time making sure I'm getting the best deal I can wrangle.

This is me. I prefer to buy the best I can, but I'll always hunt around to make sure I'm not paying too much. I'd always buy Garrett over some random turbo, the results are proven.

[iOnic]

I try to go for well known/tested items as much as possible. Not necessarily the biggest brand but stuff that I've heard good things about from other users. I don't buy a lot of brand new stuff purely because I can't afford to but I prefer to get good condition quality/branded 2nd hand stuff

[Snaps]

Completely depends what it is, I wouldn't spend top dollar when buying a stereo headunit (but wouldn't cheap out on it either). But I would most certainly pay good money for a turbo, for example.

Basically, anything vital to the car working safely and reliably, I would spend a lot and get top brand/proven parts. Whereas Anything not vital to the car I would only spend a moderate amount.

[tsoob]

:lol: i urge everyone to be HONEST
as from my dealings with TSer's theres a huge amount who always shop with price in mind over anything else

+1

if you not sure if my vote is right come check out my build, there is no knock offs at all.

[Dell'Orto]

To add another spin to this...aftermarket parts vs genuine?

[Bling]

Does genuine include TRD?

The plot thickens...

[Adamal]

To add another spin to this...aftermarket parts vs genuine?

I think its more along the lines of quality aftermarket vs cheap aftermarket.
Not nessaccerily (HOW THE HELL DO YOU SPELL THAT WORD?!?) OEM replacement aftermarket parts

[1I1]

To add another spin to this...aftermarket parts vs genuine?

Am i allowed to say, or would it be bias?

Even my daily (a mitsi) gets the genuine treatment (except when the clutch was done)