This is sounding good. The sort of things I did with my VR Berlina about thirteen years ago. If the basic body and mechanicals are sound, just replacing various smaller parts can make a world of difference.
On a separate note, did you get your money back selling the previous aborted S project car?
In answer to your question - not in immediate terms. Lost about $1200. But what I lost, it needed that and more in repairs anyway. Compared to AUS-14E, it needed work on the Diff (~$500 minimum), and the AC was dead (~$200 minimum), window tinting replaced (~250), steering wheel replaced (~250), driver's seat repaired ($200). Body would have worked out the same - needed a bit of painting, but no hail damage. Financially it would have worked out similar, but logistics in sorting out all the above could have been a pain in the bum. Then there was the smell. I don't know what was spilled in it, but it was petroleum based and foul. It is possible that nothing would fix that!
Even though AUS-14E lacks the 'street cred' of the S-pack supercharged, and of course a limited growth for future value (if that sort of thing interested me), I am much happier with it in terms of vehicle history. It has an interesting origin, I was able to track down and talk to the original owner, it is completely unmolested and it has every single receipt from the first owner.
Anyway today I took it on its first post-major-completion run; went to a school sports carnival in Young. A couple of things - the bulbs behind the dash I fitted are aftermarket, so they miss the green cover. Ergo, dash lights are still green but its the wrong shade (too light with a hint of brown). More to the point, the green covers would have been a heat insulator, as the AC button was feeling a little warm. Also have another bulb the comes on and off on the RHS of the speedo in the cluster. Might be a bad connection. Last night fitted some $12 rubber floor-mats from K-mart, I think they will do for now.
