Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 I got sick back before the holidays. Just before Christmas I started to feel a bit better but couldn't do much without tiring out easily. So I found a new hobby: rebuild a car...virtually. I thought I would share pics of what I've done so far. This is the game's version of a Chevy El Camino...a car I would very much love to own. The rear portion of the car is still in its original color (silver) and where it's black is where new body parts have been replaced. The engine is a 6 cylinder pushing almost 300 HP with the addition of high performance parts. Everything you see here had to either be rebuilt or replaced. Where I could put high performance parts I did including the transmission. The tires you see are exact replacements to what the car came with which I thought were a bit wide but they are 215/70 15". I have spent over a month rebuilding this car playing it when ever I had a bit of energy or those times I had where I couldn't sleep well. I'd get up for a few minutes and work on this to help. Unfortunately my shop funds are low now and is not yet equipped to handle body rust and painting. Yes, I have driven the car around the test track and race track in the game and, WOW...normally the idea is to fix up cars and sell them (with the exception of customer orders of course). I spent $15,000 on this car as it sat in a barn. I had ~$13,000 to rebuild it with, ignoring customer calls completely. I have barely $4,000 left. Car is now worth about $40,000 as it now sits. I know this is not the real thing but cars and how they are presented in the game come randomly. This car was an extremely nice find. I know I could use the $40,000 in-game cash and possible hope to see another one like it but I'm not risking it...this one stays with me. This is one car in the game I wish was real. The one above is to show how random the game generates these cars. Same model car but different setup. Off-road tires and a V8 engine. I found this one in a junk yard for under $4,000. I'm holding on to it to rebuild it. This one I plan to sell. Next to it is an imitation Superbird. My car is behind that. Sorry for the lengthy post but I wanted to share these pics. It's hard to find plastic models in my area and even harder to find an El Camino running around. Rebuilding these is relaxing, I don't run out of parts, paint, or glue, and I never know what I'm going to find in those barns and at the junk yard. Sort of my zen garden if you will. I hope you all enjoy the pics. MaximumRD, Gianna and RickR 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 That actually looks like a lot of fun to me. And certainly a lot easier on the real wallet than really restoring an old car. I'm going to check that one out. Hopefully, you'll be back to 100% health soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2021 11 hours ago, RickR said: That actually looks like a lot of fun to me. And certainly a lot easier on the real wallet than really restoring an old car. I'm going to check that one out. Hopefully, you'll be back to 100% health soon. It's a fun game and works well with the GTX 460. I'm discovering that game requirements are not 100% accurate. One game in my library says it needs a GPU with 4 GB of VRAM yet it runs on a card with under 1 GB of VRAM. CMS 2018 says it requires 2 GB of VRAM but it runs really good on the GTX 460. The only issue I've had is I heard a loud noise come from the computer and when I went to investigate I discovered one of the graphic card's fan blades had came off. It still works well, though. I'll have to see about finding a replacement fan soon. I had a GT 730 with 4 GB of VRAM but haven't had it a month and the thing stopped working. I'm going to see about getting it replaced or my money back. Computer boots up, sounds and all, but no video signal. 😞 I would love to find an El Camino abandoned and try to get it running again. I always thought those cars were just cool to look at. I'm trying to get back to 100%. Almost there. As soon as I get close my energy level just hits rock bottom without warning. Thank you for the kind words. I'm doing my best to get well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted January 18, 2021 Report Share Posted January 18, 2021 I put the game on my Steam "Wish List", and once it goes on sale, I'll buy it. I'm glad you're still getting use out of the computer stuff. How does a fan blade break? Isn't that the weirdest thing? I guess the plastic gets brittle over time. Maybe you can steal the heatsink/fan from the broken 730 for use on the 460. It's possible that the mounting holes are identical, so it may be an easy swap. I just "downgraded" my wife's computer from a behemoth Core i7 desktop in a gigantic case to a super small Dell Core i3. It works perfectly for her, makes no noise and takes up little desk space. Check out the size difference below! Now I'm going to sell off the old system after I keep what I need. El Caminos are cool, as are most of the old American muscle cars. There's a youtube channel called "The Car Wizard", and he's doing a restore on a 67 Chevelle 4-door right now. He's sticking a Jaguar V12 in it! I think it's a fun watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, RickR said: Maybe you can steal the heatsink/fan from the broken 730 for use on the 460. The GT 730 has no fan and is under warranty. I've contacted ZOTAC to try claim a warranty. It was working fine while playing CMS 2018 and then there was no video. It's never came back on the few times I've tried. Drivers are updated and are actually updating now. The 730 is only 2 weeks old. 1 hour ago, RickR said: I'm glad you're still getting use out of the computer stuff. For Christmas I upgraded the power supply to an EVGA 450 Bronze power supply. I got more connectors than I will probably actually ever use. I have plans to finish out the system with 16 GB more RAM (making 32 total), I found 500 MB hard drives for $19 brand new so I plan to fill up all those SATA ports, and a case I found that I like from DIYPC that's orange. I love this setup...just ask my wife. She has a hard time getting me off of it. I've not had any issues with it. This has been the best Windows PC I've ever had, period. No other system I've before comes close. I don't let anyone touch this...not even my nephews. Maybe I'm being selfish about it but I know if something was to happen I couldn't afford to replace it. 1 hour ago, RickR said: El Caminos are cool, as are most of the old American muscle cars. There's a youtube channel called "The Car Wizard", and he's doing a restore on a 67 Chevelle 4-door right now. He's sticking a Jaguar V12 in it! I think it's a fun watch. I found a couple of guys that find abandoned vehicles and try to get them running and driving again without changing parts if they don't have to. I'll have to check out the videos you watch. Oh...I forgot...I upgraded the mouse to an ONN Gaming Mouse, too. 😉 Edited January 18, 2021 by Atari 5200 Guy RickR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted January 18, 2021 Report Share Posted January 18, 2021 Here is the Car Wizard video I mentioned. It can be a little dry. But I like to watch because I actually learn stuff from him and the videos are usually just 15 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2021 Hey...that looks like my virtual garage...kind of. 😉 Man...if I could have a garage like that I'd be very happy but I probably wouldn't need a house any more. I'd live in that garage 😄 RickR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2021 Found another one... Same I6 engine...different color. This one I'm going to keep factory and see how much I can make off it. RickR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted January 20, 2021 Report Share Posted January 20, 2021 On 1/18/2021 at 1:19 PM, Atari 5200 Guy said: Hey...that looks like my virtual garage...kind of. 😉 Man...if I could have a garage like that I'd be very happy but I probably wouldn't need a house any more. I'd live in that garage 😄 I've often said I would love to buy one of the many abandoned failed grocery stores around here. Set up a bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom in one corner and leave the rest wide open for fun and projects! One day, when I'm rich I suppose. The "Car Wizard" actually runs a shop, and that's his business. But it's nice to see him doing those projects for himself once in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, RickR said: I've often said I would love to buy one of the many abandoned failed grocery stores around here. Set up a bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom in one corner and leave the rest wide open for fun and projects! One day, when I'm rich I suppose. The "Car Wizard" actually runs a shop, and that's his business. But it's nice to see him doing those projects for himself once in a while. There's another two guys on YouTube who each have their own channels but sometimes collaborate. They find these abandoned vehicles and try to get them going again usually without buying any parts. I've seen old Ford trucks, a Plymouth Fury, but mostly old Ford trucks. Those guys don't seem to like MOPAR stuff. I can't remember their channel names. Junkyard something. I finished the "El Camino" (called Atlantic in game) and did a Pinto look-a-like full blown. I'm now working on a Cobra clone but before I even start that I'm calling it a night. I will be glad when I get my shop upgraded so I can paint and remove body rust off these cars. Until then I do everything I can to turn a car. I have to reach level 30 before I can unlock that stuff and I'm at 16 as of now. I left/replaced everything with stock parts...no upgrades or high performance parts. Mine is still in the garage waiting for the day I can make it 100%. That's going to be my first "trophy" car. I turned a hefty profit off of it, too. I paid over $13,000 for it and got back almost $37,000. The PINTO broke me and I had to sell new parts I had in my warehouse to finish it. But that was because I repaired what I could to save money and when I went to clean out my inventory of parts I couldn't repair I accidentally sold off everything meaning I had to buy all parts brand new. That car sold for over $60,000 when completed. I hope you guys don't mind me sharing this. It's not Atari stuff but it is kinda fun to see what all you can do with these in-game cars. I'll post pics of the Cobra later. It was another barn find but cost me over $30,000 in the condition it was in. I'm curious at how much it's going to be worth when it is finished. @RickR Those images are coming from the GTX 460 by the way. I don't understand why the game said it needed 2 GB of VRAM when it works with only 768 MB of VRAM. Edited January 20, 2021 by Atari 5200 Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2021 I thought I would go ahead and get those pics before I rest. This will give time for others to respond. The wheel is not missing...it's in my inventory. I removed it to get the tire size. This is what most cars look like when found including call-in orders which I never understand. They bring in cars that look like this but only have one to ten parts that need replaced. Unreal. So far it looks like the door is the only thing missing...and battery...and an oil pan. Showing the list of parts and the overall condition and value of this beauty. No...I'm not keeping it...it's being built for profit. This one should come close to the $70,000 ~ 80,000 selling price when finished. I'll post those pics when finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted January 20, 2021 Report Share Posted January 20, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, Atari 5200 Guy said: I hope you guys don't mind me sharing this. Hell no. Anyone has a problem, come talk to Constable RickR. 7 hours ago, Atari 5200 Guy said: I don't understand why the game said it needed 2 GB of VRAM when it works with only 768 MB of VRAM. Most modern graphics cards can supplement their memory by using system RAM, and that's what's happening in this case. It is slower, but you've got DDR3 and that's not too shabby. For a game like this that isn't a FPS, it's fine. Moore's Law has been dead for a while now. As long as you've got a multi-core CPU and a DX11 capable video card, you should be fine on most games (although FPS games may require a lower resolution and details settings). Edited January 20, 2021 by RickR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2021 11 hours ago, RickR said: Hell no. Anyone has a problem, come talk to Constable RickR. Most modern graphics cards can supplement their memory by using system RAM, and that's what's happening in this case. It is slower, but you've got DDR3 and that's not too shabby. For a game like this that isn't a FPS, it's fine. Moore's Law has been dead for a while now. As long as you've got a multi-core CPU and a DX11 capable video card, you should be fine on most games (although FPS games may require a lower resolution and details settings). Borderlands 2 on highest settings plays very well on ultra settings with the GTX 460. I've not tried the Sniper Elite games yet. Cobra has been finished. It's engine... ...framework... have been completely restored back to original specs. I took it for a test drive and liked it so I will definitely keep my eyes open for another one once I expand my garage. And I was close to the value of the car when I did all I could. Almost $70,000 in return. It was well worth doing. I visited another barn and found not one but two beauties to work on. Imitation Camaro and a Chevy Bel Air imitation. I know the game doesn't use brand names for copyright reasons (and licensing issues I'm sure) but it's easy to tell what these two are. Camaro has the same in-line 6 in my El Camino. V8 in the Bel Air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2021 I rebuilt the Camaro. The wheels and lights are the only things I changed from the originals. Everything else is stock. Not a bad profit at all for not being 100% restored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2021 This next one is actually a junkyard find. I was curious how much I could turn a junkyard car. I gave $6,000 for this: The same in-line 6 engine I've been finding in most cars. This is what I ended up with: New custom wheels with white wall tires. New seats and steering wheel. I could not remove the rust but I replaced what I could on the body. Same engine, no mods and the ending value? Almost $50,000! I made a good $44,000 profit. I should have kept it but I know I'll find another one...hopefully with a V8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 Hey look! It's on sale for $8. I will try to remember to purchase this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 Alright, I'm in! There's a benchmark, and of course I have to try that first. Computer Nerd Alert! Here's my results on this game. The graphics are nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 Tutorial done, and also first job done (brakes). This is fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 I'm glad you like it! It does take a while to level up after a while but the in-game rewards are well worth it. And for reference: My settings are for VGA display, not HDMI. I get about the same level of detail with these settings. As long as I can play my games, and get between OG XBOX and XBOX 360 settings...I'm good. RickR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2021 On 1/17/2021 at 9:55 AM, RickR said: That actually looks like a lot of fun to me. And certainly a lot easier on the real wallet than really restoring an old car. I'm going to check that one out. Hopefully, you'll be back to 100% health soon. I'm working on getting back to 100%. But I'm starting to get that feeling that my body is trying to tell me it's time to slow down a bit. My mind, however, is like a V12 revving high. This is a LOT cheaper on the wallet. Restoring an old car is not always easy either as I am discovering. It's getting harder to find parts for my '93 Plymouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2021 I found a Plymouth Barracuda 426 HEMI in the junkyard. I'm debating on whether to keep it or sell it. I might try to find another one in the junkyard before I make a decision. Nice car...very nice car. It lights the tires, too! RickR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2021 I decided to keep the 'Cuda. Nothing more fun than tearing it up with an old car in an abandoned airport. YEEHAW!! I wonder how hard it would be to find a real one of these in a real junkyard? RickR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 I rebuilt the other El Camino like car I had stored for a while. Had big 'ol off-road tires on it and a V8 engine. So...I took it off-roading before I sold it. King of the Hill, baby! This one I sold. These seem to pop up often in the junkyard so I know I will find another one. I'm trying not to get too attached to some cars and I need to turn a profit some how in this game. If I tried to keep every car I found I'd go broke in the game. I'm also really trying to hold out and level up as fast as I can so I can unlock the rest of my garage and will finally be able to remove body rust and paint the cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 On 1/17/2021 at 9:37 PM, RickR said: he's doing a restore on a 67 Chevelle 4-door right now. He's sticking a Jaguar V12 in it! How...is that...even possible??? 😲 Me yelling at the guy, "ZIP TIES ARE YOUR FRIEND!!" Those work better than duck tape 😉 You know, the more I look at that last picture I took the more I realize something. Where I'm originally from I would have done the same thing. Find an old rusty car, get it going, fix only what is required to make it run under its own power, slap some huge mud-slinging tires on it, then find an open field with a few hills and just let her rip. Hehe...I'd probably still do it now. I just wouldn't know where to go where I'm at now where I wouldn't get in to too much trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 I wonder what kind of car this could be? I know but does any one want to take a guess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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