I would consider the question as not the current value of the car versus what it costs to maintain it. The question is the cost of its replacement and the costs to maintain it.

I did something very similar in 'upgrading' to a 2004 4.8is from my 2004 3.0. After I sold my 100k 3.0, I spent another $15k on a 12k mile 4.8is. It would have cost me about that much for a roots style supercharger and all of the bits I'd need to call it done 'well'. $15k for 130 factory HP, loads of torque, and a nearly brand new car isn't bad.

As for the maintenance, I probably would have spent as much keeping up the march to 160k miles with my 3.0 as I have obsessively maintaining the V8 to its current ~73k miles. Maybe more? $15k more? Not likely. The cost difference for me was all about mileage and power.

But for you, the difference is a high repair bill for the devil you know versus the price and maintenance of the devil you do not yet know. It's a slippery slope. The devil works in mysterious ways and will have you doing sh!t that you'd never otherwise do. Ask crystalworks.

Now, throwing out all of the no fun logic allows for the fun questions...

• Do you *like* your current car?
• Do you *want* something different?
• Newer? Faster? Slower? Different options? Lower miles?

Those questions get fun bc they slide around on scales that are individual to each person. You just gotta figure out your scales.

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