I honestly don't really understand the phenomenon either. After boosting my Z I fell in love with it all over again... Doing the work myself has me a lot more invested I think, but I honestly believe I will keep this car for a very, very long time unless I hit some kind of financial hardship.
I think some folks believe they will put in some kind of FI kit and the build will just be over and done with, and they'll be able to enjoy the car like it was a stock corvette. The reality is, once you've deviated this far from stock there are always going to be little quirks here and there and you are more likely to have little issues crop up. It's never going to be like a 500whp OEM car.
That being said, if you plan all your upgrades well, get a really good tune, and are really anal about your installation - you can get pretty darn close!
In my case, I wanted the build, and I wanted the constant projects. It seems to me the majority (not all, but more than half) of the folks who are selling are those who farmed out the work... perhaps the reality of constant inspection, modification, etc turned them off when they finally got it back in their hands.
Those that DIY I think have a better idea of what they're getting into in the first place.
I still have a few minor gremlins here and there that I will have to chase down... but I have, in my opinion, an ultimate street car (gorgeous, tons of power, rides nicely, UNIQUE) that I may not have been able to afford if I wanted an OEM warranty.
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