That is true and I have spent quite a few dollars for small stuff that I wanted to change. Rubber stuff are the major expense and that car needed them all. But, as far as aluminum strips and chrome, you can have a good shop re-do those at a fair price. I think on my CSi, I had all the window chromes and rear light and center and door jams re-chromed and also had the beltline stripped and re-anodized, all for about $600! But, the major savings comes if you do the work yourself. I only trust myself to put things back together since I want them done right and not like the body shops to just want to get the car out quick. These cars are very easy to work on (time consuming though), as long as you label what goes where. Well, amybe next year, I'll find another for you!