my car is a bad example because due to getting a good payout for some minor rear end damage did to me it actually only owes me about 6k total, and is a 98spec jdm with a kswap and some quality parts.....i don't think 8k is beyond the realms of possibility for the full car, i KNOW i can break my car for more than 8k and 9k wouldnt be unrealistic .....i cant really be arsed listing all my parts and expected prices but could probably give a good outline if you really need it. so i'll go with a theoretical example for you if you like.
JDM, 96 spec ITR, or UK ITR pick up a fairly decent early one for say £3700, i sold a fairly decent n plate one about 18 months ago for £3350 but i dont want you to think i'm trying to move the figures about to suit this exercise.
sell all the bits you dont need for £2000 (i think i got about £2400 for all my bits but again, £2000 i feel is a realistic obtainable figure)
So at the moment i'm £1700 in. i got nearly all of my parts as a deal on an abandoned project, k20a2, dtr header, with the new spoon lsd, clutch, fly, mounts, fuel system, kpro, ips k2 cams, most the daft little bits like clutch line etc. i paid £5400 iirc(these days it would have been at least £500 cheaper on the engine alone but i wont count that, i needed to a shifter mount kit (£70 off tegiwa i think) ep3-r shafts ( i paid £120) and a wiring conversion harness (maybe £150 ish)
so 1700+5400+70+120+150= £7440, thats with a kpro, cams, spoon lsd, rbc.....that car wouldn't be worth far off what you've spent, and if you broke it then you should get all your money back off your engine and conversion parts, and sell your rolling shell itr for £1700 or break it for about the same.......i really don't know where you're coming from??? how much would a b series that you spent £3-5k on be worth when you come to sell it like??
and as for nobody will pay 8k for a dc2 because you can get a dc5 for that price, does that mean you'll never get more that £3.5k for an ek9 because you can get an ep3 that cheap? hahahaha.