I think I'm becoming a Minimalist...
All of my life, I wanted to own more and more cars, but lately an odd feeling has crept over me: I've been thinking about how nice it would be to simplify my life with fewer cars.
What the hell is wrong with me? The unused space would gnaw at me and I'm sure that I would immediately begin searching for more. I have a tendency to go through binge/purge cycles with cars, bikes, motorcycles and other stuff.
Anybody else been through this?
yes. I have had 4-5 cars in my driveway/garage all spring and summer and it is getting old. I need to get my Dad's Lincoln back to his house and my son needs to go back to college and take his car too.
Somedays I have to move 2 or 3 cars around to do something minor; that gets old.
I tell my wife I might buy another car and she asks me where am I going to store it. Good question.
As much as I can't control my car whoring ways I often feel that less is more and certainly understand the appeal of thinning the herd
Crap, I'm down to a DD, a restored car, a race car and a motorcycle and a large part of my (admittedly miniscule) brain wants another project car. Maybe if you and I shake hands we will cancel each other out and then become pure energy. 
My wake up call came when my shiny happy person neighbor threatened to turn me in for unlicensed/ uninspected vehicles on my property, a city code violation. Parted one out and have a few weeks left on another... but it does feel good to get 'em moving (one way or another) as the projects came to a standstill.
So now I have a moratorium on draggin' new E36 M3 home till projects are gone n shop is cleaned out. Good thing is I put the cash in a slush fund for the next project that will actually fit in the shop.
I really envy you guys that can keep that many vehicles on your property.
I've been having similar thoughts lately, I'm considering selling my 328is, which would put us at three vehicles. With three kids under 5, I don't have a ton of time to spend working on cars, and the remaining three would keep me pretty busy on their own just with regular maintenance.
The RAV4 can't handle 3 kids in car seats, so it's been freed up as a potential DD for me. I only use the 328is three seasons out of the year, so switching to the RAV4 for all four seasons makes sense. Otherwise, it's just sitting at home while I'm driving the 328is. I just can't see myself cutting loose an AWD SUV that gets 24 MPG in mixed driving and has a good amount of room. It's kind of my insurance policy if gas prices spike.
We've reached a high of five vehicles a few times and have been holding steady at four for a while. Going down to three would be a big change, but I think it might be the right move.
So yes, I understand where you're coming from...
Yeah, I really wish someone would buy my damn truck... but every time I get a bite, something happens. Good friend just backed into it and smashed the roll pan...and now the starter seems to be going. I think the son of a bitch knows.
I only have two running, and two partial (the datsun replica I'm building, and the datsun I'm stripping for parts.) I'd say a DD, a toy and a tow vehicle should be enough for me.
I know how you feel. Right now, if I want to drive my GT6, there are TWO cars in the way, neither of which is my DD. For better or worse, that desire has been minimal over the last week or so of 90+ heat.
Fortunately, in my neighborhood derelict cars are common, so nobody cars about the 1800ES carcass under ( a now ripped up) tarp in my back yard.
I'm downsizing right now and it feels pretty good.
I'm getting out from under a bunch of crappy cars and moving into one or two really nice ones.
I'm going to D.D. classics from now on. I restore cars for a living so I really have no reason not to.
The upcoming D.D. is a 1962 Pontiac Laurentian that is sitting in my garage awaiting it's disc brake swap and T5 5-speed conversion. I'm hoping for 25mpg highway with the overdrive and powerglide gears.
Shawn
I crave fewer cars too.. I am hoping next week to own 2 fewer saabs
Putting it into practice is the hard part! I got the same itch a few years ago and imposed a ban on new projects "unless it was a screaming deal that could be realized in less than a week"!
That little phrase is killing me!
As for too many cars...I am over the top. Just picked up car 74 and 75 last week, a 2003 and 2001 police Crown Vic that needed a day of diagnosis ans $70 in parts to be dependable cars...Screaming deal? Well, the gubament collected another 80% of the purchase price in license ,title and taxes.
How do I pass up on a $250 Escort wagon with a bad engine knowing I have 2 good engines sitting in the shop!
Or the $500 miata (worlds ugliest candidate) with a hardtop!
On the flip side is fear of not having the parts needed. Hauled the nieces Honda to the scrapyard finally. Literally the next day a nephew (I think!!??) needed an alternator and exhaust manifold for his Honda. He could have used a window motor, spare tire, front valance, headlights and some dash pieces too!!
Start trimming the excess away, but never look back.
Bruce
I'm pretty happy with four cars right now--unfortunately, I only have a 2 car garage. I'm hoping to get in a 3-car garage at some point. Minivan lives outside anyway.
Doing that right now. I sat down, looked around, and thought, I don't need all this crap. I think it comes with age--and fear of looking like one of THOSE people on the show "Horders". You just simply get tired of spending time looking for things, and the "I might need that one day" becomes "well, I can rent it. Where I live, you can NOT have an unregistered car on the property--and to get the registration, you need an insurance card....thankfully, one town over, they don't have that rule, and my non-driver/project lives there--buddy also has a shop to die for in the garage, too. I think some of it simply comes with age, and "enough is enough" thinking.
Lesley wrote:YES, they DO know. I went to show the Spitfire to a potential buyer, and the chk ignition light comes on. It has NEVER, EVER done that before. It knew. There's a bit of King's "Christine" in all cars.....getting my foil hat now.Yeah, I really wish someone would buy my damn truck... but every time I get a bite, something happens. Good friend just backed into it and smashed the roll pan...and now the starter seems to be going. I think the son of a bitch knows.
My revelation came when I could no longer keep track of oil change intervals in my head.
I'm seriously thinking about fewer but better quality cars. Does that mean I have to turn in my GRM stickers?
triumph5 wrote:Lesley wrote:YES, they DO know. I went to show the Spitfire to a potential buyer, and the chk ignition light comes on. It has NEVER, EVER done that before. It knew. There's a bit of King's "Christine" in all cars.....getting my foil hat now.Yeah, I really wish someone would buy my damn truck... but every time I get a bite, something happens. Good friend just backed into it and smashed the roll pan...and now the starter seems to be going. I think the son of a bitch knows.
My old accord would diesle when I stopped to look at cars for sale.
I'm down to 2 cars (Miata and TR6), an SUV for hauling stuff, 2 motorcycles (one that actually runs), and a TR6 project in boxes. Now I find out a friend wants to part with a stalled Lotus Europa project for cheap. Damn.
I'm there.
Despite its issues, the new Miata has made me feel like i'm wasting my time with two of my other cars in particular.
Unfortunately, i think i only have the heart to give up one of them, and that'll be after i try to break some power records with it because i'm dumb like that.
After buying a house I’ve come to realize I just don’t have the time or money to mess with a bunch of projects vehicles. It’s taken me a while but I’m down to just my Comanche and Camaro. There is always the possibility I might relapse and bring home 2-3 vehicles in an afternoon. Oh and parts vehicles don’t count…
Just got rid of a motorcycle last night. It was hard to see it leave but I feel netters today not having it around. Now one more bike to sell and a car and i'm back where i should be.
Getting rid of one E30 shell in the next few weeks, only to pick up a tin top in the spring. Have a nice, new truck as a DD/hauler/etc......and I'm collecting parts for a nasty turbo E30 build.
I'll be happy with just those two.
Yea, gathering projects and acomplishing none of them just isn't fun.
I'm finding myself suspecting that having fewer projects, and successfully completing a few, and enjoying the fruits of my labor, just might be more pleasant.
