How do you decide which car?

This is not the classic "which car" thread discussing which car to choose, but rather how the heck do you decide what car to buy, or even really narrow it down to a short list?

Despite the fact that I very rarely buy myself a "toy" car, I often find myself shopping for one. The problem is I want all the cars and the cross shopping possibilities are endless. Assuming an enthusiast who loves all cars has neither the space nor money for all cars, how does that person decide to buy a car. I'm starting to think the answer is frequent turnover. Buy whatever is immediately available and meets your desires/budget. Sell it when sufficiently enjoyed. Repeat.

Or, does something eventually click and then you know a certain car is your "one and only" and you spend the rest of your life going to marque specific shows?

Thoughts?

Good question.....that I have yet to answer for myself!

I just keep going and maybe one of these days/cars will click and I'll be content.

But I doubt it.

Wow! Which day? That's probably the best response I can give. I have played with motorcycles, cars, boats, & planes for over 50 years. It seems every ride was great when bought. But there are always more buys out there.

I think death or dementia are probably the only cures for that itch.

1. Do your homework and settle on a general style. 2. Then look around until some individual car appeals to you and fits your needs. 3. Then look at a few individual cars or many until one jumps out that this is the individual car you are willing to purchase and live with. Until you put money aside for the project, you likely won't get beyond step 2. Cheers Ron

I have one long term hobby car, mostly because I am underwater on what I have into it versus value, and then I typically have a second car that changes out every two years as I find something else I like. Key is to make sure you buy it right, keep it close to stock, and buy something that has broad-ish appeal so that you don't get stuck with it.

I'm going through that thought right now. I love my Merak but have had it over 12 years and I am starting to get the "itch' for something slightly different, maybe more useable day to day or more "tweakable".

Umm... all of them? That's why I have 4 classic cars... Once in awhile, more than on of them is running...

From my perspective there's no simple answer, but it's probably based on budget and practicality. It'd be nice to have all of them but how to pay for them and where to store them and when to work on them might be a problem. But I think you hit on a good solution: purchase what suits your fancy now, enjoy it for awhile, then sell and purchase the next one you find that you like more than the one you have. That's exactly what I wish I had done.

My own problem is that I can't pull the trigger when I do see something I like. For most of my life I poured every spare dollar into funding eventual retirement. I trained myself to do without the things I wanted. That was the wrong thing to do. Now that I'm retired and with the means, I'm having a difficult time making a move when I see something I want. I can't begin to tell you how many great cars and great deals I've missed out on due to procrastination to spend the dough. I would encourage anyone to enjoy the moment, and if you can, purchase what you want when you want it.

I've been thinking about this. So many things to consider!

First know your budget, both initial price of the car and cost of keeping it on the road. Can you work on it yourself, or do you have to pay a mechanic?

Associated with cost is parts availability...

Have a bucket list of cars from when you are younger? Do any of those cars fit your criteria?

I agree with finding a good stock example and keeping it that way for resale reasons. You don't want to put yourself in a position where you are stuck with a vehicle you don't want and can't sell.

And if you come up with something completely unreasonable, come back here and we will talk you out of it

It is not a case of "What car?", so much as "What do I want to make of this hobby?"

Turns out I prefer to work on old British cars rather than drive them. I get a lot of exposure to lots of old cars either doing side work or just helping friends and friends of friends.

Maybe you should look at the car flipping side of the hobby. This can be rewarding to those who have the capital and low emotional attachment to any given car. Flipping cars is about the hunt, the opportunity and the ability to grab it when presented. Automotive catch and release. Repeat as necessary.

As a rule, classic cars are not really profitable, but other than the emotionally-driven restoration, they need not be a huge expense. A well bought classic of just about any marque, if cared for, will command about what you paid for it five years later.

I do this all the time, (original question) I play the game of what is in my budget give or take, then I go buy country and manufacturer, Hmmm American classics, Mustangs, box Novas, etc. nut I then narrow it down, drum brakes, no, dull steering, no. English cars, MGBgt's yum, but pushrods, lever-arm shocks, leaf springs and drum brakes, NO. yes, they can be modified but then your into $$'s that could be spent elsewhere. Could they still be great drivers, perhaps yes, but I am a bit of a snob I guess. Sweedish cars? sAAbs have their motors in backwards and I have had enough Volvo's. France......., Germany? Japan? Italy and so the game goes. and my opinions change.

NOHOME is on to a good perspective. Ask what are you going to do with the car? Then figure out which cars fit that function as well as your budget and tastes. I didn't really know what I was going to enjoy most, so I bought something that was old and in nice shape but not truly classic or show quality for local cars & coffees, had good club support for social functions, is sporty for autocross, etc. but not truly fast, is comfortable for road trips, needed a few things but not a "project" so I could get it on the road quickly. Most of all cheap so once I knew what I wanted to do I could move on. In my case is a Porsche 924S. It does all that stuff but is not great at any of it. I am finding out what I like to do and what is boring to me without feeling like I need to keep that car forever or that I need to hold back on using it to preserve resale value.