Most of the problem is it takes several years AFTER you've sold the car to realize that you should've kept (fill in the blank) sold car.
I now know that the '88 944 Turbo S I sold 6 years ago was a keeper and I never should've sold it. Same with my '02 E46 M3 that I sold 2 years ago.
I'm 40, and on average I keep cars for 18 months or so. My record is just short of 5 years (a 99 F-150 and a Mustang). I used to stress about it, but I stopped buying new and have gotten pretty good at scoring deals, and then selling a year or so later for a bit more after some cleanup and maintenance. As long as you're not dumping money away, I see no problem with enjoying all the flavors of the automotive buffet.
I embrace my automotive fickleness and infidelities.
I bought my then used '90 Miata in the summer of '93. This month marks 18 years of ownership.
Other cars come and go more regularly. The shortest was a CRX bought non-running and sold non-running 6 months later (I thought I had the time - guess not.) Most are driver's that stick around for 3 years min. I had that '97 240sx shown in the backround for about 5 years which served as my annual daily driver while the Miata and MR2 SC only came out on nice days .
Taiden, welcome to the club. You aren't as bad as you could be.
I'm 25. I've had over 30 cars.
I have 5 right now, and i'm on an active look out to ADD one to the stable, and replace one of mine with something else.
Could i interest you in an MX6 GT? 
Out of curiosity, how do y'all afford insurance on more than 3 cars?
Once you have a couple, adding more usually isn't too pricey with all the multi car discounts. Especially if they're older and paid for (no collision). Insurance on my Miata as a third car was well under $200 a year.
scardeal wrote: Out of curiosity, how do y'all afford insurance on more than 3 cars?
After insuring two, adding the others is cheap. Two people can't drive more than two cars at the same time.
I think i pay $120 a month for the cars, and that's with full coverage on the Cherokee.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:scardeal wrote: Out of curiosity, how do y'all afford insurance on more than 3 cars?After insuring two, adding the others is cheap. Two people can't drive more than two cars at the same time.
that doesn't seem to be the thought process in MA...
WilberM3 wrote:92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:that doesn't seem to be the thought process in MA...scardeal wrote: Out of curiosity, how do y'all afford insurance on more than 3 cars?After insuring two, adding the others is cheap. Two people can't drive more than two cars at the same time.
that's because in Soviet-Massachusetts, insurance companies berkeley you!
Packaging your insurance is how to get it cheap (multi-car, house, etc).
I added the Jeep for the wife and it's 3 years newer and insurance is cheaper than my truck, plus the total amount paid only went up a few hundred a year. My Fiat costs $72/year (classic car insurance, set value), and the Merkur cheap again, because once you get past your 2 DD and you explain what the other car is for, they know the usage is low so don't break your back.
Buy a WRX wagon.
Some days, if I drive the Land Cruiser for a few days, I always start thinking about getting rid of the WRX and getting something with a V8, or some convertible, or a Corvair, etc, etc.
Then I drive the WRX again and realize it's about as close to perfect as my price range can get.
I’ve owned about 20 different vehicles but the one I miss the most is my 1994 2 door Jeep Cherokee. When it finally rotted out I replaced it with a 02 WRX and later a 07 WRX. They were quick fun cars that were great in the snow but for so reason I keep thinking about the Jeep.
I still miss my turbo Miata because driving it would just make me laugh but I was never comfortable in it since I’m kinda tall.
After looking at your list, I'd say part of your "problem" is that you are basically driving the same car over and over again. I've been driving (legally) for nearly 45 years. In that time I've owned a few RWD cars and a small pickup, several FWD cars, a mid-engined car, and a motorcycle. I have had 2 or 3 cars I would want to own better examples of than the ones I owned. Example? my 914 was a 1.8 liter powered pile of doo doo, but I would love to own a 914 2 liter or if I won the PowerBall a 914-6. I also loved my '68 Cyclone GT, but it would have to be a 2nd or 3rd car, at the very least because it's a bear to drive and park with it's ridiculous lack of rear visibility. Maybe a 2 door hardtop version, instead of the fastback I owned.
I would say, take a look at your list and make your next car something TOTALLY different. A V8 powered Camaro or Mustang...if for no other reason than the contrast between all those FWD econo-boxes you have been driving.
How will you know if you don't try them all. BMWs are missing from your list. I've had around 70 cars. I keep gravitating back to the bmws 70s - 90s.
When I was 25 and told my parents I was getting married my Dad said: "Well, I hope she lasts longer than your cars".
Grey hair, too short for my ideal weight, eligible to retire but a 12 year old lurks beneath the surface. There's only one more car or motorcycle to build after this one, I promise.
Give it up Taiden, just enjoy it.
Dan
You need a turbo car. I think a GLH/GLHS pushes a lot of the right buttons for me, save for the crack-smoking asking price on the clean ones lately. I loved my Shadow ES, but the GLH has the sleeper/weird quality about it. The Shadow is one car I REALLY regret selling. I'm hoping my stalled 1st gen. CRX project will be one I'll never part with willingly. I think me and an ITR could get along really well. And I really, really, really need to own a turbo Slant-6 4 door Mopar with nice paint/interior and A/C.
Same boat, though I've slowed down a LOT since my son was born.
Also, my 5.0 (which I've had in one iteration or another for 10 years now) is slowly getting dialed in, and that car really hits the sweet spot for me for being fast enough to be fun while being slow enough that it's not boring to drive on the street.
Before I die, I still need to DD a mid-engined something, a turbo'd something, an actually-good FWD, and a Corvette.
The next move I'm looking to make is to magic my '96 Bronco into a WRX wagon (or a Miata. Or a supercharged P71. Or just supercharge the Bronco.)
I for some reason think my next car is going to be an AWD talon / eclipse.
Let me give the original poster the short answer.
No
i think I've gone through 30 cars this year. I stopped keeping track of them. I'm still waiting to find that perfect car for me.
Every car is a compromise. I sold a few great for me cars because of body leaks (94 legacy, sunroof leak. 93 sts, body seam leak. 94 Sentra, sunroof leak). These days I'm driving a 97 altima GXE which is a really nice car with a bit of fun tossed in. Looking for a GLE though. I want the automatic climate control. My buddy wants a manual trans version.
scardeal wrote: Out of curiosity, how do y'all afford insurance on more than 3 cars?
Here in Atl, liability & uninsured motorist coverage only. Full coverage really racks up the dough. The renters' insurance will cover the loss if a tree falls on one of them in a storm or something. I figure that since I can drive, it's much more likely that somebody else will pile into me, than it is that I'll hit somebody else. Only problem I've had is trying to keep the ins. co. of the "appliance operator" that hit me from trying to total my car, instead of fix it. I don't care what the "market value" is..I just want my damn car back. Burns me up that most insurance companies treat cars like appliances as well..
Honestly, if I didn't have to put so many miles into my commute, I'd just go to Hagerty and insure them all over there.
Alright, alright, alright. The cabriolet is getting the axe. No problem, I will make money on this affair.
That means it's time for me to really consider from fresh options. Sadly I think big displacement, heavy, rwd are not an option due to gas prices. I believe I want something RWD that can dip into the 13s, remain mostly reasonable for daily driving (hardly any winter driving), be fairly unique, and handle like no ones business.
Let's say a $3000 budget when all is said and done. I have way more time than money so $2011 techniques are encouraged.
I personally think that the 4.3L vortec swapped e30 that was a challenge car was absolutely brilliant.
I have access to pretty much all hand tools, and basic metal fab tools (belt grinder, drill press, chop saw, grinders, DC TIG/stick welder)
It would be nice if it could be a great autocross car while the crazier side of the build gets sorted.
-Miata
-AE86
-S13 coupe (slightly lighter than the hatchback)
-MR2 (1st. or 2nd gen)
-E30
-RX-7 (1st. or 2nd. gen)
-944
-Fox-chassis Mustang or Capri
-3rd. gen Camaro/Firebird
-1988 Fiero
It sounds like you have an engine swap in mind anyways, so with the above list you can autocross the car while you prepare the engine for the swap. You're going to spend about the same amount to make a Miata do 13s as you will to make a Fox-chassis handle. All of the above are good engine swap candidates and all of them have had the typical V-8 swaps (Ford 302, Chevy 350, LSx, etc.) done to them before, so you're not having to cut open your firewall to fit something crazy. Of course, if you have some crazy never been done before swap in mind, more power to you! 
I think you need a turbo Miata, not easy but possible for that cash outlay. Do the suspension right first, then add power as budget allows.
I agree with the overall sentiment that you need to try new things. I think an m3, of a c5 you'd keep around for a while. With a challenge budget, I think an FC rx7 with a 5.0 /t5 drivetrain would keep you happy. That being said, I've come to the conclusion that I need 2 cars. I'm tired of making the compromises, which you have to make if you only have one car. I think I could be happy with a mostly stock gto/cts-v/g8, and a locost powered by magic spinny triangles.
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