Course corrections and life's decisions

I'm the designer of Kimini, a carbon-body tube frame mid-engine Mini that once appeared on the cover of GRM. Got it all done, enjoyed it a few years, but with all the challenges solved, got bored and sold it.

I then designed and built Midlana, a tube-frame "Lotus Seven". Got it all done, enjoyed it a few years, but with all the challenges solved, got bored, and... there were a few additional reason why I sold that one. The biggest was nickel and diming my way into having such an expensive drivetrain that I wasn't enjoying it on-track, fearing the potential repair costs (some may remember I popped the engine once catching up to a GT2. That was around $12K, and went a long way toward removing joy from driving it hard). Then there was also the waning enjoyment of driving it in our sucky traffic. When the overall enjoyment reached zero, I sold it.

I decided to replace it with a used Jaguar F-Type R, a car so beautiful that I'll blame that instead taking responsibility for buying it. Fast forward one year, and we realized that we never drive it... Why? Extremely little cargo space, which ruled out nearly all Costco runs, and most every other place since I always seemed to buy stuff too large, too long, too smelly, or too messy to put in the Jag, so we take the F150 truck, which sucks to park. About this time I was talking to an owner of a Tesla Model 3 Performance. She mentioned that her husband is extremely protective of it, always parking far from others, worrying about door dings, rock chips, and all the other stuff obsessive owners worry about. And then she said something that stuck in my head, saying that the car caused her anxiety... It was right then that I realized I have the same situation with the Jag. I worry about door dings, rock chips, and all the other stuff obsessive owners worry about. There was also not enjoying it in sucky traffic - just last week we drove down the coast, and had to idle along with everyone else at 17 mph with my 550 hp. But the big one, the one that really ate at me, was worrying about any future repair costs. The car never gave us any trouble, but it was the possibility of something expensive letting go that hovered over my head, reducing the enjoyment. (I worked in Field Support for 11 years where we'd take 24/7 shifts, carrying the "emergency phone" at all hours. The phone might not ring, but just knowing that it could, effectively ruined the entire week. My analogy was that it was as if a piano was hanging by a string over my head. It might not drop, but just knowing it's there caused a lot of stress.)

The biggest lesson I learned from this is: If you buy a used car that was very expensive when new, even though you didn't pay that, repair shops will treat you as if you had. An exotic headlight assembly is $4,000, and a used engine is $20K, regardless whether you paid $100K or $10K for the car. I should have realized that beforehand but didn't.

So, the Jag has been sold after only one year of ownership. Of all the cars I've owned, I sometimes miss my old Datsun 2000 Roadster; I loved driving it, it looked great, but was such a pain to work on that I don't miss it. For the Jag, it's a bit like that: I loved driving it - when the roads were open - but between that, the lack of cargo space, and my self-imposed dread of repairs, it just wasn't a good fit for me. Yes, I know full well I caused these "problems" myself, and that this all sounds like (is) a First-world Problem. But in the end, I bought a car inappropriate to our needs or lifestyles.

It's also tough to admit that I'm just not wealthy enough to not worry about owning certain cars. The Jag's beauty is a big reason to have it, but it turned out to be (potentially) too far toward the deep end of the money pool for my comfort.

I ended up with a spreadsheet of 26 replacement candidates. The requirements were: small/short, easy to park, good cargo space, and not so expensive that I'd worry about it. Overall length ruled out most, and various other factors ruled out all others save for one. I waited a while to see if I'd change my mind, but didn't, so now we own a Mazda CX-30, a small SUV sort of thing. I had to smile, realizing that I made it all the way to my 60s without ever owning a mommy-mobile, but finally caved into practicality. Probably the thing that surprises me most, however, is that I'm okay with that, coming to terms with what's the best fit for us. It's very nice, very comfortable, well built, and the sports car guy inside me isn't entirely dead, as we got the turbo. 

I get it. Before I got into cars I built kayaks. By the time that they had that final coat of varnish on them they were art, and I was holding my breath. The first time that they slid along the sand at the launch spot I'd exhale out of relief. My son's twin-turbo BMW always made me nervous because I knew that it was just a matter of time before either I'd be working on it or writing a big check. As soon as I heard that my son was ok, I was actually somewhat glad when he totaled it. 

I appreciate utility. Used to have a Dodge Minivan that  did almost everything well -  except look cool. Now that you are embracing utility, do you have any fun cars left?

There's got to be a vehicle that hits the sweet spot in the venn of practical, special, and cost of ownership. I've listed after lotus elisessss forever and they meet (almost), two of the three. It's one of the reasons I could probably get a "cheap" Ferrari, or buy that plane I want, but it's just that piano of Damocles regarding repair/replacement costs.  

In a way, this echoes my philosophy that I wont buy a car that I can not afford to walk away from if it were lost and not insured.  Has grounded me to a life of Miatae and FRS type vehicles rather than Porshe, Jag and Loti that I could afford, but they would own me.

In reply to Teh E36 M3 :  it's just that piano of Damocles regarding repair/replacement costs.  

I'm fully on board with this whole thread, and have to say "piano of Damocles" is the best expression I've heard in a very long time.

NOHOME said:

In a way, this echoes my philosophy that I wont buy a car that I can not afford to walk away from if it were lost and not insured.  Has grounded me to a life of Miatae and FRS type vehicles rather than Porshe, Jag and Loti that I could afford, but they would own me.

Yes that was my thinking as well regarding trackday cars, but that somehow got forgotten part way through Midlana's construction. The Jag was never going to be tracked, so that resulted in a blindspot regarding "being able to walk away", financially at least.

Nope, no fun cars right now. I've thought about a track-only car, probably a Miata, but that means that it sits 99% of the time on a trailer in the side yard looking ugly (though it would be a like-response to the neighbor across the street who has a huge RV sideways across his front yard, but I digress). A Miata parked on a trailer under a tarp is no good, and an enclosed trailer is a bit much - never mind the wife's opinion on the matter... Anyway, I think I'm done developing anything for the street because anything sporty is a wasted goal. I even thought about making a Tesla "roadster" but that ends up too expensive, and then I'm right back in the same situation of too expensive and a pointless sporty car. I'll keep thinking about it.

I'm biased, but a MK7 GTI would have perfectly fit your needs as well. It doesn't do any one thing exceptionally well, but it does nearly everything better than most.

Yep, I get it.  First, it was people in spandex ruining my favorite twisty road.  Then it was terrible traffic/drivers in a new town.  Now, it's just a compounded lack of inspiration.  We might call it aging . . .

flatlander937 said:

I'm biased, but a MK7 GTI would have perfectly fit your needs as well. It doesn't do any one thing exceptionally well, but it does nearly everything better than most.

I watched about a million YT videos on all the candidate cars, including the GTI. While it's highly subjective, so many people complained about the Golf's infotainment that I didn't give them a chance - perhaps I should have. It's widely regarding as being near the top of the list for everything else, but it's the package as a whole that I was considering.

I was the same way as the Tesla owner about my last car, the Modded EVO X; except there I was also further scared due to this constant, nagging fear it was on a knife-edge despite having 180,000 miles without much problem. I remember once watching the Temp gauge hold at 203-205 like it had been designed to do worrying traffic was gonna make it overheat, despite it never overheating, and just because the gauge pod put it right in front of my face. 

Funny enough, I don't treat my Tesla in the same way as that dude- I just see it as a nice car, but I still go load 4x4s and whatever in it, which makes all the dudes at menards think I'm cool.

My wifes DD is a six speed Alltrack (MK7.5) which is essentially a streched all wheel drive Golf.    She went from a 5 speed Forester XT.  Unfortunately it's no longer available new. Most of the GTI/Golf R upgrade bits bolt up.  It's a 1.8 instead of the 2.0 but the same family of motors.  

We purchased it new and now at just shy of 100k miles did the IS38 Golf R turbo upgrade and supporting downpipe, intercooler, and clutch. 

It's practical with the extra storage space, quick (with the upgrades) and unique enough to satisfy us.  I still have no idea why VW didn't fit it with the 2.0 which they offer in every car with the same platform but honestly the difference is minimal.  I probably wouldn't have done the upgrades outside the tune it had came with the 2.0 and is20 (GTI) turbo. 

The infotainment system is actually what sold her on it over some other options and is simple and intuitive to use (I am not a techy person).  I have heard the new MK8 infotainment system has been almost universally panned.

In reply to Greg Voth :

Yes it was the MK8 that I was referring to regarding the infotainment system.

In reply to kb58 :

What you have is Enlightenment.  Just because you may have bought a $50k car for $10k does not mean it is a $10k car.  It is still a $50k car and all that entails, you merely bought in at a heavy discount.

Or: They don't depreciate rapidly for no reason

Totally agree.  I think the best car I ever owned was a P71 I bought for $500 because I never worried about it.

When we moved I was driving a Caddy ELR and picked up a cheap ass suburban to haul stuff down to NC when I went back to NJ on weekends.   After the move was complete I found the ELR never moved, I always drove the crappy old suburban because I didnt have to worry about it.  Eventually through a long list of things it got replaced with a newer F150 and I kinda hate the thing for all the reasons you mention.  I should have bought another E36 M3ty truck and enjoyed the care free life. :)

I understand this thread idea.  I rented a Civic Type R on Turo and figured I could haul around and get me speed racer out of my system - I had 24 hours to really enjoy myself.  

It was fast and a lot of fun but as the time clicked on I became very cautious as I didn't wanted to roll it into a ball.  Oddly I thought I'd be hauling ass flying down the highway but in reality I was driving like an old man.  

I get it. 

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

I originally started out designing Midlana so that I could keep up with sport bikes on twisty back roads. Once it was done and running in top form, I realized I'd matured during its build. While the thought of keeping up with sport bikes was nice, the thought of that bike, me, or both of us going off stopped such thoughts. If he went off, would he appreciate me stopping, or sue me for "forcing" him off the road? The last time I took Midlana up that road (Palomar Mountain), there was not one, but two, sport bikes being dragged out of the trees or ditches - no idea about their pilots. The thought of being part of that caused me to drive way more conservative, which is yet another reason why I sold Midlana, a car all too able to get me in a world of trouble if I let out my inner 16-yr old. (I'll never own a sport bike myself - I know me well enough that I'd be that guy in the trees or ditch.)

In reply to kb58 :

RE chasing sportbikes: I spun off the track at Laguna Seca once in my Stalker. The reason? A Miata was closing in on me and my ego made me push beyond my abilities. Later I found that the Miata had a LS3 in it, but that didn't change the facts on the ground. My concern when dogging a sportbike is the same, that their egos might ride them right off the road. Bikes are so much less forgiving at 10/10ths than a car, and the rider so much more exposed, I don't want a d-ck swinging contest to end up with the poor sod in traction.

Totally understand, even though I'm a couple decades behind and I didn't design and build my own cars like you did. 

But doing an OBD-I S52 swap (along with many other things to go along with no it like Wilwoods at all 4 corners) in a gravel driveway in summer in Oklahoma, took a lot. Then it blew the head gasket after 300 miles, I was so dejected I just put a new head gasket on it and parted it out.

Then building the track rat Miata, and of course since the car was almost 25 years old, I literally replaced every single suspension bolt with new when redoing the brakes and suspension. After the 2nd engine popped, I parted it out and had the chassis hauled off to salvage.

Now I just have a fun street car, new with a warranty.....but I am obsessive about where I park it and such. We use the Mazda 3 for Costco runs, and typically when going to shows downtown.

Bricktown has become a bit rougher since the pandemic started, so walking out late after a show to a bright red sports car lowered on nice wheels definitely gets the wrong kind of attention.

I’ll admit that I feel this thread.  I scratched a 30 something year itch and bought a used Mustang for Focus money a few years ago.   I treat it like a super car and pamper it because I can. While it’s not a hanger queen I really wish I could drive it more the way I’d like to.  Living in the congested northeast doesn’t help.  I’m hoping that my hips and knees stay good so I can get a good road trip in before I’m too old to enjoy it.  

In reply to NOHOME :

Couldn't have said it better myself. 

Man do I feel this. I bought the E28 M5 in 2010 with the though of it being a cool ride I was going to replace my 2001 corolla with and it was at first. After I got over of the anxiety of thinking the engine was going to grenade every time I started the car (thanks internet) and got to really enjoying driving it, the values started to climb and then I started treating it as a collector car and it sat in my garage the last 3 years I owned it with less than 3000 miles driven those three years. I sold it at the end of 2020 and got good money for it so a ten year run was what I got and it was good. I replaced that with a squat rack and a street triple both which get more use than the BMW did. I'm glad I owned that car and I'm glad it's with another owner that loves it probably more than I did. I decided I would only buy vehicles that I would use and not have anxiety about which explains why I still have the corolla and still love driving it within an inch of its life and it's still slow and thats great. I'm looking to finally replace that in a year or two with another car that can sit outside, an Elantra N manual.

In reply to NOHOME :

So true.

I can agree with this entire thread. I'm a buy-it-and-drive-it guy. Cars that sit are of no use to me. While I can financially walk away from any of them without hardship, most of them are cheap enough to fix that I don't even think about it. 

That brings us to the Bentley. The Bentley is causing me a little angst. Less due to the cost of repairs and more due to thoughts about it leaving me on the side of the road 500 miles from home due to some obscure part that is only available in the UK. Being faced with a $1000 tow bill would take all the fun out of a road trip. While I really like the car, I don't necessarily trust the car. So far it's been relegated to local trips so AAA can haul it home if something fails. 

Toyman! said:

I can agree with this entire thread. I'm a buy-it-and-drive-it guy. Cars that sit are of no use to me. While I can financially walk away from any of them without hardship, most of them are cheap enough to fix that I don't even think about it. 

That brings us to the Bentley. The Bentley is causing me a little angst. Less due to the cost of repairs and more due to thoughts about it leaving me on the side of the road 500 miles from home due to some obscure part that is only available in the UK. Being faced with a $1000 tow bill would take all the fun out of a road trip. While I really like the car, I don't necessarily trust the car. So far it's been relegated to local trips so AAA can haul it home if something fails. 

 

 

That seems like a perfectly reasonable concern with that car. 

The best car I have ever owned was a '92 Honda Accord 5-speed. I got it from an ex-girlfriend's dad, for free, just before I went off to college, right after the A/C blew out in it. It was ragged out and beaten hard from a dozen Ohio winters, it leaked 3-quarts of oil or burned 3-quarts of oil monthly. I kept a case of oil in the trunk. I once broke a brake pad the front, and forgot to tighten lug nuts down once while changing a flat resulting in a 3-wheel driving episode. I tracked it, autocrossed it, and drove it HARD on the curvy central Texas roads with my local autoclub. All the while, minimal maintenance was done. Finally, one day on Harris Hill Road, I blew a head gasket. I limped the car home, parked it, and sold it on Craigslist a week later for 500 bucks. Replaced it with a Fox Body Mustang. 

I loved that car, the ability to simply not care. It was a car, just a car, and it could be driven and fixed with basically reckless abandon. I would love to have another Accord of that vintage, but probably never will, because this was nigh 20 years ago and parts were available then, but not so much now.

Which brings us to the practicality side of the equation - when the vehicle is a disposable appliance - who cares? When it ceases to be as disposable, it's general practicality subsides. What makes a vehicle disposable? It's directly proportional to your (disposable) income. If you can't afford to walk away from it when it's busted you can't really afford it.