Do you struggle to find time for your toy car?

[fastfredracing]

I did it again! 930 sat unused for 2 years, the SC, 3. I go through these phases in life, where I am busy concentrating on something else, and just cannot seem to find the time for a leisurely drive .
Once you let them sit for a year or more, now there is some time involved in charging batteries, and catching up with maintenance , and sometimes, you are lucky if they even start . Gotta clean them up , maybe a quick wax , air up the tires, clean the rims, vacuum , check for mice damage etc. Before you know it , that 45 minute drive takes 5 hours, or more to get ready for .
Once you have them up to snuff, it is no big deal, but life always seems to get in the way .
Also, I don't know about you guys, but stuff piles up in my garage where I store them . It took me an evening just to get at the cars over the past weekend , and re organize everything .
I always hear people say that they don't understand how someone can let nice cars sit, and get neglected, but I find it very difficult sometimes, and can totally see how a nice car becomes a non running dust bunny in the back corner of someones building .
I have owned my SC for over 25 years . There was a time where I daily drove it, and raced it . Built a few motors for it, refreshed the suspension twice , basically built the car mechanically twice in my ownership . Tracked it, road tripped it washed it daily, loved it , yet people will bust my balls if I let it sit for a few seasons.
It seems to get harder as I get older, however, once I am rolling down the road, it all seems to make sense again. I really enjoy it, and never want to sell any of it. I have basically obtained all the cars that I would like to take to the end of the road with me

[GH85Carrera]

One of the many reasons I am a long time member of PCA is to provide activities and a good fun reason to drive my 911. I am bummed that Porsche Parade is canceled for 2020. I was looking forward to my 4,500 mile round trip to Palm Springs this year.

Our local region normally has a few events per month. The Arkansas region has the Porsche Palooza and that is always fun driving the best roads in the country. Smooth roads, more curves than a freshly permed haircut, and the speed limit is 55, and only the 918 that shows up can take all the corners at 55.

So the recent Kung Flu - China virus has put a big dent in my toy time, but this too will pass.

[fastfredracing]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

One of the many reasons I am a long time member of PCA is to provide activities and a good fun reason to drive my 911. I am bummed that Porsche Parade is canceled for 2020. I was looking forward to my 4,500 mile round trip to Palm Springs this year.

Our local region normally has a few events per month. The Arkansas region has the Porsche Palooza and that is always fun driving the best roads in the country. Smooth roads, more curves than a freshly permed haircut, and the speed limit is 55, and only the 918 that shows up can take all the corners at 55.

So the recent Kung Flu - China virus has put a big dent in my toy time, but this too will pass.

Guys like you inspire me to want to drive more. I see you use the heck out of that Carrera .

[GH85Carrera]

I have driven my 911 to over 40 states and Canada. I will get to all the lower 48.

[Norm K]

Even worse is when you figure, since you're not driving the car much anyway, you might as well embark on that major (or major-ish) project you've been thinking about, then life gets in the way of completing it. That five hours to have the car ready for the road starts to look pretty good.

_

[flipper35]

I have a car that started out with a project to re-cover the dash and seats a year ago in June. The dash was done and I bought new seats but it has taken a long time to get everything back together. You know. While there I should re-route the wire loom to a better place. New gauges, I should get new harnesses with the seats now. I am down to drilling for the seat brackets now so it should be ready to drive soon.

[Scott Douglas]

Or you could have the sickness my brother has, and I'm not talking about his cancer. He has so many projects...let me see if I can show you a picture of his disease.
A year ago his wife told him she wanted a divorce.
He went out and found a place to live.
This shop was EMPTY when he bought it.
This is how it sits pretty much today.



His projects, as seen in the picture include a Mini, a Speedster, a Targa, a 912, a 914 and that is just what you see in the picture.
I miss my toy car. Had to give it up when I got laid off way back in '12. Forced early retirement kind of sucks but I'm over it. I get to work on my brother's stuff, when we can get together. That is the hurdle we face these days.

[Evans, Marv]

OMG !! I am Fred, Norm, & Flipper all rolled into one. I've been working on my car for a long time (I won't say how long), and It's almost there. I try hard to get out there and get it finished, but other things always get in the way. At least I can enjoy going out and looking at it once in a while (I have to take the car cover off). It's such a beautiful thing - a real work of art in form and color. That's my opinion, but I want to get it running again & drive it before I kick the bucket.

[Baz]

I think many here go through the same thing, Fred. At different intervals, of course.

A lot of it, of course, has to do with how busy your life is away from enjoying your Porsche(s).

Even when you reduce your hamster wheel....it seems you still stay so busy you have to work at getting time to spend just enjoying riding your motorcycle(s) or Porsche(s)....or (insert toy here).

I keep my 356 at my Mom's house in her garage and my 914 here in my garage - and my SC is currently at my mechanics under resto.

That 914 is much better to have in your garage if you need something to stack stuff on than the 356. But both the 914 and 356 are operational and complete with current registration and insurance. I actually plan to take the 914 over to Mom's later today and swap it for my 356 so I can drive the tub a little more often. Even if for evening runs along the coast and back.

Drive 'em!

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

OMG !! I am Fred, Norm, & Flipper all rolled into one. I've been working on my car for a long time (I won't say how long), and It's almost there. I try hard to get out there and get it finished, but other things always get in the way. At least I can enjoy going out and looking at it once in a while (I have to take the car cover off). It's such a beautiful thing - a real work of art in form and color. That's my opinion, but I want to get it running again & drive it before I kick the bucket.

My project is still in primer and I did not buy it in this millennium. At least it has nice seats and dash now and it is usually driveable in primer. One day it will be intruder purple.

[Seahawk]

The Love I lost:



I tried, I really did, to keep the sports car Jones going...I had a used BMW 2002 I bought in HS in 1975 for the love of all things sporty and many, many interesting cars since.

All gonzo. It was like a switch was flipped. I DD a 96 Land Cruiser and love it so I am not over the car thing, I just don't have any desire to go fast on public roads and there are no tracks in this area.

This if the definition of IMHO, YMMV, etc. I have seen GH85's car in person, BTW, and that could possible flip the switch back on

[onewhippedpuppy]

Time, as of lately I’ve had all sorts of time!

For me I have to drive the cars that I own, so the concept of letting something sit is foreign to me. I’ve never had collector car insurance that prohibited driving to work (Hagerty) because if it’s nice outside I’ll drive my car to work! Or the store, etc. I can’t tell you how many grocery trips I made in my SC. Cars are made to drive, and I wouldn’t keep one I wasn’t driving. It’s why my wife’s E63 has a second set of wheels with snow tires, and I’ll buy the same for my SL63 before winter.

So the point is, use your current covid free time to get those things back on the road and enjoy them! Or sell them to me and I’ll exercise them.

[911boost]

I do a lot of errands in the '78 VW because its a lot smaller than my DD.

For the 911, I do find the time to go on a fun drive even during the current crisis.

[-Levi-]

I have two weekend cars and I find it easy to put way to many miles on them.
if you cant find any time in a whole year, you just aren't really into it any more... That's not a bad thing, once it becomes "work" to own them its time to sell them.

its easy to drive it to work once or twice a month at absolute minimum, or to the store and take the long way their.
that's just my 2 cents.

[GH85Carrera]

I really think for my my age, my 911 is the perfect toy to have. It is a 35 year old car, so even after owning it for 25 years there are projects I "need" to do it. Right now I have a few things I could spend time in the garage and tinker on it. I want to replace the windshield squinter check valves sine those have failed and it takes a few extra seconds of pump run time to wet the windshield.

Mega items like that.

With old cars there is always something to do to make em just a bit better.

[911boost]

Hi levi! I am not too far north of you.

Will keep my eyes open for that GT3, I have a blue one.

[gordner]

I daily drive mine through the Summer season. Not a long season here, especially since I do not have heat in the car, but as long as the morning temp is above five or six degrees Celsius I drive it.

[flipper35]

The dash used to be black, with black faced gauges. Was bland.

[NutmegCarrera]

I definitely do not have time to wrench and enjoy that part of hobby car ownership.
Hard enough to find time and determination to drive a ‘modern’ car often enough to justify.
Drove the 996 to work today for first time in at least 3 weeks. Weather here has been crap, so that doesn’t help.
Every time I want to drive it - I need to move daughters car. Always somebody at work with their hair on fire - so my only opportunity to drive it (mostly) is typically interrupted by commuter car activities that take away from the driving.

*There is definitely an ‘upper limit’ on the number of toys you can have without neglect, looking like a hoarder, or just plain forgetting about all of it.
Now, with the COVID crisis, I’m just looking at how to spend quality time with the family while I’m at home. I am fortunate to need to go to work - and busier than ever while the family is at home with little to do. Makes the weekends even more of a challenge when it comes to using a hobby car.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by NutmegCarrera

*There is definitely an ‘upper limit’ on the number of toys you can have without neglect, looking like a hoarder, or just plain forgetting about all of it.
.

Not if you have Jay Leno money and love of all things mechanical. His collection is just stupendous, and everything works, and he can discuss each item in detail.