Is There A Cure For My Disease?

[Doug&Julie]

Not trying to make light of anyone with a serious medical affliction, but....

I seriously can't decide what to do about my whole "car situation". One day I think for sure I'm keeping what I've got, another day I'm sure I'm going to sell the lot and buy something cheap with cash and never look back. Then even another day I'm convinced that one new car to replace the two is the way to go.

What kills me is how certain I am from one day to the next. For instance, talking with Julie this weekend while driving back from family visit to Michigan (where we talked a lot about moving to Oregon again), I was certain that the plan was to sell the Legacy, keep the Cayman S, and pay cash for a "driver" of some kind (could be Porsche, could be Subaru). We both agreed that it was the best idea, for the past couple of days that's what's been on my mind. But now this morning, for whatever reason, I just don't feel as strongly about that plan and am wondering about any of the other half dozen plans we've come up with.

Seriously, is this some kind of disorder or something? It's frustrating and a little scary all at the same time...

[GH85Carrera]

You sound like the husband of one of my wife's co-workers. He can't make a descision and stick with it at all. He has decided to sell their house at least 10 times to the point of putting it on the market at least twice. Then he changes his mind.

I understand you dilemma. Sometimes as I am fixing some other little problem on my 85 911 or my 86 El Camino I think it would nice to sell them both and have a modern 911 GT3 as my daily driver. Then I think about parting with a 911 I have had for 16 years or my Elky that I have had for 20 years. It would be like selling a pet that I have owned for years.

[cantdrv55]

Doug, when you figure it out let me know. My change addiction isn't limited to Porsches unfortunately.

[Zeke]

Well, IIRC, you've been through some cars. I don't think there's cure. The last one I bought I was interested in working on it for about 2 months. Now, only if something is wrong. I think one just gets tired of it all eventually.

[oldE]

Originally Posted by Doug&Julie

Not trying to make light of anyone with a serious medical affliction, but....

I seriously can't decide what to do about my whole "car situation".
Seriously, is this some kind of disorder or something? It's frustrating and a little scary all at the same time...

Try this:
When you get a 'notion' or urge to do something regarding your car situation, write it down and enumerate the reasons why you think you should proceed along that line. Date it and don't do anything for two weeks.

If, two weeks later, you are still 100% in alignment with your original thinking, you have a serious consideration.

Other than that, you're just having flights of fancy and have to learn to separate reality from daydreams.

It isn't just with cars. Some people have this problem with the opposite sex: "Marry in haste: repent at leisure."

Hope this works for you.
Les

[widebody911]

More cowbell?

[Doug&Julie]

LOL more cowbell!

I think part of my "problem" is...most (if not all) of these "plans" have some logic behind them. Sometimes is fuzzy logic, and sometimes it's real logic, but after I come up with a plan, I usually say "hey, that would work!".

I will say I've given up on the idea that I'll ever be one of those people who can buy a car and keep it for a long time. I just love cars too much (well, some cars), and I just want to experience them in more than just a test drive. The one exception to that will be my next old 911...most likely (especially if it's a good coupe) I'll keep it "forever".

...maybe.

[recycled sixtie]

To me is the worst when u sell a car and regret selling it later. You can see how attached people get to their old cars. Some of our neighbors keep on collecting cars whether they are running or not.Sit there not being used or wrapped up in a blanket waiting for who knows what?

Ex wives - well they are running and hopefully voting with their feet and not wrapped in blankets at the bottom of the yard!

Your situation is symptomatic of anomie(watch out they may make a pill for this condition). If I remember correctly it means that you are constantly reaching higher and not necessarily getting any more satisfaction for the effort. After all a car is a car and is a means of getting from a to b. How much enjoyment u get from it is your decision. A Porsche might give u more satisfaction than a BMW but dont forget my first line in this post. Hope this helps!

[Z-man]

Doug:
As long as your choice keeps changing BEFORE you make a purchase, you are ok. Once you make a purchase, it becomes very costly to keep changing your mind and selling & buying another.

It sounds to me like your choices are not cheap -- somewhere in the $25-$30k price range. If you weren't mulling over your options as much as you are, I'd say you aren't thinking it through thoroughly enough.

Case in point -- it took me 4 years of research, saving $$, and test driving all sorts of Porsches from 944's, 914's, 911's until I finally purchased my 944S2. Now I've had that car for nearly 10 years. Had I made a hasty decision, I would not have kept my car around for so long...

So until you make your purchase, have at it -- change your mind as much as you want! But once you buy, you'd better be happy with the final decision, even if you keep the car for a shorter time than I typically do!

Just my $0.42,
-Z

[Instrument 41]

Are you reading my mail?? I have this disease myself, but with just my cars. I just like cars so I'm always looking. My specific disease goes to the point that I'm in it for the hunt. I enjoy the search, then one I acquire "it" soon after I'm looking for something else.

[DanielDudley]

How many times have you been to Oregon ? I have an '02 Impreza wagon with 130K miles that I have about 3 grand into. It runs fine, and you know it will keep going. If you are tired of cr payments, it certainly can be done.

[McLovin]

One cure is time.

At least, that cured me.

[einreb]

"A sense of a wider meaning to one’s existence is what raises a man bond mere getting and spending. If he lacks this sense, he is lost and miserable."

-Carl Jung

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by Doug&Julie

Seriously, is this some kind of disorder or something? It's frustrating and a little scary all at the same time...

We're like twins separated at birth... Not a day goes by that I'm not scheming to sell this car + that car and that gets me "this" next car... I'm with you on the keepers, though. An old 911 is gonna get harder to find as time goes by. The Cayman S is something else, I think about selling it all the time (could use that money to do other things) but it's so effing beautiful to look at and drive....can't do it. Ugh... Also on the same page on regrets: I shouldn't have sold my 356.

Only advice I can offer is to sit on it a bit longer... Some of those crazy ideas evaporate in time... some don't ! Over time, the mistake I've made was not to keep one fast car, as the garage was getting turned over (again)... Apparently I can last longer without a classic than I can without a fast car... one of each is best ;-)

[Doug&Julie]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

...An old 911 is gonna get harder to find as time goes by...

I think this is a key point in my "dilema". My dream garage has a modern middie (Boxster / Cayman) and at least one "old" 911 (pre 964). Well the prices of the later are heading up, and a beloved longhood is almost out of reach already. I feel a great sense of urgency to get one before they get out of control (or get an 80s car and backdate it). To do that anytime soon, I have to sell the Cayman S...which I don't really want to do because I've been "getting rid of" Porsches far too casually in the past ten years.

One other major factor in all of this is Julie and I are ]THIS[ close to selling the house and relocating to the PNW. What I don't know is if I'll still have a job when we do that. I should...we talked about it in my last review...but I wouldn't put it past our VP to...er, "change his mind". Anyway so what that means is I'll need cheap and/or realiable transportation for that transition...so I'm kinda trying to plan for that.

Thanks all for your input and philosophy! It helps to know I'm not alone. When I get some time, I'm going to do as some have suggested and write out all of my "plans" with pros and cons and see if that makes things any clearer. I'll share it here if I do....

[Deschodt]

I'm with you on the urgency thing... Early S models are out of my reach already, pretty soon Ts will be as well - good thing I bought one last year (bad news is I paid $$$ to get it rebuilt mechanically top to bottom). I would not do the backdate if I were you - I did one on my SC and I regret it... well, I do not regret the process, it was fun experience but at the end it does *not* feel or drive like a long hood, it looks like one but i found I missed the feel more than the look... Don't go there...

May I suggest you investigate a SWB 912 ? Still affordable - for now - nice looks, twitchier than a LWB but with less rear bias, so it's actually a lot of fun ! it's real, it's going up in price, and it's 85% of the enjoyment of an early 911 at 50% of the price. Especially if you big bore it... on the Cayman front, you and I both own a 2006 CS - I love that car to bits, but let's face it, it's not rare, it's got oiling issues on track, and you can always buy another one later...
At least that's why i try to tell myself but I won't sell it either, it's too much fun for a car <$30K ;-)

[rnln]

Same here, been yes and no on selling it more than once, but still have it now. I remember I have this problem with other cars of mine in the past too. Everytime, I let the car go for this reason, I promissed myself that I don't play with car (toy) anymore, and just get some dd. There was a point of time, several years, I only look at 4 doors automatic tran to prevent myself from playing with the car, but that only works for several months.
It's like addiction. There is no permanent cure.

Originally Posted by Doug&Julie

Not trying to make light of anyone with a serious medical affliction, but....

I seriously can't decide what to do about my whole "car situation". One day I think for sure I'm keeping what I've got, another day I'm sure I'm going to sell the lot and buy something cheap with cash and never look back. Then even another day I'm convinced that one new car to replace the two is the way to go.

What kills me is how certain I am from one day to the next. For instance, talking with Julie this weekend while driving back from family visit to Michigan (where we talked a lot about moving to Oregon again), I was certain that the plan was to sell the Legacy, keep the Cayman S, and pay cash for a "driver" of some kind (could be Porsche, could be Subaru). We both agreed that it was the best idea, for the past couple of days that's what's been on my mind. But now this morning, for whatever reason, I just don't feel as strongly about that plan and am wondering about any of the other half dozen plans we've come up with.

Seriously, is this some kind of disorder or something? It's frustrating and a little scary all at the same time...

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by McLovin

One cure is time.

At least, that cured me.

Or running out of money.

Worked for me.

[teenerted1]

DONT ASK SCOOTER





when are you two going to find a car you like?






i'm still driving Foxy Brown , and the subbie hit 100k this winter.

[rattlsnak]

Welcome to my world. That is exactly why Ive had 12 different 911s in the last 20 years.. Everybody that knows me knows my motto: Everything is for sale!!"