Buying cars you really don't need.

[phil_lihp]

I own a nearly new, small petrol-powered 5 door family hatchback in white.  It has always done everything asked of it and never ever goes wrong.

 

That was boring so on a whim I bought an old, small petrol-powered 5 door family hatchback in white.  It has always done everything asked of it and never ever goes wrong.

 

This cycle could continue forever as far as I see but fortunately space is at such a premium that 2 is a stretch.  In fact, much as I love the autoshite bike 220, I'm almost out of things to fix/improve on it.  I have had treacherous thoughts about selling but it's not time yet.  Might do later in the year.

 

I'm going down to four cars this month, because they're the ones I can justify. I'll have a diesel boring car for the Mrs's commute (Mazda) and one for my everyday use (Saab). Then one old car (Minx) and a camper van for hols. Hence the letting-go of the Merc and the Renault 5. The Merc is spoken for; the 5 will be next (anyone?).

 

No.  No, no, no, no.  Maybe.  

 

I do feel slightly sorry for it.

[DSdriver]

300E any use to you? It runs, mostly.

If you sell the 300E to Junkman there will then be room in your life for an XM which I would be happy to sell to you.

[sporty-shite]

The way I see it, old chod is a hobby like any other. You wouldn't see a golfer without a couple of sers of clubs, would you?

[philibusmo]

In my fleet I have the Mk1 Fiesta which does everything required of it:

It's excellent in town or on motorways, economical, large enough to move reasonably large objects, comfy and never goes wrong. I do not need another car.

 

I also have the Lancia which is superb at rusting away. The Supra which drinks more fuel than all the rest of my fleet. The Rover which oes nothing other than let in water and the soon to be gone Citroen which is excellent of making a mess of the drive.

 

Quite clearly I don't in any way need all these extra cars, but I would be a very miserable person if I did not have them.

[trigger]

I have 4 cars and I need them all, I have the Focus as a daily, the Acclaim for when the Focus breaks down, The Civic for then the Acclaim breaks down and the Cortina for when the Civic breaks down.

 

You need to cover all options, in fact I might get a 5th in case the Cortina breaks down too.

[Sudsprint]

Oh dear I think I have got six including the daily driver.

 

Saturday mornings involve me shortlisting seven or eight cars off Ebay for my wife to logically dismiss them one by one (she humours me).

 

If you read the Alan Clark diaries, amongst all the political gossip is a man with far too much (super-expensive) shite deliberating over where he should start his cull.

 

It's a problem the world over. 

[mercrocker]

Still on five, one is potentially going soon.   If it does I think I might be able to treat myself to a WBOD later in the year.  

[forddeliveryboy]

Oh dear I think I have got six including the daily driver.

 

Saturday mornings involve me shortlisting seven or eight cars off Ebay for my wife to logically dismiss them one by one (she humours me).

 

If you read the Alan Clark diaries, amongst all the political gossip is a man with far too much (super-expensive) shite deliberating over where he should start his cull.

 

It's a problem the world over. 

 

I defence of AC, his cull list was only being drawn up since he knew he was dying. Otherwise he'd have continued on like we all do, car-wise.

 

Like DW, anything I've bought since the 2CV is a bit unnecessary. A 2CV really does do most things very well, it's just nice sometimes to have a little luxury and be able to talk to passengers on the motorway

 

So very, very true. I ran nothing but a Dyane for a few months years ago - it arrived within a minute or two of any 'hothatch', was comfy, adaptable, cheap, reliable, carried a massive load, was completely charming and had one of the nicest petrol engines I've ever known. Made the North Circular in minutes over two and a half hours once, from North Yorkshire. Roof off, even (which anyone with the slightest knowledge of flat-twin Cits knows slows a Dyane more than a 2cv). Thought I was gunna be achey, head-ringing, stiff and the rest, old-english-sports-car-motorway-journey-style yet anything but.

 

 

 

For those who think three is excessive, dream on! I get totally pissed-off with intolerance of motor car collections, I mean if you collect art, old houses or whatever nobody gives a flying fig. We're persecuted by those who don't understand but somehow believe they have the right to judge and condemn.

 

My mate who recently bought a C124 with an OM603 purring slc* has it right - a 2cv, the new Merc coupe and a Traction Avant. The Merc has a towbar, which is almost as good as an estate car.

 

 

*slc = under the bonnet.

[RobT]

I have 4 cars and I need them all, I have the Focus as a daily, the Acclaim for when the Focus breaks down, The Civic for then the Acclaim breaks down and the Cortina for when the Civic breaks down.

You need to cover all options, in fact I might get a 5th in case the Cortina breaks down too.

I need another really as when my two main ones broke last week I had to resort to a hire car. They gave me a BMW 116 diesel automatic which was underwhelming and irritating with that eco bollocks thing, which I tried and failed to switch off.

 

I get bored too, so it's good to have a choice!

[chaseracer]

If you sell the 300E to Junkman there will then be room in your life for an XM which I would be happy to sell to you.

 

 

[Skizzer]

I only need one car, and even that is based on a very first world definition of 'need'. It's not about need, it's about regular failure to overcome want.

 

My name is Skizzer and I am a shiteoholic.

[Cavcraft]

Thinking about it I've got the following:

 

Corsa 1.0: I do 'need' this car as it's (usually) my daily runner, is reliable, economical and takes me all over the place buying pushbikes.

 

Peugeot 306: That is most definitely needed when it finally arrives back at my gaffe for the reasons mentioned above for the Corsa.

 

Peugeot 205: A whim car, not needed at all but I just like it.

 

Vectra diesel: Never was going to be a keeper, though it's nice to have a five door modern-ish car.

 

Audi A3: Off tomorrow to get chopped in against a....

 

SAAB convertible: Not 'needed' just a whim car.

 

FIAT Cinquecento: My daughter is struggling a bit with the non-power assisted steering so that'll be up for sale soon.

 

So really sort of 2 out 6 are 'needed' and one of those has been off the road for about 3 months! 

[SambaS]

Definitely need all mine. Need many more too. I think twenty or thirty is reasonable

[SambaS]

Been offered 3 MG ZRs this week and an MX5 but due to my upcoming holiday didn't bite. Plus what I really want is a ZS V6 and a Charade

[vulgalour]

Princess - makes me happy.

Xantia - So cheap to run I can even stomach the insurance cost.

 

I believe we should regard cars as 'portable property' insofar as it's a ready source of pocket change should it be required.  So yes, I sold the Renault 6 provisionally, but if I didn't own it where else would I get the money to go towards the (hopefully) imminent house move.  If I hadn't saved the red Princess I wouldn't have been able to spread the joy* to someone else with that so it's a happiness making machine too.

 

This is all perfectly rational and logical and why, one day, I'll likely end up surrounded by worthless old rammle much to the chagrin of my neighbours who are all likely miserable fuckers that don't want me to be happy.

[rml2345]

Due to space constraints I've only got one quite big car. What I really should have is one quite small car and a van but convincing others of this is proving difficult.

Having one car is like promising to only eat one biscuit; it may work for a short time but it soon becomes two then three and before you know it you've eaten half a packet of cars.

[cort1977]

I have a reasonable three cars.   Wifes daily minivan thing, never goes wrong.   My daily E36, never failed to proceed, needs occasional attention.   Pontiac barge, weekend car.   Sounds all very reasonable.

 

Then I remember that I have a Cortina and a van on a different continent.   In a shed I paid for at the mother in law's.   Which I drive every two years at best.   These are not the actions of a reasonable man.  

 

And there is a 79 celica in a lovely brown at a car yard near me that looks in good shape...

[Jim Bell]

I must be the only person in the world with one car.

 

Me, and about six Chinese people.

[xtriple]

I've only got one car ... now. Live in a really grotty flat with no parking, all my tools are in a storeage unit and I've got nowhere to even clean my car. Plus of course, I'm a complete cripple and can't even bend over .

 

Still, that doesn't stop me wanting more. I have money in the bank... for buying somewhere to live... but, I keep looking on eBay/Autotrader etc and drooling over Bentley Turbo Rs, old Jags, big American heaps. I read the eBay threads on here avidly and have put several of the cars therein in to 'watch'.

 

It won't be long before I buy something. I've got nowhere to park it (parking here is a nightmare) and no ability to work on it. Still want one (anything). It's an illness.....

[nigel bickle]

Don't ask me -I've never done that.

[Volksy]

The 205 is cheap to run, and great fun. Makes me smile.

 

The 306 is great on fuel, perfect for my long commute and can be left anywhere without any concern. Makes my wallet smile.

 

Therefore, both are needed.

[Ratdat]

You only 'need' one pair of shoes too.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Maybe the definition of an Autoshiter is someone who owns more cars than pairs of shoes( obviously women are exempt from this rule) I own one pair of black brogues, I pair brown brogues, I pair Doctor Marten boots and some canvas Conserve or some such shit the kids make me wear on holidays. So 4 pairs of shoes to 5 cars, I really must pull my finger out and buy more cars.

[DVee8]

I must be the only person in the world with one car.

 

Me, and about six Chinese people.

What happened to the Sunny?

[Squire_Dawson]

As someone once said to me, it's a disease with no known cure.

[DodgyBastard]

I normally only buy cars I don't need if they're cheap enough, The last one I saw for sale on a facebook group was advertised at £100 and was an hours drive away. It came with no keys or v5 and was a non runner. After having a look round the car I phoned a pal to see if he could transport it back, If he had said no, not today I would've just left it. Unfortunately he said yes which meant I had to go tidy a space in my garage at 11pm in order to fit the car in!

 

DSC_0271 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

Maybe we should start a thread called Cars we should have kept!

[eddyramrod]

I have two at present,, and where I am this is really all I can cope with. I could probably manage with one but it would have to be the blob. I've been driving that for much of the last 4 days and I can safely say, it would be annoyingly dull if it was all I had. MrsR has resumed driving lately and obviously drives the blob; we did after all buy this because she can get in and out of it without too much pain.

I start work at stupid o'clock in the morning, so I need a car to get to work; I also like to have a classic I can take to the shows in the summer, so at the moment I have the MR2, which MrsR will never be able to get in! That may change in the winter, as I like to have a substantial beater such as a Volvo to see me through the dark months. I have to sell-and-buy as I ave no private parking and live in a little terraced street, I soon run out of parking space! Of course it means I'm restricted to cars I can keep legal, so no projects.

I've been spoiled in the past, when I had space round me and could be up to four or five at times... several times! Money no object? I'd almost never stop buying, probably.

[twosmoke300]

I bought a rusty old gold Saab 900 just to (maybe ) make it to shitefest . Does that count ?

[Lukas]

It´s complicated to answer this question I guess... So let me try to explain it. To me.

 

The Mazda 6: It´s my daily driver, so I need it. Not daily, but for the usual drives to my parents, the relatives of Mrs. Lukas and to the house we are renovating at the moment. A lot of autobahn-kilometres per year, so I want something safe and comfortable.

 

The Subaru Leone: I don´t need it.

 

The 87 Pajero: Look above.

 

The 89 Pajero: Look above. And: I don´t even now yet if it is good enough to stay or if it will get flogged soon.

 

So I just need one car really. All the other ones are there because I like them and they make me happy.  What car I could have bought as my only car if I did not throw money at the old ones that are worth nothing...

[Luckythirteen]

There's definitely something in the lack of resistance/self will. Right now it's insurance that stops me, but the justification I understand.

I got a best quote of £2k for the Corvette I posted in the spotted thread, and was still justifying it as a toy. Not that I could afford to buy one, but that's a detail. Ditto for a 4x4.

I do it in other ways too; I justified XC running shoes to myself because they were on sale, and better than road shoes for that job.

Anyone else feel the need to collect more licenses, just in case? That could get expensive, but is easily justified...