Inability to settle with a car (Aka Bramz fever)

[DoctorRetro]

How many of us suffer with this? (Sorry Bramz, but you are giving your name to this, as you've always been the leader in car changing) :D

 

I've gone through 100+ cars in 20 years, and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Of all the cars I've owned, I always either get 'The Fear' (Where every noise / smell etc causes panic) or I fail to gel with it. Usually end up blaming it on the driving position, the fuel economy, the gearbox or something and getting rid.

Then immediately getting seller's regret and repeating the cycle with the next one?

 

What's the cure? 

 

*No, I am not gelling with the Galaxy, in case you hadn't guessed :D

[loserone]

Or repeatedly buying cars they don't fit they already know they don't fit in @Jim Bell

 

 

[DoctorRetro]

12 minutes ago, Nyphur said:

Step this way sir

On my radar, would need to shift the big red bus first though.

Don't know whether to do that or not...

[eddyramrod]

Cure, even if I do keep posting him For Sale cheekily. 

Seriously, a big old Cadillac will empty your wallet but you'll smile every inch of the way.

[DodgyBastard]

Just keep buying and rarely sell anything then you'll have a selection of cars to swap between to relieve the boredom.

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[DoctorRetro]

Just now, DodgyBastard said:

Just keep buying and rarely sell anything then you'll have a selection of cars to swap between to relieve the boredom.

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Yeah, fair point. Your car lifestyle is like my ultimate goal!

Just need a big barn / warehouse...

[BorniteIdentity]

Long term ownership is, genuinely, the answer. 

Rather than resenting spending out on repairs, I see it as an investment in the future viability of the car. A few of us on the Barge Thread on PH see huge bills as a badge of honour; it’s really quite perverse!

I have a wobble - every 3 months usually. But I’ve tried to remind myself that “weird cars just existing is good enough - I don’t have to own them.” Sometimes it’s enough just to take a photo or chat to the owner. 

That said, if a brightly coloured miniMETRO turns up then I’m buying it. 

 

[bramz7]

Ha. I suppose I should be flattered by this, but I bought a car yesterday (and one is being delivered today) and I am suffering from a stinking cold now, so I have obviously made myself sick.

 

I can't do longterm ownership sadly, not with a daily at least. I have regretted many cars I have sold, but there will always be something else to pique my interests. I don't really care about noises, as long as the car goes, stops and doesn't feel dangerous to drive I will just keep at it. At my end of the market, I am not in it to preserve what I use every day. I will always have an old car or two around though, as it's good to have a revolving fleet of sorts.

 

Never buy two of any car (unless you are really, really into them) and try not to buy stuff that is similar to other cars you have. So at the moment I have a six cylinder RWD manual, and a four cylinder FWD auto. Both are different enough for me to be happy for now.

 

How long is now though?

[DodgyBastard]

Yeah, fair point. Your car lifestyle is like my ultimate goal!
Just need a big barn / warehouse...

I don't think a barn or warehouse is required, I get by with a long driveway at my flat and a small workshop with enough space outside, I would like to downsize my collection, I'm at 16 just now but ideally I want to be down to 8 maximum.
Just can't really decide what to keep or sell, I seem to have amounted a number of worthless generic shitters which I can't seem to part with.

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[Sealtainn]

I’m with the long term ownership crowd on this one along with buy cheap and spend a fortune.
My Granada being a case in point, bought from RobT off here for £350 and once spending passed £3k I stopped counting. Likewise my roffle win Buick, I’ve spent around £700 on it so far


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[loserone]

I think there's a case for having a long termer which is boring and sensible, in our case it's the LEAF which couldn't be any more sensible, financially at least. The Legacy has had enough spent on it to make getting rid a stupid idea.

Everything else can come and go. 

[stereotype]

Hey at least you don't have attachment issues and still get recurring nightmares of killing your favourite child irrespective of how generic and boring they are

I wish I moved on quickly, saving up to effectively driveway half my back garden would make sense if I did but NO, JUST GOING TO KEEP DREAMING OF THAT 1.2 CLIO I'LL INEVITABLY BUY INTO THE FAMILY OF FRENCH AND JAPANESE SHITE I DON'T USE

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[dollywobbler]

The problem is, there are so many car still to try! It isn't until you've owned a car for a good few months that you really get a feel for whether you like it or not. A quick test drive is not enough.

I have a rare period of stability going on at the moment, where every car on the fleet has been owned for at least 11 months. It is actually quite nice, especially as I'm the sort of idiot who buys a cheap banger, then spends twice what it is worth on making it better, only to discover I don't actually like it.

I'm not surprised the Citroen XM stayed on the fleet for 18 months, but I am surprised that the Honda S-MX did. I still can't tell you why. The Skoda was another surprise. Thought it might be a long-termer, but I just didn't get on with it.

[The Moog]

Nods in agreement

I struggle to stick with a car. A longer termer is a great idea but doesn't have the thrill of changing it all the time for different and interesting things.

[bramz7]

Variety is the spice of life.

 

Some insurers would probably get iffy with that if they asked why you kept changing car mind you.

[eddyramrod]

I have Huggy (and the Motability bus) for long-term; Huggy is up to three years now.  My little C3 is my tip van, and as such could be replaced with almost anything else at any time, but it's a lot of fun and will probably stay with me a while.  Saying that, you've all seen me change cars many times, so anything could happen!  And if it does, it'll be the C3 it happens to.

[mrdelmonti]

My wife has a dig about me changing cars all the time, but there's normally a reason or at the very least an excuse. I'm honestly trying very hard to make my current two long termers.

I think it's difficult to have a car that does everything well enough to keep me interested and then having to juggle with running costs and storage space makes things awkward. If I had the space to park a couple of cars up for 6 months at a time and swap around I don't think I'd have a problem.

[danthecapriman]

I’ll stick my neck out here and suggest if your going through cars like you say, then you’ve not found what ‘works’ for you.

Im in the long term ownership corner firmly, but that’s because I know exactly what I want and what I like. I see absolutely no point whatsoever in  replacing something your happy with and still enjoy using with something you have no idea about.

Ive had the Capri for 18 years so far and I still love it now just the same as I did back when I bought it. I love the way it looks, drives, I’ll gladly spend a mint on it to keep it going etc. The others are the same really. 

The only time I’ve sold a car I really gelled with I regretted it the moment I handed the keys over (Volvo 740), that feeling didn’t go away either so within a year or so I got myself another one, because, frankly, there’s nothing better (imho) that I could have got instead. Those cars just ‘work’ for me and I like them. Why risk getting something else?

Having said all that, working on cars for a living once upon a time has definitely given me a clear idea of my own likes and dislikes and cars to stay away from!

[HMC]

I feel like this thread is a support group. 

Hi im HMC and I can’t get enough 4 wheeled action. I have no idea why.  I need to be better at long term planning; one month I put a good set of tyres on a car for instance, and the next it’s sold. I have more recently tried to avoid collecting several models within a make; something of the completist in me likes to assemble a collection on a theme. 

At the moment I’ve got the e36 320i coupe and the mg zr, and feel I could stretch to 3 if the right car was spotted. Budget these days is firmly in the bargain basement.

 

[HMC]

I seem to have written a car wanted ad at the end. Get a grip man!

[bramz7]

Yep, you're probably right there Dan.

 

I do like a few cars which I have owned several of:

 

Xantias are great as just normal cars, but the less normal bits always seeem to go wrong in the ones I have. 

AXs are hands down the best at putting a grin on my face, more of that later....

E39s are great at just being well weighted, well put together and not overly complicated. Shit seats though.

And I do really miss my old 850. Seriously annoyed about selling that still. I might have to buy another just because.

[DoctorRetro]

I've owned maybe 3 or 4 cars out of the 104 that I'd go back to. 

1. Lada Riva. Just because of ease of working on and smiles per mile. Sadly their popularity has made the market unattainable. 

2. Mazda 929. Good luck finding one. 

3. Rover 416si. Mine was spot on, just badly timed (long story) 

4. Suzuki Wagon R / Daihatsu Move. Have had numerous, would own again. 

 

Oh, and... 

5. Only because I know how controversial it is... Corsa B. A well looked after one does everything you need. 

[Eyersey1234]

Longest I have had a car is 12 years (my old Fiesta), I plan on my Focus being around a while yet though. 

[purplebargeken]

Long term what?

[danthecapriman]

1 minute ago, TheDoctor said:

I've owned maybe 3 or 4 cars out of the 104 that I'd go back to. 

1. Lada Riva. Just because of ease of working on and smiles per mile. Sadly their popularity has made the market unattainable. 

2. Mazda 929. Good luck finding one. 

3. Rover 416si. Mine was spot on, just badly timed (long story) 

4. Suzuki Wagon R / Daihatsu Move. Have had numerous, would own again. 

 

Oh, and... 

5. Only because I know how controversial it is... Corsa B. A well looked after one does everything you need. 

Lada and 929 are on my list too! Especially a 929!

 

I suppose the other thing that always fucks up plans is budget. The prices of some things is becoming ridiculous. Sadly that kills off any chance of getting one now or the possibility of getting another that you maybe had years ago. That is another reason I’m loath to sell what I’ve already got as getting another won’t come cheap.

[loserone]

Equally, getting older and your cars getting older means running them gets cheaper.

I've just insured the MGF AND the 305 for £260.  Now we have two old cars (and a 405, and two moderns)

[SRi05]

So long as Autoshite exists, I'll be tempted by something 

[strangeangel]

Back when, my C15 and rider policy were a very bad combination - I would go anywhere to buy ruined, obscure 2-wheeled crap. Bit by bit that's passed though; I've got a modern bike and my old favourites are shoved in the back of the garage (as of about 2 years ago). Cars... I'm not sure. I could happily afford another car and the associated expenses, and I see interesting things for sale (that 309 auto for one!) but I just think 'Do I really need another car in my life? Would I use it?'. And the moment passes.

 

Meanwhile, I've had the BX for about 4 years now... if you told me that I'd have it for another four I wouldn't complain.

 

[The Moog]

I disagree about the right car. I have had some but then they get boring.

It's the same reason I change jobs every few years, lived in 6 different house in last ten years etc.

[danthecapriman]

4 minutes ago, snagglepuss said:

I disagree about the right car. I have had some but then they get boring.

It's the same reason I change jobs every few years, lived in 6 different house in last ten years etc.

It’s probably a personality trait! 

I rarely change cars, I’ve had the same job for 13 years, lived in the same place for 15 years... I don’t like change!! (I’m also extremely lazy).