August sixth is approaching fast, which all of you should celebrate as the day of hachiroku. For me, this day has extra significance, as it marks the day which I bought my fifth AE86… which was the first of two cars I bought and planned on keeping forever. Both of those cars are gone now… and in hindsight, I can see why they had to go. I spent too much money on them… too fast. I got impatient, I couldn’t wait. I splurged and put myself in a tough spot thinking I could get out of it later. Didn’t happen either time…
… now I’m car-less once again.
My responsibility to my new wife… makes buying in again even more challenging. But I don’t tend for QuickRGarage to be empty for much longer. Buy in cheap and build…
Now… when I think about the things I miss most about 86 life… I’m a little surprised. Maybe now… after two months without owning, and almost a year without driving my desire has just become so raw and basic that all the stuff I used to think I want… now just seems redundant and foolish.
I used to want to shred SR20’s like Masaharu, I used to dream about running the N2 Challenge versus Kameda and…
Now… I think about… such simple things.
Wrenching in the barn with rain banging down on the tin roof… cruising country roads… battling the snow.
I’m trying to figure out now… how to blend these desires with my current allowances of time and money, in such a manner, that I can continue to enjoy doing so, until my children are old and mock my old live axle, manual gearbox, tin can.
I want to make something clear now… before you throw in your suggestions, and toss $400 cars at me.
Building a fast car isn’t actually that expensive… but building a nice car can be. I’m not looking for a fast car. I want my Dad to be able to drive it and say, “Far Out.” I want my wife to enjoy it… I want my wife to be able to drive it… in the snow. Your 15×10’s and turbo’s are really cool… but not here. Not ever.
And all these things in mind…
86 becomes a really stupid choice.
Actually… any car so old becomes a really stupid choice. It’s convienient for everyone who owns an 80’s and prior POS… that ANY CAR (and I do mean ANY CAR), in decent operating condition seems to be worth at least $3000. How the hell is it, that these people sell their cars when two columns over in the newspaper they can buy Ford Focus, or Dodge Neon that have been on the road for ten years less, for exactly the same price.
Now… these are just two cars that appeal to me, an enthusiast… think of the general buying public. The one that likes sunfire and cavalier and taurus and intrepid. I’m baffled… how does the average dad sell a 1987 Camry for $4000?
Shouldn’t I… some random dude who just happens to be aroused by pizza cutters and pop up headlights be able to satisfy my desires for a few hundred dollars?
Are we all so convinced that american cars are such pieces of garbage?
I’d spend $3000 on a Neon before I spent $3000 on an EF Civic Si, or even an EG DX…
Whatever… I’m car shopping… stay tuned if your so inclined.