Justifying a Weekend Car
Discussion
Suffering from a bit of indecisiveness so looking for some advice over the potential purchase of a weekend car.
I have always been a Petrolhead (wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t!), but the head has always ruled the heart when it comes to cars.
Currently I have a company car and my wife has a Mini Cooper which are both nice cars, but I have always loved the idea of having a weekend car for a bit of fun and to ‘tinker’ with.
We are fortunate to be in a stable financial position which means it would be financially viable, but I can’t help feel there would be a guilt that the money could have go towards something else be it home improvements or holidays etc. We are not talking crazy money here, around £6-8k.
I have never been the most spontaneous person, much to my wife’s dismay, and I try and live frugally so it kind of goes against my personality.
For those wondering, I am looking at an Abarth 500/595 Convertible. Not everyone’s cup of tea but it ticks most of the boxes for us. Sporting, fast enough, 4 seats, a bit of brand heritage, small enough to fit in the garage, plus my wife has always wanted a convertible so it’s a nice compromise. I have previously had a Panda 100HP and my wife a standard 500 so we have a bit of history with similar cars.
So, lets hear your stories, good, bad and ugly.
I have always been a Petrolhead (wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t!), but the head has always ruled the heart when it comes to cars.
Currently I have a company car and my wife has a Mini Cooper which are both nice cars, but I have always loved the idea of having a weekend car for a bit of fun and to ‘tinker’ with.
We are fortunate to be in a stable financial position which means it would be financially viable, but I can’t help feel there would be a guilt that the money could have go towards something else be it home improvements or holidays etc. We are not talking crazy money here, around £6-8k.
I have never been the most spontaneous person, much to my wife’s dismay, and I try and live frugally so it kind of goes against my personality.
For those wondering, I am looking at an Abarth 500/595 Convertible. Not everyone’s cup of tea but it ticks most of the boxes for us. Sporting, fast enough, 4 seats, a bit of brand heritage, small enough to fit in the garage, plus my wife has always wanted a convertible so it’s a nice compromise. I have previously had a Panda 100HP and my wife a standard 500 so we have a bit of history with similar cars.
So, lets hear your stories, good, bad and ugly.
Nothing wrong with a weekend car, if you derive pleasure from owning and driving it then it's justifiable - but only you will know if that's true for you or not.
I've had a daily driver and a fun car (now 2.5 fun cars) for years now and haven't regretted it. The special cars feel even more special when you only drive them occasionally, and it can also mean they're kept in better condition and don't lose as much value. I originally went to a 2 car garage as I couldn't get a decent enough compromise - I wanted a 'proper' sports car that wasn't a 2 door version of a saloon (previous BMW coupe's) and also something with 4 doors and decent comfort for everyday that I didn't mind leaving in the dodgier car parks when I needed to for gigs etc.
Paying for multiple cars can be a bit of a pain, you can always SORN but really they need insuring all year round and inevitably need maintaining also. Mine live in the garage on trickle charge all winter and I gave up SORN'ing them as it was just too much hassle - I always want to be able to grab the keys and take them out if the mood takes me. Man maths says it can be cheaper, or at least reasonable, to run two cars, however my previous 'cheap' 4th/track car (Clio 182 Trophy) ended up costing me a few grand in the 2 years I had it on various things from tyres to servicing and an aircon refresh amongst other bits, not to mention the tax and insurance.
I guess it also depends what you want to use it for, in all honesty I probably didn't make the most of my first weekend car so I'm now a member of a supercar club and do a lot of events, roadtrips and trackdays in mine which means I get maximum enjoyment out of the limited mileage I do each year. That's a bit of an extreme, but if it ends up just being used to nip to the shops will it really be worth it for you? Is it suitable for weekends away and pleasure drives?
You could always try it for a summer and see how you get on, if you can get a good private sale (do they still exist?) you can probably run it for the summer without losing too much if it doesn't work out.
I've had a daily driver and a fun car (now 2.5 fun cars) for years now and haven't regretted it. The special cars feel even more special when you only drive them occasionally, and it can also mean they're kept in better condition and don't lose as much value. I originally went to a 2 car garage as I couldn't get a decent enough compromise - I wanted a 'proper' sports car that wasn't a 2 door version of a saloon (previous BMW coupe's) and also something with 4 doors and decent comfort for everyday that I didn't mind leaving in the dodgier car parks when I needed to for gigs etc.
Paying for multiple cars can be a bit of a pain, you can always SORN but really they need insuring all year round and inevitably need maintaining also. Mine live in the garage on trickle charge all winter and I gave up SORN'ing them as it was just too much hassle - I always want to be able to grab the keys and take them out if the mood takes me. Man maths says it can be cheaper, or at least reasonable, to run two cars, however my previous 'cheap' 4th/track car (Clio 182 Trophy) ended up costing me a few grand in the 2 years I had it on various things from tyres to servicing and an aircon refresh amongst other bits, not to mention the tax and insurance.
I guess it also depends what you want to use it for, in all honesty I probably didn't make the most of my first weekend car so I'm now a member of a supercar club and do a lot of events, roadtrips and trackdays in mine which means I get maximum enjoyment out of the limited mileage I do each year. That's a bit of an extreme, but if it ends up just being used to nip to the shops will it really be worth it for you? Is it suitable for weekends away and pleasure drives?
You could always try it for a summer and see how you get on, if you can get a good private sale (do they still exist?) you can probably run it for the summer without losing too much if it doesn't work out.
I'd say go for it and you only live once(especially if you can afford it well). 
I've ran a weekend car for 20 odd years now(although I did have a period where I went back down to 1 car and I regretted it).
There will be times when it won't get used of course, but I'm happy to know that it is there though. I'm a bit sad to be fair...and I can get pleasure from just looking at it/sitting in it in the garage, even if I'm not actually driving it though.
I've ran a weekend car for 20 odd years now(although I did have a period where I went back down to 1 car and I regretted it).
There will be times when it won't get used of course, but I'm happy to know that it is there though. I'm a bit sad to be fair...and I can get pleasure from just looking at it/sitting in it in the garage, even if I'm not actually driving it though.
OverSteery said:
s-x-i said:
So, lets hear your stories, good, bad and ugly.
Blib said:
Buy the bloody car.
HTH.
This all day long.HTH.
If you have a garage and the finances there are not many downsides.
I recently bought a weekend car, haven't used it much, but have not regretted it for one second. Like you I like tinkering as well, so there is enjoyment in using it and enjoyment in looking after it.
I also got free tickets and lunch to a classic race meet just for bringing mine along and leaving it parked on show for the day.
So... Just Do It....
OverSteery said:
I spent £4k on a mk1 MX5 with a turbo. 220 bhp doesn't win any bar room willy waving competitions, but it's a lot in something the weight on a MX5. Absolute hoot and parts are cheep.
I did this also, simple enough to skin knuckles on, and quick enough to be fun. (I also considered an Abarth, they are (a different) fun too)
My wife calls it the mistress, but she knows it is good for mental health and keeps me (generally) quiet.
I’m a bit like you and so have always focused on a lower cost Sunday car.
I had an mgtf for 10 years, nice for sunny days and in the end cheap to run, now got a tt convertible for weekends. Low mileage insurance and it ends up quite sensible cost. And always useful from time to time to have a spare car.
Do it
I had an mgtf for 10 years, nice for sunny days and in the end cheap to run, now got a tt convertible for weekends. Low mileage insurance and it ends up quite sensible cost. And always useful from time to time to have a spare car.
Do it
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