Am I beyond help? Am I alone in this affliction?

[irocfan]

It seems over the past 10 years or so that i have bought my dream car (at that particular price point) and it's going to be 'a keeper'.... only it isn't. It Lasts a while and then a new 'dream car' appears (even to the point where it's been the same model just a different colour!).

My (no doubt suffering) wife has commented that I had more cars in the first 2 years than she's ever owned (at that point we were both just over 50). and yet I show no signs of settling down with 'the one'.

Latest case in point I have (IMO) an amazing, lightly modified, excellent condition SLK55 which has got performance, presence, comfort... pretty much everything I could ask of a car. Upon picking it up I loved this car (and truth be told I still do, it ticks every box) and was going to keep it for quite some time. Yet now I'm thinking about selling it. For a car that will, by all logic, be a far worse car - but it's my new 'dream car' (2004 Mach 1).

Am I alone in this affliction or are there others on here who understand this switching of affections?

[irocfan]

SidewaysSi said:

The trouble with both and with many new cars is largely physics. They are around 200KG heavier than my older car and inevitably they have massive grip which is a pain if you like to slide around a bit at road speeds. So first off, they are immediately at a loss. Add to that things like ePAS, DBE throttles, turbos etc and they are less immediate and full of nannying stuff that I personally can't stand.

As for what I have done - taken a very good non Sport 328i and done/will do the following to create a car that looks old but is a bit of a laugh. I want it to be a "Clubsport" type car with a focus on road ability but with a harder edge than any factory BMW.

- Reduced wheel size to 15" for ride /handling/feel
- Fast Z3 rack which has been rebuilt. I may remove the PAS in future
- E30 steering arms with M3 bushes. M3 trailing arm bushes
- Vibratechnics engine mounts
- Bilstein B12 kit (new springs and dampers)
- X brace to stiffen the front end
- Fully upgraded cooling system
- Stiffer adjustable ARBs
- Race brake fluid and Ferodo DS2500 pads
- 3.46 ratio diff and LSD
- M50 manifold, carbon induction and remap
- Quickshift gearchange and CDV delete. Also lightweight flywheel and E34 M5 clutch
- Remove as much sound deadening as possible

Sure there are other bits but in the main, that would be largely it. A perfect family car IMO! Fast enough on road, slideable with sensible limits, decent feel and we'll sorted as a road car but can take in a trackday if needed.

My Elise has had similar tweaks and it is still a hit after all these years.

Edited by SidewaysSi on Sunday 22 October 12:57

Edited by SidewaysSi on Sunday 22 October 13:25

now you see this ^^^ I can relate to (though maybe not to the full extent!). Buy something and personalise it - I've done little bits in the SLK but in all honesty (IMO) it's really the sort of 'mod it' car (or possibly car experience) I'm after, never know what is until you buy one and try it!

[irocfan]

HumanDoing said:

irocfan said:

It seems over the past 10 years or so that i have bought my dream car (at that particular price point) and it's going to be 'a keeper'.... only it isn't. It Lasts a while and then a new 'dream car' appears (even to the point where it's been the same model just a different colour!).

My (no doubt suffering) wife has commented that I had more cars in the first 2 years than she's ever owned (at that point we were both just over 50). and yet I show no signs of settling down with 'the one'.

Latest case in point I have (IMO) an amazing, lightly modified, excellent condition SLK55 which has got performance, presence, comfort... pretty much everything I could ask of a car. Upon picking it up I loved this car (and truth be told I still do, it ticks every box) and was going to keep it for quite some time. Yet now I'm thinking about selling it. For a car that will, by all logic, be a far worse car - but it's my new 'dream car' (2004 Mach 1).

Am I alone in this affliction or are there others on here who understand this switching of affections?

You need to search for what is missing from your life that you are erroneously thinking will be filled up by a vehicle. No car will ever fill this void within your very soul. There is a wealth of evidence within the literature that 'doing', rather than 'owning' and helping others rather than living a life of pure self-indulgence is the key to happiness.

Paint a picture, dance a dance, do some charity work. After all that you may find that you don't any longer feel the need to fork out for a new motor, much less such an expensive one. I truly hope you find the answer to your current longing.

in fairness chap you're over thinking it. It's a light-hearted question about seeming to go through cars like a dose of salts. There is absolutely nothing missing from my life and I quite honestly would not swap it for a €uromillions quadruple roll-over jackpot - it's only money and I am more than happy as things are (that's not to say that I don't occasionally do a 'lucky'-dip but that's a whole other thing).

I like trying different cars, I enjoy reading about them and looking at/for them. I don't pay hige amounts of attention to most road tests though as what other people value in the driving/ownership experience isn't necessarily what I value....

[irocfan]

HumanDoing said:

irocfan said:

in fairness chap you're over thinking it. It's a light-hearted question about seeming to go through cars like a dose of salts. There is absolutely nothing missing from my life and I quite honestly would not swap it for a €uromillions quadruple roll-over jackpot - it's only money and I am more than happy as things are (that's not to say that I don't occasionally do a 'lucky'-dip but that's a whole other thing).

I like trying different cars, I enjoy reading about them and looking at/for them. I don't pay hige amounts of attention to most road tests though as what other people value in the driving/ownership experience isn't necessarily what I value....

I was joking mate. But thanks.

truth be told told in this madhouse it's not always easy to tell!! Apols

[irocfan]

I have to admit that I know one car I won't be considering and that's a FFRS