Buy New or Pursue a Goal?

Everyone I know is buying cars. I want to as well. Problem is, what I want is either a highly collectable classic or a Lambo… Or a Boeing.

So the other day my friends 2004 Saleen Mustang 281 was delivered. While not all that attractive to my tastes, for him it was love at first sight and achievement  of a big goal. I’m truly happy for him as any friend should be, however there is a small amount of jealousy.

Same situation with my other friend. I had been working on her Mitsubishi Eclipse for some time and it seemed to develop a thirst for AC components along with things necessary to make it function. She mentioned interest in purchasing a new car at one point and it snowballed from there. The final straw was when she was at the shop watching me look it over and trying to work on it. The following weekend she became the proud owner of a Golf GTi. Normally I tell my friends that I’ll disown them if they buy a VW/Audi Product. Really though I love my friends even if they own German cars with suspension that enrages me among other things. Even though it was a Volkswagen, I still felt the slight itch of jealousy.

Now. I may have mentioned that I like to keep cars, and that I feel like I develop bonds with them. This is true. Old cars that you’ve owned for a while just seem to fit. My two leather shoes are parked in the garage.

I tell you what though. I absolutely love to drive different cars. Especially something I can see myself owning at some point in time. New cars have that awesome smell (maybe because its toxic?). The idea of being the first person to own a car is awesome too. Knowing there is no questionable past. Few used cars can deliver on that. Used cars do offer more on some occasions than new cars for a lower price. You can buy a used Jaguar XJ-R for less than $16,000 and have a luxury car that can cruise or haul ass depending on your mood. I don’t think you get that with a New Jetta that costs $16,000. I don’t know what you get with a new $16,000 Jetta actually besides a place to sit, 4 wheels, and a couple pyrotechnics in the dashboard.

Part of me looks at my friend achieving a goal of theirs and wants to do the same. I would like to one day own a classic sports car. Maseratis, Lambos, Alfas, some Lotus. I go on Ebay and browse the selection. I could easily have a Fiero made to look like many of the cars I’d like to have for 1/4 the price of a real one. I hate the idea of driving around a Fiero with an identity crisis though. I would rather drive a real Countach and have it hardly run or require me to need knee surgery to drive it. I’m sure many of you agree. Classic cars have more style, sometimes more power, less chimes, buzzers, and warnings. You’re more likely to turn heads in an old Testarossa than a F430 (especially if the TR has twin turbos and Koenig body).

As for new cars, I don’t know many cars that I would buy new right now. Part of it being what happens to be for sale and the other part of it is that I’m in the process of trying to figure out where I am in life. I turn 30 this year and wonder if I’m going to like a new car years down the road. Its like buying technology. Always updating to something nicer or adding features. One of my friends put it simply and told me I should buy a car that offers everything I could imagine wanting in the next few years. Decent thought but I can’t really afford a Bugatti Veyron SS. The other thing that haunts the back of my mind is the future. The European Union is going to try to phase out gas and diesel engines by 2050. How dismal does that sound? I might be 70-something then but if thats the case they might as well try to sell me a electric car now.

What to do? Nothing now. I love my current cars. If I had to do something though, I would go for my goal. You only live once for a short period of time. Make something of it. I would go after an old car. Screw the pollution and Al Gore. When I turn 70 and Europe has persuaded the US to kill the gas engine as well, I will hang my gas engined car on my wall like an old oil painting and stare at it. Old, stylish, fast, FUN cars. Owning one of which is a goal of mine and some day it will happen. Mark my words. I should add that one day I’m going to own at least one Boeing as well. It can blow the leaves out of my driveway.

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