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How Much Do You Spend On Cars


corkman

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As a percentage of your monthly income, how much do you spend on car payments?

With cars being disproportionately expensive out here, I am questioning should I re-align my personal standards...... I mean a 3 series back home is not exactly "posh" or "high end"..... but here......

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Back in the west I drove nice motors.. Porsches, (highest end) Beemers, ricer sports, etc... Cars where always a big thing for me.. Here I drive a 15 year old VW golf, the minimum amount possible that remains 100% reliable and goes from A to B without looking like a wreck.

When people bang their doors open onto it, I dont care, when bikes whiz past within 5cm of the car in traffic, I dont flich, if I have to park it somewhere and it might be exposed.. I lose no sleep.

Thailand isnt a country to own high end things I feel.. They dont get respected and in many ways become more hassle than they are worth. Maybe its different in the city ?? But I doubt it. My car would be a rounding error on a fraction of a percent of my monthly income, and that suits me here.

Edited by LivinLOS
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As you note in the sub-title, it's all relative. I'm currently spending 8% of my monthly salary on the repayments for 2 cars (one 6 months old, the other 14 months), but will be increasing that to around 35% in the new year though :(

Taking a pay cut? :D

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100% right in what you say LivinLos, my first car here was a brand new Civic, I really lost sleep over it sometimes and then when I got my Accord I think I lost even more sleep, also I would drive around for 30 minutes looking for a place to park that I felt nobody could damage my car. so my next car is going to be a used Fortuna and I cant wait to get it. I will put huge bumpers on it as well.

Edited by onnut
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100% right in what you say LivinLos, my first car here was a brand new Civic, I really lost sleep over it sometimes and then when I got my Accord I think I lost even more sleep, also I would drive around for 30 minutes looking for a place to park that I felt nobody could damage my car. so my next car is going to be a used Fortuna and I cant wait to get it. I will put huge bumpers on it as well.

Where on earth do you live " Beirut ". ??

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Thanks for the replies......

I'm not one to loose sleep over cars to be honest. That's what insurance is for.

For me, a nice car is one with lots of safety features and creature comforts, good suspension etc. for further comfort..... and a nice car to drive i.e. plenty of power / torque at the low end, responsive.... and quiet in both traffic and the open road......

So, if it gets scratched, knocked, or bumped..... well that's unfortunate..... but truthfully its not something I would loose sleep over..... I owuld be much more concerned to discover the A/C wasn't working.

I wouldn't park my car in an obvisouly dodgy spot, whether it was a yaris or a 911...... I mean if the thing gets broken and has got to be fixed, its not the expense (insurance covers it) but the inconvenience and time to resolve the proble,..... so I try to avoid such situations in the first instance, not out of love for the motor but out the want to avoid hassle fo myself........and I don't tend to go dodgy places anyway, to be honest :)

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I am a sad git, as some here will agree, but with all my motors l build up a relationship, and take care of them, don't want to sell them, like losing a family member, scratch it and the :ph34r: comes on, OK, OK, I've lost it but that's me. :D

It's the 60's Mod thingy in you T/A nasty buggers they were you know.

Us greasers use to love scatching your hair driers.:rolleyes:

Edited by Kwasaki
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100% right in what you say LivinLos, my first car here was a brand new Civic, I really lost sleep over it sometimes and then when I got my Accord I think I lost even more sleep, also I would drive around for 30 minutes looking for a place to park that I felt nobody could damage my car. so my next car is going to be a used Fortuna and I cant wait to get it. I will put huge bumpers on it as well.

Where on earth do you live " Beirut ". ??

Stand in a carpark in the center of Bangkok and watch people park their cars. not only that but watch them pull out and drive off. you have never had a git drive off and take your bumper have you? :unsure:

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and I don't tend to go dodgy places anyway, to be honest :)

That would include the local tesco lotus ?? And all of bangkok :lol:

Look if your really fine with dropping 3 plus mil on a (in the west) low end beemer.. And having people scuff the crap out of it.. You have reached a level of zen I have not, I do sometimes get a twinge, a x6 pulled past me the other day while on the scoot and I have to say it looked nice, I could easily drop the purchase cost, it would be a tiny faction of net worth without using credit but then I realize I could buy a yacht for that much, or a laundry list of other toys and experiences I would love more. Take the wife safari in Africa, go sailing in the pacific, add that triumph to my stable of bikes, etc etc etc.

My car starts and goes, on a trip Phuket to Bangkok I get overtaken by perhaps one aggressive fortuna, I can drive at 160 - 180 if I wish, and thats pretty much all Thailand is good for. Its not flash, but its also not a english teacher hanging wreck. Apart from odd moments like seeing the new x6, I have let it go, back in the west I couldnt resist, but here ?? The roads are just less suited to spirited driving.. Different priorities... When I replace it, its more likely to be a pickup to shift some dirtbikes about.

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Thanks for the replies......

I'm not one to loose sleep over cars to be honest. That's what insurance is for.

For me, a nice car is one with lots of safety features and creature comforts, good suspension etc. for further comfort..... and a nice car to drive i.e. plenty of power / torque at the low end, responsive.... and quiet in both traffic and the open road......

So, if it gets scratched, knocked, or bumped..... well that's unfortunate..... but truthfully its not something I would loose sleep over..... I owuld be much more concerned to discover the A/C wasn't working.

I wouldn't park my car in an obvisouly dodgy spot, whether it was a yaris or a 911...... I mean if the thing gets broken and has got to be fixed, its not the expense (insurance covers it) but the inconvenience and time to resolve the proble,..... so I try to avoid such situations in the first instance, not out of love for the motor but out the want to avoid hassle fo myself........and I don't tend to go dodgy places anyway, to be honest :)

Edit..pressed the wrong button!! This guy is correct...Thais are careful...there hasn't been one mark on my 5-series,from car parking in three and a half years. I am somewhat careful where I park..never at the end of the row and always try to avoid narrow slots.

Car prices are silly here.(equiv of GPB 90,000 for a 5-series!!.still my kids would only blow it so why shouldn't I.

Edited by John45
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Car prices are silly here.(equiv of GPB 90,000 for a 5-series!!.still my kids would only blow it so why shouldn't I.

The Government in Thailand has a plan for the car industry -- to force consumers to buy cars made in Thailand or pay a very large price (in the form of tax) to buy something made outside the country. Even where produced in Thailand, the tax is substantial. What is made in Thailand is basic (aka boring) transportation that will get you reliably and comfortably from point A to point B, and little more. So, unless you want to pay 75% of the price of a new car in tax to the Government, you buy what is made here. If my only thrill was cars, perhaps I could accept this and buy a car, such as a Benz or BMW, so heavily taxed. But as noted, if you have "other ways to enjoy yourself -- yachts, cruises, second homes, etc.-- you are far better off putting your money in something that is not so heavily taxed. That leaves the Toyota or Honda models (and with SUV's and truckes, Mitsubishi and Isuzu) in the various sizes and price ranges as the car options for most people, even those "with money". There is nothing wrong with the Camry or Accord, but they wouldn't get a glance in the US or UK, and they certainly aren't a "thrill" to drive. There is another thread running in the Motor Car forum where the OP says "I've narrowed it down to 2 models: Honda Civic 2.0 EL NAVI (1,126,100 ThB) or Ford Focus 2.0 TDCI sport (1,149,000 ThB) ... I haven't test drove [the Ford] yet, .... However what makes me look at this car is the engine and gearbox, and the fact that all reviews say the focus is a very good drive with great handling and good fun." Can you imagine anyone describing the Ford Focus as a "fun car to drive" and that at US$38,000 -- only in Thailand! So, the rule here in cars is to keep it simple and home made, and find your "fun" elsewhere (you'll get much more of it for the money spent). I think Thailand offers many ways to have "fun", just not with cars.

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Car prices are silly here.(equiv of GPB 90,000 for a 5-series!!.still my kids would only blow it so why shouldn't I.

The Government in Thailand has a plan for the car industry -- to force consumers to buy cars made in Thailand or pay a very large price (in the form of tax) to buy something made outside the country. Even where produced in Thailand, the tax is substantial. What is made in Thailand is basic (aka boring) transportation that will get you reliably and comfortably from point A to point B, and little more. So, unless you want to pay 75% of the price of a new car in tax to the Government, you buy what is made here. If my only thrill was cars, perhaps I could accept this and buy a car, such as a Benz or BMW, so heavily taxed. But as noted, if you have "other ways to enjoy yourself -- yachts, cruises, second homes, etc.-- you are far better off putting your money in something that is not so heavily taxed. That leaves the Toyota or Honda models (and with SUV's and truckes, Mitsubishi and Isuzu) in the various sizes and price ranges as the car options for most people, even those "with money". There is nothing wrong with the Camry or Accord, but they wouldn't get a glance in the US or UK, and they certainly aren't a "thrill" to drive. There is another thread running in the Motor Car forum where the OP says "I've narrowed it down to 2 models: Honda Civic 2.0 EL NAVI (1,126,100 ThB) or Ford Focus 2.0 TDCI sport (1,149,000 ThB) ... I haven't test drove [the Ford] yet, .... However what makes me look at this car is the engine and gearbox, and the fact that all reviews say the focus is a very good drive with great handling and good fun." Can you imagine anyone describing the Ford Focus as a "fun car to drive" and that at US$38,000 -- only in Thailand! So, the rule here in cars is to keep it simple and home made, and find your "fun" elsewhere (you'll get much more of it for the money spent). I think Thailand offers many ways to have "fun", just not with cars.

Thanks for the replies everyone. The post above seems a good summary, generally.

Recently I have indeed modified my selection criteria to account for the exorbitent import taxes...... but while I am at it I find myself asking, why pay 1.5m for an accord when a city is sufficient. Exactly as many have said, why plonk down big bucks for a car when the money could be enjoyed elsewhere doing really fun stuff....... yet as a proportion of my income the "nicer" car would be a perfectly acceptable percentage.

I suppose really I am just having a bit of a identity crisis, and I am seeking a bit of validation from my peers. I don't really care about impressing the neighbours or some random stranger at the trafic lights ........ I was just wondering what the general opinion was of expats living here..... I mean my neighbours are probably on not much more than 100k pcm and are probably up to their neck in debt to pay for their camry, but that's just the Thai way...... I am not one to be governed by what society has deemed acceptable but there is that thing of "the collective wisdom of the crowd" and to that end it is useful to acertain whether typical expats are spending as a percentage of their wage. I'm new to being an expat, and there are factors that I have not yet even thought of, much less considered..... and everything is out of balance in my fincancial mind e.g. paying for schools, the relative high cost of cars, the realtive low cost of socialising including hotels and activities etc....... where I previsouly migt have considered 10-15% are normal, I have no terms of reference to gauge it by now :)

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Thanks for the replies everyone. The post above seems a good summary, generally.

Recently I have indeed modified my selection criteria to account for the exorbitent import taxes...... but while I am at it I find myself asking, why pay 1.5m for an accord when a city is sufficient. Exactly as many have said, why plonk down big bucks for a car when the money could be enjoyed elsewhere doing really fun stuff....... yet as a proportion of my income the "nicer" car would be a perfectly acceptable percentage.

I suppose really I am just having a bit of a identity crisis, and I am seeking a bit of validation from my peers. I don't really care about impressing the neighbours or some random stranger at the trafic lights ........ I was just wondering what the general opinion was of expats living here..... I mean my neighbours are probably on not much more than 100k pcm and are probably up to their neck in debt to pay for their camry, but that's just the Thai way...... I am not one to be governed by what society has deemed acceptable but there is that thing of "the collective wisdom of the crowd" and to that end it is useful to acertain whether typical expats are spending as a percentage of their wage. I'm new to being an expat, and there are factors that I have not yet even thought of, much less considered..... and everything is out of balance in my fincancial mind e.g. paying for schools, the relative high cost of cars, the realtive low cost of socialising including hotels and activities etc....... where I previsouly migt have considered 10-15% are normal, I have no terms of reference to gauge it by now :)

Buy the car that suits your needs, but also focus on those options that are made in Thailand. Don't worry about the cost as a percentage of your income (unless the percentage is on the high side) -- if it is low, that is good, it will leave you more to spend on other "fun" things or to invest. Just make sure that it suits your needs (it won't be a "thrill" in any event). The SUV's offer good value and much lower tax as a percentage of price, but may suffer on gas mileage. If you are a one or 2 person family, then the Vois, City, Altis or Civic are probably your best options to consider. if you are 4 or more, then a full sized car, such as the Camry or Accord, or a SUV, Fortuner or Pajero, are likely where you should be looking. I bought a new Toyota Vois about 3 years ago, which I quite like and has served me very well. But, it is just too small, especially now with 2 new family members since I bought the car. I need something larger to serve my present needs, and I will go for an SUV (probably a Pajero) or wait for the new Camry 2.4, which I have read is coming in 2012. Neither is "cheap", but neither will break the bank. I don't like giving that much money to the government, but there is little choice here in Thailand (the tax % also rises with the engine's displacement) -- as Trink used to say, "TIT"!

Remember that most farang are either retired or rely on income coming from outside Thailand, which makes financing a car not a possibility. I pay cash for every purchase, house, car, motorbikes, etc. So, worrying or think about monthly payments as a percentage of monthly income does not, for most of us, compute. For me, it is the entire price of the car in one lump sum, which is a larger number, and one that would be hard to cover with a month's income. Also, most farang whose income is earned outside Thailand are hurting right now with the strong Baht (or weak Dollar or Pound), so car prices in Baht are even higher than before -- pain everyhwere you look. Cheers,

Edited by Thailaw
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and I don't tend to go dodgy places anyway, to be honest :)

That would include the local tesco lotus ?? And all of bangkok :lol:

Look if your really fine with dropping 3 plus mil on a (in the west) low end beemer.. And having people scuff the crap out of it.. You have reached a level of zen I have not, I do sometimes get a twinge, a x6 pulled past me the other day while on the scoot and I have to say it looked nice, I could easily drop the purchase cost, it would be a tiny faction of net worth without using credit but then I realize I could buy a yacht for that much, or a laundry list of other toys and experiences I would love more. Take the wife safari in Africa, go sailing in the pacific, add that triumph to my stable of bikes, etc etc etc.

My car starts and goes, on a trip Phuket to Bangkok I get overtaken by perhaps one aggressive fortuna, I can drive at 160 - 180 if I wish, and thats pretty much all Thailand is good for. Its not flash, but its also not a english teacher hanging wreck. Apart from odd moments like seeing the new x6, I have let it go, back in the west I couldnt resist, but here ?? The roads are just less suited to spirited driving.. Different priorities... When I replace it, its more likely to be a pickup to shift some dirtbikes about.

Couldn't agree more LOS. Back in the UK we had 2 top end cars costing over 100k (sterling) for the pair, they were changed every 2 years or so or when I got bored! Here in Thailand we (I) have a truck and a civic for the wife. Just not a priority here. We are still wary of where we park them as the locals are not too careful, especially those driving wrecks! With top end cars costing around 4 times the cost of equivalent UK cars it's a no brainer for me.

Tas

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For the past decade I too have had the same outlook - I just couldn't justify the steep entry price for a "decent" car here in LOS, even after factoring in the better-than-the-West resale values.

After 10 years though, I'm fed up with only owning mediocre cars - I'll still keep the couple I have, and change them over every 2 years or so (so I have something for going to the shops etc in) but it's just been too long since I owned something I could really enjoy both driving and owning.

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I'm leaning more toward a fortuner with each passing day..... we are a 4 person family, so the city is good enough, but a little cramped on long journeys.

It is just that the payments on a fortuner compared to a city are about double, meaning with a city I have 10k pcm more to play with..... which essentially would pay for a wekend away at Cha-am or similar.

Scooting around Bkk, on a day to day basis, the city is a great little car. For the once a month that we go to say Cha-am or Pattaya, or for day trips to Ayuttaya etc. then the fortuner would be great...... lots of leg room, comfort, and safety (by comparison).

Wish I had the cash to just go in and purchase....... all in good time I suppose, but for now, I'll have to make do with financing :(

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How much do I spend on cars, well as yet, nothing, I spend it all on cabs . . . .however, I shall like so many here be splashing out in cash, and like so many , agonising and procrastinating on the pro's and con's, of car or pick up, so hopefully something with low miles and history, that represents reasonable value given the state of play here :whistling:

A more provocative thread might be " How Much Do You Spend On Your Extended Thai Family, and How Does This Effect How Much You Have Left For Your The Wheels Of Your Choice " :D

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I'm leaning more toward a fortuner with each passing day..... we are a 4 person family, so the city is good enough, but a little cramped on long journeys.

It is just that the payments on a fortuner compared to a city are about double, meaning with a city I have 10k pcm more to play with..... which essentially would pay for a wekend away at Cha-am or similar.

Scooting around Bkk, on a day to day basis, the city is a great little car. For the once a month that we go to say Cha-am or Pattaya, or for day trips to Ayuttaya etc. then the fortuner would be great...... lots of leg room, comfort, and safety (by comparison).

Wish I had the cash to just go in and purchase....... all in good time I suppose, but for now, I'll have to make do with financing :(

Sounds like you might be better buying the City, and renting a Fortuner on those occasions when you travel outside BKK and need a large vehicle. We have done pretty well with the Vios for 3 years, and in town traffic it is great (I would not like to drive a Fortuner in BKK traffic), but with a baby's car seat taking up half of the rear seat and a stroller taking up most of the trunk, it has become a challenge for even routine chores. If I lived in BKK (in the city), I'd stick with the Vios, no doubt. If you go the SUV route, be sure to check out the Pajero -- nice car.

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I spend around 6% of my monthly income on motoring as I bought my car on hire-purchase and I'm including fuel, tax and insurance in that figure but not service and maintenance. I know many will smirk or pity me for driving a tin-pot Honda instead of a safer western car like a Volvo or BWM, but I'm not wealthy and even if I were I think cars are over-priced due to tax, the roads are atrocious with a high probablilty of problems from other motorists, police and even insurance companies. I'd never spend more on cars in LOS than I would be happy to walk away from.

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Sounds like you might be better buying the City, and renting a Fortuner on those occasions when you travel outside BKK and need a large vehicle. We have done pretty well with the Vios for 3 years, and in town traffic it is great (I would not like to drive a Fortuner in BKK traffic), but with a baby's car seat taking up half of the rear seat and a stroller taking up most of the trunk, it has become a challenge for even routine chores. If I lived in BKK (in the city), I'd stick with the Vios, no doubt. If you go the SUV route, be sure to check out the Pajero -- nice car.

Well we live in the suburbs, and drive into the city about as often as we drive to hua hin or cha-am..... so its not too much of an issue for us..... but parking is a challenge.

Pajero - been in a couple and found them very bumpy and no where near as big inside as the fortuner. Yes the fortuner costs a little more, but it is worth the cost in my opinion.

Yes, we have a baby seat...... and we have a nanny..... so if we go anywhere of appreciable distance, it means the front passenger needs to have the seat so far forward (so the child legs are squashed) that their knees touch the dash (wuite uncomfortable) and the nanny behind the drive (me) probably has the most comfort in the car......

That being said, the furtherest we normally go is 20-30 mins, so its fine..... normally.

I spend around 6% of my monthly income on motoring as I bought my car on hire-purchase and I'm including fuel, tax and insurance in that figure but not service and maintenance. I know many will smirk or pity me for driving a tin-pot Honda instead of a safer western car like a Volvo or BWM, but I'm not wealthy and even if I were I think cars are over-priced due to tax, the roads are atrocious with a high probablilty of problems from other motorists, police and even insurance companies. I'd never spend more on cars in LOS than I would be happy to walk away from.

Well whether other smirk or not, I don't care...... but I am quite safety conscious, even back in farang land where the drivers are partly retarded or insane or both (I mean that seriously, not tounge in cheek). To that end, I was consdiering quite seriously a 3 series beemer as it comes with western standards of safety kit..... then I discovered so does the accord..... so that was being considered..... but for the same money I could have the top of the range fortuner - which comes with only front air bags (compared to front+side+front and rear curtain) but you are so much higher in the even of a side impact from another SUV or pick up..... so I reckon they are about equal on the safety front but the fortuner is more functional and probably more fuel effiicient too.

But apart from that...... the city is great..... I just wonder some times am I being paranoid and excessive considering paying double for a fortuner on mainly safety grounds...... or am I being naive and complacent going for the cheaper option......

BTW - as a percentage of my income, a fortuner would be alot less than the percentage of my income spent on cars in farang-land.....

Edited by corkman
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How much do I spend on cars? I think too much.

Not for car payments, but just stuff.

Maintenance, options, fuel, etc.

I never realized how much I spent on stuff until I looked at my receipts.

Just things like tires, projectors, speakers, amps, mag wheels, wax, etc.

Even a brand new car I would find something wrong or don't like and upgrade them.

Like my new Navara, speakers sound crap so I change them.

The ride is bad so I have the shocks changed.

Air filter seems dirty so I buy the hurrican stainless steel one.

I think I spend more on cars than I do fixiing up the house.

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The cash payment for my motor was less than the per annum tax in the UK would've been if I was working there. So that was my justification for 'splashing out'....

In Bangkok I haven't found that people in general are reckless and don't look after my car (or rather other peoples property). Perhaps I've been lucky but I haven't had the supermarket door dent etc, but as like another poster mentioned I'm careful where I park; i.e. in a space large enough.

I am also careful not to be owned by the things I own so while I am aware of where I am parking and my lane positioning while driving (to allow moto's to pass in heavier traffic and reduce the risk of handlebar scrapes) I refuse to let any of this effect where I go and what I do.

I used to refuse to allow my car to be valet parked after an Alloy scrape a few years ago, I worry less now. However, if I had a brand new BMW x6 I would perhaps be more careful again but really cannot justify that money again on a car now that the future will bring schooling fee's etc....

With regards to 'how much to spend if buying another car' - it doesn't really matter what other people think. If you can afford something and feel comfortable with the purchase then make your own choice. If you can afford a Ferarri in Thailand for the sake of owning a Ferarri then go for it, many will say its a stupid purchase because of the roads here and I couldn't justify one myself - however I'd still admire it while you drove past and think lucky bugger! People also can't see that these sports cars are not the primary motor for most over here.

People may also think a large 4x4 (i.e. Range Rover, BMW x5, x6, Merc ML, Audi Q7) are silly purchases especially in the city, they are not, they fit in the car parks, fit in the lanes and most importantly of all they are more readily visibly (than say a Honda Jazz, Nissan March, A Class) by the idiot gunning down the road in his 'works pickup'. They have somewhere in the region of 10 airbags, impeccable ride quality and interior furnishings. But they are significantly more expensive. If you wanted something nicer than the Fortuner, Prajero Sport then its simply your choice.......

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After 10 years though, I'm fed up with only owning mediocre cars - I'll still keep the couple I have, and change them over every 2 years or so (so I have something for going to the shops etc in) but it's just been too long since I owned something I could really enjoy both driving and owning.

See that I can sorta understand.. but if its going to be a toy car, then I would maybe try to find something odd and remake it.. I saw a crazy american motor needing work, but what you put into it probably wont depreciate.. Or making some hot rod, or a 427 cobra kit from the states and 'fudge' the donor car docs..

If its just for weekend trips and polish pleasure.. Thats a bit different from spending on a beemer 5 or other mid end car for high end money.

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