WWGRMD I have sold many cars and have no DD.

Been a while I need to think this through. This is more for me to organize my thoughts but I welcome any input.

Sold a few cars to prep for our move and life downsizing.

Prowler 26K (Done)

STI 35K (Done)

2001 F250 Truck 3.5K (Done)

Ruined 62 Corvette shell and motor 12K (Done)

Cadillac 28-30K.  (Deposit Taken)

~7-9K in spare parts and motors.  Depends on if a few transmissions actually go or not. (Done 5.2K worth. )

I have left.

1955 Thunderbird with a manual transmission that is simply not for sale,

 A fully race prepped and street “legal” Viper.

I have sold about 113K work of stuff in the last month to make the move happen, all of that is open for cars car is open or the house. I have about 195K if I sell the viper after fees.  I have another 30K or so that I was saving on top for another classic as well.

At the new house I am down to two parking spots. The Viper and the thunderbird can live together on the lift that I have in one. The second spot cannot be a truck, as it will not fit in the garage.  Wife’s car is allowed on the street we have space. New house move is happening around ~September we think when it will all be settled up and done.

I was intending to use the Viper for a month or two while I find something to DD. It’s a racecar though and it sucks. Also its 110f here today and it is melting my brain to be inside it even with the AC on full blast.

So need some opinions on what to do.

#1

I can DD the Viper for a year plus or so but I need to.

Send the Viper to AC performance and have the entire exhaust swapped back in with cats and stock heads and mufflers. Replace the 1400lb springs with factory coupe non ACR units, street alignment. Swap the BBS wheels for the factory ones I have and buy street legal tires..  Yank the race ECU and swap back in the factory unit and have the factory unit cracked to run the cams/heads that I have on the car. If I do this is will be visually/blow street legal. Remove the wing/splitters due to the softer springs and the aero load. Fix the stereo into something usable.

I cannot fix the race clutch and I spend ~0.8-1 hour a day in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Looking at maybe 4-5K in work to get in streetable and well then I have a 750hp car on street tires without the suspension or aero to handle it. Though frankly I will not break 90mph so no big deal. Insurance will be 4K a year with coverage on the modifications. Very high chance of getting a CARB violation with the catch cans and other modifications I cannot remove if I am DDing the car. Car is still very low, very fast and still uncomfortable, but not deadly, if I do this. I have done this in the past with my 06/04/03 Vipers but I quickly grew to hate doing it due to the attention a lime green Viper brings.

#2.

Grab dirt cheap DD like a used ES300 or old forester and use it as my beater / DD for the next several years and keep the TBird and the Viper as they sit. I can still do track days in the Viper I can still drive the TBird and I get to keep the 100K in cash or so in the bank to jump on cheap stocks or a car in a few years if the market retracts. This is the easy button.

#3

Trade the Viper in for about 85K in cash, sell the spares package for about 5K and get something that can do track and street but will not be as fast as the Viper. Keep between 50-100K in the bank. So max limit on spend is ~140Kish but I would be more comfortable around 80-100K.

IE R8 or a 911 Turbo. not a Ferrari I borrowed a F12 for a day from a friend and a 570s. Somehow they draw even more attention then the Viper and I would not feel comfortable leaving them in a Target/Walmart parking lot.

#4

Sell the Viper get a DD that is normal SRT/Hellcat sort of thing used and build my 550 spyder or Exocet in the garage over the next couple of years and put 150K or so aside for the long haul. Buy the WLA Harley I want to rebuild as well and have two fun projects and no debt or cars that need work other then the TBird.

#5.

Get the crap DD, sell Viper and get something insane on the used market like a Murcie SV convertible something truly investment grade that I can only use for fun on the street and for car shows and having fun. Talking like 2-3K miles a year max.

Notes.

Selling the cars I have makes my life really quite a bit cheaper. No registration, no issuance, no take car of them. It added up. Its kind of freeing to only have three cars right now with the wife's beetle. I like the idea of sticking to three total.

Sounds like despite your goal of simplifying, you are bound and determined to complicate it. 

Sell the viper as-is, buy daily you can track that is not a supercar, or don’t move to a house with no driveway would be my advice. Maybe warehouse storage for the classics that are not for sale but can’t be driven 

Not that I can actually relate to your problem, but I like Option #4...

how big of a guy are you?  I am almost 6'5" and 240.  I find my 2014 Acura Tl fits very well and very comfy.  If you are driving an hour a day that would seem important to me.  They are pretty cheap at around 15k, and then I would keep that awesome green viper, and the T-bird. 

secretariata said:

Not that I can actually relate to your problem, but I like Option #4...

The wife really likes option 4.

Well she really likes me selling everything but the TBird and getting something comfortable with 4 doors but that is not going to happen.

#2 all the way!

#2. Cheap, appliance DD that you aren't afraid to leave in the parking lot at Target. Just something that will car properly for your daily stuff. Fuel economy, comfy seats, good stereo, and strong AC. Leave the other funds available for the move, or whatever.

This is GRM, so obviously the answer is sell everything and acquire as many Miatas as that money will buy.

#2 if you are fairly certain you are going to be able to hit enough track days in the next couple years for it to be worthwhile.  I seem to recall you also surf, and are you a bit of an outdoorsman, too, so time may still be a factor.

#4 if you don’t think you’ll be able to hit enough trackdays to have a dedicated track day car.   Maybe get an SRT-8 Grand Cherokee, so you’ve got a DD, track car, home improvement store trip vehicle, and parts hauler all rolled into one. 

You missed the obvious solution:

Minitruck on bags for the daily.

Essentially #2 with STYLE.

#2 buys you some time to figure things out as you're moving and re-prioritizing your life.  If you know you don't want the Viper long-term, then I'd sell it and buy a cheap DD.  That way you still have a fun car in the T-Bird.

Tesla?

I didn’t read it all,  but you know the answer is 911 turbo S.  You’ve been dancing around it for years,  but that’s the answer and it’s time to pull the trigger.

Cotton said:

I didn’t read it all,  but you know the answer is 911 turbo S.  You’ve been dancing around it for years,  but that’s the answer and it’s time to pull the trigger.

This man speaks the truth.  I came so close to a 997.1tt cab when I got my 05 NSX but then realized that the NSX was a dream car that was appreciating and there will always be more 911 turbos. Someday I’ll have one, as they are about the best dual duty 2 seater available.  If you buy right (which you will), you won’t lose anything if it isn’t the right choice, but how can you go wrong really. 

Photos of thunderbird?

Sell the viper, it seems like you were gearing up for another classic anyways. DD a NSX and buy the insane investment.

Edit: or Mkiv Supra.

If you don't need back seats its hard to go wrong with a NSX.  They're so sexy!  Given your commute and traffic tho, picking up a 911 Turbo with a PDK transmission is the easy button.  Stupid fast, docile in traffic, excellent "automatic" transmission.

I sorta went through the same process as far as picking what to get and think I'm going to pick up a 996 Turbo.  A 911 turbo just does everything well.

Cotton said:

I didn’t read it all,  but you know the answer is 911 turbo S.  You’ve been dancing around it for years,  but that’s the answer and it’s time to pull the trigger.

That was my first thought

I was also thinking #2, maybe along with renting storage space for the other cars.

I'll vote #4, with a Grand Cherokee SRT

Lately I keep thinking about finding some cream puff SC400 and doing basic maintenance and tweaks for an awesome daily driver. T-bird, Viper, and then that makes a nice collection of vehicles. 

In reply to AnthonyGS :

They sure do. If Mr. Microbe doesn't get the 911turbo, then e63s and be done with it. 

1, no

2, maybe, but how attached are you to the viper?

3 and 4 seem close, just a matter of price point on the new vehicle.

5, the first part sounds smart, but the second part, like looking for a used Lamborghini is a little much. The mile restrictions make it unappealing to me. 

But in the end we are enablers, and I enjoy living vicariously through you, so berk it #1 or realistically #3 and a 911TT.

AnthonyGS said:

Jay_W said:

In reply to AnthonyGS :

They sure do. If Mr. Microbe doesn't get the 911turbo, then e63s and be done with it. 

I keep considering a 996tt but my 996 sounds so sweet.  The turbo is way faster but doesn’t sound near as good.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjqqufAUGjY

Man I dunno the Fabspeed exhausts sound pretty sweet on them

I would love your problems right now.