Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

Thoughts while driving home in the "family" car after checking out an interesting or "cool" car.

Comfortable, useful, and practical.
But I think that it's at least a little cool.

What do car guys mean when they say that they want to drive something cool? If you ask any car guy about what he wants, he'll usually say, something that is cool. But what does that mean? Most people just want a "good" car that fills their transportation needs. "Good" usually means one they purchased new, or a low mileage late model, with payments they can afford to make comfortably.

They don't want a car that is a burden, in practical or financial terms.

Enthusiasts carry the burden of caring about what they drive. They want a car that they like, one that they can enjoy driving. One that makes a statement about the driver. Different people want to make different kinds of statements, and that statement is likely to change with the age and circumstances of the enthusiast. 

Generally younger guys have less money, less responsibilities, and only need to drive themselves and one passenger around. They can live with a sports car or little coupe. 

Is it the car or is it us?

Is the car just a prop or is it just a reflection of us? 

I'd say that it is more of an illusion than anything else. An expensive car can make you look rich, or at least like you have extra money to spend. But many affluent people don't have any interest in driving a status symbol. They just drive something that takes care of business. They would prefer not to call attention to themselves.

If someone is seriously into horses, they might drive a Ford Super Duty truck because they use it to tow a loaded horse trailer. Someone else might drive one as a BroDozer to "roll coal." 

photo source Reddit

Utility versus illusion.

Are we what we drive?

Being able to drive something that you like is a luxury. I think that it is smart to look for something that you like, at a level that is affordable for you. You might want an Aston Martin, but some type of Mustang could be attainable now, and provide similar driving satisfaction. I wouldn't put off satisfying my automotive dreams for "someday." 

How would driving this car make things "different?" Most non enthusiasts make do with whatever they currently own. If the need for something different to fulfill a specific task is required, they might borrow or rent a vehicle better suited to the task.

Would it really make things so different? I think that a lot of our dreaming about cars just takes place in our heads. If I see a cool car driving down the street, I think to myself, "I haven't seen one of those in a while." Non car people might not even notice!

I was having all these thoughts and more, while I was driving on the way back home from looking at a car that I thought was definitely cool. Yes, I'm still thinking about that '40 LaSalle. 

On the way home I was jamming to my tunes, sunroof and side windows open.

Did I enjoy myself? I certainly did. 

Would driving that "cool car" make it any better or different? Probably not.

That cool car is hardly suitable to drive in this extremely heavy stop and go traffic.

I actually consider driving through this section of I 880 to be quite hazardous. There are frequent collisions on this stretch of highway. I would not like to drive an antique car in those conditions. 

While enthusiasts have their own interests and would like to own a car that fulfills those interests, it's oftentimes just a matter of image. Or the image that we think that we are creating. 

It's funny, but when I see an older guy, in his late 50's or 60's, driving a new Corvette, I don't think that this is a guy who has always been an enthusiast, someone who has owned a long string of sports cars and Vettes. Instead, I see a guy who finally decided to get "something" that they have always wanted. They spent a lot of their lives sacrificing, taking care of their responsibilities, and doing the sensible thing. Now it's their time. 

Of course I could be wrong, but either way, there's nothing wrong with either scenario. As an enthusiast, I've had a long list of cars and motorcycles that I bought and enjoyed because they meant something to me.

A worthy Holy Grail.

Peter Egan wrote something about his Jaguar E Type, a car that had been a Holy Grail for him. I thought it was very relevant to this discussion.

Peter Egan has been my favorite
automotive writer.

"I have discovered in late middle age there is no one thing I have to have any more to be happy. Under need, or duress, or changing financial conditions, my heart cannot be broken---- or even badly damaged --- by the loss of some material thing. There are always cheaper replacements for anything, just as enjoyable and intriguing. The world is full of old cars that are virtually free for the asking--- or hauling away."

Enthusiasts go through a lot of trouble to get the car that they want.  

Or the car that they think that they want.

Maybe too much trouble. 

But is it worth it?

Do I have a Holy Grail Car? Well, I certainly haven't found one yet. I've worked my way through a lot of hobby cars, and let a lot of really good ones slip through my fingers. Does this mean that I'm just superficial and fickle? Shouldn't I commit to keeping something?

I'll get back to you on that!