Just a car...?

[Jack Burton]

Well, when I bought my first cobra (see sig) I was all excited. I had always wanted one, and I finally got it. The car was setup just the way I wanted it, but it had high miles. So, I spent more time cleaning it and trying to keep the miles off of it than anything else. In the end, obsessing with it like that, I never really got to enjoy the car. Every time I took it out and put miles on it I would get stressed. I ended up selling it since I never drove it much, which is the opposite of what the car should have been used for.

I recently bought a 2003 z06 as my dd. I wanted something that was well rounded, quick, and got decent fuel economy. The z06 accomplishes all of those things. I lucked out and found one with 9,300 miles on it. I only commute 40 miles a day round trip, so mileage isn't a worry for me anymore. I get to drive the car everyday and enjoy it, which is how it should be. I never even look at my odometer as I don't care about the miles.

So, I've come to the conclusion that the people that say "it's just a car" are correct. When you come to the realization that it's just a car, you can enjoy it a lot more. Granted, I still wash/wax it every weekend, but I enjoy doing that. It is just a car, and it can be replaced. Although z06 and cobra's aren't common, they aren't rare either. They can be replaced.

Have any of you guys gone through the same thing?:beer:

 

[Panic661]

I've never put a car that high up ...

Don't get me wrong though, I've always taken care of my vehicles (until I put them into fire hydrants...) but never to where I was worried about miles..

Cars like Cobras and Z06's are bought to be enjoyed and should be bought to be driven..not obsessed over..

 

[Jack Burton]

I've never put a car that high up ...

Don't get me wrong though, I've always taken care of my vehicles (until I put them into fire hydrants...) but never to where I was worried about miles..

Cars like Cobras and Z06's are bought to be enjoyed and should be bought to be driven..not obsessed over..

That's how I am now. The cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed. I see now that low miles usually equals low enjoyment. Hell, I don't even know how many miles I have on the z06 now since I haven't really checked since I bought it.:rolling:

It's a TON of fun, but I do miss the brute force of my cobra.

 

[mineralgrey01gt]

Man its a car, they are purchased to be driven, not be garage queens. I know I only had a lowly mustang GT but I bought it with 30K miles on it in 04, by the time it made a year it had 70K miles on it. I drove it everywhere. I didnt buy it to just let it sit under the car cover and rot

 

[Jack Burton]

Definitely sounds like you are getting your money worth out of the car. It's definitely nice to enjoy my car now.

 

[HYBRED]

We put 6,000 miles on our first 2010 in three months. The second one now has 5k miles. The first year we had the Lightning, we put over 20k miles on it. Every car we've owned has been autocrossed, drag raced, and/or open tracked. They're cars, we bought them to drive them!

 

[Jack Burton]

I've been thinking of taking the z06 to the strip or an open track event. The only thing that has been holding me back on that is that it's my dd and I need it to get to work.

 

[Canadian_Bacon]

Wtf

You don't check the mileage???? That's one car that I will never buy! you'll never know when to do an oil change or any of the other maintence????? I always check the mileage on the truck. make sure when I have to do maintence check my gas mileage. Everything revolves around mileage!

 

[Sonic605hp]

"Just a car" sets in after having something for a while or having something over and over (I just got tired of the little issues with slerminators)....I will be back to super anal when I get my GT500. But compared to a lot of people my normal care would be considered anal anyways....I mean not as bad as 04sleeper but close. Except I have always driven my performance cars a LOT more than some of you guys do.

 

[BigSweezey]

Only 40 miles a day? Damn.

and I agree it's only a car. I'll take care of it, but drive the hell outta it when I have the chance.

 

[BlckBox04]

i realized it's just a car when i smashed mine and it was put back together and drives exactly the same

 

[Jack Burton]

You don't check the mileage???? That's one car that I will never buy! you'll never know when to do an oil change or any of the other maintence????? I always check the mileage on the truck. make sure when I have to do maintence check my gas mileage. Everything revolves around mileage!

It was more of a figure of speech. Obviously I glance at the miles every now and then. The z06 has an oil life meter, but I don't rely on that, I still go by mileage. I'm going to throw some mobil 1 in it this weekend. I'm very anal about car maintenance. I was mostly trying to show that I'm not worried about racking up the miles like I was with the cobra.

 

[Jack Burton]

Only 40 miles a day? Damn.

and I agree it's only a car. I'll take care of it, but drive the hell outta it when I have the chance.

Yeah, not a bad commute. It's mostly country roads with 55mph speed limits so I can cruise in 5th and get 28 to 30mpg.

I figure I'll let the miles rack up and in a few years it should still get a decent selling price since it will still be low mileage and I can pick up a gt500 or something. I love the z06, but the vette tax is retarded and I miss the brute force of supercharged fords.

 

[THE_STIG]

I think my GT has a little over 28k on it, bought it about two years ago with 17k on it. It's been autocrossed, road raced and drag raced. I drive that car like it is stolen.

To the people "saving" these cars, what are you waiting for?

 

[wvmystichrome]

I have always enjoyed my cars as weather permits. My 1990 Mustang GT only has 33,xxx miles on it but man have we had some good times in it. My Cobra is enjoyed but with the way I work and the general area I live in it is not practical for a DD either. Plus I know over the last 5 years + I have received a lot of ribbing because I won't take and park my Cobra on the lot of the local Super Center. More people around here are dope heads and government check receiving persons and love to damage cars owned by people who work hard. I enjoyed my Cobra more in the last 2 years than the first 2 but I still worry about the mileage and I guess thats just me.

 

[oilwell1415]

I don't drive my L much, but I get my money's worth out of it when I do. Drags, auto-x, open track are most of the driving I do with it now. Actually, I haven't been to the drags or auto-x in a couple of years. Open track is my outlet now. It sees about 1500 miles every year. It's more than "just a truck" to me, but all of my vehicles are special to me for one reason or another.

 

[M3xpress]

It seems like as soon as I stopped freakin' out over every little scratch, mishap, problem, etc. like I did when I was younger, everything seemed to work out easier and better.

Likewise when comparing my stuff to other people's. Someone will always have something faster, nicer, better. I just care about enjoying what I like and have, not how it compares to someone else's stuff.

 

[Ryan]

A car is meant to be driven. I don't care how old it is or nice.
I bought my SVO, which WAS cherry, with only 60k on it a few years back. Unfortunately, I wrecked on the track, but that was what I bought it for...not to wreck, but to drive and enjoy, and that's what I continue to do.

 

[Never_Enough]

Well, when I bought my first cobra (see sig) I was all excited. I had always wanted one, and I finally got it. The car was setup just the way I wanted it, but it had high miles. So, I spent more time cleaning it and trying to keep the miles off of it than anything else. In the end, obsessing with it like that, I never really got to enjoy the car. Every time I took it out and put miles on it I would get stressed. I ended up selling it since I never drove it much, which is the opposite of what the car should have been used for.

I recently bought a 2003 z06 as my dd. I wanted something that was well rounded, quick, and got decent fuel economy. The z06 accomplishes all of those things. I lucked out and found one with 9,300 miles on it. I only commute 40 miles a day round trip, so mileage isn't a worry for me anymore. I get to drive the car everyday and enjoy it, which is how it should be. I never even look at my odometer as I don't care about the miles.

So, I've come to the conclusion that the people that say "it's just a car" are correct. When you come to the realization that it's just a car, you can enjoy it a lot more. Granted, I still wash/wax it every weekend, but I enjoy doing that. It is just a car, and it can be replaced. Although z06 and cobra's aren't common, they aren't rare either. They can be replaced.

Have any of you guys gone through the same thing?:beer:

I used to be that way too. Had my mint '93 GT that I had for about 1.5 years & only put a whopping 1k miles on it b/c I was afraid of it getting messed up.

I had a Mystic 96 before my current Cobra & got caught in some rain. I didn't even care. Back in the day, I would have flipped.

I drive my current Cobra on every nice day that I can. I still won't take my toys out in rain, etc though. :beer:

 

[bulldogg]

I hear ya about obessing. i spend more time thinking about mods than i do driving but its hella fun to get out on a nice day and cruise. no garage queen here.