Seriously... what's your methadone when your jonesin' for a new-to-you car fix that you can't satisfy for other life reasons?
For me it used to be Forza, but I just kinda got bored with racing the same tracks.
Kinda goin' nutty here... I was ---> <--- that close to paying $6k for a '98 Miata and the only thing that stopped me was that the check engine light came on during my test drive.
Start hanging out at amateur racing events of your choice. Make friends with somebody, get on their crew. I've crewed for 3 guys at half-a-dozen Formula 500 race weekends this year, and one of them is broken at nearly any given time. Lots of chances to explore, diagnose, and repair an unfamiliar car RIGHT NOW.
Dirt bike? Smaller, easy to work on, can be found cheap.
"Re-do" your current car. Seriously. Even little things, like taking the camper top on and off my old truck, make it seem like a new car. Change the wheels, put some vinyl decals/stripes on, paint something. Just changing the "look" makes a difference.
Another thing would be to run a different type of race. If you autocross, set the car up for drags and go hit the local test-and-tune a few times. Do a TSD rally. Enter a car show (you'll realize just how dirty your car is and then spend months cleaning and polishing).
But mostly, I build model cars! 
Sleeper. Get a 500 dollar car and fiddle with it or drop a huge ass engine in it. You won't make money selling it, but you'll have fun and won't spend as much. I have fun with my escort.
Race, even if it is chumpcar.
Racing is the one cure for automotive ADD, because you will sink so much time, money, and effort into your race car (and the time it takes to do the racing) that you will have no interest in a DD unless it is reliable and gets good mpg (so you have more money to race).
buy cheaper cars, with more problems, they take longer...
House renovation... My desire to buy something gets killed when I look at the massive to-do list for the current fleet. My GT6 and E30 haven't moved since we got back from Carlisle, nor has the g/f's 1800ES (nor has my truck, but that's normal). I'm actually in anti-ADD mode right now. Selling the BMW would making my parking problem a bit easier... and free up cash to put into the house or something that would be a better "beater" car.
I still get the urge, though... near the g/f's house is a 944 Turbo that hasn't moved in ages... it used to have a For Sale sign on the window asking $5K...
...and on one of the roads I drive to work on is a 1st gen Outback for sale - currently asking $2000, reduced from $2500 last week... I haven't stopped to check if it's a 5 spd car... I need to, though... since if it's an automatic it will nix my day-dreams of turnign it into a rally-x car...
Hot wheels. New cars all the time, and you pay like a buck for em!
I usually buy something or do something to my existing car to get me excited again.
bravenrace wrote: I usually buy something or do something to my existing car to get me excited again.
Not me. Watching the pile of parts I need to install but don't have time to get larger just depresses me.
RC cars for me this time.
The trick is to buy cars you really like in the first place. I've been driving the same car for 15 years now, and the car before that lasted 20 years. 
Small upgrades, even something as simple as a shift knob, usually keeps me from getting too restless for at least a month or two. That said, you should have bought the Miata.
Per Schroeder wrote: RC cars for me this time.
DANGER!
See that pic for reference. I checked, I am officially OUT of upgrades for this chassis. Except for aluminum knuckles.
Flip cars. Buy one for cheap. Wash it fix the easy stuff and sell for a profit, repeat :) I am on my 9th one this year....
I wish I found the answer to this 40-odd cars ago. There's almost 30 in my yard right now. I'm trying to whittle it down, but even finding 10 that I want to divest myself of is hard. On the current chopping block:
--1986 Mercedes 560SL --1991 Mazda Miata (and a '91 parts car) --1973 Volvo 1800ES --1964 Corvair Rampside --Either the '69 Caddy or the '67 Imperial. --1979 Mercedes 300D
So that's like 7 or 8...I might be able to convince myself to lose the '63 Dart convertible, too...but all the rest I want to do something with.
i bought a bike this time instead of a car.
ReverendDexter wrote: Seriously... what's your methadone when your jonesin' for a new-to-you car fix that you can't satisfy for other life reasons? For me it used to be Forza, but I just kinda got bored with racing the same tracks. Kinda goin' nutty here... I was ---> <--- that close to paying $6k for a '98 Miata and the only thing that stopped me was that the check engine light came on during my test drive.
And that there's no such thing. 
Build a gokart/yard kart type thing? Some square tubing and a trip to Northern Hydraulic should give you everything you need to build one
EDIT: E36 M3... I made that sound too easy, now I wanna do it 
curse you all for asking for advice that I have the ways and means to give and follow!
Motorcycles are a good choice. They're usually cheaper than cars, cheap insurance, take up less space, and are generally easier to work on.
Quit job, move, take minimum wage job or go back to school, and the problem is solved. This has worked for me for the past 7 yrs.
No money = no car buying or much else. School takes a bunch of time away from where your AADD would normally be kicking in....
I've been playing racing games in the iPad. Sold my E36 last year to focus on house projects, sold that house, and now we're looking to buy another. Car funds will be severely limited for a while, but it'll all be worth it in the end...
mndsm wrote: Hot wheels. New cars all the time, and you pay like a buck for em!
I tried this, I have twenty thousand in my collection now...
there is no cure.
I just limit my budget to assuage the guilt a bit
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