How many is too many and which are keepers

So as the wifey and I are looking to buy a house again and I of course want property for automotive shenanigans and a garage/fab shop. It got me thinking/dreaming about garages/cars in general. So how big is too big of a shop and how many drivable cars is too many to maintain? Also what cars would you want to fill it with and which would be keepers or just a passing fade. 

Anyways, my current thoughts for shop size is a 40’ x 80’ divided into 40’ x 40’ sections one for storage of completed projects and the other for active builds/general fabrication work. Although I honestly am not sure I would want to maintain the 8-10 cars you could shove into a 40’ x 40’ garage. The cars I would most like to own as keepers are my first car which happens to be an 80 regal, a square body blazer on tons with an LS and an NV4500/NP241HD, a 68-72 Cutlass for my dad, a 67 chevelle for the wife, a 65-67 lemans/GTO, and 60’s E-type vert.

cars I would like to build for the challenge and possibly keep after.

S10, rangers, dakotas, GMT400 step side, Fox body/SN95 mustangs, G-body GMs, crown Vic, B-body GMs, or really anything rwd or cheap/odd enough to consider rwd conversion.

Id also like to own temporarily any of the following.

11-14 mustang GT in Kona Blue 6spd

TVR Tuscan 

86-98 Supra

81-86 Celica 

84-91 hard body Toyota 

C6 ZO6 in sunset Orange 6spd

07 or 08 GTO sunset orange 6spd

G8 GT or GXP in Gunmetal

CTS-V wagon or sedan

51-53 f100 truck or panel van 

Sunbeam or Moonbeam tiger 

studabaker commander

studabaker Avanti II

Pretty much any 30’s pre war steel coupe

any chevy, ford, dodge or international pickups from the 30s to 70s

any muscle car era pony or mid size coupe.

How about all of you, what cars stick out on the I have to own one of these even if just briefly?

Jag E type Coupe

550 Maranello 6MT

Lightning Gen 1

Cyclone

I am more of a builder than a driver or collector.  My shop is only 1065sqft, and is as big as I'm allowed to build.  I won't store vehicles outside, so I'm limited in how many I can collect.  I try to keep it limited to a Driver, a Project, and a Toy.

Bucket list vehicle #1: Lotus Super 7 (built Locost replica; still own it; "The Toy")

Bucket list vehicle #2: V8 Chevy Sprint (built V8 Pontiac Firefly; sold it)

Bucket list vehicle #3: 60-66 Chevy C10 (currently building a '61 Apache 10 "The Project")

Bucket list vehicle #4: Bill Thomas Cheetah (not likely going to happen)

Bucket list vehicle #5: '32 3-Window Coupe (not likely going to happen)

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

I really like the 1st gen lightning too. I’ve only ever seen a hand full IRL. Although I would think a clone wouldn’t be hard to do. I wonder if someone makes the front bumper in the aftermarket?

OneSickGNX said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

I really like the 1st gen lightning too. I’ve only ever seen a hand full IRL. Although I would think a clone wouldn’t be hard to do. I wonder if someone makes the front bumper in the aftermarket?

There is a local Cuban Bakery (Porto's), they have been around I think 60+ years. Current owner has a black one. He daily drives it. All stock. I go to the bakery just to see it. 

I don't want a clone 

In reply to SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) :

Any chance of 4 posts expanding inside space? Also, I looked up the cheetah and that’s freaking sweet! I don’t think that either would be completely out of the question depending how much you would be willing to make yourself. Especially with the 3 window.

To put it crudely, it depends on what you can afford. I have a standard two car garage for my '96 Miata and '68 Spit. Enough room to work on the Spit and house the workbench, shelves, and spare parts. I'm happy and content. If I purchase another classic, it'll go into winter storage somewhere else. On the other hand, I have a friend who owns an off-site former bakery building converted to a 20-car garage. And it's full with his spectacular classics. Unbelievable classics. Museum quality. They would make your eyes water. And VM has done an article on it. Recently he bought property next door for expansion and future classic car acquisitions. He's happy. He can afford it. So IMO, it really is all about financial means, what you can afford, and what makes you happy. If you can afford to build a "garage" to house everything you have now and everything you plan to buy, by all means do it. Simple as that.

I own one too many by my count.  Aside of that one i want everything i have, for now.  I don't want to add any more projects to the list.  I get satisfaction from building something awesome, maybe moreso than i get from driving them, so i tend to stack projects up and then worry about what order they go in.  I'm trying hard to stop and only attempt to finish that which is on my plate already.  I have one car on my list that I'm saving for and it will not be a project.  

The answer to that really depends on how much time and money you want to devote keeping your fleet in running condition.

As an enthusiast, it always breaks my heart to see neat cars just sitting idle, slowly being taken apart by entropy.

For me, it's four cars, total.
1. Wife's car
2. Daily Driver
3. SUV/Truck
4. Project car/toy

With one of the Spawn approaching driving age, I may add one more to the fleet, but it's going to be the Spawn's job to take care of it. I'll show him the ropes, of course. 

Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) said:

The answer to that really depends on how much time and money you want to devote keeping your fleet in running condition.

As an enthusiast, it always breaks my heart to see neat cars just sitting idle, slowly being taken apart by entropy.

For me, it's four cars, total.
1. Wife's car
2. Daily Driver
3. SUV/Truck
4. Project car/toy

With one of the Spawn approaching driving age, I may add one more to the fleet, but it's going to be the Spawn's job to take care of it. I'll show him the ropes, of course. 

Think I'm going to go this way of logic. Only one fun car and my dd + SUV/Truck and my lady's car. Which mean I'll have to get rid of my 924 and XJR because I want to keep the XJS.

Oh, I didn't mention Mrs.Skinny's car.  

It's HER car.  That way I will leave it alone.  If it's OUR car, it will be lowered, big wheels, sway bars, shocks, exhaust......  It has to be HER car.

I did neglect to mention, that the '61 Apache C10 is intended to be my "last" truck, and the Super 7 is the "keeper" for sure.

I am at my limit right now, actually at least one over. i just do not have the real estate for 7 cars (4 of which are kind of projects). My goal is to buy another house for retirement in 10-12 years and have at least a 40x60 shop. Then I could have all of my stuff inside and all together.

Current fleet:

Running:

2003 Tacoma (modified), Wife's 2004 Audi TT (modified), 2007 Porsche Cayman S (soon to be modified)

Projects:

1971 Opel GT, 1972 Porsche 914, 1974 Porsche 914, 1985 VW Westfalia (Not really a project but, man, I cannot stand the stock motor).

I agree money is and always will be a consideration for this hobby. The most cars I have owned at once was 4 and admittedly the one did suffer for lack of driving/repairs. Although it was less about the money and more about the hideous nature of doing repairs or even basic maintenance as well as the incredibly cheap feeling interior had worn quite thin after 10 years. (it was an LT1 Camaro; it’s also the reason I will never own another 3rd or 4th gen fbody again)

I also suspect that like Patrick and Skinny; I prefer the challenge of the build more than actual ownership. All of the keepers currently on my list have an emotional attachment except the 65-67 gto. 

Although that raises another question for Patrick, SkinnyG and others who prefer the challenge/thrill of the build. How do you justify or ignore potential $ losses on cars you build but don’t keep? Or do you actively seek out projects that are more likely that you will break even or make money on?

I have a philosophy of $1000 per year.

Doesn't matter what it is. Daily, toy, project.....  If I spend $1000, it has to last one year.  $5000 has to last five years.  $12,000 has to last 12 years.

That's where the $30-50,000 3-window coupe doesn't make sense: I'm going to lose interest in it pretty quick once it's done, and certainly not keep it for 30 to 50 years.  It'd have to make most of my money back from selling it, and that's a big gamble.

The Lethal Locost (Super 7) cost $5700 to build, and I've had it fourteen years now.  At $1000 cost per year, it has paid itself off in spades and owes me nothing.

The V8 Pontiac Firefly cost $4000 all-in by the time it was done, and I sold it for $6000 (CDN). I owned it for ten years, it entertained me for ten years, costing me $400 per year. Or: it paid itself off at year 4, and I made $6000 on it.  It all depends how you want to look at numbers.

Pretty sure I can build my '61 Apache for $13,000.  I'll need to keep it at least 13 years. But if I do it right, it should be at least a $20,000 truck.

As I've gotten older, I've pared my list down to "realistic" vehicles to pursue in the time and money and space I have available, and I think spending the rest on Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises with Mrs.Skinny a much better investment.

(I -do- own a NUMBER of '32 3-windows, and even a couple of Cheetahs - in HotWheels.)

I generally don't lose money because I have been quite good/lucky getting deals.  Last year I did buy an E55 AMG for $1500, put $500 into it, run the $2000 challenge and sell it for $1500 at the event only because something came up I wanted more and I had more than $500 worth of fun that weekend.

If I build a car for me because I want to, chances are someone else out there thinks it's cool and will pay me for it.  There's a lot of stuff out there that I love the idea of creating more than I love the idea of owning 

As long as I have a manual trans running car to get me around and a bicycle to putz around on, I'm a happy camper! I have all my dream cars I need on my dresser in a case in Hot Wheels/Matchbox form. No maintenance necessary. 

dxman92 said:

As long as I have a manual trans running car to get me around and a bicycle to putz around on, I'm a happy camper! I have all my dream cars I need on my dresser in a case in Hot Wheels/Matchbox form. No maintenance necessary. 

You sir, are my hero!  Bravo! 

40x80 shop is huge.  Are you planning on living out in the country?  Don't get me wrong, I'd love a shop that size but just the cost of building it will be sobering.  I'd like my next house to have an attached 3 car garage and then a shop that's 40x30. 

I'd put my current 4 post lift and a 2 post lift in the shop.

As far as cars, right now I have 3, wifes DD, my DD and a fun car.  I'd like to pick up a project car and at some point get a truck and a trailer.  I have room for 1 more car in my current garage, that, more than anything is the limiting factor to how many cars I can have.

It really depends for me on the condition I got them in initially.

I'm cheap and poor, so I typically buy major components are broken versions for sub-500$. Case in point is the current D2D Ranger turbo coupe swapped that's been lowered too. Initial cost, $400. With all the crap laying around I still, not challenge budgeted, have only spent maybe $700-750toward it, that is challenge budgeted and I try to ignore the total . But I do have automotive adhd... So, I have to continually remind myself running project before another project, unless it's already running. This was also before I picked up 6 additional vehicles in various conditions at the end of last year.....

In reply to docwyte :

The misses and I both enjoy privacy, so it’s one of the bigger things on list for the next house to have a couple of acres. House wise we are both content with something small. 40’ x 80’ is big shop but honestly it won’t just be for cars. I plan to run a business out of the shop side. The price difference for a 40’ x 60’ to a 40’ x 80’ is mostly in the concrete so I figure that if I do a thinner pour on the storage side it would save a decent chunk of change and really a 4” pour is more than enough unless I plan to work on tractor trailers. I’ve also thought about renting part of the storage side to help pay for the building.

docwyte said:

40x80 shop is huge.  Are you planning on living out in the country?  Don't get me wrong, I'd love a shop that size but just the cost of building it will be sobering.  I'd like my next house to have an attached 3 car garage and then a shop that's 40x30. 

I'd put my current 4 post lift and a 2 post lift in the shop.

As far as cars, right now I have 3, wifes DD, my DD and a fun car.  I'd like to pick up a project car and at some point get a truck and a trailer.  I have room for 1 more car in my current garage, that, more than anything is the limiting factor to how many cars I can have.

I'd like 40x40 with enough height to have overhead storage and a 4 post or 2 post lift.  Given that my current suburban bliss has a 20x24 anything will be a substantial upgrade.

In reply to SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) :

I really like the $1000/year thinking. In a way it’s what I’ve done for years. Most cars/trucks I’ve bought fall into this category with 1 or 2 oops vehicles along the way out of the 8 I’ve owned so far. I think honestly if the total of my car habits averages out to $3-350 a month including my dd and fall into the 1000k/year category I would be good with that. (It’s about the same as paying a loan on a cheaper car nowadays.) I also hate most new cars so I really can’t see buying one, possibly ever.

I also agree there is more to life, if it comes down to owning a dream car or being able to retire earlier/doing what we want with retirement then I would be nuts to chase the car. (I can always build a model.)

Honestly my max is

1) a daily driver (right now Element)

2) my wife's daily driver (right now Escape)

3) street drivable autocross car (93 Civic)

4) fun street car/ backup car (currently this is not fun but it is a backup, 99 Ranger)

Reasonable garage I could see doing in the not to distance future

1) Probably keep the Element but I'd like something with practically of the Element but better gas mileage

2) A bit bigger SUV for wife (possible Ford Edge, Honda Passport, Subaru Outback)

3) my Civic (with K-series swap done)

4) Not sure on this one yet (maybe mildly modified 4th or 5th gen Civic sedan, Civic Wagon, E30, 3rd gen Accord, I'll probably think of other options but it will be a four door, manual that looks good on 14 or 15in wheels)

Unfortunately the challenge has ruined me and I have a hard time getting riled up about cars that are more than $2k. haha. 

But my wife gives me hell that I have an optimal number and it is about 6. When I get up to 7-8, I'll pretend to be ok but eventually will get a panic attack and sell 3 or 4 at rock bottom prices. Then, usually less than a week later I will have purchased at least one new one. 

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

eventually will get a panic attack and sell 3 or 4 at rock bottom prices.

Give us first crack please.