Trying to be content with a car

I have a situation that i am trying to make peace with for a while.

As you know i have a 1999 Saturn SW2 (wagon) I rebuilt all the major systems on the car and to be frank the car needs nothing...well save for a quieter muffler. It runs well, gets good mpg, is super cheap to insure, cheap to maintain, reliable and being a wagon its practical. Oh and its clean, super duper clean.

Sounds great right? Reliable daily driver car thats cheap and efficient. Should be what everyone needs.

Except i am bored with it.

I keep looking around for a different daily driver. A different project. I wanna sell the saturn (could at least break even) and get a different newer nicer car. Something quiet and not rattle-y, something nicer but still sporty.

Why? No clue just want something different.

I keep trying to convince myself its the smart thing to do both financially and every other reason except for fun and niceness. The car should last another 70K miles so maybe ill just suck it up and deal with it. save my money for something after this car. The saturn will save me money, i know this. So thats why i keep coming back to keeping it and forgetting about it.

Any insight? thats the responsible and adult thing to do right? It makes sense to keep a car that has nothing wrong it even if its a bit dull.

Right?

Rant off. Just gotta get that out there. Gotta get content with this situation.

Judging by the cars parked in the background in your build thread photos, you are no stranger to Saturns. What made you think the wagon would be any more exciting than the others?

If its not what you wanted, and you aren't losing money, nothing wrong with getting rid of it. Thats a lot of effort to put in to just break even though. Unless having fun working on the car was satisfying enough.

There's always something nicer and shinier. Always. You've just got to find your happy place in the grand scheme of things. You're no different from the rest of us by the way, if we were all content then we wouldn't be hanging around here ogling all the cool cars.

CarKid1989 wrote: Gotta get content with this situation.

Why? Are you honor bound to remain auto-celebate or something by a sacred oath?

You know I am convinced you are describing everyone on this forum.

If you're asking these questions, you're 99% there. That last 1% is a bugger, though.

If you do swap out your ride, however, stay away from car loans. If your savings/checking can't afford a different car, neither can you.

93EXCivic wrote: You know I am convinced you are describing everyone on this forum.

My biggest problem by far is that I get bored with cars too easily. I'm convinced that there is one or two out there that I could be happy with the rest of my life, but damned if I can find them.

If the car is good and there is nothing majorly wrong with it, then maybe it should stay as daily driver duty. Drive it for a couple more years until you really don't need it. I'm bored with my XJ Cherokee and I really don't need a second SUV. BUT, it's cheap to fix and gets better mileage than my Durango. I always find something else I want with my automotive ADD but then come back to reality. I always get torn.

I personally would save up for something than sell it and just use that money to buy something else. Save your money for a year or two, then sell it and buy something nice that doesn't need work on it.

Question 1: Do you have a second car? If so, get content with the Saturn as the reliable, cheap, practical DD. Look to your second car for entertainment.

If no, then

A) Modify the Saturn. This is a good way to permanently dispose of money and time :)

B) Sell it and get what you want.

^^^^ THIS^^^

save the wagen as a daily and find a nice project

CarKid1989 wrote: Why? No clue just want something different.

Really think it through about what you want to change. Is it numb steering, sloppy handling? Something as simple as tires or springs might transform it. Nothing wrong with "just something different" but if you really ponder it while you're actually driving, you might suddenly realize what you need to do.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

CarKid1989 wrote: Gotta get content with this situation.

Why? Are you honor bound to remain auto-celebate or something by a sacred oath?

Tired of people giving him a hard time about changing cars all the time?

In which case I say, berkeley them.

Another for getting a project car and keeping the Sat as a DD.

Keep the Saturn. Get a toy if you can. If you can't afford it, hold off. A reliable car is a blessing.

As far as dealing with a boring DD... I hear ya. But really, I think the right car will find you. I DD a 99 automatic sedan. Its mediocre in the horespowar department, and the auto 5 speed is a dog. Paint is ok-ish, body is reasonably straight, and only the faint beginnings of midwest steel-cancer starting to rear its ugly head. Its not a BAD car by any means, just boring as elmers glue. EVERY EFFING DAY, I troll Craiglsist, or ebay, or just keep my eyes peeled for for sale signs on the side of the road.

The thing is, I own this car, outright. I pay for maintenance, and gas, Insurance, and thats it. No payments, no obligatory maintenance schedule for my warranty, no mileage caps, and no one telling me that I cant put an aftermarket ignition or intake or brakeset on MY car...and its just plain old reliable.

Trust me, you have a pretty good situation on your hands. A car that starts, every day, and can be counted on, that doesnt cost you an arm and a leg each month is a beautiful thing.

One day, both you and I will have the right combination of available time, space, and funds come about at the same time that the perfect project is spied on the side of the road. When these stars align, We'll have our project. Just be patient.

I'm afraid I can't offer any help, only enablement. I'm in the same situation with my M3, though it's not my daily (that's the truck). But I bought it a year and a half ago, went through and did all the maintenance the car needs, I've put about 4k miles on it and enjoyed it, but now I'm bored with it. Looking at it logically, there's really no way to top an E36 M3 as a second "fun" car, and there's nothing I even dislike about it, really. But, nonetheless, I'm bored. So soon it will go.

Such is the life of the ADD-afflicted. It could be worse, I have a couple of friends that do this with new or nearly new cars. They lose their shirts on every transaction. At least if you stick with older stuff that's fully depreciated, you can break even or sometimes make a little.

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: Another for getting a project car and keeping the Sat as a DD.

Me as well.

I occasionally have day-dreams about getting a more fun DD than my TDI wagon, but no matter how I crunch the numbers it just doesn't work. I've owned the car since new, it's paid for, I know how to maintain and fix it (and have invested no small amount of money in tools to do so), and the car is basically dead-nuts reliable (yeah... I got one of those "unicorn" VW's) beyond the occasional stuff related to a car that's approaching 300K miles.

So I have projects... my POS diesel truck... my PITA E30... my Triumph GT6... my crusty Volvo 1800ES... not to mention keeping tabs on my g/f's 4 cars...

...many projects... hence my signature...

Maybe turn the SW2 into an '87 BMW 325is?
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2040814040035467440sYbuNU

I bought this a few years back with the intention of making it a track car. When I bought it, I had a company car for a daily. Now, changes at work and the e30 has been in daily service. I have considered buying a Saab 9-5 to be a daily and then selling the e30. Seeing as how well your SW2 was rebuilt, maybe that could be the answer.
The positives on the e30 are:
Z3 short shift and all new shift bushings installed by Anson when he pulled the trans and replaced with Redline. Clutch was confirmed good as PO stated he replaced it.
New Muffler from cat-back.
Far better than most interior
Good body by northern standards which means it does have surface and seem rust but nothing anywhere near disabling. No rust issues in critical suspension to unibody parts.
Two sets of rims (14" stock and 15" staggered Konig which can be seen in pictures) all with good tread.
All stock suspension

Negatives: Flickering O2 sensor light.
AC is present but not cold.
Front end vibe at 65mph that goes away at 70mph.
All stock suspension.

153k miles returning 25 mpg in combined driving.

Give the SW2 to me? I can has wagon?

I'm with the crowd that says keep the Saturn and find yourself a project car for fun. I'd skip the e30 and go with an E36, though.

i already have a side toy. Motorcycles.

Financially i keep coming back to the cheapest car is the one you own. I own a solid car so i feel i should just keep it.

Have you graduated yet, CarKid1989?

If you haven't, keep it.

If you have, think about what you want in your next car, and start saving now. When you've got enough to switch cars, do!

Unfortunately its very difficult to get rid of a car that has both utility and economy.

If you could just combine that with performance you'd be in business.

Unfortunately, most hot hatches are either fwd, awd and thirsty, or underpowered.

I've often thought about a 302 powered Ranger as a nice multi-purpose vehicle. With more power it'd more willingly accept a bed-camper.

Hopping from car to car can get expensive. I would keep old reliable and get another car. Once the second car is drop dead reliable, easy on the eyes and hits all your buttons, sell the wagon to offset the latest expense.

Then kick yourself in the azz for selling Old Reliable.

BTDTDan

I've never met a car that didn't bore me eventually. Every car I've ever had I've ultimately sold. If for no other reason, than simply for a change of pace. I've come to embrase that.

Interestingly, trucks are different. It's like I measure them with a different stick. As long as it moves big and heavy things without getting stuck, I'm fine with it, and will keep a truck until something forces me to replace it. Boredom is never a critera with trucks.