Yves_Rogiers

It seems I've shocked some people here I might have exaggerated about the savings part.

To put things into perspective;
Since the beginning of this year I've started dropping 1000 a month in to a savings account. I plan to keep doing this so the savings part is mostly covered.
The remaining money is going towards other expenses like fuel, insurance, taxes, ... what's left after that I keep aside to buy mods or save up for a new car.
Also my girlfriend is 21 and is still going to university for at least 1 more year, so we will be at least 2 or 3 years down the road before we will be living on our own.

The main purpose of this thread was to know how everyone keeps interest in their cars. I want to keep this S2000 for a longer time and not give in to my desire for the next fancy thing.
Anyway thanks for the replies so far. I've read some interesting and useful stories already so keep them coming

mosesbotbol

You may find if you do not have an auto loan on your car; your interest may last longer. Having to pay the same amount for a car that was much newer and nicer years ago (when you first started paying) make owning the car not so fun later on. The car just isn't the same dollar payment enjoyment it was when you first got it... If you own it outright, the car is never burden in that respect; it's owned...

rob-2

I wouldn't get sucked into modifying my car and I'd go as a visitor. Help your friends work on their cars instead.

imagine life putting 2-3k/month into savings instead of buying things.

if cars are your only hobby, and they are mine, budget for the expense. To some people what I pay for my habit is insane. I rarely eat out and my savings rate would shock you. All in balance.

Are you paying rent? Factor that in. When they GF moves in with you or you get married your financials as you know it will be ruined. Trust me. Avoid that if car meets matter to you.

lookstoomuch

I take it to the track to keep interested. Until I'm consistently running fast laps I know that the only mod which needs to be done is to fix the nut behind the wheel. Buying a newer / faster car would simply mask my lack of driving skill. Tracking is not cheap but in my opinion money better spent than turning over cars every year, and the mods which go on top of it.

s2000Junky

You already own the right car - S2000. I've had mine for 13 years. What do I do to keep it entertaining for me? I have increased its performance level with modifications, some in particular are custom ones that wont ever get duplicated on a car again. I'm invested pretty heavily in the S2000 and don't ever foresee parting with it. Just keep it going for as long as I can. Its a very fun and capable car, does pretty much everything well from all out track time attack to cruising top down on Sundays to being a DD. Its reliable, cheap to maintain, unique in its own right and still looks amazing/turns heads after all these years with the assistance of some of my personal mods. Find me a car that checks off on all the above at any price south of 100,000k and I will eat turkey lips.

"Trading in the S2k for a Civic R because more exciting" haha! Take one home for a weekend and get it out of your system so you can come back to reality and appreciate what you have. You will be further ahead financially as well, as long as you don't go balls deep into turbocharging the S. FI is one mod that will take you down a dark road with this car. I've been there.

rob-2

I will second track days as one of the best ways to enjoy your car. They're about $200/day OP and trust us, you don't really know the limits of that car yet.

white98ls

I've had 4 cars in my 17 years of driving.

My Integra I had from age 16 to 29, and kept it fresh by modding and autocrossing it. Almost all mods were for performance, and some didn't cost anything (like stripping weight out). Getting competitive was a blast, and makes each mod more meaningful. If you divide the amount spent on mods and racing by the number of years I did it, it wasn't very expensive at all.

2nd car was an E39 M5. It was far too heavy and expensive to run to be my only car, so I only had this car while having the Integra or S2000 at the same time. The combo kept things very fresh, as having a small, hardcore, high-revving car plus a comfy torque monster was simply wonderful.

With the S2k I started tracking, and indeed, even stock that car is plenty to keep you challenged as a new track driver.

Now I have an E90 (sedan) M3, because I wanted to combine strengths into one car (I don't drive a lot and maintaining two cars got annoying) and because I was able to sell my M5 and S2k for more than I paid (by a total of over $6k despite driving them a combined 10 years and 51k miles... definitely pays to buy at the bottom of the depreciation curve). The car is awesome and I plan to keep it a very long time, with only a couple of small changes. Hitting the track later this month.

One final thought is only buy what you absolutely love, not just something that's different from what you have. Something "different" will always be appealing, whether it's cars or women or whatever. An S-class Mercedes probably sounds awesome in its own way after a long drive in a loud, hard-riding, cramped S2000. But it's far more satisfying to find something you really, truly love and to appreciate its strengths rather than chasing the next new thing. I have test-driven countless cars but most of them left me unsatisfied in some way, so I didn't buy them. I've only truly fallen for a small handful of cars I've driven, which are the ones I've bought (well, except a 911, but that's for practical reasons). Treat cars as long-term relationships rather than flings and you'll love them more.

jeffbrig

The key to me is starting with a car you REALLY want. I've bought the cars I really wanted, and I also tend to keep them for a long time. From a financial angle, unless you're buying older, fully depreciated cars, it's much cheaper to buy and keep a car than to trade up every year or two. I bought my S2000 brand new, 15 years ago. First dealership I came across that wasn't marking them up. Back then, they were so hard to come by, they didn't even have one in the dealership. I ordered mine at full MSRP, plus warranty, tax, dealer fees, you name it. It was a bit of a stretch for my 25 year old self (yes, I recently turned 40), but in retrospect it was a bargain considering how long it has lasted and its present value. I drove it daily for 10 years, before I found myself in a position to buy a Porsche, a car I've long lusted after. I've owned the Cayman S for 5 years, and it's just as much fun today as the day I drove it home. In reality, with the mods it has (turbo, suspension, etc), it's more car than anyone really needs on the street. Looks great, handles great, and just a blast to drive. But I'm still perfectly happy driving either of them to work on any given day.

Part of the key is learning not to covet other cars. Doesn't matter what you're driving, somewhere, someone will roll up with something nicer, newer, and more expensive. I have a friend with a new 911 turbo that's already been modified to 700+ whp. It's insane, and also costs as much as a small house. Another friend has the current GT3 RS. Gorgeous. Both are amazing cars, but neither is realistic for me. I'm perfectly happy with what I've got.

S2020

I think this never goes away. You get a car you want then you want something else. Even if you get a car you want your whole life. Your brain just reconfigures to want something else.
My method is that I enjoy seeing the growing numbers in my portfolio slightly more than the thrill of a different car. There have been times I am close to pulling the trigger on something else but so far, the balance is holding.

white98ls

I sort of feel the same way. I think if I wasn't married (although she is quite supportive), I'd probably do some crazier things with regard to cars, like buy cheap 2nd or 3rd cars that maybe aren't that reliable - or useful. But in the long run it's best to foster a "more intimate" and long term ownership with a car, IMO. Frankly the sales taxes (in CA you can't even credit your trade-in towards tax on the new ride) and costs of getting a new car - there's always stuff to correct on a used car - prevent me from trading around more.

I can't imagine switching cars every year or two. I've had my M3 a year and am only just now getting to the track, really getting a feel for its limits, let alone being able to fully exploit them. And by getting to know a car over time, you learn what its weaknesses are and how to address them with mods or maintenance, which is satisfying to me along with learning more about the car in general. It's hard to get attached to a car when you don't give yourself enough time to really get to know how to drive it.