Saki GT

You have a beautiful, pristine car. It sits in a garage, protected from elements and eyes all week long. On the weekend, if the weather is just right, you may take it out and actually drive it, maybe to the store, maybe to the country, and then you tuck it away for the upcoming week.


What is you idea of a garage queen? Would you, or do you own one? Why?

s.hasan546

that definition sounds good to me. Exige is a garage queen for me. Not intentionally, more because of its function. It has r comps, so no driving in the rain usually. It's too harsh to drive it into work on the weekdays (NYC horrible commute). So 5 days out of the week i can't drive it. On the weekends i try to take it out but depends on weather, other plans, and if the gf is with me or not (hard to get into the car in a dress lol)

FearlessFife

I do.

It's my S2000. It's been the queen for 10 out of 11 of the years I have owned it. It maybe sees 1500 miles a year. I take it to work every once in a while, but I try not to because I hate leaving it sit outside all day in the sun baking the soft top with UV rays. This won't flow very well, but here goes...

Why do I do it? I love the car. Can't ever see myself getting rid of it. It's a drivers car. When I want a pure and exhilarating driving experience, I get her out of the garage. The car is paid for, and has been for nearly nine years. The insurance is dirt cheap. It's as fun to drive, maybe more so, than they day I bought it. Some say it's sacrilegious to own one and never drive it, but I say it's sacrilegious to know the joy of owning a S2000, but selling your S2000 because you rarely drive it. It's a classic. It was my first real sports car. My 2-year old son loves it. I have put a lot of time and work into keeping her. Cars were intended to be driven, but some are so special that you use them minimally to ensure you don't take their value for granted. That is my garage queen S2000.

windhund116

Yeah, that sounds like a good definition. I drive my S2000 to work, everyday. There is a secure parking structure there with ample parking --- during my shift. Unfortunately, some garage queens can suffer early failure --- as high performance cars are engineered to be driven hard. Like the IMS problems with early 997 Porsches. Many failed due to the way the oil seals were designed. These seals required consistent flow of motor oil, from use. Letting them dry out ---> early seal, then bearing failure.

I guess the thrust bearing failure in S2000 engines can be partly due to non-use. I'd at least start the car and let it idle for a bit, to keep oil from drying out of the thrust bearing surface area. At least, once a week. Idle in neutral is the key. With clutch not depressed.

Motorcycles are even worse. You really need to use them on a consistent basis. Esp high performance ones. Very, very important not to let areas of the engine go oil dry from inactivity.

vader1

I don't know if mine qualifies, but my S2000 is now 15 years old and has less than 3,000 miles per year on it. Just passed 42k. I wash it, put the top down and drive it back and forth to work and on some weekend errands. Only when the weather is nice. Only when there is no chance of rain. When the top goes down, it stays down until it needs a wash. I have had the top go up and down as little as four times in one year.

There are two small door dings in it, but that's not my fault. Someone else did that.

I am putting it up for sale, and when I pull the trigger on a Porsche of some sort, it will get driven probably less than the S2000.

I don't know why my reason is for this but when I get a fun car I like, I keep it for many years and we only have about 6 months here in Minnesota that I would consider nice enough weather to drive it.

Legal Bill

Yup. I restored and Austin Healey 3000 from the ground up. The project took almost 15 years between vendors who dropped the ball and me trying to find the time to complete it after taking the project back. I now put on about 100 miles per year. That's my definition of a garage queen. So why bother to keep it? Well, when you invest that much time into a car it is very difficult to bring yourself to sell it just because you don't use it much. I tell myself that someday (sooner than later) I will retire and then use it much more at club events that I do not have time for now. We will see. If that does not happen, then I will sell it. In the meantime the value of the car increases or at least stays the same so long as I keep it in its current condition which is quite easy since I don't use it.

windhund116

Hey! At least you completed the restoration. I know a lot of guys that have their dream cars sitting on jack stands --- half-way or less to even starting. Let alone reliable driver. I know one guy that has FIVE dream wrecks. All in various states of disrepair. Parts missing. Engines missing. Etc. He will never get these completed in his lifetime --- unless he takes them to one of those restoration places, like they have on the Velocity Channel.

It's almost like a hoarding problem with some of these guys.

Mr.E.G.

I've put probably 3,000 miles on my Corvette in a year and half of ownership. Not sure if that counts. I would like to drive it more, but I've git kids to shuttle around and it seems like every time I drive it to work, I get stuck behind some rock hauling truck or a truck hauling dogs with bees in their mouths, and when they bark bees shoot out. Or rain. So it stays in the garage most of the time.

vader1

PICTURES!!!!

rnye

Noooope.

I don't buy cars to let them sit. If you're not using it, sell it. The only time this makes even a little sense is with exotics - namely because of the cost of consumables and less than stellar reliability. I want a Murcielago.. But 6-12k clutch jobs every 10-20k miles makes it, amongst other reasons, a crappy car for regular use.