bye bye, sweet brz.
 

i had a great 2 and a half year run with my '15 brz. sadly had to sell it to make numbers work for a new house. we have a good community here (with a few overzealous folks, but hey, thats life) and has been a great resource on how to do things. i will probably check up every so often especially if subaru ever sees fit to release a brz with a touch more power stock!

some post-mortem thoughts:

- i brought it back to stock before i sold it and boy, its eye opening how much a header+oft made a difference. the dyno's dont really show much in peak power gain, but man doesn't the area under the curve get bigger. i'm not even sure that i could have driven it happily stock anymore if i had to have.
- ive never ever driven a car that felt as connected into the road as this one. ever. you really can get in the 'driving zone' with it and damn isn't it fun on a backroad or a track.
- even with the header+oft (which by the way i have put up for sale in that forum), the engine really just does feel kinda hoarse - its not silky like a bmw or hell, even a mustang.
- the steering always felt a tiny bit flighty to me, good weight but never got comfortable 100% with that.
- the traction control at least on these years sucks. even sport kicks in way too early which makes you turn off tc so that you can chirp a gear without bogging the traction control.
- depreciation is a bitch.
- i'll miss her a lot tho.

Do enjoy driving a junker/beater whilst making those mortgage payments.


It's a different experience than driving a sports car, yet you'll look back on it someday as having been fun.
There's a lot to be said for driving a vehicle you can park just anywhere and not worry.

What made you keep the im over the brz?

Still think this car would be absolutely perfect with a mid-size Boxster / Cayman flat six in it :)

Probably just a heavier less balanced cayman though imo.

Less-balanced maybe, but with four seats and a trunk :) The lack of seating/cargo space is the reason I bought a BRZ instead of a 987 in 2013.

Also I suspect the weight would be almost identical to the Cayman... the Cayman is 2,9xx lbs.

The power / torque would be right were people like it (how many people have reviewed supercharged / turbo 86's that hit about 280hp and said, "this is how the car should've come from the factory") and it would give the car a decent soundtrack. It would make for a very happy vehicle IMO.

in about a year or two when the finances return me to having a fun car ability, im planning on getting a 981 cayman.

Well at least you had fun with your BRZ, and got to experience it.

You shouldn't have difficulty finding a clean Cayman, or Cayman S , for less then 1/2 new MSRP. As you know, you'll be limited on space with that vehicle. They don't hold value as well as 911 Carrera (any model Carrera) , for a few reasons that I know of.

the im is the kid's car seat in the back and is the everyday driver, brz was the weekend warrior that had a higher payment and as such was (sadly) expendable.

The realities of life sometimes get in the way of the dreams. I had to do 20 years before I could get back into fun cars. If I could do it all again I would not change anything.
It is refreshing to see a responsible and reasonable action taken on here for a change.

Makes good sense to me. Like Tcoat said, glad to see you making a wise decision. I often wonder how some people can afford these cars when it seems they are just starting out on their own and new in their careers. Different priorities than I had I guess.

yeah to each their own i suppose. but the wife is super supportive of when things clear up a little in the next year or two hopefully and it'll be fun car time again, at least a little bit cause i was so supportive of doing whatever needed to make sure the house works out.

Congratulations for the new house. Focus on the happiness of a new house, cars are easier to replace. You will get another one.

Same. When we purchased this car we already new that if things went south, for any reason, it was the first thing to go. That still stands.

Good luck with the house!

Hopefully he is just selling the car to reduce his debt and/or increase his loan for financing reasons, right? After the home purchase, I'm guessing he will likely be able to get right back into a used, sports car--unless space is an issue. If his mortgage is cost prohibitive then his mortgage is probably too high and isn't responsible or reasonable.

Sometimes people need to be grown ups and sports cars have to wait. Simple as that.

lol I don't understand that statement. Replace sports cars with anything mundane like western movies, and you will comprehend my confusion.

"Sometimes people need to be grown ups and western movies have to wait. Simple as that."

If you don't understand and want to replace material objects with movies then you are not going to get it no matter how hard I try to explain.

Maybe this is more clear:

"Sometimes people need to be grown ups and stuff that costs money that you don't have will have to wait. Simple as that."

If you have to borrow the money to buy it, you can't afford it.

Also, it does not cost $17,000 to watch Western movies.

It is funny that you say that :thumbup: as the guy is borrowing money to buy a house :clap: Way to make him feel good about his decision :clap::cheers:

It can cost $17k to watch Western movies. We watch a lot of movies in my family, so I have like a $100/month movie budget lol That is $1200/year or $18000 every 15 years. But for real, if someone can afford a house, they can afford a small car payment, or to get into some cheap, used, sports car. They are hardly cost prohibitive these days.

It's funny the YOU say that. How many people do you know that don't borrow money to buy a house?

Having a sports car "Toy" is absolutely not a necessity. Having a roof over your head is on a whole different level...

I can name a few, but I work in a hospital so $$$.

How many people do you know that don't borrow money to buy a car or lease one? More borrow to buy a house, than to buy a car--this I concede--yet it is a stretch to say that if someone has to borrow money to get a car then they can't afford it. And I was making mostly a joke there, hence the overuse of smilies.

I was just raggin on TCoat for the kudos he was giving the OP, "It is refreshing to see a responsible and reasonable action taken on here for a change." You gotta mess with TCoat from time to time.

I was also pointing out that the OP is probably just taking a short hiatus from the 86. Most people reduce their debt when they buy or maximize their down payment to lower their payments. Sometimes there is a need to secure at least 20%, so they can avoid gap insurance. After the purchase the OP will likely get right back into the car. He even mentioned coming back if the 86 gets more power (which will likely be the more expensive option).

I was also saying that if this car payment is cost prohibitive (on a car this cheap) then the mortgage is not following the rule of only being 30% of income (most likely) and maybe the mortgage isn't a "responsible and reasonable" thing, but buying smaller or renting cheaper would be more responsible and reasonable. And if a $5k Miata, or other cheap, used car is cost prohibitive then that mortgage is an even scarier proposition.

Again, another dig at TCoat who waited 20 years to get back into sports cars, and a joke, when he said sports cars have to wait and I said I don't understand that statement. I know people who autocross things I hate to even call cars, that you couldn't sell or give away, that you would have to pay someone to take off their hands, because cars and racing are their passion. Some people are picky about what they drive, some don't have the space for a sports car, but for those with the passion, few truly lack the money. And if the OP is buying a home, then he doesn't lack the money. Regardless, by his own words, it is probably just a short term thing.

Gotcha. I was in the same boat as Tcoat and I'm sure many others. I waited well over 20 years to get back into a sports car. I suppose I could have got back into one earlier but it wasn't even on my radar. It was a different time I guess, but I do see a lot of people struggling harder than I did.

Regardless, prior to buying my first home I made sure I was debt free. It's a nice place to be. There can be a lot of unforeseen expenses that can come up...

True, over the long... long term houses do appreciate... 8-10+ years. It's a sellers market now, in much of the USA. Should have bought a house back in 2008-2011 great depression.... or in the 90's.

Gd.... why are people even trying to say giving up a sports car for a house is not a good idea....or implying that a "reasonable payment" on top of a house when the dude wants to save money is a bad thing. Ffs.....

Also.... I love this quote. "
If you have to borrow the money to buy it, you can't afford it."

Wtf..... I guess people have 100-300k on hand for home purchases plus 30-60k for family vehicles just laying around liquid.

I think what we have here is upbringings in two radically different socioeconomic backgrounds. You make a lot of generalizations when you say what "most people" do but I think you are basing that strictly on your own exposure to a certain group. Where I came from "most people" couldn't buy their own house until they were well into their forties if at all. "Most people" could not buy a new car EVER much less a sports car. The idea of paying to track even a junker is laughable to many since they need to eat. You seem to think that everybody has disposable income for toys. Not the real world for many. Just because they buy a house does not mean for one second that they can get a plaything in a year or two no matter how passionate they are about it.
How many kids do you have? They are expensive and cars had to wait. How many barely put food on the table jobs have you had? If you can scrape together enough to pay for a house instead of paying rent then that is the smart thing to do. That does not mean there is room for sports cars.
When I gave up my race cars to raise a family and get a home it was only "short term" as well. It took longer than I thought it would. This is the real world for MOST PEOPLE.

@Tcoat

You can live in a car, but you can't race a house. Priorities, man.

Also, well said. Hallelujah.

wow - who knew that would spark such the conversation? yes, debt/income ratio underwriting was skewed by the car loan, though ill sure enjoy having multiple hundred dollars a month 'extra' to help pay for the mortgage.

i'll add that there are few things as frivolous as a 'weekend car' other than a boat or rv or something similar, so if that needs to go to get the house that we want then so be it. houses appreciate in value, air cooled 911's appreciate in value, classic lambos and ferraris appreciate in value but a great many other cars, not so much.

You don’t know anything about me old man, or what my mom did to give my brother and I as much opportunities as she could, even if it meant working two jobs and weeks of Macaroni N Cheese. You assume too much.

The fact is the OP is buying during a housing bubble and is likely paying top dollar compared to five years ago. There are very few markets in the US where it is cheaper to buy then rent. In all likelihood, the OP is selling the car to get a better interest rate or qualify for a larger loan. If he can reduce his debt to income ratio then his credit score could improve so he gets a better interest rate; a larger down payment, especially getting to the magic 20%, will reduce interest rates and avoid having to buy private mortgage insurance. This is standard stuff.

Considering the bubble, and the fact that most analysts would consider the market to be flat or to go down over the next five years, the OP must have a stable job and be in it for the long haul. He is likely doing what he is being advised to do to maximize his savings by selling the car before writing a loan. After the loan is secured then he is free to mess up that credit score.

That is, unless he is selling his car to qualify for a home at a value beyond his natural means. This would be irresponsible at any time, but pretty reckless during a housing bubble, and it was a problem we saw all too frequent during the last housing burst. I’m giving to OP some credit that he isn’t so foolish and has enough disposable income to buy responsibly. You seem to act like the man is selling the car and eating beans to scrape the money to buy a home, which isn’t responsible. Anyone who has the disposable income to buy responsibly has the means for a cheap hobby car.

... You sure about that?...

Depends. My DD is my BRZ and my weekend car, but I have buddies with weekend cars that cost less than many people's iPhoneXs. They buy lifetime warrantied brake pads and get 2nd hand tires for pennies, so they can go to an autocross day at the local parking lot because race car and because driving is a passion.

While cars are definitely not an investment, homes aren't necessarily a for sure investment. The bubble we are in might persist if development continues to fall behind demand, but most people consider the housing market to stay flat or to go down. This means anyone who buys now is likely buying at a risk. They will likely lose the ability to liquidate their asset/house or to have market mobility (sell then buy to relocate for work) for at least a decade, if not longer. Anyone who is stretching their budget to buy now, at top market, is taking a bigger risk. Most who are buying responsible at this time still have some cushion for a cheap car, if that is the type of toy they have a passion for. Some might have to give up their car budget for their other passion like their coffee budget... $5 a day or $150 per month. Luckily I don't have a coffee budget.

This is a cool video:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZR_vMTLfIk"]Drawing Conclusions: Is renting really a waste of money? - YouTube[/ame]

My original statement was that it was good to see somebody doing the responsible thing. You scoffed at that.
You now write a very nice piece on how he did the responsible thing.

Was not saying he would have to eat beans but simply that once the car is gone it can take many years to get back into it. Shit happens and the "next year" becomes "well maybe" next. If you truly had to scrimp to live you would understand that very simple fact of life.

well bless that guy's heart. i still love ya, 'old man' tcoat.

the 'housing market' plays differently in every metro area but in general housing prices are up 6.6% year on year, along with 68 straight months of price appreciation. housing inventory, while up in certain markets, is still trending downward and with new housing starts difficult to ramp up in any rapid fashion in any metro area due to zoning, nimbyism and a whole host of other factors - that tends to keep driving prices upward as supply and demand must always meet. this combined with economic factors pointing towards rising mortgage interest rates will cause the double whammy of making houses purchased in the near future more expensive to own, but also the rising inflation rates forecast as part of the same macroeconomic trend means that it will be 'cheaper' to hold current debt as opposed to future debt. this doesn't even take into account longer term effects of technologies such as airbnb, which make it easier for folks to be able to hold onto and rent out properties once they've been outgrown - or that these technologies tend to raise rents and home prices.

anyone who can correctly and accurately pinpoint a ceiling on house prices certainly has the opportunity to make literally unlimited amounts of money shorting the housing market but at least one of the larger 'bear' funds out there doing exactly that right now is down about 66% off its historical peak.

to each their own, but ill say this:
- fun cars are a hobby for most people
- to those that can or want to spend their resources doing that, more power to them, and i'll certainly return to that when the time is right
- there certainly isn't anything wrong with renting
- nor is there anything wrong with letting other people's well reasoned personal choices be well and good enough for them on their own merits

That was all I said from the start!

Good luck with the home purchase. Hopefully you can get back into something soon.

I'm surprised to hear you say that considering your listed location. It was way cheaper for me to own a home in Napa compared to renting

Give me your NMLS# or I’m reporting you to the CFPB.

Jk

Right now, post fires the cost to own and rent are high, and the market was tight before, but the cost to buy has skyrocketed and the market for homes is tighter. In Ukiah, where I have family from marriage, there was an article that said there were only 15 homes for sale. The question is what is going to be the case in ten years? Will homes be more expensive or less? If things improve then rents will be down and homes will too.

To the op, I wish someone would have gave me this advice when I first bought my home, but go for the 15 year note if you can swing it. That 30 year mortgage is a scam. We refinanced to a 15 year note a couple years ago, what a difference it made every month. Actually closing on our second refinance this Saturday.