When did you realize that your FRS/BRZ/86 is "just a car?"

[suaveflooder]

Odd subject, I know. But today talking to a friend was a HUGE eye opener for me. He sold his E92 and kept his E36 because he enjoyed it more on the track. All in all, it was because he could "use it and abuse it" and not have to worry about scratches or "battle wounds" as he liked to put it.

My buddy's E36 (with an S54 swap)


Now, long story short for me, I park at the back of lots to avoid door dings, look for the "perfect parking spot." I am overly careful in ANY situation making sure I don't add another rock chip or scratch. Basically, I'm paranoid about "hurting" my car.

I haven't really had my car for more than 24 hours in the last month due to continuing body work after an accident. I had no control over the accident. I was parked in a spot that was 7 or more spots from anyone else and STILL had a crazy old lady hit me.

Bottom line is that the car is a CHEAP racecar. Why not use it as such? I feel like I've gotten away from the idea behind the car. It's meant to be enjoyed, NOT OBSESSED OVER! I'm seeing a lot of people on this forum treating the car like a super car. Trust me, I get it, but maybe it's time to stop.

For those who have realized this already, my hat is off to you. For those who have yet to realize this, hopefully this will be an eye opener. My accident is/was for me! I'm going to enjoy my car and not worry about it! Park close, get some door dings, track it, add up the mileage, enjoy it and beat her until she dies….then at that point….maybe….rebuild her and start all over

Last time I saw her….three days ago.

[Atropine]

Man...me being anal retentive has prevented me from enjoying so many of my cars...

As mentioned earlier, I sold my BRZ back to the dealership after I bought my Grandfather's BRG Miata. Its a bit of a legacy car for me; I have been oogling that Miata since I was 11 years old...taht was 23 years ago.

Since I have gotten my Miata, because it already has battle scars, I have no problem driving it hard and stuff. I still wash it and vacuum it when its needed, but its JUST A CAR.

Suave I know exactly what you mean man.

Lemme name the cars I had that I was too scared to push...Nismo 350Z, Porsche Boxster S, STi, SRT 8 Challenger, BRZ.

Lemme name the cars I drove like I stole em'...89' AW-11 MR2, 88' AW-11 MR2 Supercharged, 91' Miata

Can you guess which cars I had the most fun with?

If I didn't "inherit" my Grandfather's Miata, I don't know if the BRZ would still be on the garage queen pedestal or not...

[husker741]

[Luis_GT]

I love my Rarity, she's my true love, and I will always treat her right, she'll never be a cheap rececar to me.

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by Atropine

Man...me being anal retentive has prevented me from enjoying so many of my cars...

As mentioned earlier, I sold my BRZ back to the dealership after I bought my Grandfather's BRG Miata. Its a bit of a legacy car for me; I have been oogling that Miata since I was 11 years old...taht was 23 years ago.

Since I have gotten my Miata, because it already has battle scars, I have no problem driving it hard and stuff. I still wash it and vacuum it when its needed, but its JUST A CAR.

Suave I know exactly what you mean man.

Lemme name the cars I had that I was too scared to push...Nismo 350Z, Porsche Boxster S, STi, SRT 8 Challenger, BRZ.

Lemme name the cars I drove like I stole em'...89' AW-11 MR2, 88' AW-11 MR2 Supercharged, 91' Miata

Can you guess which cars I had the most fun with?

If I didn't "inherit" my Grandfather's Miata, I don't know if the BRZ would still be on the garage queen pedestal or not...

EXACTLY MY POINT!!! Cheaper cars are enjoyed more! Makes them WAY more fun. My 84 mustang I had a BLAST in. I paid $900 for her. I bought my cobra ($25k used,and my first car loan), and babied the damn thing. WAY better car in every way, but never had as much fun in it because I was worried about [enter problem here].

Originally Posted by husker741

lol, it'll hopefully let you have more fun with it.

Originally Posted by Luis_GT

I love my Rarity, she's my true love, and I will always treat her right, she'll never be a cheap rececar to me.

IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE A CHEAP SPORTS CAR! Sooner you (in this case, and I) come to that conclusion, the better off we will be. The car will be worth $6k soon enough. Will it make you think of your little lady differently? This isn't an M3, 911, or GTR, that starts out high, drops and holds, it's a car that was designed for beating the hell out of by a younger demographic because it was cheap. It'll be in civic range soon enough. But honestly, what civic are you going to have this much fun in????

Edit: you have tape on your front end….why? Worried about rock chips? You are proving my point. It costs $500 to repaint the bumper. If you are racing, that's not a ton of money to be honest.

[Odd]

@suaveflooder - I can agree with you somewhat, but everyone has a different financial situation.

When I get paint chips, windshield chips, normal wear and tear, yes its a regular 25k+ car, but when it comes to other humans giving door dings, crashing into my rear panel without leaving a note, thats when I would disagree.

Another example would be a brand new, fully loaded work truck. Some people would argue (me) that it would look even better with some scratches from mesquite and some dings from being out in the field.

[ayau]

Guess it depends on how you define a cheap sports car.

Cheap compared to the Corvettes and M3 on the tracks? Yes.

Cheap enough to walk away from the car due to a track accident? No for 99% of the people here.

I actually prefer driving beat up cars for my daily commute. DGAF about dings, scratches, accidents, etc. I actually welcome people tapping me on the back so I can collect an insurance check, lol.

[TM]

It doesn't matter if it's my cheap BRZ sports car or my cheap 10 year old $3000 daily driver civic. I still take good car of them and it still hurts whenever I see a new scratch or ding.


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[Ramster]

I care about looking good as I go about my daily business and when I'm at the track. I do think what you drive and how you treat your car reflects on you. Plus a well maintained car is going to have better resale value than one with a bunch of dings and whatnot. Just my 2c, but i'm always gonna try to take as good care of the machine as I can. I guess a respect thing?

[Luis_GT]

Originally Posted by suaveflooder

IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE A CHEAP SPORTS CAR! Sooner you (in this case, and I) come to that conclusion, the better off we will be. The car will be worth $6k soon enough. Will it make you think of your little lady differently? This isn't an M3, 911, or GTR, that starts out high, drops and holds, it's a car that was designed for beating the hell out of by a younger demographic because it was cheap. It'll be in civic range soon enough. But honestly, what civic are you going to have this much fun in????

Edit: you have tape on your front end….why? Worried about rock chips? You are proving my point. It costs $500 to repaint the bumper. If you are racing, that's not a ton of money to be honest.

Nope, she can be worthless and still be my little lady... And I consider it a better car than the 2011 M3 that sits in my house... just cause YOU obsess over your car when you get fond of it and can't enjoy it doesn't mean I'm the same way... you have a problem I spent 15 minutes taping the front end of Rarity to avoid rock chips, yet I spent a whole day tracking her... oh... and I'm not an asshole that double parks or parks far away, I park on the closest space I can find, and she already has 12K miles and isn't even a year old.

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by Odd

@suaveflooder - I can agree with you somewhat, but everyone has a different financial situation.

When I get paint chips, windshield chips, normal wear and tear, yes its a regular 25k+ car, but when it comes to other humans giving door dings, crashing into my rear panel without leaving a note, thats when I would disagree.

Another example would be a brand new, fully loaded work truck. Some people would argue (me) that it would look even better with some scratches from mesquite and some dings from being out in the field.

But what can you do about it? Get it? I'm not saying go and beat the hell out of the car with a bat, I'm saying enjoy it and be okay for the occasional ding. I had no control over my accident and it has consumed my entire MONTH!

Originally Posted by ayau

Guess it depends on how you define a cheap sports car.

Cheap compared to the Corvettes and M3 on the tracks? Yes.

Cheap enough to walk away from the car due to a track accident? No for 99% of the people here.

I actually prefer driving beat up cars for my daily commute. DGAF about dings, scratches, accidents, etc. I actually welcome people tapping me on the back so I can collect an insurance check, lol.

You shouldn't be tracking a car you couldn't walk away from. One of the first things I was told. "If you are willing to push your car over a cliff, don't open track it" While it's a little blown out of proportion, I get the idea. What can i afford to run and not have a BIG financial issue if I total it (because insurance doesn't cover race days)

Originally Posted by TM

It doesn't matter if it's my cheap BRZ sports car or my cheap 10 year old $3000 daily driver civic. I still take good car of them and it still hurts whenever I see a new scratch or ding.


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I enjoy my civic more than I do my FRS, because I don't worry about it. It's got a couple scratches, some curb rash on the wheels, bubbling tint and a ripped shifter boot. I don't stress about it. Life is full of SOOOO many stress factors….why add another. It's not an exotic. It'll be worth SOOOO little in the next couple years. I still LOVE the car and it's still one of the BEST handling cars available today.

Originally Posted by Ramster

I care about looking good as I go about my daily business and when I'm at the track. I do think what you drive and how you treat your car reflects on you. Plus a well maintained car is going to have better resale value than one with a bunch of dings and whatnot. Just my 2c, but i'm always gonna try to take as good care of the machine as I can. I guess a respect thing?

Taking care of a car and not worring about the next "ouch" are two totally different things. I change the oil more than often, and wash the car weekly. The point of this post is to just let up on the little things (like door dings) and just enjoy the car. Get some more rock chips doing canyon runs, getting some door dings because you don't want to walk 1/2 mile from the furthest parking spot, ect. This has nothing to do with the love, or care of the car. I've lost friends over my love for this car, but at the same time, I want to enjoy it and not be paranoid over every boo boo. It's going to happen.

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by Luis_GT

Nope, she can be worthless and still be my little lady... And I consider it a better car than the 2011 M3 that sits in my house... just cause YOU obsess over your car when you get fond of it and can't enjoy it doesn't mean I'm the same way... you have a problem I spent 15 minutes taping the front end of Rarity to avoid rock chips, yet I spent a whole day tracking her... oh... and I'm not an asshole that double parks or parks far away, I park on the closest space I can find, and she already has 12K miles and isn't even a year old.

You realize you are making my point EXACTLY! (other than the tape ) I've always loved your post with your M3 as it's "just another car" that can be parked anywhere….

YOU are exactly what I want to be when I get my car back tomorrow (hopefully for the final time)

[Luis_GT]

Originally Posted by suaveflooder

You realize you are making my point EXACTLY! (other than the tape ) I've always loved your post with your M3 as it's "just another car" that can be parked anywhere….

YOU are exactly what I want to be when I get my car back tomorrow (hopefully for the final time)

The tape thing is called having your cake and eating it too. I avoid a lot of the damage that can happen while tracking, keeping her looking fresh with just a bit of time. 10-15 minutes of taping isn't going to ruin the fun, and will save you quite a bit at the end of the day.

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by Luis_GT

The tape thing is called having your cake and eating it too. I avoid a lot of the damage that can happen while tracking, keeping her looking fresh with just a bit of time. 10-15 minutes of taping isn't going to ruin the fun, and will save you quite a bit at the end of the day.

Good to know. I was thinking lights and foglights only on tape, personally. Those are the expensive parts. Besides, I can't repaint the bumper and fill the license plate holes until I have a reason