Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Why not get a proper project where you can just disappear into the minutiae and nuance of finding a NOS dashboard from a 1965 Italian Grand Tourer?

Surely this will cure your thirst for tinkering

to tinker with the GT3 would be to reduce it's value.

Couldn't you get into fetishizing keeping it OEM? Like souring OEM oil and cleaning products, etc. Or just buying and stockpiling/collecting OEM spares?

Then you can focus on tinkering with the cab.

It would be like having a mosquito bite on your forearm that you know you can't scratch, except that you have another forearm you can. Which means you can go doubly hard.

I was going to suggest something like this.

Either something random and esoteric or a classic mini as there are a billion spare parts and options all with the advantage of not being expensive and being comparatively small.

That's the crazy world we now live in. Rather like Dammit is sworn of the booze I've been credit free for 30 years. I do own a Rolex GMT though!

Supposed to be a reply to Colm89.

I'm going to get one of these one day. They're so under valued.

Oh yeh, my ultimate goal is to be credit free, and I'm heading in the right direction, but at 3%, money is still cheap at the minute, and for specific purchases like (hopefully) appreciating assets it makes sense to borrow.

The market is a hard one to call, but the mk1 GT3 does seem to be a great example of a future classic for all the usual reasons people mention.

Most importantly I guess, it's whether or not if the arse did fall out you would have to sell. If you can hold onto an asset for a longer period you stand a better chance of exiting for break even.

At current rates, I think you'd need an awful lot of cash to warrant buying outright. What's the rate of real inflation at the moment? Almost 3%? Provided the rate is fixed it would seem odd to tie up cash. Also on the mortgage unless Dammit <£20k and a term less than 10yrs, I struggle to see how adding £50k over what is likely to be a long term would be cheaper than a separate loan.

Why not build a Caterham and do track days?

Or buy this boat

https://www.premierhouseboats.co.uk/princess-pocahontas

Zackly

So much this.

Why not get a proper project where you can just disappear into the minutiae and nuance of finding a NOS dashboard from a 1965 Italian Grand Tourer?

Surely this will cure your thirst for tinkering

If I had a large enough garage then 100% I'd do this, but my existing garage is like vehicular Tetris.

Maybe you need to buy a bigger house then

Sell/Rent/AirBnB out your flat and buy a place in the country with a barn/triple garage. Have country lanes etc on your doorstep for driving / riding.

i'm almost there!

This place has a double garage and should be convenient for work.
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/53315606?search_identifier=e98c7fb35572ff0de9036c4c2da69d65

The flat is in both my girlfriends name and my own, doesn't seem fair to put debt for my car onto that.

Reasonable.

I guess it comes down to what your objectives are and how they are best achieved:
*Is it an investment? If so, don't drive it, and keep it in a heated garage (not a lot of fun in that)
*Is it for fun? If so, how much more fun is it than the cars you already have, and would you be better off just hiring one as and when or joining one of those car clubs?
*Is it a pride of ownership thing? Can't really help you with that one.
*As others have said, what other things could you do with the money that might prove more satisfying.

Just my random thoughts...

A Ford Escort drive if ever I've seen one.

THIS WAS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY IN A NON "DO THIS!".
I think this is exactly the right solution.

The other practical implications too. It's time consuming to look after multiple cars, the insurance, MOTs and all the maintenance, sourcing parts, visiting garages etc. Eats into available time to do things that are actually enjoyable. I can't keep 2 bikes clean.

Also. We're going to HAVE to watch this.
Why don't you put your options down in terms of "projects what i want to tinker on". We'll tell you what you'll enjoy most and what we'll enjoy seeing you do (sticking a jet engine in a caterham and ragging the fuck out of it), you post it/film it/blog it.
WIN.

Something bonkers like putting a jet engine in a mini?

Close enough: https://www.zcars.org.uk/hayabusa/

For example, I might like to see you do something bonkers with a renault gt5 turbo (and then rag the fuck out of it on southend high street) . Or a rally car (and take it rallying).

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/107455/1966-bizzarrini-p-538

here you go, Neil:

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/107447/porsche-911-32-carrera-race-car

£37k + £10k for tow car and trailer + £3k for licence and gear - BOOM