Keep the Focus?

[280Z Turbo]

I'm probably going to buy a BRZ soon and I'm trying to decide if I should keep the Focus to take on the salt bath punishment of Michigan or buy snow tires for the BRZ.

The Focus still runs OK, but it's getting old. Storage of either car will not be an issue. I think the Focus is worth about $3000 as is.

[ifcar]

What's insurance running you on the Focus?

[Secret Chimp]

You won't leave your shithole town, at least buy a new car and commit to get out of your shithole town before you have to worry about all of the rust bullshit you always worry about.

[280Z Turbo]

What's insurance running you on the Focus?

$333 for 6 months.

[280Z Turbo]

You won't leave your shithole town, at least buy a new car and commit to get out of your shithole town before you have to worry about all of the rust bullshit you always worry about.

I'm moving to Kalamazoo next February. I will have to commute 30 minutes, but I guess it's worth it.

[SVT666]

Wait.  There's actually a place called Kalamazoo?

[Soup DeVille]

Wait.  There's actually a place called Kalamazoo?

Of course there is. We're not going to get into this again, are we?

[Soup DeVille]

For the record, Timbuktu and Katmandu are real places as well.

[Raza]

For the record, Timbuktu and Katmandu are real places as well.

Get rid of the Focus.  It's an unnecessary expense and one more thing to worry about. 

[Rupert]

You aren't going to do any of those things. Keep the Focus, never sell the Z, talk about doing both until one or the other turns to dust.

[280Z Turbo]

Get rid of the Focus.  It's an unnecessary expense and one more thing to worry about. 

Eh, I wouldn't insure both cars at the same time. It's a pretty minor cost other than the opportunity to sell it.

[280Z Turbo]

You aren't going to do any of those things. Keep the Focus, never sell the Z, talk about doing both until one or the other turns to dust.

Serial car swappers seem to have a problem with those of us here at carspin who deliberate and like to shop around.

We're all car guys here. Looking for cars should be taken seriously and should be fun!

[hotrodalex]

Eh, I wouldn't insure both cars at the same time. It's a pretty minor cost other than the opportunity to sell it.

Switching insurance every season is a pain.

[Raza]

Eh, I wouldn't insure both cars at the same time. It's a pretty minor cost other than the opportunity to sell it.

You're allowed to own a car and not insure it in Michigan?  I don't think you can do that in Pennsylvania. 

[Soup DeVille]

You're allowed to own a car and not insure it in Michigan?  I don't think you can do that in Pennsylvania. 

Yes, you can.
everywhere.

[Raza]

Yes, you can.
everywhere.

Really?  I had no idea.

[Soup DeVille]

Really?  I had no idea.

Really.

[giant_mtb]

Switching insurance every season is a pain.

No it isn't.

[hotrodalex]

No it isn't.

I guess it depends on the insurance company. But even without the actual pain of switching, you also have to remember to call and switch it and can't drive the car until you do. What if the Focus has to go to the shop for a day or two? BRZ isn't insured, so he's not supposed to drive that.

[280Z Turbo]

Lol. Focus has never been to the shop for general repairs.

[hotrodalex]

Just bringing up a scenario. It's up to you, guess it just depends on how much money you'd save. I like being able to drive all of my cars any time I want.

[Madman]

Wait.  There's actually a place called Kalamazoo?

Yep.  I hear someone's got a gal there.


I've got a Gal in Kalamazoo

[MrH]

As a BRZ owner in the rust belt who's thrown around the idea of a 2nd car for awhile, my answer is no.  Simply put, we don't make enough at our age to justify two cars, and there's quite a bit of added expense with two cars.

[MX793]

Really?  I had no idea.

You can own a car without it being insured anywhere in the US.  You may not be able to register a car without insurance everywhere (in NY, if you drop insurance you have to turn in your registration and plates or be fined for every day you're registered and not insured).

[MX793]

As a BRZ owner in the rust belt who's thrown around the idea of a 2nd car for awhile, my answer is no.  Simply put, we don't make enough at our age to justify two cars, and there's quite a bit of added expense with two cars.

If you don't have to pay for storage and the second car is paid off, there's really not that much more expense (unless you live in one of those states where registration fees are outrageous).  If I got rid of my Mazda, I'd save maybe $350 a year in car expenses (~$300 for insurance, ~$20 for registration and ~$25 for annual inspection).  I'm willing to pay that to have a summer car that is rust free.  Even my battery terminals and brake hardware are essentially spotless on the Mustang.

[Rupert]

As a BRZ owner in the rust belt who's thrown around the idea of a 2nd car for awhile, my answer is no.  Simply put, we don't make enough at our age to justify two cars, and there's quite a bit of added expense with two cars.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

But the added expense of additional cars is actually pretty minimal if they're older cars and only the best one or two is fully insured. You're only one person and you probably aren't going to drive more if you have more cars, so gas doesn't increase, and maintenance only slightly increases (as maintenance is based on mileage, but also time-- so you change your oil yearly even if only drive the car 2000 miles).

[MrH]

If you don't have to pay for storage and the second car is paid off, there's really not that much more expense (unless you live in one of those states where registration fees are outrageous).  If I got rid of my Mazda, I'd save maybe $350 a year in car expenses (~$300 for insurance, ~$20 for registration and ~$25 for annual inspection).  I'm willing to pay that to have a summer car that is rust free.  Even my battery terminals and brake hardware are essentially spotless on the Mustang.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

But the added expense of additional cars is actually pretty minimal if they're older cars and only the best one or two is fully insured. You're only one person and you probably aren't going to drive more if you have more cars, so gas doesn't increase, and maintenance only slightly increases (as maintenance is based on mileage, but also time-- so you change your oil yearly even if only drive the car 2000 miles).

Well, depends on how much space you have.  The way I viewed it, it's another car to have to store.  I've got a garage with space for one car.  It'd require a lot of cleaning out and would be a tight fit to get another one in there.

Perhaps more importantly, he doesn't have the money from the Focus to put towards the BRZ too.  I considered doing a second car with my Miata, which was paid off at the time.  But I was almost just as happy getting the BRZ alone, which I paid for largely with the miata.  I guess the costs involved with having two cars isn't significant when you've got a car that's not worth much to begin with.  To me, it was Miata + WRX or similar, which was drastically more expensive than just getting the BRZ.

Any idea what the Focus is still worth? 

[MX793]

Well, depends on how much space you have.  The way I viewed it, it's another car to have to store.  I've got a garage with space for one car.  It'd require a lot of cleaning out and would be a tight fit to get another one in there.

Perhaps more importantly, he doesn't have the money from the Focus to put towards the BRZ too.  I considered doing a second car with my Miata, which was paid off at the time.  But I was almost just as happy getting the BRZ alone, which I paid for largely with the miata.  I guess the costs involved with having two cars isn't significant when you've got a car that's not worth much to begin with.  To me, it was Miata + WRX or similar, which was drastically more expensive than just getting the BRZ.

Any idea what the Focus is still worth? 

Oh, I only have a one-car garage.  Whatever car I'm driving gets parked in the driveway and the car being stored for that time of year gets parked in the garage.  Kind of a hassle having to clear snow and ice off of the car in the winter, but since my garage doesn't have a floor drain I'm not sure I'd want to be tracking a lot of snow and briny slush in there during the winter months even if the space was available.

[MrH]

Oh, I only have a one-car garage.  Whatever car I'm driving gets parked in the driveway and the car being stored for that time of year gets parked in the garage.  Kind of a hassle having to clear snow and ice off of the car in the winter, but since my garage doesn't have a floor drain I'm not sure I'd want to be tracking a lot of snow and briny slush in there during the winter months even if the space was available.

So your mustang sits outside all summer?  I like putting the BRZ in the garage.  It keeps it so much cleaner.

[Rupert]

I have a two car garage, but it's a really tight fit, and it's also my shop. Just move cars around a bunch.

It's a different story when you have payments on more than one car, or the one car you have is worth a lot and could go into the next car you want that costs a lot, but if you have a cheap old car and want an expensive new car, there's not much reason not to have both, IMO.