2nd car or mods?

"Poor_Sh" (ar4x)
12/12/2019 at 19:52 • Filed to: None

Ok, there’s lots of useless backstory I could write and reasons for and against. I think too much. Sometimes it helps to just hear others out and realize I do or don’t agree. So I have 1 car, my DD, my track car, for road trips, for car shows, for everything until I can’t physically fit it. I love this car.

When I bought the Cayman I wasn’t intending to have a commute (lived a mile from work), I hadn’t experienced the track, I wasn’t doing my own maintenance just easy mods. Now I drive 35ish miles per day minimum, I spend every day thinking about performance driving in some manner, and my garage (I also didn’t have) has many tools that I actually use!

Assuming costs are the same, and I’m not currently in need of something specific (i.e. I don’t need to haul/tow, I don’t need to fit more people) would I get more out of a 2nd car or out of modding my Cayman? I think it seems obvious that a 2nd car is more value for the $ but there are intangibles that offset dollar value like my track/autox experiences and driving feel.

2nd car would be a manual convertible just engaging enough to have fun, cruise with the top down, reliable enough to commute some of the time. Not really looking to use it for performance.

Mods would be cobb tuning, exhaust, headers, intake plenum for better noise and about 10% increases in power/torque but also smoothing out the 3500-4000rpm dip for these cars. Also the experience of installing these would be awesome.

DISCUSSION (37)

WRXforScience > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 20:30

Use the money to do more trackdays, you’re Cayman is a great track car maybe throw a oil/tranny cooler on it and get to the track as often as possible. I’ve found it’s more fun to do things with your car than to it.

Nothing > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 20:31

I wish I could help, I’m just here for the comments. This has been my struggle the past few months....a 2nd vehicle or more money for the 4Runner. Every time I make up my mind, I change it. I also can’t decide what a 2nd vehicle would be, although I keep leaning towards some variant of Z3. My gut tells me no 2nd car, which has me a little sad.

Captain of the Enterprise > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 20:36

My thoughts are it would be better to not daily drive a car that you track. If anything happens to it then you are out of a daily commuter and are stuck.

Poor_Sh > WRXforScience
12/12/2019 at 20:38

Great plan! Problem is I'm not sure I can take off as much work as it takes to attend the track days. Given I won't be doing anything until the track schedule comes out, I will keep your suggestion as option 3.

Poor_Sh > Captain of the Enterprise
12/12/2019 at 20:40

Yeah I always describe tracking my DD that still has a loan as stupid. But worth it. Your point is well taken.

Poor_Sh > Nothing
12/12/2019 at 20:42

My gut is saying yes 2nd car but that makes me a little sad that my Cayman will have to wait years to be more track focused.

WRXforScience > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 20:51

That sucks that you have to take off work to get to the track, I’ve got 2 tracks about an hour away and there are one or two day events at one or both just about every weekend.

Poor_Sh > WRXforScience
12/12/2019 at 20:55

Closest is an hour, then 1hr45. But all the others I'd have to stay over. And I don't have to neccesarily do week days but the most value comes from a whole weekend and also prep time is sometimes rough to come by. I will look into this though, "can I do more track days, with less time off, and not burn myself out?"

Michael Cohen > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 21:03

Mod the Cay or get Miata is a challenge . I don’t have an answer but I’m glad to be in a place where people are grappling with questions like these. I’m totally serious.

Poor_Sh > Michael Cohen
12/12/2019 at 21:11

I agree! And it's because of OPPO I'm in this scenario at all.

E90M3 > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 21:21

Get the second car, I've thoroughly enjoyed having two cars. I intended to DD the M3 when I got it, but that circumstance never materialized and I ended up with two cars. There's something intangible about having two cars, it's just nice.

functionoverfashion > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 21:27

Get a boxster for your second car

Poor_Sh > functionoverfashion
12/12/2019 at 21:41

It’s on the list. I’d have previous knowledge, a current support system, and I think my winter wheels would fit. I’m slightly worried about sub $10k boxsters though...

Poor_Sh > E90M3
12/12/2019 at 21:44

You’re one of th e main reasons I think about a boxster as a 2nd. 2 similar cars but very different, makes the Cayman feel more special too.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 21:54

This. The thing about playing at the track, even just track days/lapping and not actually racing, is that sooner or later something bad will happen. Be it unplanned contact with solid objects, bending steering.suspension pats/wheel through off course excursions or just mechanical things breaking from a car being used in a way it was never designed to be used for extend periods of time. Not to mention the shorted lifespan of engines, transmissions, suspension components from extended track work, and to say nothing of brakes and wheel bearing becoming disposable and constant maintenance items. Spend enough time on the track and something bad will happen to wad up your car into a lump of scrap metal, and sometimes even through no fault of your own. Just having to find a ride home would be bad enough, I can’t imagine having to throw finding a new way to work into the equation or still making payments on lump of scrap metal.

The only cars that should ever turn a wheel on the track are cars that are disposable to their owners. I feel the whole track day (bro) really becoming a thing that lots of people do over the last 15 or so years leads to a lot of folks out on the track without any clue as to the real magnitude of risk they’ re taking. Back in my days as an instructor, I couldn’t shake how few folks were really out there in a car they could wad up and walkaway from without a penny without some unpleasant financial consequences. In the end, I stopped instructing after I crashed hard in my racecar. After living a test of the safety equipment in a roll caged, logbook real racecar, I found I had no desire to die in the passenger seat of a car capable of being driven on the street. The whole right seat instruction model needs to change also, but that’s another conversation.

The track is a whole lot more fun in a car you can walkway from without worry. It’s also a whole lot better in car that isn’t hobbled by tires and brakes that are capable of being driven on the street.

Poor_Sh > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
12/12/2019 at 22:18

True... ish. For 1) I get track insurance. So yes I could lose my car I love but financially I wouldn’t be ruined. Hell I wouldn’t be ruined without track insurance, but yeah it would hurt a LOT. But, that brings me to 2) no matter what I do I can’t avoid other people hitting me or fluids on the track or whatever, but I can definitely keep my car capable of the track strain I put on it as my skill increases. I’ve upgraded tires brakes and brake fluid already. And tbh from what I’ve seen and heard, this car actually is designed from stock to take track abuse. I’m not really worried about over-driving the components of the car.

Yes, an expensive track car and cheap DD would be a weird/wrong situation. But I already have the former, and I’m already tracking it, so taking miles off of it is probably the best option until the DD is paid off and old enough to just be a track car at that point.... probably.

AestheticsInMotion > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 22:32

2nd car. Aside from the reasons everyone else has stated, it’s just really nice to have a backup if one car needs repairs or God forbid gets hit. Plus you could build a track-focused Miata for the price of some grippy tires on a modern performance car!

Poor_Sh > AestheticsInMotion
12/12/2019 at 22:54

See that’s one of my conundrums. I already have a car I love to track, and even though a Miata or something would be cheaper to track I have a hard time believing it would be better than a freaking Porsche Cayman S. I want a track focused car, but I wouldn’t want to relegate the Cayman to what should have been a GT car. I.e. if I had known this situation would arise I might have gotten the F-Type and then a cheap track car.

Th at being said, your exploits have made me extremely jealous over the last few years and you’re one of the inspirations for my convertible desire. I’ve rented 2 in cold weather and you better believe the top was down in everything but rain!

AestheticsInMotion > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 23:04

I can’t really talk, I’ve never tracked my Miata, just an ND a few times. It was fun, but I like the less structured off-road rally shenanigans lot more!

“top was down in everything but rain”

S poken like someone who should own a Miata! A stock NA/NB is a great daily for someone who doesn’t need a ton of space. For years I looked forward to the end of the workday, just because of how great it was dropping the top and commuting home. The roads weren’t anything special, there was tradfic—heavy traffic even. Damn car just made me smile. Like a golden retriever puppy!

Poor_Sh > AestheticsInMotion
12/12/2019 at 23:14

STOP TEASING ME

AestheticsInMotion > Poor_Sh
12/12/2019 at 23:22

I also hear they make great winter beaters ;)

I love your Cayman though. Really does seem like the absolute perfect “do-anything” car. Especially in that color combo..... Hnggggg

Poor_Sh > AestheticsInMotion
12/12/2019 at 23:38

Thanks! And, I already have a winter beater lol

Kinja'd!!!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Poor_Sh
12/13/2019 at 00:36

In you’re shoes, I’d get the Miata. Or maybe a drop top Audi TT, if you get real winter where you are. Just to get some AWD fun in your life. Maybe make it a RallyX car.

Poor_Sh > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2019 at 00:45

I am not shoes. I am pants. Also we get winter but not really a big one. Plus I have liberal telework abilities. So RWD with winter tires works great for me!

Kinja'd!!!

Long_Voyager94 > Poor_Sh
12/13/2019 at 07:09

I’m in the mod it category.

You can mod your daily reliably, which makes it more fun for daily use and more competitive for weekend use.

Long_Voyager94 > Captain of the Enterprise
12/13/2019 at 07:11

Likewise, with one vehicle it will be kept in top shape at all times as all your fun money goes into it.

With 2 vehicles you’ll likely end up with 2 “less” cared for vehicles which are more likely to break.

E90M3 > Poor_Sh
12/13/2019 at 08:39

I got the 3 because I wanted something cheaper than the M3 to run, and something that I knew I would enjoy driving. I was going 75 miles a day and that was too much for me to put on the M3. It has had the unintended consequence of making the M3 feel more special; that was not something I realized would happen when I got it, but it has happened. I also do agree that two “similar” cars and feel worlds different.

functionoverfashion > Poor_Sh
12/13/2019 at 10:48

Nah, you’ve got the Cayman to drive when the Boxster is broken anyway. The ultimate first world problem.

Poor_Sh > functionoverfashion
12/13/2019 at 10:55

True, my worry is more like having 2 of same same level maintenance costs but on cars literally 5× different in value lol

Poor_Sh > Long_Voyager94
12/13/2019 at 10:57

Damn, I was getting swayed towards 2nd car but you’re right too. I might have 1 great car and 1 fun car to choose between , or I could have 1 amazing car all the time...

functionoverfashion > Poor_Sh
12/13/2019 at 11:18

Totally. If you weren’t looking for a convertible, I’d say look at a Mini. I know there’s a Mini convertible, but it’s not the same as a Miata or hardtop Mini.

Poor_Sh > functionoverfashion
12/13/2019 at 11:38

I’ve thought of getting my third but oldest mustang, a Z3, solstice gxp, boxster...

Long_Voyager94 > Poor_Sh
12/13/2019 at 12:20

Another issue with 2nd car:

You now have to split your fun money between 2 vehicles, plus pay for insurance and upkeep on 2 vehicles.

functionoverfashion > Poor_Sh
12/13/2019 at 12:45

Z3 would be an awesome choice. I’ve never driven one, but that drivetrain is pretty reliable and fun.

Poor_Sh > Long_Voyager94
12/13/2019 at 14:55

True as well although the second car will be much cheaper/older so not such a significant increase in insurance. Upkeep maybe, but it's hopefully taking miles off the more expensive DD so that there are less big dollar fixes needed.

Long_Voyager94 > Poor_Sh
12/13/2019 at 16:02

Realistically, it ends up a wash at best, but many times leads to both vehicles being slightly neglected instead of one well-maintained/modded vehicle.

End of the day, it’s your choice, Enjoy it!

Poor_Sh > Long_Voyager94
12/13/2019 at 17:00

Any input helps! You can see sometimes E90M3 talk about his 2 cars from both sides. Wishing he would drive the M3 more, but then often glad not to put miles on it. Guess it kinda is a wash.