Talk Me Out of This

[cosmicfolklore]

Mrs Cosmic and I have discussed getting a convertible next year as our toy car for vacation drives, but she was thinking new Mazda convertible. This one hit the radar as I was scanning cars listed. Then the theme song... which caused a rush of testosterone... and we all know that testosterone leads to sleeping on the couch.

 

[mso489]

I plan to nurse my seven-year-old Mazda along for some more years. It's beginning to look a little unique the ways cars do with age, which is good. I'm keeping it as I keep an eye on the evolution of electric cars, to see if that is a transition I want to make. So far, the range on these EV's is restrictive. The charge time seems variable and maybe not great. The initial cost is too steep. And the charging stations are too sparse across the landscape. But I'm looking for all this to improve significantly, or hoping it will. Ford is aboard, and GM is trying to one-up them by saying they hope to make no internal combustion engines after 2035. Ford says they'll go 40% electric by 2030. Right now, Ford's more convincing.

 

[sablebrush52]

Follow your bliss. $35,000 upfront, a few thousand a year on maintenance. For me the problem with cars like this is that they're very uncomfortable for me to sit in. They're built for smaller frames than moi.
They're also made for speed, so if you can't ever open her up, expect increases in maintenance costs by a few thousand a year, averaged.
People spend thousands of dollars on a pipe, a few square inches of wood and plastic. By comparison, this is a bargain.
Buy Mrs Cosmic a Testarossa with a set of wrenches and that should keep her happy.

 

[pappymac]

Mrs Cosmic is giving me the old... you'll look like an old man out trying to impress young girls.
My retort is... look at me... Ummmm... do young girls even know who Magnum PI was?

No. But they do know who the current Magnum P.I. is and that means that you could even dress like Tom Selleck from back then and they wouldn't know who you were.

(I really shouldn't be giving an opinion. I just bought a Subaru Forester back in February.)

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I plan to nurse my seven-year-old Mazda along for some more years. It's beginning to look a little unique the ways cars do with age, which is good. I'm keeping it as I keep an eye on the evolution of electric cars, to see if that is a transition I want to make. So far, the range on these EV's is restrictive. The charge time seems variable and maybe not great. The initial cost is too steep. And the charging stations are too sparse across the landscape. But I'm looking for all this to improve significantly, or hoping it will. Ford is aboard, and GM is trying to one-up them by saying they hope to make no internal combustion engines after 2035. Ford says they'll go 40% electric by 2030. Right now, Ford's more convincing.

I am hoping to drive internal combustion till the end, when they take my keys away from me and hide them in a drawer with the remote controls.

My biggest concern with electric is not knowing anything about repairing them. I do all the mechanic work for our vehicles, and at least I understand them. I will pay someone to do things that I know I would not enjoy doing like folding myself into an origami shape to get into a hard to reach part of the engine, but at least when I know the truck/car needs plugs, I know what he means. When an electric mechanic starts talking... doomahickies... I don't and become less confident in dealing with repairs and upkeep.

 

[shanez]

Mrs Cosmic and I have discussed getting a convertible next year as our toy car for vacation drives, but she was thinking new Mazda convertible. This one hit the radar as I was scanning cars listed. Then the theme song... which caused a rush of testosterone... and we all know that testosterone leads to sleeping on the couch.

As much as I've always wanted a Magnum PI Ferrari I opted for a 4 door sedan with great performance and space for family road trips. Super fun in sport mode, easy going in economy mode, and more comfortable than the 3 series BMW.

2019 with 16K miles for $30,590 plus another $3K for an 84 month 125K mile factory warranty:





I was told that it's not wrong to put a child's car seat in an Alfa Romeo but only because it's a Minnie Mouse car seat:

 

[Chasing Embers]

Never cared for sports cars, but if you're hooked, get it.

 

[solideogloria86]

This doesn't look anything like 1965 C10 Swb Fleetside, so I can't help either way.

 

[kcghost]

If it was just like Magnum's all the women in the world couldn't stop me from buying it. I am just that committed to making wrong decisions.

 

[mso489]

cosmic, I can see myself driving internal combustion right along. With computers, even gas fueled cars are pretty much hostages of the technicians in the shop. But it's true, electric is a whole different department, a new vocabulary, repairs we've never heard of. Elon Musk is one of the extravagantly wealthy people I wouldn't want to be.

 

[mingc]

As much as I've always wanted a Magnum PI Ferrari I opted for a 4 door sedan with great performance and space for family road trips. Super fun in sport mode, easy going in economy mode, and more comfortable than the 3 series BMW.

2019 with 16K miles for $30,590 plus another $3K for an 84 month 125K mile factory warranty:

View attachment 99895

View attachment 99896

I was told that it's not wrong to put a child's car seat in an Alfa Romeo but only because it's a Minnie Mouse car seat:

View attachment 99898

An Alfa! Does it move on its own power? Serious question.

 

[JOHN72]

Just thinking about that expense gives me a stomachache. Buy yourself better, a Dracula pipe.................

 

[Chasing Embers]

Let me ammend my previous post. I do like muscle cars. If a '74 Javelin came up that I liked, only an act of God would stop me from getting it.?

 

[tschiraldi]

Do it! DO IT!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Mrs Cosmic points out that if I get sciatica while on vacay, as I sometimes do... I might get stuck in the car for a few weeks. But, even then... Magnum PI theme song!!!

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I used to watch Magnum as a kid and that's where my love for Ferrari began. I had a picture of a Testarossa and a Lamborghini Countach on my wall.
It's an awesome looking car?.
Buy it..... BUY IT!!!

 

[karam]

It is not one of the very desirable models, but you WILL be driving something with a prancing black horse on yellow, and not many can claim that.
Personally, my petrolhead days are over, had I the money I’d probably get a big buff German beast, like a BMW M5, E-AMG, RS6 rather than a proper sports car.
Totally with you on driving burning petrol (gasoline) until they take our keys away.

 

[karam]

I had a picture of a Testarossa and a Lamborghini Countach on my wall.

Didn’t we all? And Diablo!

 

[JOHN72]

 

[STP]

Another vote to go for it. Nothing wrong with a mid-life crisis. I’ve been going through one for 10 years?