How many cars is too many?
Discussion
ettore said:
Hoofy said:
ettore said:
I have a fleet policy covering my cars (bar one that is co-owned, so 8 in total) - and you can set independent mileage and driver limits across them. Saves an absolute fortune. I use a specialist broker (Routen Chaplin) because some of them have challenging insurance requirements.
Idiot question: my insurance policies end at different dates; how do you resolve this without paying an early cancellation fee on the old policies?Circa 25 a few yrs ago now down to 13.
Every one of them is up and running, and I struggle to find 2 that do the same job.
I’m great at buying cars and really bad at selling.
8 yrs ago I bought the freehold on a new unit which houses 13 cars. Can garage 6 at home plus driveway for up to 12 comfortably.
I’d ideally like to reduce the number still further to force me to use the cars I’m hopelessly in love with but I’ll always find a reason not to.
I’m not sure you can ever have too many cars
Every one of them is up and running, and I struggle to find 2 that do the same job.
I’m great at buying cars and really bad at selling.
8 yrs ago I bought the freehold on a new unit which houses 13 cars. Can garage 6 at home plus driveway for up to 12 comfortably.
I’d ideally like to reduce the number still further to force me to use the cars I’m hopelessly in love with but I’ll always find a reason not to.
I’m not sure you can ever have too many cars
Hoofy said:
ettore said:
Hoofy said:
ettore said:
I have a fleet policy covering my cars (bar one that is co-owned, so 8 in total) - and you can set independent mileage and driver limits across them. Saves an absolute fortune. I use a specialist broker (Routen Chaplin) because some of them have challenging insurance requirements.
Idiot question: my insurance policies end at different dates; how do you resolve this without paying an early cancellation fee on the old policies?ettore said:
Hoofy said:
ettore said:
Hoofy said:
ettore said:
I have a fleet policy covering my cars (bar one that is co-owned, so 8 in total) - and you can set independent mileage and driver limits across them. Saves an absolute fortune. I use a specialist broker (Routen Chaplin) because some of them have challenging insurance requirements.
Idiot question: my insurance policies end at different dates; how do you resolve this without paying an early cancellation fee on the old policies?
To add to my earlier post, I am starting to feel the effects of having so many (and for me, it's 4 or 5) cars around me. I had a list of jobs to do on the two runners over the winter that haven't been done because I was concentrating on the current project, and the other project hasn't been touched for several years. Taking them out for a day for a run or to a show is eating into that work time as well, so they don't get used as much as they should. Having any more, I think, would only be viable if I were getting someone else to do the work on them, or if I suddenly develop a much stronger work ethic.
droopsnoot said:
To add to my earlier post, I am starting to feel the effects of having so many (and for me, it's 4 or 5) cars around me. I had a list of jobs to do on the two runners over the winter that haven't been done because I was concentrating on the current project, and the other project hasn't been touched for several years. Taking them out for a day for a run or to a show is eating into that work time as well, so they don't get used as much as they should. Having any more, I think, would only be viable if I were getting someone else to do the work on them, or if I suddenly develop a much stronger work ethic.
They always need something, even if not essential:Panda 1 - slave cylinder, master cylinder, front discs and pads, paint calipers and rear drums. All done but clutch pipe seals still need attention.
Panda 2 - slave cylinder, caliper seals, front discs and pads. paint calipers and rear drums, cambelt/water pump/thermostat kit. Work in progress.
Mustang - generally nothing bar polishing.
Mazda MX3 - replace front and rear discs and pads and paint calipers. To do list.
Even being retired, it always means something needs doing and yes, I dream of bleeding clutches and brakes.
vpr said:
Circa 25 a few yrs ago now down to 13.
Every one of them is up and running, and I struggle to find 2 that do the same job.
I’m great at buying cars and really bad at selling.
8 yrs ago I bought the freehold on a new unit which houses 13 cars. Can garage 6 at home plus driveway for up to 12 comfortably.
I’d ideally like to reduce the number still further to force me to use the cars I’m hopelessly in love with but I’ll always find a reason not to.
I’m not sure you can ever have too many cars
Every one of them is up and running, and I struggle to find 2 that do the same job.
I’m great at buying cars and really bad at selling.
8 yrs ago I bought the freehold on a new unit which houses 13 cars. Can garage 6 at home plus driveway for up to 12 comfortably.
I’d ideally like to reduce the number still further to force me to use the cars I’m hopelessly in love with but I’ll always find a reason not to.
I’m not sure you can ever have too many cars
This is a subject close to my heart. The first point I’d make is that even once you’ve sorted the actual storage, the access speed to that storage matters absolutely enormously.
So there is a heck of a difference between having a wide garage with lots of bays or a long thin garage with ramps in it that gives you technically the same amount of storage.
Secondly, the more vehicles you pile in to a given space the less they are enjoyable to look at, work on and own.
Thirdly, and this is the massive kicker - is that it is almost impossible to build a relevant/ultimate expression collection gradually, unless you know in advance what that’s going to end up looking like (and given that circumstances change, that’s extremely difficult.) What I mean by that is that the car choices you would make given a 3 car collection would probably be really different than they would in a 6 car collection, and so you end up either churning the cars which can be expensive or retaining less than ideal choices that don’t fit together as well as they would have if you’d designed for six in the first place. I think this is where the “n+1” comes from. You’re always one behind the curve because you keep altering the bases.
Fourthly, and it’s related to the previous point really, but I find myself often looking at them and wondering if I sell this and this and this then that’s this much money and I could get that. But then, if I only sold that and that then maybe put some money in then that would get that. Or what about selling nearly all of them and getting that. So again the opportunity cost of the collection can be niggling.
I think perhaps these are the real questions, rather than just a straight “how many is too many”
So there is a heck of a difference between having a wide garage with lots of bays or a long thin garage with ramps in it that gives you technically the same amount of storage.
Secondly, the more vehicles you pile in to a given space the less they are enjoyable to look at, work on and own.
Thirdly, and this is the massive kicker - is that it is almost impossible to build a relevant/ultimate expression collection gradually, unless you know in advance what that’s going to end up looking like (and given that circumstances change, that’s extremely difficult.) What I mean by that is that the car choices you would make given a 3 car collection would probably be really different than they would in a 6 car collection, and so you end up either churning the cars which can be expensive or retaining less than ideal choices that don’t fit together as well as they would have if you’d designed for six in the first place. I think this is where the “n+1” comes from. You’re always one behind the curve because you keep altering the bases.
Fourthly, and it’s related to the previous point really, but I find myself often looking at them and wondering if I sell this and this and this then that’s this much money and I could get that. But then, if I only sold that and that then maybe put some money in then that would get that. Or what about selling nearly all of them and getting that. So again the opportunity cost of the collection can be niggling.
I think perhaps these are the real questions, rather than just a straight “how many is too many”
ettore said:
swisstoni said:
There’s 4 very occasional use classic cars and 2 dailies in my setup.
Everything is insured on a separate policy despite some barely turning a wheel some years. Any insurance I’ve looked into barely seems to knock off much for ‘laid up’ so everything is on a normal policy.
I’d be interested to hear from anyone who’s gone down some kind of fleet cover, whether all classics or a mixture, and found it worth doing.
I should add that I have a slight distrust regarding putting all eggs in one basket, generally.
I have a fleet policy covering my cars (bar one that is co-owned, so 8 in total) - and you can set independent mileage and driver limits across them. Saves an absolute fortune. I use a specialist broker (Routen Chaplin) because some of them have challenging insurance requirements. Everything is insured on a separate policy despite some barely turning a wheel some years. Any insurance I’ve looked into barely seems to knock off much for ‘laid up’ so everything is on a normal policy.
I’d be interested to hear from anyone who’s gone down some kind of fleet cover, whether all classics or a mixture, and found it worth doing.
I should add that I have a slight distrust regarding putting all eggs in one basket, generally.
I suppose it depends on the nature of the collection. If it's just stuff to have for the sake of having it, there's no upper limit. Fill 'yer boots. If it's cars to use and truly enjoy I imagine most people cap out at 3-5. The sheer admin of keeping up with more seems a bind.
I used to crave a big barn full of motors. Now I think just a couple of really well chosen ones would probably be the move.
I used to crave a big barn full of motors. Now I think just a couple of really well chosen ones would probably be the move.
Wheel Turned Out said:
<clip> The sheer admin of keeping up with more seems a bind...
I have three plus an everyday car and the admin is straight forward. The classics are all on a single policy so only needs attention once a year and the DVLA send me reminders when they need taxing, albeit two of them are free. The difficult thing is driving them, especially with the crap summer we're getting! RichB said:
Wheel Turned Out said:
<clip> The sheer admin of keeping up with more seems a bind...
I have three plus an everyday car and the admin is straight forward. The classics are all on a single policy so only needs attention once a year and the DVLA send me reminders when they need taxing, albeit two of them are free. The difficult thing is driving them, especially with the crap summer we're getting! Admin is probably the wrong word for me to have used.
Wheel Turned Out said:
I meant more general admin of everyday ownership such as keeping track of all the little jobs that need doing, rather than the tax/insurance aspect. What has been done, what hasn't been done, what's going to be needed in the near future, seems very easy to fall behind unless you're particularly diligent or happen to have an unusually reliable fleet. Admin is probably the wrong word for me to have used.
Yeah, for that I have a word doc that is a log for each of the cars, they're in a folder on my laptop with photos of the cars. I just add a line each time I use them as to where I went, anything notable and any little jobs that need doing. Every now and then, when I have a cleaning session on the cars I also attend to the jobs. Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff