So here's another "checking in" post after 3 and a half years away. I find it difficult to stay interested enough to keep up with social media these days so excuse the absence. I'll try to keep this one short and sweet.

I can't quite remember, but I believe my last update came when I was still in Michigan. Anyways, as I alluded to in that post, I ended up relocating to Charleston, SC after exhausting my options around Detroit. For work, I've now completely switched industries, transitioning into home energy. It pays the bills, so I can't complain about that. Once again, though, I might be looking for yet another destination to call home in the next year or so. The Southern lifestyle has it's advantages, but I don't think it's for me.

 On the automotive front, it shouldn't come as any surprise that I've added a few more to the list. If I didn't mention it previously, I sold the ATS and daily drove the Miata for a while. Eventually I picked up a 2014 Mazda6 to use for my temporary job. To make moving easier, I sold that one as well before heading to SC. I then picked up a cheap beater in the form of a 2002 Lexus IS300 to live out my 2JZ fantasies. After those fantasies turned out to be a bust (I managed to buy the neediest one apparently), I jumped ship to something completely different.

Before I get into that, I should note that I still have the Miata after 5 years and 3 months. It now has 165k, a new clutch, and one rust-repaired quarter panel. Shortly after moving south the clutch pilot bearing started going out which necessitated it becoming a garage queen for a while. It's now back in service but really doesn't get driven much, having only added 5k miles to the odometer the last two years. Lately, I've wrestled with the thought of selling it, but each time I get serious, I can't go through with it. 

This brings me to Tesla. I'm now on my second Model 3 after a transformative test drive in the fall of 2020. I always keep an open mind when it comes to choosing cars, but I really didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Switching to electric hasn't been as much of a struggle as I initially feared, either. We've even added a Model Y to the mix, leaving the Miata as our sole gas-powered vehicle. 

With that said, here's the current lineup. Cheers!

Congrats on the fleet Cory, always nice to see you pop in

6 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Congrats on the fleet Cory, always nice to see you pop in

Thanks, Drew. 

I'm going to try to be more active this year. Outside of being a lurker in a few Facebook groups, I don't participate much in any automotive discussions these days. The last few years have sort of drained my passions a bit. 2021 was at least a bit of a return to the norm for me with more frequent trips to Cars and Coffee and beginning to rebuild my diecast collection. Photography is still on the back burner for the most part, so I'd like get out and do more with that this year. We shall see...

22 minutes ago, Cory Wolfe said:

The last few years have sort of drained my passions a bit.

I see that.   With the advent of these shytty electrical cars, how can ANYBODY be be passionate about cars anymore???!!!

 

OOPSIES.   I see that you own not one, but TWO of these Tesler cars..

 

I like Telsa.  I just dont like Elon.  I like EVs. My next car will probably be an EV...  lets just see what everybody else will bring to the table...   

22 minutes ago, Cory Wolfe said:

beginning to rebuild my diecast collection.

AWESOME!!!

I have a 73 or 74 car collection  scale 1/18 (always forget how many I got) diecast cars.   OK...Im lying.   One of those is a resin model.   2015 Hellcat Challenger by GT Spirit.  

Waiting for the Z06 C8 to come out to complete and end the collection once and for all.  Hopefully by Autoart if they make one. Ill have to settle for a resin Stingray from GT Spirit I think it is if no-one makes a Z06.  

I used to have over 100 of them. Collection was too big.   Its kinda too big now. 

Hope you stick around. I have lurked and read your past posts in here so you are not a stranger to me as I am to you.  

 

Edited January 14, 20223 yr by oldshurst442

29 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

I see that.   With the advent of these shytty electrical cars, how can ANYBODY be be passionate about cars anymore???!!!

OOPSIES.   I see that you own not one, but TWO of these Tesler cars..

I like Telsa.  I just dont like Elon.  I like EVs. My next car will probably be an EV...  lets just see what everybody else will bring to the table...   

Hah, right. Tesla ownership definitely has its negatives, the biggest of which is probably Elon. Many owners blindly worship the Haus of Musk which leads everyone else to believe that any owner must as well. While I think he has definitely had some radical ideas that have led us to where we're at now, it might be time for him to step back and perhaps abmit he was wrong about certain things (*cough* FSD, *cough* removing radar, *cough* v11 software).

30 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

AWESOME!!!

I have a 73 or 74 car collection  scale 1/18 (always forget how many I got) diecast cars.   OK...Im lying.   One of those is a resin model.   2015 Hellcat Challenger by GT Spirit.  

Waiting for the Z06 C8 to come out to complete and end the collection once and for all.  Hopefully by Autoart if they make one. Ill have to settle for a resin Stingray from GT Spirit I think it is if no-one makes a Z06.  

I used to have over 100 of them. Collection was too big.   Its kinda too big now. 

One of my biggest regrets is selling my old diecast collection about 10 years ago. I had about 100 cars and I let it go for a few hundred. Some of those cars really ballooned in value and it would cost me 10 times the amount I sold it for to rebuild the collection exactly as I had it.

Right now I'm back up to about ten 1:18 scale, about 150 Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars, and a handful of others that fit in-between. Unfortunately my latest super rad purchase was damaged by USPS...

Kinda sucks that the Saturn was delivered to you like that. But, it could be a satisfying model if you fix 'er up again, possibly modifying it making it personal.