It wasn’t long ago that I owned 9 million cars, had the city inspector on my back telling me I had to get my cars running and registered or else, had a neighbor literally calling me “an animal,” and had almost no clothes that weren’t covered in motor oil. It was a great time in my life, filled with adventure and learning; of course, at the same time, I hadn’t been on a date in about 9 million years, and I’d often wake up in a sweat in the middle of night frantically reaching for a pen and paper so I could write down all the cars I owned and everything that needed to be fixed. It was unsustainable, and now, after miraculously getting engaged, I’m finally — after almost a decade — bringing the fleet down to a sustainable number of cars. Here’s what made the cut.
I’ve made a few tough choices over the past few days. For the longest time, I’ve been flip-flopping between selling my 2014 BMW i3 and my 2021 BMW i3S. The former is older, has 145,000 miles, and has a smaller battery offering 75 miles of range. At the same time, the 2014 has a brand new battery and compressor, and also it’s just better built than the 2021. The 2021 costs three times as much (mid $30 grand all-in), and offers a similar driving experience, but the advantage is that it looks incredible; it’s got double the range thanks to a battery that many say doesn’t degrade pretty much at all over the first five years, 50,000 miles (which bodes well long-term); and it has a 12 year, 130,000 mile warranty on pretty much every major component. It’s basically a brand new car, and it really does feel special.
Should I sell my Jeeps and buy a basically-brand-new BMW i3 for 30 large?
— David Tracy (@davidntracy) April 21, 2024
Still obsessed with this car. pic.twitter.com/1rSYnhEtDr
— David Tracy (@davidntracy) October 12, 2024
So I’m selling off the gray i3. What else will I keep? Well, I need a wedding car in a few months, and I figure it might be nice to have something convertible out here in California. What’s more, given my limited garage space, the CJ-3B makes a bit more sense than my YJ, which won’t fit in tandem with my i3. So I’ve decided to whittle my car collection down to three. It will be the CJ-3B and i3 at home:
And then at work I’ll have the five-speed ZJ overlanding project/road trip car that I need to someday get to:
So that’s it. Three cars, plus my brother’s Mustang:
So this means the Gray i3, YJ, Jeep J10 (which won’t make it through SMOG here in CA, anyway), World War II Jeep and Nash will all hit the auction block:
The reality is that, at this stage in my life, I need to focus on having a fleet of easily-maintainable cars. The Gold i3 has a huge warranty, so that should be no issue. The CJ-3B is not far from being on the road, plus it’s bone-simple and parts are plentiful. Not to mention, I think it’ll make a cool wedding car. The five-speed ZJ Grand Cherokee will be my one real project; it’s going to take a lot of work, but I’ll be excited when it’s done. And the Mustang is kind of a family heirloom at this point, it’s simple, parts are plentiful, and it’s only gone up in value since I bought it. It needs some work here or there, but it’s not really a priority.
In my head, the Willys I’ll use to putt around town, and I’ll tow it to an off-road park (and Moab!) every now and again. The i3 will be my highway/work car/the real daily driver. And the ZJ will act as my adventure car and occasional tow vehicle. That should be an easily-maintainable collection, and enough fun/variety to keep me happy. Probably. I can’t stop looking at Ford Model T’s, so maybe one of those will show up at some point. But until then, three cars and my brother’s Mustang. That’s all I need.
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I really should probably stop looking for Tin Lizzies, since I have only a couple months to get the Willys in good enough condition that it’ll work as a wedding car. At this point, I’ve never even heard it run, but hey, at least the stakes aren’t high… gulp!
If you believe that, I’ve got a vintage Jeep to sell you.
Three is the magic number of cars for us, too. A minivan for my wife and for the kid-hauling duties (2018 Kia Sedona), a sedan for my work commute and also occasional kid-hauling (2016 Mazda6), and then a toy car for me to be nostalgic with (1990 Pontiac Sunbird).
Unfortunately, we only have two garage spaces, so the minivan gets the short end of the stick and has to sit outside since it isn’t really “mini” at all and won’t fit in our 1980s-era garage.
We have 2014 Camry Hybrid, commuter; 2007 Corolla, wife’s runabout; 2005 Acura MDX, hauler and foul weather friend, 2009 Vibe, 19 yo daughter. All reliable and sensible vehicles. Part of me aches for a toy but I don’t want another mouth to feed.
That’s why my toy car was purchased for $1,800 in 2018. I’d sometimes like to have something fancier, but meh. I’m a fan of GM FWD shitboxes.
Applause, seriously. I own 4 right now (all less than 20 yrs old but most high mileage) and find it hard to keep up with everything maintenance wise, let alone cleaning and detailing. It’s time to enjoy and expand your life. At the end of the year, I cherish the family experiences and vacations, not the wrench time (which I do enjoy to a point).
Three shall be the number of cars thou owneth, and the number of the cars shall be three. Thou shalt not have four, neither shalt thou have two, unless thou immediately acquireth number three. Five is right out.
(You probably won’t get this, but everyone else will think it’s hilarious)
(And I applaud this decision; three is a good manageable number of vehicles.)
Monty Python was truly wise. I’ve found 3 to be ideal as well.
Of course, I’m not heeding my own advice and now paying for it.
One, Two, Five.
Three sir.
Three!
Thanks for this: I at least got 1 cultural reference today
‘Four is RIGHT OUT ! ‘.
=8-) .
-Nate
Good choices, congratulations on the trimming. I know it’s hard.
That’s what she said.
Growth!
I kinda feel like you’re still missing one :).
David, a practical question: What are you gonna do for content with just three or four cars which actually, you know, run?
I expect part of building the Autopian empire means delegating to others. SWG, Mercedes, Torch if he ever gets around to his fleet, etc.
That’s all I need. This i3, and this CJ, this ZJ, this chair, the lamp, and this thermos. That’s all I need.
And this Mustang. That’s all I need.
And this European Chrysler minivan. That’s all I need.
…and the original XJ that’s still in Detroit?
Shhh!
-does she even know?
Excellent reference. You should use the proceeds to buy a bigger house.
And this Project Cactus that’s in Austrailia
Sell the cars. Buy a good tuxedo. Apparently you are gonna need it!
Also, buy a bunch of Manila folders if you are driving around in that Jeep on your wedding day.Your (Beau’s) lawyers are gonna need them. 🙂
You are already failing in your relationship in not taking responsibility for the Lexus. It counts, and you need to “add it to your fleet” if this is going to be a real marriage.
Serious not serious (seriously)
Nooooo! I can’t count the wife’s car as a part of my fleet, that makes it even bigger!
Spousal enablement is entirely exempt from the “S-1” part of the N+1 rule.
This should be an article, Mercedes! Because that means I have 11, not 12, which is progress!
If I may interject a bit of madness into this fairly sensible course. The J10 you could convert to electric to pass smog. Then you’d have a truck, which I’m guessing as a soon to be homeowner, is an invaluable resource. I’m sure there’s company trucks you could use, but having your own truck to do truck things is truckriffic.
Also old trucks are some of the easiest things to convert, slap a motor in place of the engine, couple battery boxes under the bed, bingo bango you’re all electrical.
You just refuted your own point, lol. DT’s boss is Beau (sorta) and he has a gazillion connects out there. Why would you hold on to a bucket of bolts just “because I may need it one day.”
Ludaicrics.
If my business partner owned one of the largest Ford dealerships in the country, I’d probably not worry about needing to borrow a truck every now and then.
Not hypothetical, it has already happened. Citation: https://www.theautopian.com/i-drove-a-20-year-old-chevy-avalanche-that-someone-traded-in-to-a-dealership-it-was-phenomenal/
I’d love to pick up that YJ. Then my brother and I could fly in from NY and drive it back home. It’s a dream we’ve been talking about for quite a few years now.
yeah, the old “the Mustang is not mine” loophole. Hmm.
I’m shocked you’re giving up the J10, though. That must hurt bad.
Watching David grow up (y’all shush, I’m older than he is) over the past few years almost (ALMOST) gives me hope as well :’)
But man, having to have that talk with yourself about culling the flock after acquiring more life responsibilities. It’s hard.
Growing is hard and I applaud David. I was almost on his path 20 or so years ago. Life has not always been easy since, but I gained so much (including a daughter) and have had life experiences unforeseeable to 25 year old me. I really regret nothing .
Yep. Having my daughter fall asleep in my lap while I’m reading to her made all that silly crap just sorta melt away. Grandkids are almost moreso.
I’m there too. Stepson has young ones.
Gotta do it when family is on the horizon
When I found out my then-gf was pregnant, I gave up my chance to follow the Dead, sold gold from grandparents, and bought an automatic GM product for a baby car. Until then, all I’d ever had was air-cooled VWs
yes; the camper had tie-dye curtains. What else could they be??
I already had a ’99 Grand Cherokee, but the car seat forced me to sell my ’94 SHO 5 speed, it just did not fit (circa 2005). I bought a ’00 Chrysler 300M. Hard to believe she’s 19 now.
Considering that 6 out of 7 vehicles in my life currently have check engine lights illuminated, I suppose I should support this sensible move on your part David. I told myself that I will fix the fleet first before considering another vehicle. But I still window shop daily on Marketplace.
You’re just testing the function of the dummy lights, though, right?
I’d go i3S and the YJ to keep it as simple as possible.
Also why worry about what fits in the tandem spot at your current apartment? You’re likely moving after the wedding anyway. And you could just as easily keep the YJ at Galpin.
Solid choices. Surprised you’re letting the J10 go, someone is going to be so happy with that thing!
I am envious. I have 12 cars right now. Most are decent, a few aren’t road worthy, but I am trying to fix things and then sell them to extract maximum value.
55 Studebaker Speedster
72 BMW Bavaria
73 Jaguar XJ6
77 Cadillac Coupe Deville
77 Porsche 911S
81 Fiat Spider Turbo
90 Civic Si
95 Buick Riviera
95 Audi S6 Avant
99 Chevy Astro
00 Honda Insight
04 Beetle Turbo S
Most of them are nice, and I have a lot of feelings and memories for almost all of them. I’m trying to get down to 6 cars, but it’s hard. I think part of getting older is learning how to let go, and appreciate the memories you had already.
That 90 Civic SI. Is it in good shape? My 89 was my favorite car in the world. Good handling, decent ride, good headlights, adequate room for most shenanigans, supportive seats. If it were clean, rust free and interior in good shape…
Yeah, it’s spectacular. It’s one of my bucket list cars so it’d be exceptionally hard for me to get rid of that one. You can see it here. I’m currently building a basic bish B16 for it, with a really nice trans, LSD, GSR gearing and LS 5th gear. Should be sublime.
Keep the running CJ they are not making more of them and if you do not have at least one old jeep you will be missing something.
I think it’s a great plan. I will believe it when I see it, but it’s a great plan 🙂
And yes, stop looking at Tin Lizzys. At least wait until after the wedding. They made a kajillion of them, they’ll still be there.
David is about to have half as many cars as me, and 2 less campers than me. I need to get some stuff up for sale.
Um – Don’t you have an Aztek you’re supposed to be living in by now?
it also falls under the ‘I don’t really own it’ loophole. Technically, he owns it but it’s ‘the property of the Autopian’ as the ‘test car’ and is that enough ‘air quotes’ for you all?
Oh thank you – Lemme fix that…
Hey ‘David’! Isn’t there a ‘Pontiac Aztek’, which you may or may not ‘own’ that you’re ‘supposed’ to be ‘living in’ and/or ‘driving daily’ by ‘now’?
‘Hmmm?’
Give the man some slack. A deal is a deal, but he is blossoming and I hate to put wrench in that.
I heard they’re going to spend their honeymoon camping in that thing for a week.
Oh dear…
Can DT (or someone else also familiar with CA stuff) explain this?
I know, for example, in states that use CARB standards that replacing a Prius catalytic converter can run $5k+…but what would it take to get the J10 compliant if money was no object?
California smog tests everything made after 1976. In order to pass visual the car needs everything that was on it new- so if a smog pump or other emissions equipment was removed (say because he lived in a state that didn’t test vehicles that old), it needs to go back on.
Then there’s just getting it to pass the sniffer, which could be any number of repairs.
You’ll just engine swap it- great! Whatever engine you’re putting in, you need to have all the emissions equipment that came on that year and model of vehicle working on this one. And you can’t swap a heavy duty drivetrain into a lighter duty vehicle, so it better be a 5.3 from a Silverado 1500 if you’re going that route.
I also know from experience a 4.0’s intake manifold won’t clear a FSJ brake booster, so in order to do an EFI 4.0 swap you’re also adding hydroboost brakes.
For newer cars, people will sometimes have a 2nd manifold/exhaust hanging in the garage that gets mounted once every 2 years to meet the visual requirements. As TXJeepGuy noted, for older vehicles the visual alone is often a giant PITA. Then you get to the sniffer test. In my experience with a 76 Corolla here in CA (and in speaking with other car people in that community), those old cars are some of the most challenging to get smogged successfully.
I remember even my 94 XJ was starting to have issues with uh oh this may not pass next time by 2009/2010. I had all the sheets since I bought it in 2006 and you could see that it was getting closer to the limits every year. That was even with a new cat added in 2008. I was probably going to have to spend a lot of money to get it to keep passing had I not sold it.
Damn. I am once again grateful for Kentucky’s leniency. My Sunbird would not pass. No way no how.
Yep, just finding replacement smog components for what’s missing could be a dealbreaker. I’m a member of a FB Group that is rallying for changes to the CA smog check program on classic cars, and I’ve seen plenty of posts from people trying to get their vehicle CA legal have major roadblocks because the parts they need simply no longer exist.
That’s OK. It won’t be a problem, because CARB is trying to totally eliminate licensing “old cars” so they will be for static display only, not for driving.
No they’re not, and as an admin of a group who is pressing for realistic changes to the smog check program for classic cars (and believe it or not there have been changes occurring), I really hate this false narrative as it’s counterproductive to those of us who are taking it seriously and not just parroting the kneejerk “CARB BAD!” narrative that so many gearheads have.
THANK YOU Scott ! .
-Nate
I appreciate that you are trying. If there is a way I can help, let me know; Cause all I’ve heard is that CARB has nothing good in mind for classics. Everything I’ve seen and heard from CARB is basically going after the mosquitos and ignoring the elephants.
First, thank you! (from a fellow Californian). I’m not sure what position your group is advocating, but personally I think a moving 25 year (or X year) window makes more sense than the current hard limit. The number of cars that would be exempt, even with a 25 year window, is so vanishingly small as to not make any difference in the state’s emission goals.
You can thank Arnold the Governator (a Republican, for anyone thinking it’s only the left that wants changes that benefit the environment) for axing the 25 year rolling exemption. I don’t think that will ever come back, but there have been some real attempts at moving the exemption year up to 1983 which is a start. Starting soon (if not already, I can’t remember), 1996-1999 cars will no longer need a dyno smog check and just an OBD scan like 2000+ cars.
I had seen the mentions of the engagement, but had totally missed the article where it was first mentioned (probably because I’ve been ducking hurricanes left and right here in Florida the past three weeks). Congratulations! California has worked out very well for you.
I think narrowing it down to three cars is incredibly manageable and can also make it more fun. With so many projects, I feel like it would almost stress me out at times. I had kind of hoped you would keep the 21 i3, so glad that’s what you decided. And keeping The Holy Grail just makes sense. I think you ended up with a good three as you start to focus on a future with your soon to be wife.
It’s funny how “3 cars plus my brother’s Mustang” equals “3 cars.” 🙂
J/K David. This is a good first step!
A nugget of truth there, but I think he gets a pass since it’s more “in my possession on behalf of…” rather than strictly his own.
Exactly. I believe David will be the caretaker of the Mustang until his brother moves back to the US from Hong Kong.
Yep, that line works great in couples counseling.