who worries about putting miles on their car?

[CatmanV2]

Thinking of all the 'keeping the plastic covers on your sofa' quotes. As well as some of the less savoury ones. Just don't get it by each to their own

C

 

[Doctor Houx]

I have never understood why someone would buy a car and then not drive it when they wanted to for fear of putting miles on. Buy it, drive it and enjoy it.
Let the next owner worry about the mileage you leave the car with if they want to. Enjoy the time with car otherwise why bother buying it at all!

This situation is frustrating the **** out of me ATM. When I first purchased my unique ex development and press duty Vanquish from the liquidators of a film company, it was in a fairly poor and unloved state, but I knew it was unique.

12 years, a few bob but literally thousands of hours of elbow grease and it’s a multiple concours winner, and took the “historically significant” award from AML at the Vanquish 20th Anniversary celebration at NP in 2021 beating one of the Bond cars used in Die Another Day. I was dumbfounded!

I’m now told it’s so historically significant and valuable and in such perfect order, that I’m frightened to take it anywhere, and it can’t beat the awards it has now won, so not even much point showing it anymore, so it sits in its Carcoon unused and wasted as I’ve done all I can with it. I really am thinking of putting it up for sale, but again, only some sad collector is likely to buy it and it still won’t get used. What a waste!

 

[SE_123]

This situation is frustrating the **** out of me ATM. When I first purchased my unique ex development and press duty Vanquish from the liquidators of a film company, it was in a fairly poor and unloved state, but I knew it was unique.

12 years, a few bob but literally thousands of hours of elbow grease and it’s a multiple concours winner, and took the “historically significant” award from AML at the Vanquish 20th Anniversary celebration at NP in 2021 beating one of the Bond cars used in Die Another Day. I was dumbfounded!

I’m now told it’s so historically significant and valuable and in such perfect order, that I’m frightened to take it anywhere, and it can’t beat the awards it has now won, so not even much point showing it anymore, so it sits in its Carcoon unused and wasted as I’ve done all I can with it. I really am thinking of putting it up for sale, but again, only some sad collector is likely to buy it and it still won’t get used. What a waste!

View attachment 109960

Sell it for the right price, find a new project and enjoy the old memories.

 

[safrane]

Please, remember this thread the next time a car is advertised on here with more than 3k pa on the clocks.

 

[CatmanV2]

Sell it for the right price, find a new project and enjoy the old memories.

Exactly what I was thinking, TBH

C

 

[gb-gta]

I’ve not been bothered putting miles on cars over the years. Worst thing to do, especially it seems on Italian cars, is not to use them. Thing is, it depends how many cars you have. I was spreading my miles over 3 in recent years, a guilietta, a 147GTA and the QP GTS. The guilietta has gone now so the miles on the other 2 will go up. Was doing 3-5k per year on each, so my fuel bill will be going up!

 

[Bebs]

This situation is frustrating the **** out of me ATM. When I first purchased my unique ex development and press duty Vanquish from the liquidators of a film company, it was in a fairly poor and unloved state, but I knew it was unique.

12 years, a few bob but literally thousands of hours of elbow grease and it’s a multiple concours winner, and took the “historically significant” award from AML at the Vanquish 20th Anniversary celebration at NP in 2021 beating one of the Bond cars used in Die Another Day. I was dumbfounded!

I’m now told it’s so historically significant and valuable and in such perfect order, that I’m frightened to take it anywhere, and it can’t beat the awards it has now won, so not even much point showing it anymore, so it sits in its Carcoon unused and wasted as I’ve done all I can with it. I really am thinking of putting it up for sale, but again, only some sad collector is likely to buy it and it still won’t get used. What a waste!

View attachment 109960

Mmmm.. artichokes

 

[Ewan]

Never cared about putting mileage on cars after all that is what they are for.

Bought the SZ in 2003 with 9200 miles on the clock, that was a Thursday and on the Friday we took it to France with their Alfa owners club where we covered just over 1800 miles over the weekend. When we got back I checked the paperwork and it had never done that in a single year previously.

What is the mileage on the SZ now, after 20 years of ownership?

 

[DLax69]

Nearly every car I've owned I should have kept.

Don't I know it. Feel exactly the same...well, excluding the RAM I replaced with the Sierra this year. That thing tried to kill me on the interstate...throttle position failed at 80mph. Had to put it in neutral and cut down an off ramp to get it to stop, hoping the d@mn thing wouldn't blow before I could kill the ignition.

 

[zagatoes30]

What is the mileage on the SZ now, after 20 years of ownership?

63k but most of the last 5 years it has been stuck in a paintshop so really only 14 years of use so just under 4k per year on average, more than most SZs I would guess

 

[DLax69]

This situation is frustrating the **** out of me ATM. When I first purchased my unique ex development and press duty Vanquish from the liquidators of a film company, it was in a fairly poor and unloved state, but I knew it was unique.

12 years, a few bob but literally thousands of hours of elbow grease and it’s a multiple concours winner, and took the “historically significant” award from AML at the Vanquish 20th Anniversary celebration at NP in 2021 beating one of the Bond cars used in Die Another Day. I was dumbfounded!

I’m now told it’s so historically significant and valuable and in such perfect order, that I’m frightened to take it anywhere, and it can’t beat the awards it has now won, so not even much point showing it anymore, so it sits in its Carcoon unused and wasted as I’ve done all I can with it. I really am thinking of putting it up for sale, but again, only some sad collector is likely to buy it and it still won’t get used. What a waste!

View attachment 109960

Had the exact same problem. Stuck in a shipyard in Mississippi, needing transportation in the early 90s, me and two other shipmates bought a 70s era estate/station wagon with no back glass from a local girl for 300 USD and use rotated by who was off duty each night. Then when we left Pascagoula, because we had primered the entire car...assigned it a hull number...and run a proper flagpole through the roof...we sold it to another group of sailors for 500 USD.

Oh, wait. I guess my story isn't similar, after all. Beg your pardon...

 

[Ewan]

63k but most of the last 5 years it has been stuck in a paintshop so really only 14 years of use so just under 4k per year on average, more than most SZs I would guess

Wow. I’d say that’s a lot for an SZ. Well done you for carving out sufficient time to get it out and about. I bet most SZ’s and under covers and going nowhere.

 

[montravia]

I bought mine with 27,000 miles on the clock. She's now at ~63,000 miles.

Mind she has been thoroughly maintained and attended to.

She's far better now than when I bought her, and she was previously quite well cherished

 

[keith]

To offer you an alternative opinion, I actually think that you can get more from your cars if you don't use them too often.

When I bought my Alpine, it was supposed to be my daily driver as it was comfortable and economical, but in reality it wasn't working so I bought myself a big ol' Lexus to use as the daily.

The Lexus has actually enhanced my experience with the Alpine because my memory of how good it is fades and therefore I have a big contrast between the two.

An analogy I use is that it's like having a biscuit with your tea, if you eat all the biscuit at once it isn't as good, but if you alternate between having some biscuit then some tea to refresh the pallet then when you go back to the biscuit it tastes so much better.

When I get a Stradale, I'm going to have my tea, biscuit and a scone.

Picture for the thread:

View attachment 109948

Very true!!!

 

[DLax69]

Wow. I’d say that’s a lot for an SZ. Well done you for carving out sufficient time to get it out and about. I bet most SZ’s and under covers and going nowhere.

I've enjoyed the pics of the car in action that Andy has posted...

 

[MrMickS]

Never, I buy the cars to drive not as an investment. The California is currently insured for 12k/year. I've done around 18k since I bought it 18 months ago.

 

[Felonious Crud]

This situation is frustrating the **** out of me ATM. When I first purchased my unique ex development and press duty Vanquish from the liquidators of a film company, it was in a fairly poor and unloved state, but I knew it was unique.

12 years, a few bob but literally thousands of hours of elbow grease and it’s a multiple concours winner, and took the “historically significant” award from AML at the Vanquish 20th Anniversary celebration at NP in 2021 beating one of the Bond cars used in Die Another Day. I was dumbfounded!

I’m now told it’s so historically significant and valuable and in such perfect order, that I’m frightened to take it anywhere, and it can’t beat the awards it has now won, so not even much point showing it anymore, so it sits in its Carcoon unused and wasted as I’ve done all I can with it. I really am thinking of putting it up for sale, but again, only some sad collector is likely to buy it and it still won’t get used. What a waste!

View attachment 109960

That's a real shame. Maybe at the very least sell it to somewhere where others can see it. Or build somewhere where you can see it. It might be well-preserved in a cartoon, but you don't get to enjoy even the looks of it when it's squirrelled away in there.

To the original question, I don't like putting shite miles on my car. Gimme quality miles, not some tedious journey up a motorway or stuck in traffic. Hence it gets used when it's worth using.

 

[Doctor Houx]

That's a real shame. Maybe at the very least sell it to somewhere where others can see it. Or build somewhere where you can see it. It might be well-preserved in a cartoon, but you don't get to enjoy even the looks of it when it's squirrelled away in there.

To the original question, I don't like putting shite miles on my car. Gimme quality miles, not some tedious journey up a motorway or stuck in traffic. Hence it gets used when it's worth using.

Well said!
One option I have been offered is to include it in the “Timeline” of historically significant cars at the AML HQ at Gaydon. They just have it on loan FOC for an agreed period.

I also had the same idea as you a couple of years ago to build what is basically a car conservatory in glass with bifold doors to allow it in and out in the space in the photo. I had plans drawn up inc floor lighting etc. The Mrs threw a total strop and flatly refused to have it tacked onto the property, so it’s still in the garage for now.

 

[safrane]

Not trying to be flippant but why is it significant or different to others of the type?

I'm genuinely interested in why it is special.

 

[Felonious Crud]

Well said!
One option I have been offered is to include it in the “Timeline” of historically significant cars at the AML HQ at Gaydon. They just have it on loan FOC for an agreed period.

I also had the same idea as you a couple of years ago to build what is basically a car conservatory in glass with bifold doors to allow it in and out in the space in the photo. I had plans drawn up inc floor lighting etc. The Mrs threw a total strop and flatly refused to have it tacked onto the property, so it’s still in the garage for now.
View attachment 110143

You should've married me, Frank. I think it's a splendid idea.