Ive had a couple new acquisitions over the last year. Since moving a few years ago, it felt like it was time to change things up. My uses and goals had changed. I sold my old Tacoma, the GT350, the R32 GTR, and my old '78 Honda CB750 motorcycle.
First up was a truck with some towing capacity and a car trailer to be towed. I'd like to visit various race tracks in the whole southeast US and I didn't want to be going that far without some kind of safety net, or driving some tin can track car hundreds of miles back and forth. Picked up a 2017 F150 with 95k miles on it. It felt enormous when I first started driving it and I wasn't completely happy with the truck but after a few mods and tweaks I've come to really like it. Picked up the used aluminum trailer shortly after from a gentleman also doing track days with his C7 Corvette and 911 GT3.
Then it took many months to sell the Skyline. Ironically, the guy who bought it ended up living right down the road from me which is kinda crazy.
Once it did sell, I was finally able to go out and actually look for a fun car. I had something pretty specific in mind and because of my impulsive nature, I bought something pretty quick:
Scooped up this 2006 Lotus Elise using the newly acquired truck and trailer setup to drive 16 hours out to get it and then another to get back. Was far more cost effective and faster than paying $1500 to have it shipped and I got to stop by my old neighborhood and see family and friends. Why did I want this one specifically? Well, that'd be the Honda K24 w/ Civic Si 6 Spd LSD swap. Normally they come with Toyota's 1.8L 2ZZ engine (also found in the Celica GTS of the time) but that seems like it can have issues with hard use on track and would require a lot of work to get it sorted out. Meanwhile, the Honda K series engines make more power out of the box, have more potential, has lots of aftermarket support, and require less work to get track ready.
The car is very fun and visceral, which is exactly what I was looking for, and certainly a bit scary once you really start pushing it. I've never had a mid-engine car before and there are moments you can definitely feel the weight behind you, wanting to push you down a hill or over a crest per-say. The car sounds excellent from the inside and not very loud on the outside.
The original plan was to take the money from the Skyline and split it into two "cheaper" fun cars. Unfortunately, in my hastiness to buy this car, I ended up with a bit of a project. Always get your PPIs done, people! So all the money that was intended for another car has gone right back into this one to get it sorted out. Nothing major (other than cost/time) is wrong, but the car was clearly owned by people with lower standards than mine. Lots of little things wrong. The car was probably fine for taking to a coffee shop or the occasional cars and coffee but not for real, hard enthusiast use. And that's where it's at today. Season is pretty much over out here so I'm going to start tearing down the car and I've already amassed a bunch of parts. Just need to get the work done, ideally by spring time next year.
I'm also very sad to now be in the crew of people who's car is not in GT7. My friend has been frustrated and dying that the DC5 Type-R is not in the game (it was in GT5-6) and now I'm right there with him. I would love to have Lotus back in and be able to toy around with my car. Someday, hopefully 🤞
I also mentioned selling my old Honda motorcycle. It was my first motorcycle and the only one I've ever ridden (I've only been riding for like 5 years or so.) Being old and carb'd, it got to the point where I had to clean the carbs every time I wanted to ride it if I wasn't using it like every week. It was time to try something different/newer. I'm way less knowledgeable about motorcycles so I wasn't sure what I wanted. After hearing some friend's suggestions, I landed on this 2014 Triumph Street Triple 675R. I've only ridden it a couple times but it is radically different; in a way I'm not totally sold on yet. It's much less comfortable and waaaaay faster. Like, why would anyone need anything this fast. Anyway, that's a whole other situation and hopefully I will get more comfortable on the bike in time.
Still praying for a Tourist Trophy 2 🤞
(Went and posted this in my Member's Gallery as well; forgot that was a thing)
