Appreciate the feedback and responses. And, thanks for the K-car info.

In regards to why I choose to put very little miles and keep in storage -
I love my Jaguar and am borderline OCD (obsessive compulsive). My Jag has become my pride and joy and I would lose sleep if a chip or scratch were to ever happen. It's just the way I am and is part of my personality. Also, I don't really think of my Jaguar as a main form of transportation, but more a fine piece of art or machinery, or even a vintage bottle of wine that has never been uncorked. Every once in a while though, I like to take a sip. Remember that episode of Seinfeld when Jerry bought that brown suede jacket and it became his favorite - he babied it and didn't want to wear it out in the rain because he knew the rain would ruin it. It's kind of like that. I absolutely realize that this car will never be = to a rare Ferrari or be a huge collectors item. But that's O.K. It's my piece of artwork. My daily driver is a Mercedes-Benz 190E (2.6). It has over 209,000 on the clock and is build like a brick s*&t-house.

- Michael

 

Michael; Don't worry, I get it. It actually frustrates me when people fixate on the money part of it. It's not about the money, never was. I'm sure you aren't stashing it away with thoughts of big $$ at some Arizona auction.. For me there is nothing like sneaking the 600 out on a summer morning for a drive. Plus the memories that get built in it. Like the summers that I'd take my son Steve to my Dad's house with the top down, when he was only 6.. He's going to be 21 in a few months..I can still see him slumped over asleep as we drove the back roads home..
Just this past summer.. The look on Olivia's face when she realized at 12 months old that she was riding in a car with no roof..All she could do was constantly clap her hands and holler "Yaaayyyy"..And that was a trip down the road at speeds of 35/40mph to get ice cream..These are the reasons to keep and save stuff like this. For me, most of my most precious things are not priceless...More like worthless...But they hold a special place in my heart and memory. Makes the daily grind more bearable..LOL..

So, save it, baby it, and store the memories each time you savor it...

And if you wish to share...Post your memories for those that appreciate it...

 

Im not fixated on the money aspect of it, I just dont get it. I am also OCD when it comes to my car i.e. scratches, dings, rock chips etc. However, those can be FIXED. Furthermore those can be fixed cheaper and lot easier than the items that will need to be replaced by the vehicle eating itself to death from the inside because it only goes 100 miles a year.

I also understand the Disney World analogy, I dont drive it everyday, just bought a Lexus RX for that.....but the few days a wekk I do drive it, I get the SAME excitement and feeling you are speaking off. All it takes is a few days, not months, of driving a different vehicle and that feeling comes back when you get in the S.

You love your car, we love our cars, drive her, make her and yourself happy ;-), thats all I'm saying. By the time you "uncork" it, who knows what will be wrong with it and how outdated she will be. Do me a favor this weekend, pop the top, and have a party.

 

JOsworth,

I thinked you summed it up perfectly. Also, love the ice cream story with Olivia - that will be a memory that I'm sure you'll never forget for the rest of your life.

When I was growing up, my father had a 66' Dark Purple Mustang. We used to call it the "Rustang" because the floor boards over time rusted out in small areas where you could kind of see the road (I grew up in Maryland where we saw a lot of road salt in the winter). I remember him putting plywood on the floor to cover the holes. In the mid 80's he sold the car to a friend who restored it to excellent condition. I think that my father still regrets not having kept it in a garage and taken better care of it - I think that it still ways heavy on his heart, as it was his pride and joy at the time. The funny thing is that to us kids those are the great memories that we have growing up.

- Michael.

 

Oh yea! That's why I shared that. There are a ton more. Another great moment, believe it or not, was when just Aidan (6) and I cruised it to get the historic plates for it. Thanks for sharing the Mustang story. It also drives the point.. Even at 45, there are some cars that I let go and didn't save that I regret now.

Not sure what one of us "savers" your referring to...Michael can't really pop the top on a S. And for me, well it was "outdated" more than a decade ago! With all the crap out on the roads there is no way I'm going to "pop the top and have a party". Remember a big "No, No" is to just start it... Honestly, I fully expect certain things to go bad from lack of use. But so far, this thing has surprised the "poo" out of me. The only thing that went wrong from no use was the brakes. I ended up having to get the front calipers and rear drums rebuilt because it sat so much. I sill have the receipt for it since I had a shop do it. It was June of 2005. The problem...It still had the original brakes from the day it was new.. The guy at the shop was cracking up because he never did a twenty year brake job.. I laughed too, and told him that I would see him again in 2025... Other than that, it starts and goes between hibernation periods just fine. And believe me, I know it is not the most well engineered thing out there...Hmmm, maybe it is?? I just leave it be and it costs me next to nothing yearly to have it... I pay more annually for the internet access I need to type this! LOL

I also see your point.... If it is car that you don't plan to keep for an extended period, why let it sit? And to me 10 years is not an extended period...And I do drive the 600..It is just real selective where it goes..And lately it's been a lot less than I want..Just not enough time...