Project "X"

I’m not usually the type of person that likes to prematurely announce things before they’re even in my possession, but I will in this case due to opposing circumstances. For the past 2 months, I’ve invested much time and energy dutifully searching for a specific car. Now I’ve come to an acceptance of a very stark reality – finding said car may not actually be a possibility. This isn’t saying I’m giving up, but rather I’ve come to terms with the balance of Chance.

Why am I even looking for this car? I indeed remember shunning cars in favor of motorcycles, but as time went by, I started to reassess. Sure, there are not many options in this Earthly existence that offer the same level of thrill that motorcycles do, but given how little I rode them on the street, it’s evident their place for me is purely at the track. Call me lazy, but I found it too inconvenient to have to gear up for every ride. Which is how I find it hard to understand why certain people lionize their “year-round” motorcycle riding. So you have the audacity to bear cold weather compounded by wind and rain, I’m assuming this garners universal admiration? For me, I lack that spirit, but I think mentality is a better word. If I have to go to run errands, I would much rather just jump in a car and go. I’m shielded from the elements and I can listen to the radio…

I drive a Toyota Prius on an almost a daily basis, so you can see where I’m going with this. I’m not hating on the Prius because it is in fact super useful, and only a fool would complain about a 50 MPG average. But eventually you just gotta have something funner, something raw… Same idea applies to any day-to-day type of car, stereotypical Prius or not.

Since I can’t go to the track everyday to ride, I need an alternative for the vast expanse of days in between. In other words, the car I’m looking for will be in interest of maintaining my sanity. I also grew up being into cars, so I can’t abandon my roots, as one would say.

With all that, the question looms… what is this car I’m looking for exactly? Following my reasoning behind the sale of the RX-7 and Ducati, it won’t be too expensive. Plain and simple, you can’t make full use of something when it costs a ton of money. Plus, I’m not about the whole “image” a car brings you. Buying a fancy new Mercedes to display your status is totally meaningless, in my opinion. You are not what you buy. I admire the ideal of  being “built, not bought,” and am looking forward to wrench-turning.

There may be a seemingly endless amount of cars out there, but when it comes down to it, there are very few I’d actually want to own. To be more specific, I’m looking for a car that is rear wheel drive, sporty, reliable, light weight, easy to maintain, and has widely available parts. Sounds like another mass-produced Japanese car from the 90’s to me. Then the choice becomes filtered down further with personal tastes and inclinations. I’ve taken delicate consideration with this choice, however. Unlike the RX-7, for example, where I thought it was awesome because it was rare and aesthetically appealing, etc… only to realize the engine was like a time-bomb.

So why is this car so hard to find, when on paper it should be easy? To my dismay, everything I find is either bastardized with a retarded body kit by an inconsiderate teenager, or on the verge of imploding from extreme neglect. I am also picky. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s the absolute necessity to buy what you are looking for.

Can’t do much, other than keep searching… figured I’d at least make a post about it rather than keep it implicit – potentially indefinitely. Now I can bring in new content on a few of the parts I’ve been… collecting. It will be a grand day when this car comes to full fruition, if such a fate is not destined, then it will be a grand lesson in humility.