Many of us have them. They come, they go, they come again. Like a person with some kind of memory disorder, or some Ad for classic recidivism, we have to have them, and then we let them go, then we seek them out again. What are we talking about? The classic cars and motorcycles that keep turning up in the garage/shed/backyard. They are the specific make and model that for some reason, you have owned on multiple occasions. We are not talking about the hoarding of multiple examples of one model, as people who do that are at least clear and focused. No, we are talking here about the acquiring, de- acquiring, and re-acquiring of the same make/model over time. Repeat offenders. Guilty your honor, but there are extenuating circumstances :

Van Gogh knew about this…

A) You had one back in the late Cretaceous period, and you have a romanticized memory of that experience. You simply have to get another. Again.

B) You have a love/hate relationship. You love them, and you must have one. However, the ownership experience causes you to hate them, which causes you to sell them, which causes you to miss them, and absence makes the heart grow fonder, which causes you to love them again.

C) Each time you own a slightly better example, and you are working your way up to one that actually runs.

D) People hear that you love them, and just keep bringing them to you. Similar to the old lady with the 147 cats.

E) You had sworn off the darn things, but then a “deal” popped up.

F) You have enough rusty spare parts in the shed to practically build one, so you might as well get the rusty chassis on craigslist to complete the package.

G) You have come to realize that they really are perfect for you, and you have no idea why you ever got rid of the last one. This is yet another version of memory disorder.

H) This one is in bad shape, so I’m building a vintage race machine.

I) You have an emotional reaction to the discovery of the old Haynes/Chilton manual on the bottom of your bookshelf. It’s cheaper to get another one than to pay the therapist.

J) You made a deal to buy it back if the new owner ever decided to sell. After you kidnapped his family and threatened to bludgeon him with a lug tool, he decided it was for sale.

K) You finally have enough money in the cookie jar to get back what you sold back when the child/job/house/divorce/tax/marriage/orthodontist/lawsuit thing happened.

L) They just speak to me.  Sometimes I don’t like what they are saying. Now and then we have arguments and even verbal altercations. I wish they would shut the &$!?@# up ! Right now we are not on speaking terms……

12 Replies to “Repeat Offenders”

  1. Dear Wayne:

    Times being what they are, I just sold something from one og my collections for $3k. The guy I sold it too was laughing his ass off. "Why," I asked. I got a good buck for this?" His reply, "You'll give me $6K for this in two years." And he's absolutly right.

    Great piece…
    Fondest regards,
    Jack/reep
    Twisted Roads

  2. I loved the comments regarding the cyclical acquiring of the same car. For me that would be the 914. Sure enough, this one HD to be better than the last one….(at least in the engine department).

  3. Dear Nitro,

    It is certainly true that older machines have a quality that is unique and very appealing to some of us. Cheers

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