Are you a car guy?

[ExtraSlow]

Straight up, do you consider yourself a car person?

I do minor mechanical work, I've owned about 20 vehicles over the years, but I don't think I'm much of a car guy. Mostly I like boring cars, and I rarely modify my vehicle away from stock configuration.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Very much so. I work in the industry, work on my own cars, work on friends cars, go to car shows, read car magazines, race cars, race karts, keep up with news. Most of my life is consumed by it.

[Tik-Tok]

I used to be, but my interest has really dwindled off to almost zero the past few years. I used to love having a summer fast/fun/hobby car (of all types), loved working on them, read auto news daily, etc. Now fiduciary responsibility has really taken ahold of me, and after turning wrenches all week at work, I really hate doing it at home.

[BavarianBeast]

Hell yeah. I plan to have a 20+ car collection by the time I hit 40.

[SKR]

Yeah I'd say I am. I don't twist my own wrenches, but I don't think you have to to be a car person. I think it's enough just to have an interest beyond the practical point A to point B stuff.

[killramos]

I don’t think you need to be interest in stickers, fart cans, and towel racks to be a car guy

[Kloubek]

Sure I am. I've owned about 50 cars over the years (bought and sold many of them for profit), and tend to own at least two at a time. I do most of my own mechanical work, and am vastly more knowledgeable than most of my friends about troubleshooting and vehicle values, etc. More than anything though, a nice car simply "moves" me... which is not something I can say about almost anything else I experience in life.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

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More than anything though, a nice car simply "moves" me... which is not something I can say about almost anything else I experience in life.

Holy shit yes. I’ve had cars or experiences in cars, my own and others that are emotional.

[ExtraSlow]

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More than anything though, a nice car simply "moves" me... which is not something I can say about almost anything else I experience in life.

good description, and I think this is probably the main differentiating factor. I'm very interested in vehicles on an intellectual level, but don't have that emotional connection.

[civicHB]

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Sure I am. I've owned about 50 cars over the years (bought and sold many of them for profit), and tend to own at least two at a time. I do most of my own mechanical work, and am vastly more knowledgeable than most of my friends about troubleshooting and vehicle values, etc. More than anything though, a nice car simply "moves" me... which is not something I can say about almost anything else I experience in life.

What is the current sweet spot for car values/prices that would be easy to sell? I use to buy a car hold it for a few months then sell for slight gain or break even, but have not done so lately.
It also seems that used car prices are much higher than they were 5 years ago. Would buying a used car of Kijiji for 20-25k and then trying to sell it in a year or so for similar still be possible? thanks.

[revelations]

Im such a car dork that I think of improvements to my vehicles all the time (and then implement them myself) - and my wife, with her minivan is like "why cant it be ok if it works fine as is" ..... good thing shes understanding

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

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What is the current sweet spot for car values/prices that would be easy to sell? I use to buy a car hold it for a few months then sell for slight gain or break even, but have not done so lately.
It also seems that used car prices are much higher than they were 5 years ago. Would buying a used car of Kijiji for 20-25k and then trying to sell it in a year or so for similar still be possible? thanks.

Totally dependant on the types of vehicles and the deal you get. My best purchases financially have been Tacoma, Miatas and S2000 in that order so far, but I’m willing to bet my Z06 won’t depreciate too much either any time soon.

[gretz]

I sold all of my cars / trucks /toys to be able to start my shop... To make it possible to machine custom parts for other people's toys. The ultimate sacrifice, I don't have toys so others can have cooler toys lol

That said, I still wrench on cars any chance I get, even if its just to help / lend a hand / prevent people from stealership woes

[ExtraSlow]

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What is the current sweet spot for car values/prices that would be easy to sell? I use to buy a car hold it for a few months then sell for slight gain or break even, but have not done so lately.
It also seems that used car prices are much higher than they were 5 years ago. Would buying a used car of Kijiji for 20-25k and then trying to sell it in a year or so for similar still be possible? thanks.

A knowledgeable person could do okay with used pickups in the 20-30k range.

[Kloubek]

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What is the current sweet spot for car values/prices that would be easy to sell? I use to buy a car hold it for a few months then sell for slight gain or break even, but have not done so lately.
It also seems that used car prices are much higher than they were 5 years ago. Would buying a used car of Kijiji for 20-25k and then trying to sell it in a year or so for similar still be possible? thanks.

I actually don't buy and sell a lot anymore. Seems like the market is very slow these days. My best suggestion if you are going to try doing this is to get an aged vehicle so if you do have to hold onto it you aren't losing a lot of value, as well as getting a vehicle that is in high demand. By that, I mean a vehicle that appeals to a broader market. And be prepared for ridiculous Kijiji offers of some half of what you're asking. Those kinds of offers are rampant these days. If you are looking newer anyway, consider out of province. While you do have to get the inspection and travel, broadening your selection can be useful for getting the best deal. I grabbed a couple from the USA when our dollar was favourable. Didn't make much money on either, but got to drive these nice vehicles for a year and a half and two years and still made a little money in the end.

When I was buying and selling I usually bought sporty cars so I could have fun with them while I had them on the market. That works, but just be prepared that these vehicles are sometimes rather niche and don't sell as fast. Also challenging to move in the colder months.

I agree with ExtraSlow - a pickup is a good bet since it is not seasonal-dependent, and there is always a market here for them. You may want to consider the auction, as the city sells off their inventory constantly.

Last thing I would suggest is to get a vehicle that you can add value to. If you can do mechanics, get something that needs a bit of work. If you can do body work, don't avoid the ones with a bit of rust and use it as a dickering tool. Some of the best money is to be made by a vehicle that has reduced value for whatever reason and fixing it up. I bought a Jeep TJ a couple of years ago for $2000 because it wasn't running right. Figured out the computer was fried so I replaced it, added a lift, etc. I was all-in for about 4g, sold it for 9g. Bought a Honda Odyssey around the same time for 6, fixed up the rear bumper and got a discount body shop to do the front bumper. Was all in for 7500 and sold it for 11,500.

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good description, and I think this is probably the main differentiating factor. I'm very interested in vehicles on an intellectual level, but don't have that emotional connection.

My wife and family don't get it. My mother thinks I haven't grown up because I get these high horsepower vehicles and am always looking to customize/mod them still at over 40. They don't understand the emotional connection to vehicles and to them, vehicles are a point A to point B proposition. To me, it's something special. It's my hobby, and being able to do my own mechanical work gives me good sweat equity value as well.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

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A knowledgeable person could do okay with used pickups in the 20-30k range.

Wholesale to the US is where it’s at right now.

[Thaco]

i think people have different definitions of this, some people think a car guy is someone who likes high end, flashy, expensive cars, and knows everything about them, but pays someone else to work on their stuff, where as others think being a car guy is being able to do all your own work, knowing the mechanical end inside and out, and taking pride in your work... i am the latter...

[Tik-Tok]

I think it's both personally. As long as you have an active interest in anything to do with cars, you're a car guy.

[Thaco]

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I think it's both personally. As long as you have an active interest in anything to do with cars, you're a car guy.

i agree, it can be both, but that's kind of the problem, a lot of the time based on the discussion it needs to be defined, and having them both defined with the same term, can really get confusing.

[shakalaka]

More than I wish I was.