Wow, do I feel this. I've got pretty rust free examples of a NA Miata and three 30ish year old Saabs. I also have a 20 year old Saab wagon, and a 20 year old Silverado. Finally, there's a very nice Legacy GT sitting in deep storage, waiting for me to replace all the wheel hubs because the lugs loosen while driving after many years of the previous owner running aftermarket wheels with the wrong hub bore and poor quality hub rings. The plan has always been to keep the non-rusty classics non-rusty and in the garage for winters here in beautiful Cleveland. So those four cars are non-negotiable (two of them also don't run at present). The Legacy has been waiting for my schedule to free up for about 3 years now. That leaves the wagon and the Silverado. Typically, I drive the wheels off my Saab wagon and I preferably only use the truck when I need to do something that the car can't. Ever since I moved house at the end of last summer (for more garage space, of course), my Saab wagon has been a monumental pain to keep on the road. It was dead reliable for me for five years and 50K miles, and in the last six months it has gotten to the point that every time I put the key in it, it's got a new problem. It has been parked for a week now since it decided to quit idling on the way home from the office, and I am just annoyed with it and haven't even popped the hood. So now the only usable vehicle I have is my (t)rusty Silverado. Once the 9-5 struggled to make it home, I started doing my research to see what I could replace it with. There's no such thing as a modern wagon with a clutch pedal, so I expanded my search. I found a few things that might interest me, a GTI, an Accord coupe, etc. The problem is that all of these used cars have significantly inflated prices right now, and I don't really love any of them. I couldn't justify paying current-market price for a car that I don't love. Since none of the options available really speak to me, I probably would end up wanting to keep it until exactly when the used car market course corrects and I end up being very upside down in whatever I settle for. So after thinking about it for a day, I ordered the parts for the Subaru. I took the cover off yesterday and reminded myself how attractive I find it. I always liked but never loved that car, but at least I already own it.
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