I've had both a trailer and a 35' diesel pusher with two slides.  Bottom line, there is no perfect solution.  The trailer was fun with the kids and was sort of a playhouse for the kids when not in use.  After the kids were out of the house I had a 10 week sabbatical coming and wanted to do a big trip in an RV.  Did the math on buying versus renting and the buying actually worked out better, but only if I sold it when I returned, which of course I didn't.  It was a great trip as we hit Yellowstone, Tetons, Grand Canyon, Arches, Bryce Canyon, etc.  Did about 5K miles and towed our 2004 (1 year old at the time) Mini  Cooper S.  Did a few trips up the CA coast into Oregon and Washington and had a lot of fun.  But, was working a lot and it sat a lot, and even with a cover, it's a lot of wear a tear on a $100K+ asset.  Also, you can't back up when towing 4 down, so you really have to plan every move ahead, especially parking lots and gas stations, and bypass places you'd like to stop at if no RV pull though slots are available.  My current thinking is, first, you should be retired so you can you use it anytime you want.  Second, you need your house set-up so you can leave it for weeks at a time without issue, and probably have a yard service.  Third, storage on site in an enclosed garage is ideal, or at least a covered structure, as you would be shocked at the cost of storage, even just parked in an asphalt lot.  Pet's can also be a PITA if you can't, or don't want to, take them with you.  As Rob said, you really need to decide if your an RV person or not, and renting an RV or trailer, several times, is the way to find out.  Oh yeah, and as for some of the small Sprinter type RV's I've looked at, if it doesn't have an enclosed bathroom, I don't want it.  Do you really want to sh#t in you living room?  Also, if you can't get a good nights sleep in it, like I can't on a foam mattress, why bother? ... View more

Just one comment in regards to soft lines.  Since most here have collector cars, soft lines can look fine on the outside and not have any leaks.  However, it's not uncommon for the inside of the line  to swell and restrict fluid flow causing brake drag.  If they haven't been changed in 10 or 20 or 30 years, it's a good idea.  Also, flushing brakes every couple of years is a good idea to avoid moisture related problems. ... View more

An option would be to off the clown shoe and go for an M Roadster.  I special order a 2000 BMW M Roadster, Estoril Blue with an all black interior (not a fan of the two tone).  It was the last year of the black background gauges and with the chrome trim on the gauges it had the British look.  Ran it a lot with AC blasting or heater in the fall.  Love that car but the wife didn't so it was mainly a commuter and fun blasts to the store. ... View more

Lot's of good advise here.  A few comments I would make are: 1.  Focus on a limited scope of vehicles.  As other have mentioned, each make, model and year have their pro's and con's.  If you see a car, fall in love with it and buy it, without knowing a lot about it, you may fall out of love with it due to cost to maintain, availability of parts and repair specialists in your area if you need them. 2.  Research.  Related to number 1, is that you need to do detailed research on vehicles your are interested in buying, therefore, you need to keep scope of how many different types of cars within a reasonable limit.  Internet, car clubs, books, buyers guides, etc. are great ways to collect information.  Joining a club for a specific mark before getting a car is a great idea.  Know what your skills are, and the skills your are interested in learning/growing, then find out what services are available in your area for he car your are interested in.  Lot's of the old experts are retiring and closing shops, so support can be limited.  Also research parts availability.  I'm restoring an MGB currently.  The good news is that your can practically build a new car from a catalog, including body shell, and the costs are reasonable.  The bad news is a lot of the reproduction parts either don't fit well or are of poor quality.  Anyway, research so you know what you are getting into. 3.  Select the car that meets your needs.  The advice to buy the best car you can is a good one.  That running driving car that would be worth $15K if #2 condition, that you can buy for $8K in #3 or 4 condition could be a horrible deal.  Just paint and interior could cost $15K, even if you do most of the work.  However, if like me, you want to learn to do all the work, and don't mind being upside down in the car, and buy the car cheap enough, go for it.  Before retiring I would buy cars, do the mechanical's,  drive them a bit then flip them, not having the time or money to do a full restoring.  I finally built a shop, put in a hoist and am doing a full restoration on an MGB GT with no rust.  Still, by the time it's done I will probably have $20K in it, not counting the welder and other tools I have purchased, but I am doing it for fun and the experience.  This is what I mean about a car that meets your needs.  I could have bought done for $15K, but wanted a car to restore. 4.  Be realistic.  You most likely will not make any money on the car, and will likely lose money.  As other have mentioned, shows like wheeler dealers are unrealistic.  By the time you pay Ed or Ant a reasonable wage, pay the overhead for the shop, tools etc, that 2-3K$ the "profit" from the car is a joke.  If you want a car to take a cruise in, take to shows, join a club, polish and maintain, buy that.  If you want a car to restore and tinker, buy that.  It's a hobby and hobbies cost money, so buy and do what brings you joy. ... View more

I have had this affliction all my life.  I do find that now that I am old, and deaf in my right ear, that all my cars seem to run better and don't have rattles anymore. ... View more

Another thing to watch for is the brake lines when wrapping the axle.  I've seen a lot of flattened hard brake lines on the front side of the axle, especially from tow truck drivers using hard hooks on the axle.  The other thing to watch for is tire age, especially if you are borrowing the trailer. ... View more

The images brought back memories for me.  My first car was a 67 Firebird Sprint (not sure if the first image is a sprint or not).  The Sprints were unique and had a 230 cu in 230 HP overhead cam 6 cylinder with a 4 bbl Quadrajet and a Saginaw 4-speed.  My second car was 67 Mustang as shown in the next to last image.  When I got married in '77 I still had the mustang and my wife had a 67 Mustang GTA fast back,  The good old days.   ... View more