New toy - Car, boat, or ???

New toy $25k or less

  • Car

    Votes: 4 11.1%
  • Boat

    Votes: 6 16.7%
  • Hookers & blow

    Votes: 19 52.8%
  • Other - write in comments

    Votes: 7 19.4%

  • Total voters
    36
What’s your capacity to invest time…not just money…into this new toy/hobby?

For me, it’s always cars/trucks/guns…rinse and repeat. Used to race motorcycles too, but those days are past, and there’s no way I’d ride a street bike around here.

Sounds like you enjoy sports cars, so I’d buy a used Porsche Cayman or Boxster and get into auto crossing. It’s a great way to learn car handling with very low risk. Or maybe a Miata and get into spec Miata racing…that’s a hoot!
a used porsche is NOT low risk
 
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a used porsche is NOT low risk
Oh, I know….

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The most expensive Porsche is a cheap one!
 
I'm thinking I want a new toy, something to play with during non-winter months. Purchase budget is $25k. Whatever the toy is, it should be an "outdoor" toy. I have/had motorcycles and it was like a default for "I don't want to be inside, what can I do outside?" However, I now need to replace motorcycles with something else.

For several years I've been saying "boat", as in a deep-V fishing boat, 17' to 20'. I used to kayak fish rather aggressively, probably 30 hours a week during the pandemic, so I do enjoy being on the water, and of course, fishing. Due to life happening, I'm not really able to kayak fish any longer, and subsequently haven't been fishing (shore fishing is lame). I'm looking at used Lund, Alumacraft, Crestliner and have several good options.

I've always liked cars, and have had a couple "fun" cars along the way; Porsche 944, MkV GTi with some light mods. But now only drive a soccer-mom grocery hauler. A couple of my friends are into cars, one is buying an M3 Competition and another has been poking me for years to buy a fun car. I found a 1993 Porsche 968 Club Sport for sale which would be cool, or I've thought about a BMW Z M-roadster and supercharging it. Or something along those lines, there's worlds of options.

I trust the Bear Pit for positive life advice and out of the box thinking, so whatcha got bear pit? Car, boat, or something I haven't thought of?

Went with a friend so he could buy a lightly used low miles Tacoma at a big dealership yesterday.
He bought it , but all the hassles , paperwork, him getting ear fucked by the finance manager trying to sell him extended warranties , made for a long and stressful day.
I’d rather get kicked in the kidneys than go through the process of dealing with car salesmen. Put them with insurance and real estate salesmen in the abrasive , lying POS category. 👎
 
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He said 25k, he can’t even get the rolling chassis for that
If have seen a few used ones, recently for around the 25k mark, but yeah it takes a lot more more to build one from the ground up. I built this one 7 years ago now, and if I did it the exact same again, it would easily cost 15-20k more to build.
 
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Based on your screen name. you can send your old duc to me if it's note getting used. It can sit in my shed with my 916.

I'm off the roads on bikes too. Too much to deal with and not close enough to empty roads.

As for boats, I'd be looking for one with a mast and a lot of laundry, but those are just money pits. I did the seadoo thing for a while. You really need 2 of them and people to get out on the water with. Just one is kind of boring.
If I were to get a boat now, I'd probably get a pontoon boat. I always made fun of them when I was younger, but now that I'm much older, I can completely see the practicality of them.

Find out where you can escape. Some places the water is just as crowded as the streets. If that's not the case near you, then go for it.

Otherwise, get off road. Get a Jeep, side by side, dirt bikes, something. More and more , I want to disconnect and get far away from idiots.
 
Spend it on memories, not objects.

My toy car has provided some amazing memories.

My oldest son, my mother, and I left at 0400 to drive to Texas to get it. That was a long day, but a fun trip.

A couple of months ago, my oldest got to go with me for several hot laps, on a racetrack.

It’s not free, but it does offer a lot.
 
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If you do buy a boat, your usage will go way up if you keep it floating all season.
When I had to drive 180 minutes to get the to lake with a marina we were on the boat 2+ times a month.
When I only drove 45 minutes but had to trailer and launch every time it was only a few times per season (and tipping up the mast made the close trip have less floating time than the far trip to the boat a marina.

Spend less on the boat and more on it's use.
 
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If you do buy a boat, your usage will go way up if you keep it floating all season.
When I had to drive 180 minutes to get the to lake with a marina we were on the boat 2+ times a month.
When I only drove 45 minutes but had to trailer and launch every time it was only a few times per season (and tipping up the mast made the close trip have less floating time than the far trip to the boat a marina.

Spend less on the boat and more on it's use.

If you need to use a boat ramp they suck. If you want to have a very enjoyable time people watching. Take a cooler and a grill and hang out by the local public ramp. So much fun.
 
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No matter what it is the fun/excitement will soon disappear, usually within a couple of months. I always try to make sure when I look for something like this, it has purpose. Like something I use every single day. New car, motorcycle, new phone, new weights, new couch, new TV/sound system, new bed, new razor, shoes, boots, new carpet, new tires, etc. Or something that improves your everyday life.....eye correction surgery, laser hair removal in some place(s), fix a damaged tooth, carpal tunnel surgery, moles removed, or whatever body issue you have or wish you didn't have. Things like boats, ATVs, RC hobbies, UTVs, dirtbikes, guns, knives, planes, etc. sit more than they get used.

I'm not a vacation or travel person, so that shit means nothing to me. However, adventures and trips last a lifetime. Even though the duration is short, the memories are forever. If you have never been to Canada fishing, shooting courses, rafting, outback adventure, or big animal hunting, I would make sure you do that before you die! I'm sure there are so many things to see, but a lot of that doesn't make shit difference to me.
 
What’s your capacity to invest time…not just money…into this new toy/hobby?

For me, it’s always cars/trucks/guns…rinse and repeat. Used to race motorcycles too, but those days are past, and there’s no way I’d ride a street bike around here.

Sounds like you enjoy sports cars, so I’d buy a used Porsche Cayman or Boxster and get into auto crossing. It’s a great way to learn car handling with very low risk. Or maybe a Miata and get into spec Miata racing…that’s a hoot!
I'd say it's pretty good. I'm gone for work about 60 hours a week (I know, slacker...) but other than that, I do not have any commitments. So I think this could be a one or two day per weekday, plus weekends thing.

I've thought off-and-on about auto-cross and track days; growing up my friend's parents were really active in Porsche Club of America and they took us often to the track.

I'd say I'm into motorsports, I'm not sure to what degree. I like cars, like motorcyes, like driving, but I'm not sure if I like it to the point of buying 3 piece BBS rims, $1500 clutches and $10k supercharger kits. Be fun to go for a spirited cruise through the windy country roads on a nice Saturday or Sunday. My grocery-hauler is not so inspiring to drive ;)

Now that I say that, I wonder if there are Karting tracks near me.
 
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I'd say it's pretty good. I'm gone for work about 60 hours a week (I know, slacker...) but other than that, I do not have any commitments. So I think this could be a one or two day per weekday, plus weekends thing.

I've thought off-and-on about auto-cross and track days; growing up my friend's parents were really active in Porsche Club of America and they took us often to the track.

I'd say I'm into motorsports, I'm not sure to what degree. I like cars, like motorcyes, like driving, but I'm not sure if I like it to the point of buying 3 piece BBS rims, $1500 clutches and $10k supercharger kits. Be fun to go for a spirited cruise through the windy country roads on a nice Saturday or Sunday. My grocery-hauler is not so inspiring to drive ;)

Now that I say that, I wonder if there are Karting tracks near me.
For road courses you don’t need big power just a nimble/lightweight car to have fun. A cayman would be perfect.
 
I went away from motorcycles after wrecking at a track day and seeing the medical bills.

About 6 years ago my health started declining so I got out my old MTB to exercise some but living at 7000 ft elevation in an area with cindery soil and it had become a bit too hard but after a few months of trying I got discouraged. Then I discovered EMTB, specifically the Class 1 EMTB.
I'm in pretty decent shape now and much healthier!
It's a lot of fun and challenging as well.
I don't get so worn out and it's easy on the joints.
Have wrecked a half dozen times but not bad, mostly because I'm not going fast enough, though I am a more aggressive rider than most guys my age. I ride with some old guys who have EMTB's that are in their 50's to almost 80 and it's like being young again - kinda.

Also

There are some pretty awesome pcp airguns nowadays. I shoot on my 4 acres a lot and the neighbors don't mind because some of these guns are almost silent.
I have a network of friends that shoot airguns, and clubs that have different types of matches I shoot these in. It's cool that I'm still competitive in these shooting sports even though I've aged out of some of the firearms sports.
My wood stocked custom Thomas HPX will outshoot my expensive 22rf at 50Y. Just yesterday I got back from staying at the guys place that builds these Thomas's. It was neat hanging out with some of the best AG BR shooters in the world and also got my gun rebuilt and tuned.
Here's some pics.
The 2nd one is a Skout EVO that I bought this spring.
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I'll put a airgun or two in the truck then take this down to Phoenix and back which makes the 6 hour round trip a lot more fun than when I used to take my old beater.
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I went away from motorcycles after wrecking at a track day and seeing the medical bills.

About 6 years ago my health started declining so I got out my old MTB to exercise some but living at 7000 ft elevation in an area with cindery soil and it had become a bit too hard but after a few months of trying I got discouraged. Then I discovered EMTB, specifically the Class 1 EMTB.
I'm in pretty decent shape now and much healthier!
It's a lot of fun and challenging as well.
I don't get so worn out and it's easy on the joints.
Have wrecked a half dozen times but not bad, mostly because I'm not going fast enough, though I am a more aggressive rider than most guys my age. I ride with some old guys who have EMTB's that are in their 50's to almost 80 and it's like being young again - kinda.

Also

There are some pretty awesome pcp airguns nowadays. I shoot on my 4 acres a lot and the neighbors don't mind because some of these guns are almost silent.
I have a network of friends that shoot airguns, and clubs that have different types of matches I shoot these in. It's cool that I'm still competitive in these shooting sports even though I've aged out of some of the firearms sports.
My wood stocked custom Thomas HPX will outshoot my expensive 22rf at 50Y. Just yesterday I got back from staying at the guys place that builds these Thomas's. It was neat hanging out with some of the best AG BR shooters in the world and also got my gun rebuilt and tuned.
Here's some pics.
The 2nd one is a Skout EVO that I bought this spring.View attachment 8687932View attachment 8687933I'll put a airgun or two in the truck then take this down to Phoenix and back which makes the 6 hour round trip a lot more fun than when I used to take my old beater.View attachment 8687935
My buddy left a gas station and woke up to someone laying his leg next to him in a ditch by a road sign, first thing he did was make his new bike one leg friendly and went for a ride.

Well, first thing after getting out of the hospital. I feel I shouldn’t have to explain this but someone needs clarification.
 
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Or a road bike and go act like you own the road on major highways with 50-60mph speed limits and blind curves…even though there’s a clean lane wide shoulder maintained for your use
These types out on 30A have a conniption fit if you pass them as they pedal 15mph in a 35mph.... while there is an 8ft wide walk/bike path the entire way. Yet they insist on being in the car lane.
 
Take it from a person who has a boat, and I live on it quite a bit through the summer (literally and littorally), it is a lifestyle in itself. But my suggestion to you would be to go the less expensive route, and :

Build your own single-seat helicopter. That way you can save money and do all the maintenance on your own, for yourself. See, saves you money and look at the fun you'll have.
 
“It’s” is referring to the car, not the memories.

Yeah, since you specifically mentioned "not free" I thought you were playing off the "spend it on memories" suggestion.

Didn't really translate well. I probably should have quoted both posts.

The only place that comes to mind for buying memories is Rekall Inc. but I know a guy who wouldn't recommend it.

Spend it on memories, not objects.
 
Truth.

If you're not set on getting anywhere fast or pulling a tube with a half dozen people on it the best you can do new for <$25k is a small-ish bass or pontoon boat. With a pontoon boat you can fish, float, get some big magnets and metal detectors to look for treasure or maybe hang a hibachi off the side so we can learn your name in the papers later when they report the fire.

A jetski or two might be an option, trailering two of them is easy. With the right accessories they work for fishing, I've run across people snapper fishing on one as far as ~25 miles offshore on a smooth day.

iu


FTLOG ... DO NOT get a fucking bicycle.

For a thousand or two (or three) you can pick up some SCUBA gear and use the rest to fund trips. Maybe double down and get both the SCUBA gear and the jetskis.
hell of a RS catch.
 
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Why not support the educational goals of that hot bimbo at the local strip club? Maybe get her a new Dodge Charger so she has dependable transportation to/from school. Help her find a nice apartment closer to your house so you can make sure she has everything she needs like comfortable furniture, boob job, whips and chains.
 
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Why not support the educational goals of that hot bimbo at the local strip club? Maybe get her a new Dodge Charger so she has dependable transportation to/from school. Help her find a nice apartment closer to your house so you can make sure she has everything she needs like comfortable furniture, boob job, whips and chains.
I dated a "reformed" stripper once. She was an Occupational Therapist when I met her. She was also a fucking psycho. Latina former stripper that's into Thai boxing and MMA. Soooo I'll probably have to pass on this particular suggestion but I like the out of the box thinking.
 
First response nailed it. Buy assets.

Sold my ZL1 back in 21 when used cars were going for crazy money. Put it all in the market. Even with all the tariff shit going down and the market taking a shit, best decision I have ever made.
 
If you are pissing money away:
Boat, like throwing money into a hole in the water. But God damn they are fun.

Car, fun but limited in carrying capacity if you get my drift and if you buy the right one you might break even.

Hookers and Blow, whammm bammmm thank you mammmmmm. And it is over.

Buy something not so fucking expensive as above that will improve your balance sheet. Not sexy not fun today. but makes you better in the long run.