Dream Garage San Diego–3 cars, $50k

I’ve been reading a friend’s Dream Garage series, and I’ve thought about putting my own posts up. Life has changed for me, and as I much as I like cars, I don’t want a car. In fact, I’m getting more practical and just want something simpler to drive, but for some reason, I decided to try today.

The latest post is Dream Car Seasonal Garage, and I decided to have fun with a joke. I added as a comment:

For Brent’s new summer in San Diego cottage:
When you want to go out in La Jolla: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-mercedes-benz-500sl-8/
Hitting the beach: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-jeep-grand-wagoneer-10/
In traffic, going nowhere fast, and not in a hurry: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-ford-thunderbird-2/

Brent’s talked about moving to San Diego. Since I lived there, I decided to try the 50K challenge and found a few cars that would be fun to drive. Here are the details, with a total of $51219. Slightly over, but I could make it work:

1991 Mercedes Benz 500 SL  ($13,750)

I’ve always liked the SL series, and I really wanted a 450SL at some point. I still think that’s a more classic look, but this 500SL would be hard to pass up for a seasonal garage.

It’s a nice classic car that would be at home in fancy La Jolla, as well as cruising around the freeways of SoCal. Plus, with a hardtop, it gives good insulation in the summer for AC or winter for heat. If the mood strikes, you can always go topless and enjoy the Pacific Coast Highway.

1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer ($16,519)

Being in So Cal means you’re going to hit the beach at some point. Or the mountains. Both are close, and a four wheel drive is needed.

Jeeps are neat cars, and of the four-by-fours in closed auctions, this looked the best. It’s a 3 speed, but hey, I have two other cars. In this case, I’ve got a nice Beach Boys looking car that will handle a surfboard or snowboard equally well.

1965 Ford Thunderbird ($20,750)

In high school I had a friend whose Dad had a T-Bird like this. We’d cruise around sometimes with the top down and it was a neat car. These days I don’t think I’d ever spend $20k on one, but since we’re dreaming …

This one puts me slightly over the $50k, but I could spare $2k more. Top up or down, this is the classic Calfornia car and is fun to drive. It’s an American classic that needs wide roads and plenty of turning space, but stuck on the 5 in stop and go traffic, wouldn’t this be one to enjoy?