GR86 Drive for therapeutic purposes

[RumbleandSway]

Probably a bit harsh on Audi owners (although it was me that said it in the first place I know). There's some decent Audi owners out there, and I've met both of them.

I drive a fast Audi - but I’m not an “Audi owner” I like to confuse other road users by being thoughtful and considerate; give way, let them out of side roads, leave space, use my indicators, obey the speed limits etc.

weird…

 

[Sonic]

I drive a fast Audi ... use my indicators

I thought indicators were a dealer option like, so it seems, they are in BMWs?

 

[Hachi-roku]

From my recent experience Dacia, Kia & Tesla owners are vying for the title of brand with the biggest contingent of knobheads on the road.

BMW & Audi seem to have been pushed down the ranking a fair bit and are not the guaranteed cyclical annual champions they once were.

 

[KobayashiMaru86]

It will always be Peugeots that are the worst drivers and have no awareness whatsoever. Got to a roundabout today, one in front and he stopped so suddenly I almost suspected a crash for cash attempt. He then rolls into the roundabout, one had out the window, despite people still going round at 30+! Then the next roundabout proceeded to make his own line from left to eventually turn right.

 

[911sse]

That was a good honest post @Jayware33. It can be hard to put these things out there. The younger of my two stepsons has always been somewhat of a victim to the 'Black Dog', often made worse by so called friends telling him that everything was okay and he should just pull himself together. Since moving away from Dunfermline to New Zealand he has become a lot stronger, especially now his 'friends' aren't around.
There will always be head/heart moments with vehicle ownership. When I couldn't afford to run a car I'd bought on a whim, I'd SORN it, park it on the driveway and just enjoy my time fettling and cleaning it. At least with a car you can drive it in all weathers - my motorcycles used to get a few rides in the Summer and that would be it!
I'm waiting on my GR86 too and have been without a car since July having sold my KonaN in preparation. Getting a bus up to town is a right PITA and I've realised how shite our Public Transport is compared to other cities! Apart from a trip to Asda, I barely get further than the end of my drive nowadays, so the wife has demanded that I try out the 'Dunfermline Men's Shed' on a Wednesday because she say's I'm becoming a grumpy hermit and i need to do something before I spiral downwards. I'll give it a go, £2 for some tea and biscuits won't hurt I suppose, who knows, I might even learn some woodwork skills too!
I look forward to seeing that lovely blue GR86 of yours on our roads - we might even get a Scottish GR meet going one day ... As long as it's dry ... and warm ... and Sunny - that'll be one day in 2026 then?

Blimey Leo, there'd be hell to pay from SWMBO if I ever did find that someone!

Totally up for an Ecosse GR86 get together, anytime...

 

[Jianlun]

I’ve struggled with depression most of my life, I’ve had some real lows recently.

I recently sold my car (an old Z4, but fun) and felt like there has been a void in my life since. I’ve looked at getting into a GR86 (have my deposit down on a Saphire Blue and waiting on delivery). I feel very conflicted with cars and spending money; when I’ve had my worst days, nothing lifts my mood like getting out in the car and having a long drive myself with some music. I come back and feel rejuvenated, the cloud has lifted, at least for a while. But in that moment, it’s been the tonic I needed when nothing else would work.

But then the flip side is this inner dialogue reminding me that it’s depreciating, I’m losing money, it might get scratched, it’s costing too much, tied down with debt etc etc. it does ruin the ownership a little. But there are those days it makes me smile, the feeling of just being out, heck, even looking at it and thinking “that’s so gorgeous …” I get joy in those moments and it’s all worth it again. Washing and keeping clean as simple as it is, keeps me focused and there’s something healing in seeing the result.

Does anyone else’s feel so conflicted at times?

Everyone needs an outlet, a sin. I work to feed that outlet. My philosophy is: so long as my finances are well proportioned to the various commitments (house , kids etc), i will use all my car budget on my car. No shyness. No remorse. Be it the 3rd cam shaft in a year in the civic, or the 2nd intercooler in my evo in as many years, or the yearly exhaust change in my STI to get that perfect rumble (all cars sold, never owned them together by the way). It is my sin and i am proud of it and it keeps me going.

Now the post takes a sadder turn.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67014420 . Eg a base GR86/BRZ costs USD190k.
I am falling into depression. I very soon can no longer afford to have a car. No car, no outlet, no meaning in life. My responsibility to my kids keep me going, for now. Doesnt help that my mid life crisis is hitting me hard.

So my point is, be happy we have cars as outlets. Much better than booze or crime.

 

[Jayware33]

That was a good honest post @Jayware33. It can be hard to put these things out there. The younger of my two stepsons has always been somewhat of a victim to the 'Black Dog', often made worse by so called friends telling him that everything was okay and he should just pull himself together. Since moving away from Dunfermline to New Zealand he has become a lot stronger, especially now his 'friends' aren't around.
There will always be head/heart moments with vehicle ownership. When I couldn't afford to run a car I'd bought on a whim, I'd SORN it, park it on the driveway and just enjoy my time fettling and cleaning it. At least with a car you can drive it in all weathers - my motorcycles used to get a few rides in the Summer and that would be it!
I'm waiting on my GR86 too and have been without a car since July having sold my KonaN in preparation. Getting a bus up to town is a right PITA and I've realised how shite our Public Transport is compared to other cities! Apart from a trip to Asda, I barely get further than the end of my drive nowadays, so the wife has demanded that I try out the 'Dunfermline Men's Shed' on a Wednesday because she say's I'm becoming a grumpy hermit and i need to do something before I spiral downwards. I'll give it a go, £2 for some tea and biscuits won't hurt I suppose, who knows, I might even learn some woodwork skills too!
I look forward to seeing that lovely blue GR86 of yours on our roads - we might even get a Scottish GR meet going one day ... As long as it's dry ... and warm ... and Sunny - that'll be one day in 2026 then?

Blimey Leo, there'd be hell to pay from SWMBO if I ever did find that someone!

Thanks . I stay in Rosyth and have went to Andy’s man Club before, decent bunch but would be up for it again. Once your car arrives and seeing as we’re local, I’d be up for organising a small get together if you ever fancied doing the same. Any excuse for a coffee and car chat

 

[Jayware33]

Everyone needs an outlet, a sin. I work to feed that outlet. My philosophy is: so long as my finances are well proportioned to the various commitments (house , kids etc), i will use all my car budget on my car. No shyness. No remorse. Be it the 3rd cam shaft in a year in the civic, or the 2nd intercooler in my evo in as many years, or the yearly exhaust change in my STI to get that perfect rumble (all cars sold, never owned them together by the way). It is my sin and i am proud of it and it keeps me going.

Now the post takes a sadder turn.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67014420 . Eg a base GR86/BRZ costs USD190k.
I am falling into depression. I very soon can no longer afford to have a car. No car, no outlet, no meaning in life. My responsibility to my kids keep me going, for now. Doesnt help that my mid life crisis is hitting me hard.

So my point is, be happy we have cars as outlets. Much better than booze or crime.

Thanks for sharing - totally agree, cars are a great way to get out and focus on the road and distract you, but I try to have a few lines of interest: get out walking, learn an instrument, reading, learning a new skill etc. they change all the time and can’t focus on one long enough anyway

As I’ve gotten older and into middle age, I often found I worried more about all sorts of things: health, job security, financial status etc but one thing that has really helped me and I found interesting was reading about an ancient philosophy called Stoicism. If it’s a new thing to you, I’d highly recommend researching it. It’s a simple approach to help identify what is within our control and what we worry about.
@Hachi-roku - thanks, I’ve recently got back into some decent walks and weightlifting. Have a 1 year old son now and it’s great to wrap him up on a colder morning and head out a long walk. He will happily take a nap while I do all the hard work!

 

[Bob123]

That was a good honest post @Jayware33. It can be hard to put these things out there. The younger of my two stepsons has always been somewhat of a victim to the 'Black Dog', often made worse by so called friends telling him that everything was okay and he should just pull himself together. Since moving away from Dunfermline to New Zealand he has become a lot stronger, especially now his 'friends' aren't around.
There will always be head/heart moments with vehicle ownership. When I couldn't afford to run a car I'd bought on a whim, I'd SORN it, park it on the driveway and just enjoy my time fettling and cleaning it. At least with a car you can drive it in all weathers - my motorcycles used to get a few rides in the Summer and that would be it!
I'm waiting on my GR86 too and have been without a car since July having sold my KonaN in preparation. Getting a bus up to town is a right PITA and I've realised how shite our Public Transport is compared to other cities! Apart from a trip to Asda, I barely get further than the end of my drive nowadays, so the wife has demanded that I try out the 'Dunfermline Men's Shed' on a Wednesday because she say's I'm becoming a grumpy hermit and i need to do something before I spiral downwards. I'll give it a go, £2 for some tea and biscuits won't hurt I suppose, who knows, I might even learn some woodwork skills too!
I look forward to seeing that lovely blue GR86 of yours on our roads - we might even get a Scottish GR meet going one day ... As long as it's dry ... and warm ... and Sunny - that'll be one day in 2026 then?

Blimey Leo, there'd be hell to pay from SWMBO if I ever did find that someone!

A Scottish GR meet sounds like a good idea to me!

 

[vinny85]

a great way to get out and focus on the road and distract you, but I try to have a few lines..

I'm glad the sentence didn't finish there..

 

[Bob123]

Thanks . I stay in Rosyth and have went to Andy’s man Club before, decent bunch but would be up for it again. Once your car arrives and seeing as we’re local, I’d be up for organising a small get together if you ever fancied doing the same. Any excuse for a coffee and car chat

I'm just up the road in Kinross and more than happy for a get together.
For me, the car is a weekender and I thought long and hard about spending money on a car I'd only use at weekends. I rationalised, with a fair degree of bias it has to be said , that its the cheapest way to get a damn good car that will depreciate the least. I must have been talking about it too much because SWMBO got frustrated and told me to just buy the car and shut up!! It was a bloody long wait just for it to go on sale, never mind the even longer wait to get it, but I grin from ear to ear every time I sit in it, never mind drive it! I suffer from some mental health issues from time-to-time and taking the car out for a drive is by far and away the best therapy.

 

[Jayware33]

I'm just up the road in Kinross and more than happy for a get together.
For me, the car is a weekender and I thought long and hard about spending money on a car I'd only use at weekends. I rationalised, with a fair degree of bias it has to be said , that its the cheapest way to get a damn good car that will depreciate the least. I must have been talking about it too much because SWMBO got frustrated and told me to just buy the car and shut up!! It was a bloody long wait just for it to go on sale, never mind the even longer wait to get it, but I grin from ear to ear every time I sit in it, never mind drive it! I suffer from some mental health issues from time-to-time and taking the car out for a drive is by far and away the best therapy.

Ideal! I’m Rosyth, so literally only up the M90 for 5 mins. Yeh mate that sounds like a plan! Hoping to have mine here in the next couple of weeks.
My wife was getting bored of me car hunting and frequently had some choice words for me. I’ll let you know as soon as it arrives

 

[Two's Company]

When you have a 1 year old life is hard. There’s a lot of strain of you being pulled in different directions. Trying to work, being present to parent and there for your other half. Exercising with your partner helps. Something to do together and keeps you fit, endorphins help the stress of life.

It’s very easy to lose connection with your other half. You have to work on it and spend time together without your child. Regular resets and check ins is game changing. Weekly catch up date, night away once a month. Week away once a quarter (with child). The week away means you’re never too far away from a break. We have various pots which we contribute to. 10% of net goes into the holiday pot and pays for the holidays so the cash is always there to pay for it.

When I’m training and eating better I feel better. For me it’s lifting weights and a bit of cross fit type of training.

In terms or the cost of the car, life is for living. You don’t get another chance. You have to enjoy yourself. Otherwise what’s the point? This bit of man maths is encouraged by my wife. She asked if we could get a Lamborghini the other day. So now I’ll figure out how we pay for it. I don’t want a Lamborghini but I’ll support her if she does. She wants an Aventador but I’ve said a Urus might be better for the school run. She says maybe we start with that and get a sports one next.

 

[Gari]

This further confirms my theory that GR86 owners truly are the golden retrievers of the car world. What a lovely bunch.

 

[Sonic]

I'm just up the road in Kinross and more than happy for a get together.

That's cool.
Good to see another one quite local. I'm up Kinross way quite regularly for horsey stuff at Carrs Billington and, sometimes the odd visit to Winski's just to show off my latest timepiece, maybe get something serviced or to just chat shite about watches.
Sainsbury is also a bit of a pull for a bag of their Vanilla Custard Doughnuts (Asda now have 'Custard style doughnuts' which aren't even real custard anymore - the dirty b4$tards!)

 

[Jayware33]

That's cool.
Good to see another one quite local. I'm up Kinross way quite regularly for horsey stuff at Carrs Billington and, sometimes the odd visit to Winski's just to show off my latest timepiece, maybe get something serviced or to just chat shite about watches.
Sainsbury is also a bit of a pull for a bag of their Vanilla Custard Doughnuts (Asda now have 'Custard style doughnuts' which aren't even real custard anymore - the dirty b4$tards!)

I like my watches too! Whisky, cars and watches … and the odd custard doughnut made with real custard

Currently wearing a lesser known brand (well, at least to some). Got a Certina DS 38mm. 3 day power reserve, bargain at the price it is.

 

[Sonic]

Got a Certina DS 38mm.

A good strong brand, I have one too - the Certina DS1 ‘Big Date’ Special Edition, Green Ombre Dial with the Powermatic 80 movement.

Alongside the luxury names like Rolex, Omega, Breitling and Longines, my collection also includes a few lesser brands too like Yema, Christopher Ward, Certina, Nite, Botta, as well as the usual Seiko, Tissot and Citizen pieces. I’m still waiting for my AD to get me a Cosmo’ Daytona though - now six years and counting

 

[Silver Fox]

I often found I worried more about all sorts of things: health, job security, financial status etc but one thing that has really helped me and I found interesting was reading about an ancient philosophy called Stoicism. If it’s a new thing to you, I’d highly recommend researching it. It’s a simple approach to help identify what is within our control and what we worry about.

There was discussion about stoicism on the excellent Nihal Arthanayake's show on 5 Live yesterday. Chatting to Brigid Delaney who has written a book on the matter.

Episode link:

Link

Nihal Arthanayake - Brigid Delaney, Annabelle Hirsch and being in your 40's. - BBC Sounds

Nihal chats to Brigid Delaney, Annabelle Hirsch and being in your 40's.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[sb-harald]

@Jayware33 Thank you very much finding the bravery to share your thoughts. You already got comprehensive feedback from previous replies so I have not much to add.

Reading between the lines, you should be in a financially sound position, so don‘t worry about the costs of the car. In the end, we are not talking about huge sums which need to be spent to afford a GR86 in Europe/UK. (I do not open the side path that many car enthusiasts won‘t be able to afford even a GR86, because this would be a different topic.)

No matter if someone can afford a GR86 or something more expensive or cheaper, just make sure you have enough financial resources to enjoy your car in the manner you want to enjoy and drive it, otherwise these financial restrictions could lead to new frustration and depression, potentially. A 10 year-old Suzuki Swift Sport can also be a very enjoyable occasion, for example. The „Thrill of Driving“, as EVO calls it in their magazine, does not need to cost a lot.

Financial thoughts aside, driving/spirited motoring has always been my number one method to find an inner balance. For others, it might be Yoga, meditation, running or cycling, for me it was driving on a remote country road. I sense that many people feel similar in this forum. This helps me not feeling alone because in the modern days, even in the „automotive nation“ Germany, enjoying a car on public roads with some sporty driving included makes you seemingly a criminal in the eyes of too many in society. These people don’t understand us, and most of them don‘t want to. That is why I find it important that we find together in car enthusiast/motorcyclist forums, here in this forum, in this thread, to realise that we are not the mad men and women in society. Just take care that when you drive in a sporty manner that you think about potential upcoming traffic and obstacles and always leave space for them so you can react in time.

After half an hour to an hour of driving for joy, I feel better indeed. It does not necessary need to relief stress, because this is not always the reason for a joy ride, it just is who I am, and who you are, all the people here who find relief in joy rides.

And now I am starting to think how we can convince others that this is a spiritual experience for us petrolheads to gain more understanding for our case.

 

[GS6R4]

This further confirms my theory that GR86 owners truly are the golden retrievers of the car world.

They sniff each others bottoms and pee up lampposts?

On the therapeutic thing, I totally get that. I think we all need an escape, even more so if depression is always lurking.

If driving is your escape then get the best car you can for your circumstances and enjoy it before we're all forced into driving milkfloats at 30mph everywhere (20 in Wales). The main thing is to actually get out and use it... that's what I struggle with sometimes, the depression saps motivation to do anything fun.