Hi all
I‘m new here. Was looking for a reasonable bike forum and spotted this topic. It hit me hard at 49… left my home in Germany and emigrated to Norway. Happy that my wife was also open for the „new“ world. I think the rest of my family hates me for escaping. My kids (joined us) like the new home in the meantime, but the rest of the family and friends can’t understand. It‘s now 5 years since, great experience but essentially the crisis isn’t gone. What come next?
Cheers & a great weekend to all of you reading this ??♂️
Andy
Move to somewhere sunnier, with easy accessible skiing for when you get that itch 🙂
I took advantage of Brexit, or rather it forced my hand and moved to Spain, why spend your life in a cold miserable climate when you can have more sun and a more playful population.
I went to a beer fest last week bands and dj during the day and the usual disco til 2 in the morning over 3 days so everyone has a chance to play and this being Spain all age groups were catered for and the old people weren’t particularly worried about being caught up in the ensuing water fights .
and I find I have a bigger playground for other interesting toys
slightly cheeky provocation: Given that the majority of this thread is about buying what are even described by many on this thread as ‘toys’ it could be considered that mid-life has not yet been reached. I see no mention of existential crisis…one big investment at such times can be in personal development.
Hmm at 50 something I think I’ve reached my pinnacle in personal development and am planning a steady decline in debauchery and having fun with my toys as opposed to becoming some old person who tuts and moans about everything and everyone 🙂
I think you can still keep that spark of fun and childish interest in things you have as a kid but it takes more work.
Motorway/Fast A road mpg is astonishing for a 3.4L flat 6, Oban to Chester 44mpg.
What?!!
MrsSB's 718 did 41mpg on a trip from North London to Chester and that was with a fair bit of 50 limit and the rest at 70 on the cruise control!
Around town she gets <30.
Lovely car though.... Just keep an eye on the roof drains.
Quit the rat race. Sold everything other than three bikes and now live in a van.
The only thing I want more of is time to do the things I enjoy.
Don't get excited by cars. Although I would consider a Caterham if and when I find a place I want to live.
Has anyone built a kit car with their kids? Its the next thing on my list in a few years once they're old enough (2 boys, 5 and 8 at the moment). Figure it might be good father son bonding but might also just be me alone in the garage..
I'd love to have done something like that, but found my kids aren't both mechanically inclined. The younger one would be keen to join in, but the older one prefers developing car designs and mods on paper and screen.
If I had done it I know for certain it would be me alone in the garage.
I did this kind of stuff in my 20s with my Dad and later my Father in Law, and that was good.
Our Kids are 7, 9 and 15; eldest has zero interest, younger two love the going out in the fury, less so the working on it. A 'quick' build like a Caterham / westfeld might keep their attention as they can see it literally turn from a box of bits into a sportscar. But anything that needs fabricating or painting and you'll soon be on your own I think.
On the other hand, toylander have a sale on right now, and it would be 'theirs' at the end of it. Should be quicker build, and no IVA. Then sell it on when they outgrow it and use as a deposit on a kit....
I preempted my midlife crisis and spent 5 years being paid to drive stupid fast/expensive/capable cars.
Now i should be in the midst of my midlife crisis (early 50s) and can't be bothered.
For the Alfa Giulia owner(s?) above. I've no real interest in cars, definitely no reason or great desire to own anything thats either fast or impractical but it feels like the Giulia is the last truly beautiful car any mainstream manufacturer is going to make. So much better looking than anything else in recent years.
Theres one I pass frequently when I'm out on the bike and it's got small wheels with big sidewalls and it just looks great.
Personal story? I bought a set of Pioneer CDJs. They sat pretty much unused for about 18 months (I realised I had better things to do that hang around building DJ sets and wasn't going to have the time or inclination to 'play out' even if I got good. Sold them to a couple of 17 years olds who came over in one of their mother's cars from Clapham and as we carried them out of the house made some joke about 'can afford to get some food in now' which they came back with 'you grown ups are always so hung up about money'
I think I was still under 30 at the time.
can’t be bothered
I am in this camp. Despite fawning over the Gulia I don’t have the desire to pay for one and boy I’d love to drive a desirable/ sports car, and after a Pandemic rise in horological interested have lost the will to buy in that area as well.
With post GSCE and Secondary school children my interest is firmly in their future as we go through their start to adult life over the next few years and for me it’s experiences with them that is important.
Im lucky enough that if have to buy something e.g. our hoover just died, I am the position to look for the best one I can afford for the next few years and be content with that as “material”.
Has anyone confronted their growing sense of mortality by cycling round the world/opening a tea shop/training to become the ultimate fighting champion/any other radical change?
Reported
The idea of a midlife crisis violates the Categorical Imperative and therefore is in itself an immoral act.
I think I got over MLC cars in my twenties when a series of Spitfires ended up eventually with a fairly lairy Westfield. Utterly impractical and not cheap to run as it turns out but fun for the couple of days a year when the weather's OK to drive it.
In my early 50s I took up Olympic weightlifting again as a Master (I'd done it as a schoolboy and a junior). Won a few regional and British championships and finished in the medals at European and World championships.
I'm now 61 and had a partial knee replacement last year...
No more MLCs for me. 🙂
Bought a Landcruiser. I don't really see it as a MLC it wasn't really planned or lusted after. Just right place/time and it's worked out.
Probably more so than the Caterham I wanted to build. That's still not off the cards but my MLC would be a significant windfall spent on a 911. (Cos unlikely to get one any other way). I know myself way to well to avoid a motorbike purchase. Though watching some dude on the autobahn's thrashing a Hayabusa does stir me a little!!!
I think ive been having MLC since I was about 25 (now 51) , but I might just be over it now. I sold my caterham 7 last year, although I did buy a GR Yaris shortly after I sold the caterham.
I fancy a cayman GTS 4 or possibly a cayman GT4, but I just dont think I can bring myself to spend that much on a car - especially as it would hardly ever get used, and I reckon the yaris is a match for either of those on any road - hence I reckon I'm being sensible now.
edit: deleted as I couldn't figure out how to upload pics
Has anyone built a kit car with their kids? Its the next thing on my list in a few years once they’re old enough (2 boys, 5 and 8 at the moment). Figure it might be good father son bonding but might also just be me alone in the garage..
My other half (44) is currently looking for a Cayman. Does that count as a mid life crisis? However, she currently has an mx5. With a son who is mad about cars, I'm finding it very hard not to think about keeping the tatty 5 and looking at MEV Exocets as a father/son project.
Has anyone built a kit car with their kids?
A friend of mine has been building a kit car since before he had kids.
He's been through a marriage, 2 kids, divorce, about 50 other cars, 3 businesses (Self employed) 7 or 8 jobs (All in the automotive field), 4 homes, a 25 house property portfolio and the eldest just left home.
The kit car is still, very much, a kit. He's also had several different engines for it. (Starting with a 90bhp ford CVH, which was when i met the guy, currently has a 400 bhp turbo charged Toyota lump "ready to go in".)
I suspect he'll start working on it when he retires. In about 20 years.
Sounds like the only constant in his life. It must be reassuring for him to not build it.
I've just brought a second hand 20" folding bicycle which has made me happy. I really must set my sights higher. Go me!
sharkbait
What?!!
MrsSB’s 718 did 41mpg on a trip from North London to Chester and that was with a fair bit of 50 limit and the rest at 70 on the cruise control!
Around town she gets <30.
Lovely car though…. Just keep an eye on the roof drains.
For some reason my South of the UK road trip didn't return such good MPG figures, even on motorways. I think it's down to the cleaner air up North, that or much higher traffic levels in the south 😉
