I Own 14 Cars, 8 Motorcycles, And A Bus And Somehow Most Of Them Still Work

Most people have no problem figuring out what car they’re going to drive on any given day. They might have a car or two, perhaps three and that’s it. Not me. I could drive in a different car every day for two weeks straight without seeing seat time in the same car twice. I then have enough motorcycles to go another whole week on a different pair of wheels each day. Somehow, most of these vehicles all run and drive and I think I haven’t gone crazy just yet. Here’s my State Of The Fleet, and you’d better buckle up because it is going to be a ride.

Now, some of you might think that the only reason I own so many vehicles is purely for the clicks. Those who have known me long enough, however, know that I started collecting cars when I was a kid, long before I ever made even a peep on the interwebs. Sure, those were tiny Matchbox cars, but they soon turned into real cars [Surely you mean full-size cars, ma’am. How dare you suggest I don’t have 300+ real cars? –PV]. As soon as I had enough income to support my vehicular obsession, I began my fleet. I started off with one Smart, which multiplied into three. Piles of motorcycles soon began to appear. I needed them, obviously.

Now I have so many vehicles that I rent three large storage plots for them, plus space in my parents’ and wife’s garages. How do I do it? Cheap rent and this lovely career. I’ve lived in the same place for six years and my rent is under $1,000. I also share the bills with my wife, which means the vast majority of my income is freed up to do dumb stuff – like collecting far too many vehicles.

I know your next question: Why do you have so many vehicles? One of my life’s goals is to experience as many different vehicles as possible. I want to ride all of the motorcycles, drive vintage buses, fly all sorts of aircraft, and experience aviation legends like the Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 before they’re out of the sky. Put me in a boat, in a locomotive, in a side-by-side, under the sea in a submersible, or between the skis of a snowmobile and I will have a good time. 

I’ve realized that it’s unlikely I’ll ever be able to spend $100,000 or more on a single vehicle. But own a couple-dozen interesting rides purchased for pennies on the dollar? That I can do – so that’s what I’m doing. I’m living out my childhood dreams $3,000 at a time.

One of my inspirations is JessieLeigh Freeman, the New Jersey woman saving 17 Saturns, plus an additional few other vehicles in her fleet. Saturn is long gone, but she is keeping the spirit alive in one driveway. If she can keep the dream of old Saturn going, I feel I can keep Smart and my other faves around.

I’m sure you have other questions and I’ll get to them after we go through the fleet. To keep this from being 18,000 words, I’ll limit myself to a handful of lines per car [I would read 18,000 words, TBH. This stuff is gold. –PV]. Some of the photos you’ll see won’t be current, as fishing my vehicles out of their respective garages and the mini warehouse does take time. For example, the above picture is the state of my storage. Dust gathers fast!

Yes, I know, I still need to clean the paint marker off my Suzuki Every’s windshield. I’ll get to it one day. Every day, you might say. Anyway, without further delay, here’s the State Of The Fleet, ordered by model year!

1972 Yamaha U7E

Year Acquired: 2018
Price: $500
Description: This is one of the few vehicles I have that currently doesn’t run. I bought it in 2018 when I was still a fresh motorcyclist and never got around to getting it running. This motorbike is a very rare Yamaha competitor to the Honda Super Cub. How rare? Not even Yamaha knows how many were sold. According to the ownership history I have on hand, this motorbike was purchased new in 1972, sold to a new family in 1976, and generations of that family learned to ride on the machine until it was parked in roughly 2010. I have to get this thing running again. I took the motorbike apart in 2022, rebuilt its carb in 2023, and now need to put it back together.
Recent Work: None
Needed Work: Tank clean + reassembly.
Status: Not running.

1976 Suzuki RE-5

Year Acquired: 2023
Price: $3,400
Description: This wonderful motorcycle was Suzuki’s failed experiment to revolutionize motorcycling forever. It’s one of a handful of production motorcycles in history to come with a Wankel rotary engine. The RE-5 has been a dream bike since 2018. I love motorcycles, but weird ones top my list. I was stoked to buy one for just $3,400 in 2023. It’s physically a little rough, but runs and rides. One day I’ll give you a full review, but a rotary motorcycle is unlike anything else you could ride. The seller didn’t think it still had the ability to ride, so this is one of those instances where a used vehicle buy was way better than described.
Recent Work: Carb clean.
Needed Work: None.
Status: Runs and rides.

1978 BMW R60/7

Year Acquired: 2023
Price: $3,000
Description: While I may not have loved BMW cars for as long as I’ve been a car enthusiast, vintage BMW motorcycles have long piqued my interest. BMW’s boxers look like mechanical art to my eyes and I just cannot get enough of the design of BMW airhead tanks. I’ve never had a specific airhead on my list and until 2023, I never pulled the trigger on buying one, either. Then I found just the bike. According to the story I got, the original owner of this motorcycle was so obsessed with teal that he had all of his vehicles painted in teal with metal flake from new. So, this BMW has been like this for all of its life and over 40,000 miles. It’s easily one of my favorite bikes.
Recent Work: Oil change.
Needed Work: None.
Status: Runs and rides.

1985 U-Haul CT13

Year Acquired: 2022
Price: $5,000
Description: U-Haul used to position itself as a company to rent pretty much anything you’re willing to pay for, including adult movies and camper trailers. For two years, U-Haul produced fiberglass campers of its own design, then rented them for a little less than a decade. I’ve been obsessed with these trailers ever since learning about them in 2017. I’ve always wanted an original, unmodified U-Haul CT13 and finally found one in 2022. It’s a project, but all of the bones are there and in great shape. I really need to get moving on this project.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: Minor restoration, major electrical work.
Status: Can camp in it, but needs work.

1989 Suzuki Every

Year Acquired: 2021
Price: $1,210 + Importation = $3,812
Description: In 2020, I fell in love with the idea of importing a car from Japan. In 2021, I imported a Honda Beat. Once I realized that you can get all kinds of cool cars from Japan for little cash, I decided to import another vehicle. For my second import, I wanted a tiny van with massive panes of glass for the roof. My first choice was a high-trim Honda Acty, but I didn’t want to deal with Honda’s complicated carburetors. That’s when I figured out that Suzuki also built a cool Kei van, and one of the top trims included glass roof panels, a turbocharger, and fuel injection. Buying the van was an easy choice to make. Sadly, I have parked the van because rust on one of the welds holding on the rear axle cannot be ignored.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: Rust repair.
Status: Runs and drives, but rust is getting concerning.

1991 Honda Beat

Year Acquired: 2021
Price: $1,900 + Importation = $4,700
Description: This is the little car that started my obsession with importing cars. The Honda Beat is the tiny sports car that was the last car to be approved by Mr. Honda himself. There’s a lot to love with a mid-rear engine layout, a manual transmission, and Honda’s legendary handling. It’s also one of the Kei sports car trifecta that will fit an average American. In 2021, I realized that I didn’t need to spend $10,000 to own one of these and made it a reality.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: Rust repair and a new convertible top.
Status: Runs and drives.

2001 Buell Blast

Year Acquired: 2023
Price: $1,000
Description: This is the motorcycle that Erik Buell wanted to be the ultimate beginner and commuter motorcycle. Sadly, internal politics at Harley-Davidson ensured that the bike came in way over budget and it became a dud. Still, there are great ideas there like plastics that are molded in color and a largely maintenance-free drivetrain. The Blast is a standard motorcycle powered by half of a Harley Sportster engine. I bought this bike to be a winter beater but ended up riding my Zero DSR/X long-term loaner in the snow, instead. This Blast is weirdly new with just 1,600 miles on its odometer.
Recent Work: Oil change.
Needed Work: New turn signals and tires.
Status: Runs and rides.

2002 Nova Bus RTS-06

Year Acquired: 2021
Price: $5,000
Description: Here’s the vehicle I’m most afraid of. The GMC RTS-II is one of the most iconic buses in American history. GM brought innovation with this bus from its sections of stainless steel body to giant windows and lightweight and durable body panels. GM made buses that were more than just functional because they looked fantastic, too. Nova Bus took over production of the RTS and Texas A&M University was an operator of the Novas for over two decades. My bus is a retired “TAMU” coach and I had a blast driving it from Austin, Texas back home to northern Illinois. I bought the bus as an RV conversion project, but RTS fans (and yes, there are many) have convinced me to preserve it, instead. I fear this rig because things that break on big commercial vehicles aren’t cheap to fix. This bus would be one of the flagship vehicles of my future museum if I can keep it alive long enough.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: Batteries, new baggage door hinges.
Status: Runs and drives, but parked due to falling baggage doors.

2003 BMW X5 3.0i

Year Acquired: 2022
Price: $5,000
Description: One of the first BMW cars to catch my interest was the X5 SUV. I’ve seen some of these do amazing work off-road and I fell in love with the idea of a luxury SUV that can get dirty. I then found out that roughly 4,446 of the first-generation X5 was sold in America with a manual transmission. I found one with a fair body and an excellent interior, then drove away a happy woman. The X5 is already an awesomely comfortable SUV, but a manual transmission makes it fun to drive. Then, I thought I blew the clutch the same day. I continued to drive the SUV, hoping that the clutch slipping was just glazing. Nope, the clutch is shot, so that needs to be replaced.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: Clutch.
Status: Runs, but needs a clutch.

2004 Volkswagen Phaeton

Year Acquired: 2024
Price: $2,000
Description: This is arguably the best car that has ever worn a Volkswagen badge. You get Bentley luxury and firepower with a stealthy badge. These cars were designed to storm down the Autobahn at top speed while making you feel like you’re a rockstar. Features? How about heated and cooled seats front and rear, massaging seats, a supple air ride, parking sensors, one of the best stereos of the 2000s, an artsy trunk hinge, and so much more? The Phaeton is such an elevated experience that it’s hard to believe a Passat wears the same badge. Thank you, Aaron!
Recent Work: Oil change.
Needed Work: Smoking habit, windshield.
Status: Runs and drives.

2005 Buell Lightning XB9SX

Year Acquired: 2020
Price: $2,900
Description: One of my original dream motorcycles. I’ve long been a huge fan of the work of Erik Buell and the Lightning hits all of the right notes. I adore the translucent plastics, the stubby rear end, and the soundtrack of a Harley on a sportbike. Buell was also weird with fuel stored in frames, floating brakes, and oil in swingarms. Sure, a Buell Lightning isn’t going to win any straight-line races, but the handling is phenomenal and the soundtrack is addictive.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: None.
Status: Runs and rides.

2005 Triumph Rocket III

Year Acquired: 2023
Price: $4,500
Description: Triumph was one of the foreign motorcycle manufacturers to chase the idea of the modern powerful American cruiser. However, it wasn’t going to just copy everyone else. Instead, it built a bike with the largest engine of any mass-produced motorcycle. The 2.3-liter triple makes 140 HP and 147 lb-ft of torque. It’s one of the few vehicles that lives up to its name because riding one is like strapping yourself to a Saturn V.
Recent Work: Ram air intake, tires, coolant flush, oil change.
Needed Work: None.
Status: Ready for blastoff.

2005 Smart Fortwo

Year Acquired: 2017
Price: FREE
Description: This car was never officially sold in America. However, it is one of the cars that dodges the infamous 25-year rule because companies went through the work to convert these gray market imports to legal status. So, while so many enthusiasts had to wait for their Nissan Skyline, I was able to own this car without a problem. The first-generation Smart Fortwo is quirky. It’s smaller than the Smarts that were officially sold in America, has a funky asymmetrical dash, and gets better fuel economy than North American-market cars, too. Keeping it alive hasn’t been too hard given the abundance of parts still in Canada and Europe.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: Air-conditioner line leak.
Status: Runs and drives.

2006 Smart Fortwo CDI

Year Acquired: 2022
Price: $6,000
Description: Smart never sent over the diesel Fortwo to the United States, and that was potentially a fatal error. However, it did send the diesel over to Canada. Sometimes, Canadian diesels leak across the northern border, falling into the hands of people living in the States. Diesel Smarts are incredibly rare in the United States and in 2022, I scored my own. Sure, the engine makes just 40 HP, but it’s hard to argue with 70 mpg around town and still 60 mpg on the highway. That’s hybrid fuel economy without batteries!
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: None.
Status: Runs and drives.

2006 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI

Year Acquired: 2021
Price: $5,000
Description: The holy grail of Volkswagen Touaregs is the V10 TDI. Take what’s already a super SUV and plant a 5.0-liter V10 twin-turbo diesel under the hood. Oh yeah, it’s fun. This engine makes about the same amount of power as a Ford Power Stroke 6.0 but comes in a much smaller vehicle. The V10 TDI will climb mountains in top gear as if you aren’t going up a grade. The V10 TDI has a hard launch and the acceleration is relentless. The V10 TDI is so fast and so intoxicating that it can turn a good driver into a villain. I fear this one, too. So, I treat it like many treat their Corvettes. It goes out on perfect days to the beach and back.
Recent Work: Batteries.
Needed Work: None, if you can believe it.
Status: Runs and drives.

2007 BMW 530xi

Year Acquired: 2023
Price: $3,000
Description: Back in 2022, I bought a BMW E39 wagon from our secret designer, the Bishop. I then gave that car to my wife, so I wanted another BMW. As luck would have it, Bishop was selling his newer 5 Series wagon. Truth be told, I love the design of the E61 more than the E39, so I was happy to buy it. I was then blown away by the car’s soft seats, HUD, glass roof, and other luxuries. This is easily one of the nicest cars I’ve ever owned. Technically, the BMW E60’s sheet metal is a tribute to Davide Arcangeli, who passed before he got to see his design enter production. Reportedly, Chris Bangle and the E60’s design team ensured the car entered production as close to Arcangeli’s vision as possible.
Recent Work: Solar panel battery maintainer.
Needed Work: Fuel vapor leak detection pump.
Status: Runs and drives.

2008 Saturn Sky Red Line

Year Acquired: 2022
Price: $8,000
Description: Saturn was once an innovative brand, and then GM turned it into a seller of rebadged European fare. Before Saturn died, it let out one last awesome ride with the Sky. The Saturn Sky shared its Kappa platform with the Pontiac Solstice and others, but its design from a wicked concept in Europe. Sure, there was really nothing “Saturn” about the Sky, but it continues to be my favorite Kappa car. It’s also an exact replica of the car I adored in the Xbox 360 game Test Drive: Unlimited. Mine has some cosmetic imperfections, but the 260 HP engine remains addictive.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: Battery and door handle.
Status: Runs and drives.

2008 Smart Fortwo

Year Acquired: 2020
Price: $1,400
Description: This car represents the first year of sales of Smart in the United States. It’s also an early model of the second-generation Smart Fortwo, a polarizing car. I bought this car partly because it was so cheap and partly because I had a big idea of turning the Smart into an off-road beast. Instead, I took it off-road in its lowered state, crunching up its poor body panels. Now, the car is sort of held together with zip ties and hope. I still want to put a lift kit and big tires on it, or sell it for a convertible. Admittedly, I haven’t driven it much because I’m still deciding what I want to do with it. This is the car in my fleet that needs the most work.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: Struts, front wheel bearing, body panels, wheel speed sensors.
Status: Runs and drives, but parked.

2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI

Year Acquired: 2022
Price: $2,950
Description: This car was one of those situations where I got it cheap because I was the first person in line. I messaged the seller on this car 3 minutes after it was posted and locked in a time to see it before it was even 10 minutes on the market. Volkswagen diesel fans love these wagons because they are a recent body style but still predate DEF. They easily exceed 40 mpg at extra-legal highway speeds and can be relatively trouble-free, especially if you have one with a manual transmission like I do. These cars are a little weird because while the Jetta itself moved to the sixth generation in 2010, the wagon, which was based on the Golf stayed course on the fifth generation for a couple of more years.
Recent Work: Oil change, fuel filter, A/C recharge.
Needed Work: Turbo actuator.
Status: About the closest I have to a daily.

2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI

Year Acquired: 2020
Price: $3,000
Description: This was the Jetta SportWagen I bought before the one above. It has a DSG but is otherwise the same car down to options. I bought it with 350,000 miles intending to take it to a million miles. Oh, how silly I was back then. The truth is that working from home and reviewing vehicles means I really only drive my own cars for fun now. That means I will probably die before this car gets close to a million miles. As of current, a title issue is keeping me from selling it. Technically, it both does and does not have a title thanks to a weird DMV mix-up. Either way, I can’t sell it until that gets fixed.
Recent Work: Timing belt, coolant flush, dual-mass flywheel, oil change, water pump, A/C recharge, battery.
Needed Work: Title.
Status: Runs and drives, but parked since it’s technically not legal.

2012 Smart Fortwo

Year Acquired: 2012
Price: $16,200
Description: Here’s the car I’ve owned the longest! I bought this car when I was 19 and it was proof that I could achieve my dreams. Sure, it was just a cheap $16,200 car, but to me, it was a physical example that I could do whatever the heck I want. I then drove the car about 161,000 miles before realizing I was tearing my baby apart. Indeed, multiple Gambler 500 rallies, drunken spray painting, and parking it covered in mud had taken its toll. The car seized up its alternator in 2019 and I let it sit. Along the way, the engine seized up. It sat until 2022 when I finally got it back on the road again. I freed up the stuck engine and fired the parts cannon at the engine bay. I’m now working on returning the car to factory condition.
Recent Work: Starter fuse.
Needed Work: Spray paint removal, a few new panels, new parking pawl cable.
Status: Brought back from the dead!

2016 Smart Fortwo

Year Acquired: 2016
Price: $17,500
Description: This one is my newest car and the one with the lowest mileage. In 2016, the 2012 Smart caught fire. As I repaired the damage, the brand manager of a Smart dealer gave me the deal of a lifetime. I could choose any car on his lot and he’ll get me in it. So, I chose a loaded 2016 Smart Fortwo Edition #1. By now, Smart moved to a much improved third generation. I originally wanted one of the rare Smarts with a manual transmission, but I couldn’t resist the eye-popping orange. I also decided to treat this car better than the last. I wasn’t going to put 100,000 miles on it right away. In fact, this car is a garage queen I hop into whenever I want to experience a new car. It now has 7,000 miles and still runs, drives, and smells every bit like a new car.
Recent Work: Battery.
Needed Work: None.
Status: The flagship of my Smart fleet.

2023 Royal Enfield Classic 350

Year Acquired: 2023
Price: $5,850
Description: I’ve found myself falling in love with Royal Enfield over the years. While so many motorcycle manufacturers load their bikes down with all sorts of tech and overwrought styling, Royal Enfield has kept it simple. You get bikes with real hefty metal parts and the most technology is fuel injection and ABS. Royal Enfields still offer a more classic version of motorcycling where it’s just your steed and the open road. Thus, I was happy to make my first-ever new motorcycle purchase a Royal Enfield Classic 250 in a sort of creamy blue color. This motorcycle represents what I love so much about riding on two wheels.
Recent Work: Valve adjustment.
Needed Work: None.
Status: Motorcycling at its finest.

2024 CFMoto Papio SS

Year Acquired: 2024
Price: $4,500
Description: I love to write about motorcycles I find exciting. If you see me gushing about a bike, it’s because I want to buy it. Sometimes, I put my money where my mouth is. I’ve long been interested in the Honda Grom, but have always thought they look so boring. So, I bet you could have seen my face when I saw that CFMoto announced it was making a Grom-like bike with a retro-futuristic design and weird LED light panels. Oh yeah, I bought that in a heartbeat.
Recent Work: None.
Needed Work: None.
Status: The slowest thing I own.

Admittedly, owning so many cars means none of them are daily drivers. But I will favor a couple of cars over others. I’m more likely to drive my Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI or the BMW 530xi over the Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI or my Smart Fortwo CDI. Likewise, I’m more likely to ride my Buell Lightning than my Suzuki RE-5. For example, I put 4,000 miles on my Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI and another 4,000 miles on a 1999 Triumph Tiger in 2022 the rest of the fleet got 500 to 1,000 miles each. I’ve spent the vast majority of 2023 with press loaners of some kind, so my own vehicles got far fewer miles.

Insurance is pretty easy. I keep four cars on an active insurance rotation while the rest are covered under far cheaper storage policies. My insurance rates are pretty cheap. Weirdly, my motorcycle insurance is so cheap that it gets cheaper when I add more motorcycles. I don’t quite understand how I can insure 6 bikes for $20 a month, but I’m not questioning it.

Registration is a bit harder. Illinois is infamous for its high title and registration costs. My solution in the past was Vermont, which was less than half the price of Illinois. Really, I was able to register a massive school bus in Vermont for a literal quarter of the price it would have been in Illinois. The closure of Vermont as America’s DMV has cranked up my costs.

Maintenance is by time, rather than mileage. I generally do an oil change on every vehicle once a year since I never drive them far enough to warrant mileage-based changes. Likewise, I’ll have certain bits like timing belts and such replaced even if I did not reach a mileage threshold. My cheat here is that I’ve found local sole proprietor mechanics who charge a fraction of even an independent shop. Also, while some of my vehicles need some work, you’ll note that those needs are usually minor and can be ignored for a while. Another note is that if something becomes too expensive to fix, I just get rid of it. The bus may fall into that category if it ever has a catastrophic issue.

Now, you may think this is all a ton of work and sometimes it is. However, I get tons of joy from messing around with these things. I don’t think I could ever own just one or two cars. A couple of years ago, my wife and I started shopping for a farm of sorts. I’d love to be able to park everything under one roof. According to Sheryl, an attorney, I’m even now eligible to open a museum, which has become a new goal for me to meet. I won’t be as cool as the Lane Motor Museum, but if I’m going to have a couple of dozen vehicles, why not do something with them?

We were set to make this goal a reality this year and we even built up our credit just for this huge purchase. Sadly, that won’t happen this year because of a series of unfortunate events that are not relevant to this story. I’ll have to juggle my cars around a warehouse perhaps for a year or so longer.

So there you have it. Somehow, most of the vehicles I own do run and drive. It’s not easy keeping a fleet alive, as the spreadsheets saved on my phone can tell you, but I do find it fun. Admittedly, it’s also easier when cars are your job. With that said, I’m not interested in buying any more cars for the foreseeable future. I’m happy with what I have right now. I’m not sure I have the storage or the time for another, so selling that Passat TDI was a blessing in disguise.

I think I want to end this by saying if you want to experience a bunch of cars, just do it. Life is short, have fun while you can.