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This Week: A Judgemental Doughboy • The Oil Stain • Lady the Maltese-shih tzu • Collector Car Grief • The GTO Departs • Interviews from EyesOn Design
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The grief arrived in unexpected and surprising ways…it slipped in quietly. Not like a burglar, but like a long-buried memory that purposely caught me off guard. It always hit hardest in the garage.
The silent, oil-stained patch of concrete seemed to accuse me, reminding me that something important was missing. I found myself staring at it longer than I cared to admit, almost expecting everything to be as it had always been.
It never was. Looking back, it all made perfect sense. Just days earlier, I had sold my beloved unrestored 1966 Pontiac GTO. Finding it had been pure luck. Owning it had been an adventure. Letting it go had seemed like the right decision. But grief, it turns out, had other plans.
That empty space wasn’t just concrete. It was a reminder that some chapters are too special to be written twice. That’s when I realized no thief had stolen my car. The pain I was feeling was entirely self-inflicted.
And no counselor would know how to console me.
But I do have something better…you, fellow enthusiasts who have lived through this strange experience and somehow found the strength to drive another day.
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My Unofficial Investigation
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This wasn’t in any psychology textbook.
There are no support groups for people who voluntarily hand over the keys to a collector car they’ve loved for years. No prescription. No proven treatment. Just a lingering feeling that a small piece of your automotive soul has quietly driven away.
At first, the symptoms were subtle:
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Long stares into an empty garage.
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Unexplained late-night internet searches.
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The faint smell of gasoline that wasn’t really there.
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The first perfect driving day… followed by the realization there was nothing left to drive.
Then it hit me. This wasn’t ordinary grief. It was a condition only collector car enthusiasts truly understand. So, after conducting my own unofficial investigation, I’ve documented what I believe are The Five Stages of Collector Car Grief. Medical science hasn’t recognized them yet…
…but I feel it’s only a matter of time.
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Stage 1: “It’s In a Better Place Now”
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This is the stage where you do your best to convince everyone, including yourself, that you’ve made peace with the decision. You remind yourself that the new owner is thrilled, the car has a wonderful home, and it will be driven, cared for, and appreciated.
You put on a good front, “It’s exactly where it should be. I’m really happy it’s going to someone who will enjoy it.”
Outwardly, you mean every word. But somewhere deep down, it feels a little like telling your kids their Maltese-shih tzu, Lady, has “gone to the farm.” You know the GTO is in a wonderful place. You believe it was the right decision. But you just don’t want to talk about it. FYI, Lady never made it to “the Farm”.
Then someone casually asks, “Do you miss it?” You pause just a second too long before answering. “…No… It went to a great, new home.”
And that’s when you realize you’re still trying to convince yourself.
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Stage 2: The Online Support Groups
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This stage always begins with the same four words: “I’m just going to look.”
Thirty minutes later, you’ve convinced yourself that every other example of the car you just sold is somehow worth twice what you received. You also become strangely annoyed every time someone says, “I’ve always wanted one of those.” Really? Where were you two weeks ago? Then something unexpected happens.
As you continue scrolling, your attention begins to drift. A Porsche catches your eye. Then a Jaguar. A vintage Bronco. Maybe even a BMW. Before long, you’re no longer searching for the car you sold. You’re quietly imagining what it would be like to own something entirely different. You don’t realize it yet, but this isn’t a setback. It’s the first sign of recovery.
The healing process has already begun.
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Stage 3: The Marketplace Fantasy
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By now, you’ve accepted that the car is gone. It’s time to find the next great adventure.
You dive headfirst into auction listings, dealer inventories, classifieds, and online marketplaces. Suddenly, every marque is on the table…realistic or not. Ferrari, Porsches, Jaguars, Broncos, muscle cars, Paganis because, why not? Anything with an interesting story deserves a closer look.
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For a brief moment, it feels exciting again. The hunt is back. You can almost picture the next road trip, the next concours, the next Saturday morning drive. Then reality arrives.
The perfect examples are either impossibly expensive, halfway across the country, or sold before you can make the call.
The affordable ones have questionable histories, out of focused photos involving a thumb, fresh paint with drunken overspray, or the dreaded phrase: “Needs nothing.” Or even worse, “Ran when parked”.
You slowly discover there’s a reason the great collector cars are remembered. They rarely come along. The excitement fades. The laptop closes. And that’s when you hit rock bottom. AKA…
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Stage 4: The Cookie Dough Stage
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The search has gone nowhere. Every promising lead turned into a disappointment, every “great deal” was anything but, and you’re beginning to wonder if you’ll ever find another collector car that measures up.
At this point, you stop searching and reach for something far more reliable: a tube of raw Pillsbury cookie dough. As you settle onto the couch, spoon in one hand (because you’re not an animal) and absolutely no shame in the other, you start streaming Chasing Classic Cars with Wayne Carini.
Watching Wayne effortlessly uncover another forgotten gem hidden in an old barn suddenly feels like perfectly reasonable therapy. Surely, you tell yourself, the next episode will feature a one-owner survivor that’s been sitting untouched since 1968, just waiting for someone like you to rescue it. But it never happens.
The cookie dough slowly disappears, but your problems don’t. Still, for sixty glorious minutes, the world feels just a little better. Then the credits roll.
You look down at the empty tube, glance toward the door to the garage, and finally admit something to yourself. Maybe the next great collector car isn’t going to find you while you’re sitting on the couch, wallowing in self-pity with the Pillsbury Doughboy silently judging your life choices.
It’s probably time to get back out there.
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Stage 5: The Next Great Story…May Be Yours
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Somewhere between the empty cookie dough tube and the end credits, something changes. You realize you’ve stopped mourning the car and started missing the adventure. Not just the drives or the car shows, but the hunt itself. The phone calls, the dead ends, the conversations with owners who insist they’re “not really thinking about selling,” and the excitement of opening an old garage door, wondering what might be waiting inside.
That’s when it hits you.
The GTO was never the destination. It was one incredible chapter in a much bigger story, and like every great story, one chapter has to end before the next one can begin.
So you dust yourself off, fire up the laptop one more time, and start making a few calls. Not because you’re trying to replace the GTO. That car can never be replaced. You’re searching for the next great collector car, the next interesting owner, and the next story worth sharing.
Then you realize something else.
The thrill was never about owning every great collector car. It was about discovering them, learning their history, meeting the people who preserved them, and sharing those stories with others. That’s what brought you into this hobby in the first place, and it’s what keeps you coming back.
The cars may bring us together, but it’s the people, the adventures, and the stories that make us enthusiasts. Who knows…
The next unforgettable story may be waiting just behind the next door.
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And if that story happens to be sitting in your garage, I’d love to hear it. If you own a collector car with a history worth preserving or an adventure worth sharing, simply reply to this email or directly at enthusiastcollectorcars@gmail.com. Your story just might inspire a future episode of The Collector Car Podcast, or even become part of a future book or… dare I say it… make me seriously consider filling that empty spot in my garage.
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May your garage always have at least one car worth staring at, your next adventure find you when you least expect it, and may none of us ever have to explain to a therapist why an oil stain on the garage floor can be so emotionally significant.
Stay Driven,
Greg Stanley
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#CollectorCars #CollectorCarPodcast #ClassicCars #PontiacGTO #Pontiac #BarnFinds #CarCollector #CarCulture #ClassicCarLife #AutomotiveStories #CarEnthusiast #CarCommunity #GarageLife #DrivingSeason #BringATrailer #Hemmings #CollectorCarGrief #NextGreatCar #WhyCarsMatter #HappyMotoring #StayDriven
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If this week’s newsletter sounded a little too familiar, you’re in good company. The truth is, collector cars have a way of becoming more than machines. They become memories, adventures, friendships, and sometimes a little part of who we are.
While I can’t promise a cure for Collector Car Grief, I can promise plenty of inspiration for your next automotive adventure.
The Enthusiast’s Guide to Collector Cars is now available online through Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble, making it easier than ever to find your next dream car—or at least justify why you’re still searching for it.
Whether you’re just entering the hobby or have been chasing collector cars for decades, I hope the book reminds you why we all fell in love with this hobby in the first place.
Happy collecting… and if you happen to catch yourself browsing Bring a Trailer at 11:47 p.m., just know you’re among friends.
Order your copy today and keep the journey going!
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Need Help With Your Collector Car?
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If you’re considering selling a collector car and would like guidance, I’m always happy to help.
Whether it’s a blue-chip car for a live auction or a modern enthusiast car better suited for an online format, just reply to this email and I’ll personally walk you through the options, timing, and next steps.
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New Podcast Episodes Every Thursday
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Then catch up on some of my previous blogs:
As always, thanks for listening, watching, liking and sharing fun automotive content. I will talk to all of you this Thursday on The Collector Car Podcast.
Greg Stanley
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