We said goodbye to two members of the Barn Finds fleet this week. First, the Duster on Tuesday and then the Miata yesterday. It’s always hard to send off cars we have hunted for, acquired, and enjoyed, but each farewell was markedly different this time around. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as hard to let go of the Duster as it was the Miata. That may sound strange since the Plymouth was probably the nicest classic car to ever enter our garage while the Mazda was just a beat up car that could be found in just about any town across America.

It was intriguing to admire the Duster’s survivor status, but I never really bonded with it. I can see why wealthy collectors enjoy buying and selling perfect-condition collector cars, but honestly it can’t be very satisfying over the long term. I had a little taste of that world and yet, I think the challenge of keeping an old beater running can be just as enjoyable as collecting the high end stuff. It’s not that I think purchasing an automobile as an investment is wrong, but personally, I would rather be out driving my collection then polishing it.

And that was the big difference here – while the Duster sat appreciating in a storage unit, I drove the Miata every single day! It wasn’t powerful or rare and it certainly didn’t impress anyone, but every grocery run was a lap around Le Mans! I actually looked for excuses to take it out and whale on it. The accommodations were cramped and noisy, but with a slick gearshift under your right hand and a responsive steering wheel in your left, every curve became an adventure. Traffic jams were just pitstops and the long way home became the prefered route. So, farewell old friend!