"...I'll eventually get these other two running, of course."

GLENDALE—Javier Ortiz, a long-time car enthusiast with a garage full of projects, recently expressed his desire to add another car to his collection. Both of his current vehicles are on jack stands, unfinished and in various states of disrepair. Ortiz is more convinced than ever that his NEXT car will be the one he actually drives.

“I kind of want another car,” Ortiz admitted, eyeing the latest listings on his phone. “I mean, I’ve always wanted an old-school Miata. It’s small, reliable, and would be a great weekend car… I'll eventually get these other two running, of course.”

Ortiz’s current fleet includes a 1999 Nissan 240SX and a 2003 Subaru WRX, both of which have been non-operational for months. The Nissan is awaiting suspension parts, while the Subaru has been waiting for an engine rebuild since last summer. Yet, Ortiz remains optimistic that a new project might motivate him to finish the others.

His friend, Carlos Herrera, is less convinced. “He’s got two cars sitting there, collecting dust, and now he’s talking about getting another one? He's an idiot. I told him, ‘Fix what you have first, man!’ but you can't tell him anything.”

Ortiz, however, believes that juggling multiple projects is part of the car enthusiast lifestyle. “It’s all about having options,” he explained. “Sometimes you’re not in the mood to work on one car, so you switch to the other. Adding a third would just give me more flexibility, you know?”

While Herrera isn’t holding his breath for Ortiz to finish any of his current projects, it’s clear that the allure of a new car is hard for any gearhead to resist—even when the jack stands are fully occupied.