Oh god you ain't kidding. I've had nearly thirty cars since I was 15...my first car was $150 and had the head & bits in the trunk. After college I owned at least two at once (and as many as five) in case one died. Never paid more than $300 for a car that wasn't a ragtop. My '74 Fury III had a blown vacuum switch for the heat, so I bypassed it with a $2 toggle switch. Permatex was my friend. I carried a full toolbox in my trunk at all times.
My favorite moment was when the rear U-joint quit on my Ram van & my buddy was blown away when I pulled a U-joint cross kit out of my box and proceeded to replace it on the side of the PA Turnpike at night (he held the flashlight).
When I'm too old to swap a motor, start shovelling.