Used to joke but now you’re “that guy”

Cousin_Eddie said:

hen I get too down on myself I just think of heroin junkies who have nothing to show for the fortunes they have spent.

Cheer up!!!  It's the holidays!!!  :)

Yesterday I went mountain biking for the first time in about 5 years. 

Now I'm the old fat guy with a really nice bike that I used to look down on 20 years and 40 pounds ago when I couldn't afford the bike I wanted. 

"All Prius owners are smug, self righteous pricks."

I now own two. 

In reply to John Welsh :

They are

I used to make fun of 50 year old guys who bought fancy high powered Italian motorcycles and rode them slowly.............shortly after my 50th I bought an Beta open class enduro which is way more bike than I am rider, so I spend most of my time riding it at less than half throttle.

i also used to look down on 924s and now having driven a few of them while instructing at PCA track day I quite like them. 

Does this mean Prius salesman enablers of the self righteous??

I used to look at people with multiple vehicles and say "Why would anyone own so many cars/trucks/motorcycles?  You can only drive one at a time anyway.  You'll spend more on insurance and registration than you could possibly save!  Just have one or maybe two vehicles, that way you can make them exactly how you want them and not worry about things!"

And now I own 7 Subarus, 2 motorcycles, and 1 Mustang, the grand total sum value of which is less than a new Corolla.

In reply to Patrick :

I used to say the veloster had a stupid cargo hatch and looked goofy as hell.  Now I own one.

It still has a stupid cargo hatch, and the back end looks dumb.

Also, I own a house.  I constantly tell others not to get one.  But this is a scenario where its because I own a house that I say this.

John Welsh said:

"All Prius owners are smug, self righteous pricks."

I now own two. 

But only one is registered and you move the plate back and forth between them?  Brilliant!

The most common thing I've joked people for over the years is not driving their cars to "keep the miles off." Can't say that applies to me.

"Why does your car only have two pedals?" And now I preach that the Mercedes 722.1 and 722.3 as amazing. Disconnect the vacuum to "firm" up the shifts and keep it cool. What a lovely race car transmission!?
 

When I was racing motorcycles I never understood guys who were just participating versus try to win. Now 32 years later I'm thankful that I'm able to participate, especially given all the people who dream of racing and won't ever get the chance.

I used to joke that I would never own two things in my life time with absolute certainty. 

A fedora and a Miata. 

That no self respecting car guy would own a hair dressers car. 

Im about to buy my second miata. Im happy to report that I still do not own any fedoras.

I used to say corvettes were for old men who hate racing. 

I now own a C5. 

I used to think Prius drivers were all yuppie vegans who only shopped at Whole Foods. 

I now own the Lexus version of the Prius. 

I paid someone to do front brakes on my Buick.    Feel free to make any joke you feel applies.

B13Birk said:

I used to joke that I would never own two things in my life time with absolute certainty. 

A fedora and a Miata. 

That no self respecting car guy would own a hair dressers car. 

Im about to buy my second miata. Im happy to report that I still do not own any fedoras.

 

This seems to be a repeating theme.  Sometimes I think this board is a support group for people who's self-concept was completely upended when a cute little underpowered roadster inexplicably showed up in their driveway.  

I never thought I'd reach a point without a manual in the fleet, but I'd be OK with an all autos now.  

My wife and I swore we'd never own a minivan.  10 years in, we can't imagine life without one!

And I grew up as a Chevy guy who loved Camaros. I've never owned (or even driven) a Camaro, but I've owned three Mustangs.  Go figure!

Buick 

dj06482 said:

I never thought I'd reach a point without a manual in the fleet, but I'd be OK with an all autos now.  

My wife and I swore we'd never own a minivan.  10 years in, we can't imagine life without one!

And I grew up as a Chevy guy who loved Camaros. I've never owned (or even driven) a Camaro, but I've owned three Mustangs.  Go figure!

WOW

When I was building hotrods, I joked that restoring a car was easy. It's just "paint by numbers" after all.

Now I fully understand how difficult it is to do a perfect, correct restoration on a vehicle. 

I drive an automatic 4 cylinder n/a minivan! 

.

(with rolled fenders that were required by the crazy suspension and wheel/tire combo)

I was and am philosophically opposed to cars that are nice enough to care about. Now I own a car I'm desperately in love with. I drive it a lot, but I'm scared to walk away whenever I park it and clean it far more carefully than I thought I ever would.

In reply to T.J. :

5 yrs ago I was 40 lbs lighter and had done some pretty cool fitness things.  Now after a kid and knee surgery I’m a fat old guy with nice bikes too.  The new house is near a major bike store so group rides are in my future.  You can do it too.

I always used to slag off suburbanites but never really hated the suburbs.  Now despite being a 13 min drive from the White House I am essentially living in suburbia.  I no longer walk the neighborhood for upwards of ten miles because there is jack E36 M3 over here on this side of town.  Jack E36 M3. 

You know the stupid guy who spends all his time working on and cleaning a motorcycle then never rides it?  This guy spends hours polishing a piece of mechanical art, that is me.  Also who adds weight buying chrome, bikes should be lean, mean, and built for speed.