Am i really a car guy?

Car guy is a state of mind my friend.

Sounds like you're a car guy who lives in an urban area and is on a tight budget.

I've never worked on an engine's or transmission's internals, never pulled/installed an engine, never put any meaningful mod on an engine (not even had a shop do it), and I've only ever bought 2 cars - with fuel econommy weighing heavily on the decisions.

But I think I'm more of a driving guy than a car guy. We had a driving guy vs. car guy discussion a few years ago.

Don't compare, just enjoy! I don't even have a garage, have no berkleeying idea how to megasquirt, but love cars in my own way. Nobody else should decide how you appreciate something, quit worrying and have fun.

Personally, seems like more of a sliding scale than a "you are/aren't" kind of thing. This would be my personal summary: I do race/autocross, but often miss events because a lot of things are more important to me. I attend races/car shows/swap meets, but not consistently or regularly. I've modified some of my cars, left others completely alone. Of the last four cars through my garage, 2 have had aftermarket wheels, 2 have not. I've done simple bolt on mods myself, but had other mods done at a shop. I've never cracked an engine or transmission. When basic maintenance is due, I decide whether I'm doing it or a shop depending on how my back is holding up that day. I've never owned a FI car, but wouldn't hesitate to buy one if it was what I was looking for. The last car I bought I pretty much bought solely because it got good mileage, but the car it replaced swilled down premium like it was going out of style. I read message boards and magazines about cars, but also about guns, planes, current events, etc. So, if you aren't a car guy based on your criteria, I'm only 50% of a car guy.

I think your problem is you're comparing yourself to the wrong crowd. If you know to stop when the "Oil Low" light comes on, know how a tire pressure gauge works, know that Pontiac built both beautiful (Firebird/GTO) and hideous (Aztek) cars, and have an account on GRM's message board, you're more of a "car guy" than about 98% of the population.

Lesley wrote: I don't even have a garage, have no berkleeying idea how to megasquirt,

ddavidv wrote:

Lesley wrote: I don't even have a garage, have no berkleeying idea how to megasquirt,

It's all on the Internet. Lots of videos to watch.

you would not be on the boards or reading the magazine if you did not like cars. we do not need to even go beyond that at all.

In reply to CarKid1989:

Relax. The simple fact that you actually care about the stuff you mentioned in your OP is evidence that you really are. The level of ability to work or participate is not a measure of the level of the passion.

CarKid1989 wrote: - In all the cars i have owned, and its been a lot, i have never bought, installed or had in any way custom wheels on any one them. All stock. (This is usually the first thing people change) This is sad

Out of 120+ cars I've owned I think I've bought custom wheels for 4 of them. And at least one of them I only did it because I needed wider wheels for autox tires

CarKid1989 wrote: - I actually have fuel economy heavily weigh in on a potential purchase. This one gets me because if cars are truly my passion why do i give a hoot what MPG they get? Daily driver practicality gets front seat maybe?

If you have to DD it why not let MPG be part of the decision. Weighing all the factors of a car makes you much more of a car guy than someone who buys "the red one"

CarKid1989 wrote: - I have never rebuilt an engine/ cyl head/ trans/ diff. "nuff said ( well a few bench ones but never for a running car)

You are young it will happen. I still haven't built a trans. Haven't done a full rebuild on an engine either.

CarKid1989 wrote: - i rarely even get out and race anymore Used to AutoX all summer since age 17-almost 20. Car sold, DD only and no races all of a sudden.

I haven't autocrossed in about 6 years now, I pretty much dont have a whole lot of interest in competitive driving at all these days. Tell me to turn in my "car guy" card for that and I'll fight ya ;)

CarKid1989 wrote: - never owned or really messed with a forced induction car. at all. nothing.

Didn't get my first forced induction car until I bought that Capri XR2 for BABE in 2011, so I was 40 before I got my first turbo and I wouldn't even say I messed with it much. But do yourself a favor and do it sometime...boost is fun ;)

CarKid1989 wrote: - never seen a live race. (never done a $20XX Challenge)

Again, same deal, 39 before I attended my first live race.

None of these things make you a car guy or not. Hell I know people who have been to alot of races that I wouldn't consider car guys.

Everyone has a different measure of what makes them a car guy and what doesn't. I can say that you, and most of the folks here, I could sit down and have a "car guy" conversation with without feeling the need to slap you in the head. Not so much for the wannabe car guys I run into at work from time to time.

I just realized that I haven't owned a manual car in over a year, and have only driven a manual once in that time! Selling off my fun car to finish our old house, selling our old house, and buying a new house has kept me very occupied, though. As a bonus, I have my first real garage - so I guess I have a fighting chance of remaining a car guy

Car guy is a pretty broad swath of people.

The guy that does all the maintenance on his cars but isn't into motorsports and has no show or race car is one. The guy that stuffs 26s and 6 12s into his caprice is one. The super retentive 100pt resto guy, yep him too. You don't need to do it all to enjoy it or be a "car guy". I enjoy wrenching more than racing or showing, but I do all three. Others like to drive but don't/can't/won't wrench. Others like to have a shop build a bad ass show car and just drive/trailer it to shows. To each is own, we may not be the same but deep down we are cut from the same cloth.

My 77 year old dad drives up to the Friday night car show in the summer and uses a cane to walk to a bench and watches all the cars go by. He doesn't even walk the show any more. But he watches the cars and will discuss classic cars all night. He does little work on cars or goes to races. But he is and has always been a car guy.

It's in your blood.

Lesley wrote: I don't even have a garage, have no berkleeying idea how to megasquirt, but love cars in my own way. .

Yeah, but you drive more cool cars than 99.9% of everyone on this board. And you draw car pics better than 99.99% of everyone on this board

We each do "car guy" in our own way

Hasbro wrote:

Lesley wrote: I don't even have a garage, have no berkleeying idea how to megasquirt, but love cars in my own way. .

Yeah, but you drive more cool cars than 99.9% of everyone on this board. And you draw car pics better than 99.99% of everyone on this board

And I seem to recall her occasionally keeping car bits in the house (side effect of not having a garage), and that is a habit that endears her to many of the people here.

If the thought of cars raises your blood pressure--even a few ticks--then, yes, you're a car person. Relish it. (Mmmmm, relish.)

now granted i have done pretty much everything in your list tho i havent raced at all in past 4 years. not even an autocross. and i only buy wheels for a car once ive decided i need more traction than the tires i can fit on stock wheels provide.

Car guy, I might not be as "hard core" as some people here. Lately I have been doing a lot of RC car racing, I do tend to visit those forums a little more than this one, but that is becouse between my daughter and I we have three cars we run every weekend (yes there is a big GRM sticker on my pit box/tool box). I have not replace a engine from a real car in about ten years now give or take. Some day I might do an auto X but, all in all, I do still considder my self a car guy.

I have to agree with everyone, you're still a car guy. I've done pretty much everything on your list, but in the past few years, I've done almost nothing on the list. I'm still a car guy. Just because circumstances have kept me from doing certain things, it doesn't change my love of all things automotive.

And this is where the real car guy thing is, the love of all things automotive. There are numerous ways to do this, from the guy or girl that builds a Nova to do local car shows, to the guy or girl that always dreamed of a new car and finally gets make that happen, and everything in between.

It's all good and there's a place for all of it. Except for those crazy guys that love Chevettes, I really worry about them.

JoeyM wrote: I haven't done most of the stuff you listed, either. No Turbos, no engine rebuilds, no rims (I'm too cheap for that).....I think it is possible to be into cars without being a TYPICAL car guy. We had a thread recently about being a "gearhead,". I posted there, but later deleted much of the post. Some of what I started to say there fits in much better in this thread. That's exactly how I feel. I'm certainly not a traditional car guy....I'm just a DIY guy who took on the biggest project I thought I could handle; fabricating an entire car from scratch. I like trying to make stuff. I've already told several people that when this is done the next project is probably an acoustic guitar. Last night, I told someone last night that fabricating body panels makes sense to me. Engines still scare me....I don't know how to do most of the things that are traditional "car guy" stuff. I'll learn it when I get there, but right now, that stuff bothers me. I think of the chassis and body panels as being like an art project....panel bashing as a form of sculpture. The datsun replica was/is a creative outlet, not engineering....It was learning to form something with my hands, not an exercise in seeking maximum performance. HOWEVER In the process of working on the datsun replica, I have learned a lot about cars over the past few years; enough that non-gearheads don't usually detect that I'm not one. (A real mechanic will know the difference. A shade tree mechanic or tuner kid will know the difference.) I still have people come to me for advice, though, because I have a reputation as a someone who knows something about automobiles. On a different note, remember that jeep ad from a few years back? That tagline, "What we make, makes us," really resonates with me. It even hangs in my garage. Trying to fabricate an entire car has changed me as a person.....I took on something that nobody thought I could do, and now, nobody I know doubts that I can do it. I learned quite a bit about being creative, resilient and refusing to give up. I'm still in awe of most of the GRMers who fabricate for the challenge - the skill level is astonishingly, intimidatingly high - but I'm certainly able to take pride in the little bit that I've done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5T96LHnEWw
That's beautiful, man.
(speaking of your post you erased and of the jeep slogan. Never saw that but that is a fantastic slogan. Very resonant.

corytate wrote:

JoeyM wrote: remember that jeep ad from a few years back? That tagline, "What we make, makes us," really resonates with me. It even hangs in my garage. Trying to fabricate an entire car has changed me as a person.....I took on something that nobody thought I could do, and now, nobody I know doubts that I can do it. I learned quite a bit about being creative, resilient and refusing to give up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5T96LHnEWw That's beautiful, man. (speaking of your post you erased and of the jeep slogan. Never saw that but that is a fantastic slogan. Very resonant.

Here's the ad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi0SbrrGaiw

JoeyM wrote:

corytate wrote:

JoeyM wrote: remember that jeep ad from a few years back? That tagline, "What we make, makes us," really resonates with me. It even hangs in my garage. Trying to fabricate an entire car has changed me as a person.....I took on something that nobody thought I could do, and now, nobody I know doubts that I can do it. I learned quite a bit about being creative, resilient and refusing to give up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5T96LHnEWw That's beautiful, man. (speaking of your post you erased and of the jeep slogan. Never saw that but that is a fantastic slogan. Very resonant.

Here's the ad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi0SbrrGaiw

nice! one of my favorite Cash songs, too!
(searching the internets for a banner or poster now) lol

CarKid1989 wrote: Was thinking (always thinking) about car stuff, my past cars, current vehicles, and future projects and ramblings, and i discovered that i may be a fraud/ not hard core/ disillusioned car guy. For example: - In all the cars i have owned, and its been a lot, i have never bought, installed or had in any way custom wheels on any one them. All stock. (This is usually the first thing people change) This is sad - I actually have fuel economy heavily weigh in on a potential purchase. This one gets me because if cars are truly my passion why do i give a hoot what MPG they get? Daily driver practicality gets front seat maybe? - I have never rebuilt an engine/ cyl head/ trans/ diff. "nuff said ( well a few bench ones but never for a running car) - i rarely even get out and race anymore Used to AutoX all summer since age 17-almost 20. Car sold, DD only and no races all of a sudden. - never owned or really messed with a forced induction car. at all. nothing. - never seen a live race. (never done a $20XX Challenge) maybe im only half a car guy? too busy with other life things? Hmmmm dunno. Maybe in time things will work out. Maybe i am only half the car guy i thought i was

I make it a habit of buying factory alloys off people for pennies that they are getting rid of to put on other rims.

I wish I didn't have to burn premium in my current car.

I do a lot of work on my cars, but have not rebuilt major parts. I have rebuilt a RD 400 from a box of parts.

I have had to quit running rally-X due to selling my Outback and getting a WRX. I don't have suitable suspension for it yet.

I have seen a few races. I go spend days prepping rally roads and sit in the bush for hours to see a bunch of rally cars go by for mere seconds.

My WRX is only my second forced induction car. The first was a TD Golf and that barely counts cause a turbo on a diesel just gets it to were you can live with it.

I am a car guy and you are too!

N Sperlo wrote: If you're on the GRM Forums and you think you just *might* be a car guy. Guess what. You're a car guy.

This.