Keeping Interest in Cars

Sprayin

Public Enemy #1
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Oct 8, 2008
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I don't know if its me getting older, but I feel like I'm starting to lose that "passion" I once had for cars. I don't search out meets anymore. I rarely take my car to the track/street anymore. I loathe going out and working on my project car. The things I used to find cool about certain cars (manual transmissions, road noise, loud exhaust, thumpy idle, etc) I now find to be obnoxious and inconvenient.

How do you keep your interest in cars fresh? Am I just being grumpy?

9oBvCKl.jpg
 

10sec

I haz dat teddy bear smile.
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Jul 26, 2008
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Yeah man, it happens. I can't say I feel the exact same way, but I certainly can't argue with a lot of the things you've said.

The only way I keep interest is finding goals with my cars. Goals for me are track times, that makes me keep wanting to make it better and making myself better at driving. It helps to have friends to compete with as well, and a winter of SHIT to make you miss the things you have, even though you FUCKING HATE WINTER with a passion.
 

Dan00Hawk

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Apr 10, 2011
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I think it helps to do something different from time to time. Whether that means a new daily car, a new project car, trying a different form of racing (drag, half-mile, autocross, track, rally, go karts), learning something new, or even watching a new show about cars. The same thing of even the best thing gets old after awhile. You need to find a way to mix it up.
 

1quick

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I still like to go fast but I dont make it out to many meets any more mainly just enjoy driving my car, last year I went to the track more than normal once I realized the car was a little faster than I had thought and i pushed to make the combo a reliable high 9's set up, this year id like to add a bit of power and just drive it maybe hit the track in the fall a couple times
 

Mr_Roboto

Doing the jobs nobody wants to
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I still like to go fast but I dont make it out to many meets any more mainly just enjoy driving my car, last year I went to the track more than normal once I realized the car was a little faster than I had thought and i pushed to make the combo a reliable high 9's set up, this year id like to add a bit of power and just drive it maybe hit the track in the fall a couple times

I think this is one of the reasons you saw "stang fever" in the forum. A contemporary Mustang a good combination of quick enough to be fun, easily modified and DDable easily esp at the price point. It's also not a time suck to get there like building a car is. That's a big part of my issue, I just don't have time to do a ton of the shit I used to now.
 

guspech750

Guspech Superdriller
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Jan 23, 2010
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Ever since my car was wrecked by a drunk driver. I dread starting over. I just donā€™t have the will and energy to rebuild it or buy something different only for some bag of shit to possibly wreck my car again. I still really enjoy the automotive world. But Iā€™m going to take a break from play cars and just enjoy other things I like. I have other hobbies such as watches and golf. So itā€™s not like cars were my only passion.
 

Blood on Blood

rumble baby rumble
Apr 6, 2005
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I don't know if its me getting older, but I feel like I'm starting to lose that "passion" I once had for cars. I don't search out meets anymore. I rarely take my car to the track/street anymore. I loathe going out and working on my project car. The things I used to find cool about certain cars (manual transmissions, road noise, loud exhaust, thumpy idle, etc) I now find to be obnoxious and inconvenient.

How do you keep your interest in cars fresh? Am I just being grumpy?



Low T





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Pressure Ratio

....
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Nov 11, 2005
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The working on a car all the time isn't as fun to me as it was years ago. So getting burned out on fixing a car I totally get.

I miss cruise nights, late night hang out spots, and friends always cruising and fucking around. Now there are no good spots, the crowds there are about having the engine bounce off the Rev limiter in neutral, horrible camber, decals, and stance pics they can post on social media for cred. Not my thing.

So I do track days and cruise as my friends are able to. Otherwise it is about having a car that I enjoy driving as much as possible. Hitting the road with the windows down and radio up still is one of my favorite things to do. As well as enjoy what the car is capable of when it is the right place to do so. All adds up to a big smile on my face. I think the enjoyment between cars and myself will always be there to some degree.
 

willizm

Very Nice, Very Evil
May 13, 2009
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Some days I felt like I dreaded the thought of working on my car. Usually that would pass and Iā€™d get a bug in my ass to do something but as 10sec said, goals can be the motivator and that was true for me. Just being able to go out to the track last year after a couple years hiatus was some of the most fun Iā€™ve ever had.

Now, Iā€™m finding new excitement in the chevelle and the Supra. Itā€™s something new and instead of having the goal to go fast, I just want to enjoy driving the cars as that brings me a lot of happiness. The TA also did make me happy to drive it but I never used that car for what I built it for so now I get to help my buddy do that.
 

Bob Kazamakis

Iā€™m the f-ing lizard king
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Oct 24, 2007
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Iā€™ve never been about the meet game. Used to hit the track a couple times a year. Kind of embarrassed I havenā€™t been to bandimere raceway since itā€™s 3 miles away. I also never let other wrench on my shit, one man wolf pack here.


I donā€™t think Iā€™ll ever lose my passion for cars. I really think itā€™s a sickness. I look for mods for cars I donā€™t even own but want :rofl: and I have a ā€œboringā€ daily driver to help keep it at bay the best I can even though I have a stack of parts to put on it. Right now itā€™s just life in the way though, Iā€™ll get back at it as soon as I can.
 

DEEZUZ

NO PUKESTERS
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My interest just came back with the swap. I'm not even close to feeling how much power this thing has. Due to funding though I haven't been able to finish it and set it up to take advantage of full power. I'm so fucking itchy to drive the damn thing. Before the swap I was thinking about getting out of the car world again and getting something possibly with a warranty.

But then I realized that woulda been defeat for me and then down hill from there. Even though I wrench all week at work I still want to come home and tear into this thing... Just missing the fundage!
 

Great White Drake

You used to call me on my cell phone
Jun 23, 2010
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If youā€™re bored itā€™s because youā€™re not challenging yourself. New cars are very ā€œstage 1, stage 2ā€ cookie cutter. You buy a part, and know what to expect in performance. The recipe has been layed out.

Some might say that about my LS swapped Chevelle which might be true as far as building it. But, for me, an LS swap was a challenge because it was my first one. Iā€™ve spent hours researching and have no clue what performance changes Iā€™ve made and what effect theyā€™ll have because nobody has my exact combo. Itā€™s the guessing game relying on my knowledge to see if Iā€™ve made the right choice that makes modding it fun. As an example, Iā€™m adding a ram air because f body guys are saying they pick up 1-3mph with it on their cars. I have no clue if thatā€™ll be true for mine but Iā€™m ganna try it.

Rant over.
 

HILROD

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Oct 22, 2007
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Most of the time people rush in to modding or working on cars. They do a job they are not really capable of tackling without help and get discouraged. That or jump into mods that are cheap without supporting mods first and make a fragile or expensive mess out of a reliable vehicle. Tackle what you are comfortable doing, or test yourself but do it on something that won't make you lose interest.
 

Bru

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I'm on probably v3.0 on the TA. This most-recent recent switch helped keep it interesting. Removing all the drag stuff (tires, shocks, torque arm, cam, no-cats), and switching to a handling setup (Konis, handling torque arm, flatter powerband cam and heads, same tires on all four corners) with quieter exhaust, better ride and quieter suspension pieces really flipped the car 180-degrees and reinvigorated my desire to drive it.

Although this time, I did practically zero work myself. I still have the interest, just not the time. Though I do find myself wanting to start fresh on another project.
 

Shawn1112

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I donā€™t think I will ever lose the passion. Even my dailyā€™s get modded one way or the other.
I also just simply enjoy modding vehicles more so that doing repairs. I like the challenge of doing shit on my own vs paying a shop. Good example is my buddies Wrangler, he was gonna pay a shop 2 years ago an obscene amount of money to do a 3ā€ lift. I told him, fuck that bring it over and between the 2 of us we will figure it out. About 12 hours later it was done and he hasnā€™t had an issue in over 2 years. Cost him beer and a pizza for labor.
 

Bru

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go drive here

Circuit-of-the-Americas.jpg

I practically peed myself driving COTA in an ATS-V. Although that was before it was prevalent in sims. More virtual laps would help, though I've probably forgotten everything about driving it. Except letting the car settle after the bumps on the back stretch before jamming on the brakes before turn 12. Definitely won't forget that butt-pucker.
 

IceCreamAssassin

When in doubt, throttle out
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Jan 28, 2011
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There was a time when I drove a creep van that I thought my car life was over. I still always looked at cars and dreamed about what Iā€™d want and what Iā€™d do to them. I can honestly say right now is the most I have every enjoyed my fleet. A big part of it is what Iā€™ve chosen to drive everyday I think. I donā€™t have enough time to do all the work on my stuff Iā€™d like to, but itch to work on them all the time. I do find some of the things I want to do have changed some (like Iā€™m all for appearance stuff now and inside comfort stuff before ā€œbig powerā€). Also seem to really enjoy my two automatic vehicles which I never thought would happen.
I just hope as I get older I will be able to afford better/more/different things that will keep the grin on my face. Right now as I walk up to any of my vehicles I canā€™t help but to smile and look forward to getting behind the wheel.

Maybe itā€™s just time to mix it up or make a few changes?
 

Sprayin

Public Enemy #1
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Oct 8, 2008
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Grand Rapids, MI
If youā€™re bored itā€™s because youā€™re not challenging yourself. New cars are very ā€œstage 1, stage 2ā€ cookie cutter. You buy a part, and know what to expect in performance. The recipe has been layed out..

Most of the time people rush in to modding or working on cars. They do a job they are not really capable of tackling without help and get discouraged. That or jump into mods that are cheap without supporting mods first and make a fragile or expensive mess out of a reliable vehicle. Tackle what you are comfortable doing, or test yourself but do it on something that won't make you lose interest.

I think a combo of both of these might be happening. Like I had no problem feeling comfortable enough putting the blower on my 2018 Mustang. And for the most part, it went in just fine. Couple issues here and there but nothing major. Then with my project, I get discouraged on something simple like door panels. And it's not that I'm not capable, I've probably replaced every part there is on a fox 2-3 times in the past. Just maybe think there is so much to do with the car it's a little overwhelming.

I've tried to set goals for the car but I keep changing my mind on the direction to go with it. Too much planning, not enough execution. And I finally have enough funding to build a project, but now I either don't have the time or don't feel like working on it. Then I go through the "sell everything and get a fun driver." it's a roller coaster.
 
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