12 replies to this topic

[cbstdscott]

Not me. At least not me yet. But there are times when I want to roll the bastard off a cliff and never look back. But then we reconcile, we have a great wekend at speed together and old wounds are forgotten.

I am talking about the guy who spent building a Countach from scratch in his basement over the course of 17 years and then had to demolish a brick wall of his house to get the car on the street. From the stories I read, the guy had a better relationship with the car than with his own family, sacrificing watching his child grow to machine another part for his obsession.

Hmm, obessed. Down in the basement. I wonder... are there any unexplained missing children reports in that neighborhood?

So I guess I can understand getting tired of a project car and needing the space for a new project. But what I can not understand is letting a hobby interfere with your relationship with your family. As Groucho Marx once said, "I like a cigar, but I take it out of my mouth every so often."

Are you obessed? Do you put your hobby before the important things in life? Or would you know if you had fallen off the rep end?

Scott

[rallyxcrx]

I'd like to put my car stuff first, but if I do, I know there will be trouble, so I don't, Dave

[NWClassicHonda]

My cars are rite up there in the importance list. Not the very top though.

[Old School REX]

I bought a house, am getting married in about a year, and am going to school to change my career field. I have done all of these things and my race car has not ran in about 4 years. It has been a worthy sacrifice and I would not change a thing.

I consider myself a jack of all trades, and a master of none. I enjoy photography, playing music, woodworking, home improvement projects, and my friends/family. The later comes first.

[PHAT87CRX]

To be the most positive and productive contributor and participant in any aspect of a persons life, that person them self must be fulfilled and satisfied as an individual. For some that "foundation" satisfaction and fulfillment comes from getting and fixing an old Honda or other kind of car the way they like it. If that is accomplished, that persons positve contribution and participation in all other aspects of their life is uninfringed and magnified imho. An unfullfilled individual contributes less than their full potential. Nowadays there seems to be "labels". If a person starts things without finishing them they're labeled "ADHD". If they start something and stubbornly stick with through completion they're labeled Obsessive or "OCD". Projects take time. But then they have shows like Overhaulin' that put forth unrealistic scenarios where it's all accomplished in 1 week. Reckon the challenge is to find a middle ground and balance, as with all things.

[koshir]

I'd like to put my car stuff first, but if I do, I know there will be trouble, so I don't, Dave

The same at my place
(I did try that before and its sucked all my money went into car, it wasn't worthed, you have to choose somewhere between enjoy life and have great hobby - tuning cars)

[slavteren]

Hi, back from the dead

You talk about car versus the important things in life.. well some of us have other priorities
as a good friend told hes former girlfrien: Don't ask me to choose between you and my car, or you will be homeless

In my case, racing comes first, and my family and friends are very supportive on that, but then again, they never had a chance to tell me not to, and friends that could not live with that are free to move on

[E-AT_me]

well, my 86 civic hasn't run in 5 years.. i'm now divorced.. my civic will hopefully run soon... after i get my finances in order, that is.

[miraclecivic]

Family come first. Cars hobby after that. Since we need to work to support our family, we should have hobby to release
our stress. If we just work without stress relieve, Can you imagine? A hobby doesn't always mean spending big money.

[Buford]

I've always combined Family and Cars. Met my wife in Europe, she's from Detroit so cars were central to her culture growing up. She helped with the Formula 2 car in Europe and traveled to all the circuits over there and helped out. Even did the pit board work. She traveled to Italy and England with me on parts runs. Back here in the states she was my team manager when we raced Formula Fords. RedSIBaron grew up around racing and building Hondas. He was only 3 1/2 when I did the Teg brake swap on a 3g. He went with to the junkyard when I bought the brakes. His first car was the red 3g and learned to do body work and engine work when he was 14 -15 years old. He graduated from college in a car design program. He is currently building a monster Turbo 240sx. Wife drove with me all the way out to Seattle to trailer the KaKaBox back, the family has gone to many car events this year including Import Alliance in Charollet. See you can make it work, just have to involve every family member, in some meaningful way.

[BobCatRex]

I don't know enough about tuning for this to be a problem.
What I'm about to say is probably sacrilege on this forum but... I don't like to work on my cars by myself, I'll do it, but any big projects, I like someone else to at least be there to talk to while I do it. (I'll call up a buddy and put him on speaker phone while I do a tune up for example...) I like projects to be a coalescence of minds and experience. So I suppose I ultimately put family and friends before my cars... in that I trick them in to helping me on my cars Can't alienate them if they're included!

[gustav129]

I try to balance automotive and everything else. I've been putting racing off, or racing part time for a while now.

[anjin]

If you want to do a project then you have to put consistent time into it or its never done. When I'm into a project I try to put 2 or 3 evenings into it each week, even if its only an hour getting something small done or prepared. Plus some of a day over the weekend. So about 12 -15 hours a week. But I have been known to put in a solid week or two as well, when at that stage.
Track wise, I limit myself to once a month. And that's partly social as the honda guys hang together.

My partner understands I do get involved and committed in these things. She sees cars as ok, compared to other things I could get involved in! I have been a serious gym goer, which also took three evenings a week for a number of years. And a competitive sailor, which took an evening or two and a whole weekend day out during summer. It's part of who I am - yes, a bit ocd. But I know it, and try to maintain the balance. I also be realistic over what to attempt - a coutach is several continents too far.

The rest is family.
Of course, sometimes they or their friends need car work done as well!!! Fixed two family car problems two Saturdays ago with my son. I still call that one family time however!