Well yeah. Team Gruppe Hug, the anti-dick swingers.

It’s amazing how many of us who are total strangers share the same car guy life experiences.
I do still have my 38 year old 2,400 pound BMW hotrod that is, of the dozens of cars I’ve owned, the only one that is everything I want in a car (and none of the things I don’t want). It’s the one fun car I haven’t sold and probably never will, because it would be practically impossible to replicate it today (it would take a ton of time, and more money than I’d want to spend, and it still couldn’t be replicated exactly)..
I do still tinker with it, but it’s completely done mechanically and cosmetically, I drive it maybe 200 miles a year, so it just needs oil changes.
I also still do all maintenance and repairs on my dailies, but most years that’s just oil changes. We drive very few miles per year. Our cars can sit for a week without moving. So it isn’t much work needed.
I think part of my loss of interest is the changed car market. Cars have pretty much become uniform and commoditized. Back in our day, there was a huge difference between a Mercedes and a Honda. In construction and design and philosophy. The Mercedes or BMW was a stern driving machine made to last 30+ years. You’d save for many years to buy one, and then keep it for a long time. The Honda was a light cheap crushed velour economy car. The lowest priced Mercedes was still a completely different car than the highest priced Honda. But they each had their character.
Now they’re all the same. They look the same. They’re built the same. A top end Honda is a much better car than a bottom end Mercedes. None are made to last. They are all just leased disposable appliances stamped out in astronomical numbers. Even a $100,000 BMW or Mercedes is basically a disposable car.
Completely uninteresting to me.
BMW, with their (non M) line being all turbos and no manuals are of zero interest. Mostly moving towards electric there’s little hope.
The loss of my passion makes me a little sad because it was such a huge part of my life, and it does make me feel a bit “old.”

Raw knees excluded, who has admirably managed to keep the flame alive.

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Very profound point indeed about the top Honda vs. the bottom Mercedes and the sameness of cars. Are we saying that the sports car is dead?

E-powered cars or our mutual, Louisiana gal-pal?!?! :)

Pic can't be me as I do not wear necklaces, bracelets, rings, watches or any sort of pooftery as that. A man must not wear jewelry - that goes for former men who have lost their motoring balls to the aging process, too!

I can’t wait to get my 2-post in place. Spent the winter crawling around on cold concrete under the Speedster. Oh my achin’ back!

42 years of professional wrenching, 8 hours a day, 5 day a week has taken its toll on me. Add to that all the personal cars bought, fixed and sold and I'm tired. When I retired I said I wasn't going to touch another car except for the steering wheel and the gas cap. Now at 73 years old, I still do maintain my wife's Honda and mine but still "think about" how cool it would be to have another oval window sunroof beetle. Thinking about it is fortunately as far as it has gotten.

I am glad to still be a car guy. Just bought this '85 Cabriolet to "restore" for summer drives up to the coast of Maine with my girlfriend. Looking for seats and engines and wheels and deciding what color to paint it, will a GTI headlights, grille and fenders look better, will a tan top work with the original graphite and so on is terribly addictive. The feeling of accomplishment after getting it done even more so. Driving it around, a little more.


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Those VW Cabs are cool little cars on a warm summer day. When I was in high school only girls drove those but I remember later reading Danny Sullivan kept one at his home in Europe to tool around southern France.

Talking about Cayman upgrades, the Numeric shifter is amazing. I’ve had about every variety of 9X6 and 9X7 shifter, Numeric is worth the premium.

I can sympathize with those who say most modern cars don’t do it for them. I’ve been looking for a new fun car and nothing ignites the fire under me. I thought a Civic Type R might do it, but didn’t like the driving experience. Drove a WRX, GTI, Stinger, and G70, oddly enough the G70 was my favorite but I don’t want to spend over $40k on one. Drove a C5 Z06 over the weekend and it felt too big and wooden. My last Boxster did nothing for me, and I’m talking to a guy about a Cayman S in Texas but will probably end up passing because it’s really not getting me excited. I thought about an E46 M3 but keep reminding myself why I don’t buy modern BMWs anymore. I would definitely buy another air cooled 911 but don’t want to spend the current crazy asking prices, and would consider a 968 or 928 if the right car popped up. For new stuff, I’d probably go test drive a new Mustang but really have a hard time coming up with anything else that even halfway excites me. Maybe a Miata RF with the aero and Recaro package but that’s a $40k car. I somewhat identify with Embraer, I’ve had enough cool stuff in the past that most cars just don’t excite me anymore.

It's mostly a surprise present for my gf but it's growing on me. One day I'll just show up with it for our weekend road trips. She didn't like how a Miata looks when I was asking her what she liked but did like these little Cabrios.

Wrenching less and less..............
 

Don't get me wrong, I still am a "car" guy, but as I get older I seem to find more reasons to not get under a leaking or squeaking old car! The other day (3-4 months ago) I decided it was time to do an oil and filter change in the Porsche. Finally, last week, I got around to putting the car up on the lift, drained the oil, removed and replaced the filter and put in 11 qts of new 20w50 for the coming summer months. It took a couple of days for the ole bod to get over the aches and pains! I'm just glad that I built the 3.3SS engine 7 years ago! Now, the Pcar just gets to go out for short jaunts around where I live with the occasional Italian tune up (redline in every gear!) and some swoopy curves. I know that the day I put it up for sale will be fewer years than I have owned it and that is already starting to make me sad. In February of 2021 I will have owned this car for 20 years! That is much longer than I have kept any other car! Time marches on!

OWP, based on your recommendation alone, I feel that I must look into the Numeric shifter now.

Fred, your engine drop pics inspired a whole generation of PP 911 guys to copy you, including me.

I still work on a lot of equipment, I just have no time for working on a weekend car, especially a sports car. I thought I would, but I don't. If that means I am no longer a car guy, buenos días, Rustpickers.

This is a small sample. The two smaller tractors are 18 years old and have seen a lot of use. Both are still in the mix:

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What has changed is that I really like working on the 1996 Land Cruiser I bought from a friend of mine last year.

It is my DD and I don't think I have enjoyed a vehicle more, quirks and all. I have done the brakes, replaced hoses and wiring and will do shocks later in the summer. The exhaust needs replacing but I plan on jobbing that. I like working on it because it is my local DD and I plan on keeping it that way for as long as possible.

My Tundra is in great shape and I want to keep the miles off it - the thought of buying another truck makes me ill:D

Picture of both my two new "vehicles":

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Although my 911 is a work of art for me to look at, it's been a project for far too long. I'm within spitting distance of having it complete. However I keep having the vision of driving a good quality 366 replica convertible on sunny days around here. Could very well happen.

what is your real world MPG on that land cruiser. ? that is what i SHOULD have bought.

LOL! Reminds me of a years ago conversation with a shop owner/wrench. We having the old "if I won a lottery" fantasies. I mentioned a dream garage with a complete set of snap-on tools. He said if he ever won, he'd give me all his snap-on tools, because he'd never wrench on a car again...

Part of it is an aging thing. Pretty natural, I'd think. Anybody in their 70's who thinks they are 17 just might have a screw loose here & there.

Yep, I still like looking at old cars. I like looking at attractive young women too. But then reality bites when I think of the hassles that would be accompanying either one.

I've been a "car guy" since I was around 2 or 3 and the expression of this love has changed over the years but even if I'm living a life without a car at some point in the future, or fill in some other scenario, they've always been the thing that geeks me out more than anything else. Or, as my partner might put it, nothing else makes my face light up as much. So I still do my own maintenance and enjoy it (for example), even if I'm less interested in it now at 45 than when I was 30. But that slice of my identity doesn't really depend on a particular activity. I'm a bit less car-focused than I was at, say, 15 or 20, but this is only because as I got older I discovered new things in the world that interested me.

Once I finally get the 67 done, my next project will be a helicopter.

I love complex things. The 67 has been a full teardown, but that itch has been scratched. Even with the extra touches like centerlocks on an SWB.

Thought about doing my own car build from scratch, but would rather do 3 dimensions instead. Wanted to do flying things for a long long time. Aint getting any younger, nows the time.

Have more than a few acres so a helicopter would be a use from home thing while a plane is having to go to the airport. See too many buddies fall out after a few years cause going to the airport for a spin becomes a chore.

Print this ^. Place it in an envelope to be opened in 25 years, see what you think then.