I am 46, still love driving and wrenching. I don’t hAve kids so that does make it easier to find the time. I still intend one day to build a jag xj13 reproduction, a few years away yet but I’ll get there. The idea of building a custom bodied car also very much appeals to me but I dont know if I’ve got it in me to learn that skill set.

Driving, great. Proving myself by being a wrench is becoming a bit tiresome, just not enthusiastic about anything excessively oily or requiring more than a 1/2 days work. Getting older also means injuries, and working on cars doesn't help one bit- did some hard pulling on a breaker bar while under my truck a few days ago and I wind up with a screwed up rotator cuff. Easier to get cuts, as well I've noticed.

WTF?

It was over 70 here today so I took the motorcycle out around 6pm and just enjoyed being on it.

Supposed to be 68 tomorrow so I will prob take the Westfalia out since it is supposed to snow again in a few days.

I still love driving.

I own an air cooled 911 that’s been with me since ‘2004.

Love it.

I own a 996, a 997.2C4S, and now a 2015 991.1GTS with a manual transmission and painted in the most beautiful Sapphire blue metallic color. It is such an amazing car. So tight, and so right in every way. I LOVE that car, and every time I drive the older 911 I am utterly reminded of how far Porsche has moved the game on in every respect, to include reliability. The older 911, while charming and fun in a nostalgic sense, cannot compare in any way to my GTS.

What I’m trying to convey is that we can still love the amazing cars of today without the burden of needing to constantly fiddle with them. To me, that’s a huge part of the appeal. I’ve worked on my babies (my 911’s and other vehicles) most of my life. I’m over it. But that doesn’t mean I’m over owning and enjoying what the newest sports offer. Far from it. Still a car guy through and through. I just don’t feel the need to wrench on them anymore.

Mee too.
Had my 911 since 2004. Last ten years I go for a short run once or twice each summer. Just to keep it running. Every winter I contemplate selling it but when I go for a ride I change my mind. It is a fun driving car after all.

Age does it to all of us. Mine has been sitting with a trickle charger for months....

I have car guy friends. I have a wife who likes to go out in a convertible. I still work full time and have a ton of responsibilities, so taking a drive is still a treat for me. I sometimes think things have more of an appeal when there are obstacles keeping you from them. I don't have the freedom to do what I say I want, so it just makes me want it more.

I'm going to be building a full downstairs bathroom and giving up my office so my MIL can move in with us. Our parents are quite elderly. I'm not really into cars so much as I am into the dream of fun times and nice sunny days. I'm never going to stop working because when I do, I start turning into a vegetable. I'll never be able to keep up with all my personal projects, and that's OK. Keeping moving is something to do. It's all worthwhile, it's all something to do.

FWIW, my grandmother was the nicest person you could ever hope to meet, and a great judge of character. She was always on the sofa watching soaps and Mannix, and she died in her early mid seventies. The couch got her. Keep moving. The couch pretends to be your friend, but it's NOT.
The people who stay in this hobby are the people who have friends in the hobby, go to car shows, events, the track, whatever. The people we know in this hobby are a big part of the involvement for some of us. Order some parts, change those pads or get those new tires. Take a drive someplace nice, and go for a walk. Look at some Spring flowers or something.

At a certain point in my life, I lost motivation. I don't have drive. What I do have is plans, procurement and scheduling. If I start something, I know I will finish it. If I whine and moan about it for an hour, I know I will get over it, once things start to come together. I'm not going gently into that good night. There will be plenty of time to sleep when I am dead. I don't want to do things because I feel like it, I want to do things because I SAY I want to do things. And what are you all saying? What you say is your context. Change your words. Change your context.

Screw the couch. It isn't your friend. If the only kind of trophy I get this year is a participation trophy, well at least I was able to show up for my own life.
Sometimes it seems just as easy to stay home because you don't feel like it. But often, if you get yourself up and out, the most interesting things happen because of it. Because you can.

SO, are we living to day, or are we going to slowly die of comfort? Not that there is anything wrong with that. :rolleyes:

Do the thing. Move the muscles. Breathe the air. Make new happy memories. Come to the campfire and share them.

Arrange for some "off time" by yourself in your car. You can set aside a game of golf, or go to a gym, go for a hike, shoot pictures outside, go to a movie, a hair cut, a chiropractor adjustment, or any sort of hobby....but do it a short drive away from your normal town. That way you can work your enjoyment of driving into a regular routine. Enjoy living.

I enjoyed reading all the responses and thank-you to DanielDudley for your contribution.

I am currently 49 and like all of you have been a gear head for decades, I've built some amazing cars over the years and I've decided to continue raising the bar. I've added 3D modelling, Solidworks, a 3D printer and other fabrication tools to my garage to make it fun, easier, more accurate and to develop or increase my technical skills.

I've never been much of a TV couch guy or Sports guy as I prefer messing around in the garage, the only time I watch TV is for an hour or so or a good movie to relax with my wife.

Typically I dream up projects much faster than I can execute and so my punch list is getting long.
But what is cool is that my neighbor who's well into his '70s and a huge gearhead, I keep him excited with the things I'm doing and he does the same for me. We basically live in each other's garage.

This year I am going to complete the following projects:
1) Turbocharge my 1986 BMW635 CSi...with a 400hp goal in mind
2) Complete a Haltech EFI in my Datsun 280ZX Turbo...with a 450hp goal in mind
3) Finish refurbishing my 1987 Porsche 928S4 Manual
4) Finish a whole bunch of things on my 1988 928S4 Manual
5) Finish a complete refurb on my 1979 Euro BMW 635 CSI
6) Finish a sympathetic restoration on my 1988 Mazda 323 GTX

That list should keep my out of trouble.
Yasin

My parents saw cars as a big expensive appliance we kept outside. I don't know for sure where my love of cars came from, but I lusted after the 911 since 1965. I actually talked my dad into going on a test drive in 1967 in a 911 S. I was totally hooked at that point, and he bought an Oldsmobile Delta 88.

When I turned 16 I already "owned" my car, a 1960 VW bug that dad gave me an interest free loan for it. I made two payments before I was licensed to drive it by myself. He paid for the insurance and I paid for 100% of all other costs for the car. I learned to work on it and every car since.

I am 65 now and I finally have the garage I dreamed of all my life.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586352258.jpg

I did my annual brake fluid flush a couple of weekends ago. My garage has a heater, and I did my suspension refresh during a blizzard while working in a t-shirt and jeans. I have bathroom in the garage, and it is air conditioned as well. To spend all day out there when it is 100+ and not just be exhausted from the heat is wonderful.

With my 1986 El Camino about to roll to 370,000 miles and the 1985 911 at 175,000 miles there is always something to do on the cars. Always. There is no part or system on either car that does not have traces of my DNA on it, or it has handled by me.

I will admit some of the fun of working on cars has diminished. It does hurt more, especially the next day. Recently I had to replace the OEM turn signal relay on the El Camino. THe manual says it is located in the "convenience center" and I can only assume it was convenient for the assembly line to put it there. It is almost impossible to get to. I had to have the top of my head partially depress the brake pedal while laying on my back and contort my arm to get to it. There are of course lots of sharp edges and I used 4 band aids after my shower to avoid bleeding on the furniture. It was a difficult ordeal.

I am not even sure where I could go to find a competent mechanic willing to do the job. Not many shops have anyone around that works on 1980s cars. It took a lot of call to friends to find "the guy" that knows 1980s American cars and how to align them properly and not just what the computer says.

I think cost of a Porsche is a big part of it too. I drive my 01 miata and think "Geez, I could crash this into a wall and just buy another one". With the 996 4S, everything is over the top ridiculous money which I am not sure is worth the pleasure return. Miata is no where as fast but just as much fun. Doesn't get the looks the 996 4S does but really don't care anymore. I guess I would miss the preferential parking at restaurants. :) Okay, only happened once but it was a great spot.

When I owned the 986S I replaced the front struts for $250 a pop. I think I could have bought all 4 for the 01 miata for a little more than the 250 total. As I get older I am realizing that I am getting closer to retirement. I struggle with the money part of it. I can afford it but is it smart. Sh#t happens after all.

Maybe selling and going to see other people's cars at show is the answer.

Still a car guy. But different. When I was young, I was like Ricky Bobby. I wanted to go fast. Bought "fast cars" and tried to make them faster. Tracked cars via driving events. That made the gofast attitude on the street halt as i realized how not wise it is to use the streets as a race track. And I think, for me, modern sports cars are way too capable to use the car to even 50% of its potential. (I live in silicon valley, so congested. And the roads by and large need repair.)

Now, i bought an old air cooled VW (I have a water cooled P car as well) and just want to cruise around with no radio on, just myself and my thoughts. Still want to work on it, as it's my "me" time. It's a swing arm car, and I spent a few hours raising the rear passenger side 1 degree to satisfy my OCD. But I enjoyed it. So, not out of the game yet. One day, I know my body won't let me do what I want to do. But until that day comes, I'll be tinkering. :-)

I'd say I'm really not a NEW car guy.
I can't work on most new street cars, cars that need to be taken to a dealer for specialized tools or training.
It started when just changing a headlight became a challenge.
Working on newer production cars is not fun anymore.

Prefer to drive cars that are not nanny dependent.
Prefer not to compromise my limited car control skills by becoming dependent on new computers controlling each wheel independently.
Still like to heal toe downshift, and left foot brake.

Like to go fast and be able to wrench on and improve my car.
As a renaissance driver/racer an old race car provides driving and wrenching challenges.
Older race cars were made to be easy to service.

I wondered if a new GT3 was really that fast, or important to me.
Those concerns were erased at the track when my old race car was passing them.
Its quite something to pass a new sports car that cost 4 times your own and has every computer advantage available.
It reaffirms your car control skills and that old race cars can be more satisfying/rewarding than the new computers with tires.
On the same track I've gone 165 in a GT3 and a little faster in my old race car.
This old race car is safer, faster and much more fun imho.

I'm not a NEW car guy.

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Looking back, I pretty much spent every bit of free time wrenching on cars. First, daily driving the 911 through final years of university and first year of full time working with a 100 mile commute - had a bit of time, didn't have money, had to do all the work myself. Then I got a bit smarter and got a beater commuter - Mk2 VW's and E36 - didn't have time, had a little bit more money but still had to do all the work myself, now on 2 cars. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but my wife (then girlfriend) is an angel for not complaining too much.

Fast forward to 2012. Parked the 911 at my parents' garage and moved to the UK. First year - back in school, didn't need a car. Second year - bus wanker, didn't need a car. Third year - finally bought a car, well a van actually. A friend had converted a small van to a camper which we bought and drove all around France, Spain and Germany for 2 weeks. My priorities shifted. Travelling and driving in one - sounds great!

Still do a fair amount of work on my cars but mostly because I have to, not because it bring me any joy. The last car I bought is a 2005 Mini Cooper S, which actually reminds me a lot of the 911. Enjoy driving it, don't really enjoy working on it. In fact, I just don't enjoy lying under a car sitting in jack stands any more. Not having a garage space doesn't help either. My daily driver is a brand new A180d through company lease scheme. I only have to open the hood to refill the washer fluids. Love it. Does 50+MPG. Love it. Plenty fast for these roads and comfortable. That's just about all I want in a car nowadays. What the heck happened??

I'm very fortunate that I get to play with race cars at work, and I have zero desire left to dick with my own cars. Of course, some people at work like fast cars, and I can get a selection of AMG cars for a very good deal (for how much they retail), but I just don't see the point. Work mates always ask when I would ship my 911 over, which would cost less than buying a semi-beater car here. The thing is, I just don't miss it that much! I know, it's shameful. Sometimes I wish I was in it when I'm driving through a really nice Alps road or something, but then I remember it would cost a fortune in fuel just to get there, and we will suffer without the A/C the whole time.

2 years ago, I was supposed to get a Mercedes Marco Polo on the scheme and take it around Europe for 2 weeks. Sadly there was a recall pre-delivery which meant I couldn't collect the car in time for the trip. So I had to kit out the little van we had for taking bikes, etc. for a 2 week trip. I loved doing that, and of course we enjoyed the trip. On the way back, we saw a convoy of fast 911's, Lambos and McLarens waiting for the Chunnel. My wife and I agreed that, if we had half of that kind of cash to spend, we would buy a Marco Polo. Maybe one day I'll hit my mid life crisis and get back into a sports car. Until then, we can enjoy the journey AND the destination together in a slow van.

Kitting out the van:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586375681.jpg

Parked next to a Marco Polo (oh the irony):
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586375719.jpg

Well said.

I guess that says a lot for the lot of us. We are all getting older and for my part, I'm not on the 911 tech forum so I don't know any of whom may be coming in to replace us.

One thing for sure, this thread wouldn't go over well there. So there must be some enthusiasm somewhere.

Funny story (to me anyway): I got all jazzed up to go to the Porsche Driving Experience for R Gruppe's Cris Heurgas' memorial and got to work 2 days in advance polishing the Boxster. I just needed some inspiration to do that much work and it needed it.

So all done and the morning of the event I grab my wife pretty early to be 'on time'.
Well on time showed us a 1/4 mile long line to get to the gate and a full parking lot as well as cars parked on the street outside in both directions for almost the same distance. All kinds of cars.

Nope. Drove home and parked it. All shiny. How was I supposed to know that they have a "Porsche In" once a month and this was that day on top of the memorial?

But that's where I'm at anymore, just keepin' the cars clean and detailed.

Most of the time.

After a few years of light DIY, I still get a rewarding feeling. I just did some fluid changes and suspension work this week and enjoyed getting it done. But a decades of it would get played out. You can only climb each mountain once, and it gets redundant.

Those who think modern cars stink have never driven a BRZ. Greatest car made in the last 30 years.

Except its a 100hp light

And for the money I’d rather have a Miata.