I’m not really a car guy anymore.
 

I remember who I used to be. I loved it.

Now, not so much. I tried to rekindle the fire of the weekend-shadetree mechanic but it didn’t take. I hated it. Climbing in, out, around, and under a greasy leaky mess is no longer a good time for me.

I bought a beater recently and regretted it damn near immediately. Thankfully a buddy really loved it and bought it off my hands.

I’ll do the occasional maintenance thing now. Change oil, empty and refill a transfer case, no problem. But shining up a turd? No thanks.

Let’s just say I no longer want an old Toyota FJ-40 ever again. What a mistake (for me). I’m no Leland Pate!

I can’t put a finger on what changed inside of me. It isn’t being lazy. Maybe, I tend to get OCD, I think. I can’t let a problem lie until “later”. It just isn’t in me anymore. Kinda sad in a way, it’s how we all met on this internet thing.

Yea I agree. My 911 just sits there waiting for “someday” like it has for years. Little to no use. The joy and romance of driving has largely gotten ruined in recent years and it’s such a chore now, plus the expense and difficulty... all to sit in traffic? Sure there are those moments :) but they’re fewer and further between sadly...

Everything passes.

I had dreams of being able to drive my 911SC when I was finally retired...then I got laid off two years earlier than I thought I could retire.
So much for the best laid plans as they say.
Guess I'm just glad I have a somewhat sports car that is paid for and gobbles up highway miles while keeping me comfortable. Frankly, I'd rather drive the car than work on it now.

Welcome to the club, guys. However, I still have certain performance likes when buying a car. Rear wheel drive, decent handling, good brakes, air conditioning, nice seating...1/4 mile around 14 or less.

My no status Mustangs fills those likes...so not really looking for another car.

Nothing wrong with paying the Porsche tax if it's what you like doing.

I hear you. Was a long time when playing with it was way better than driving it because of it being so purpose built.

Testosterone?

Well I was never a DIY person when it come to cars. I'm in it for the driving. I pay people to do the work, and cost that into my budget. If my experience had to included getting under a car and chewing up my knuckles and blowing my whole weekend, yeah, I would probably not be into either.

Perhaps change your approach?

One factor is that the world that made us "car guys" has moved on...much of the cool and fun factors of driving a special car are no longer around. Not for me, anyway.

Grateful to have played with cars during that era...lots of fond memories.

I go through periods of not wanting to wrench on cars. I’m in a short one now. After I finish some home projects, I’m pretty sure that I’ll be dying to get back to my car project.

I have the Westfalia if I feel like wrenching on anything but at this point I pretty much just drive it the way it is and the bump, scrapes and blemishes both exterior and interior just add character.

Still have to wrench on my daughters car sometimes but those old 5.0 Mustangs are pretty straightforward.

There is a reason I moved to newerish non air cooled 911's, so I could drive them and not work on them.

Me neither

I really enjoy working on the 356s and the VW. It's probably because I've spent so much time with them. They are like old friends. The 911 - not so much.

Me too. The State, the congestion, the incompetence.....there is little joy in it any more.

I'm there. Waiting until the economy comes back or I get an offer I like.
Now on the trickle charger.

I'm still the car guy I always have been.

Well, my 911 and other 911s. I don't care too much about modern fancy schancy sorta cars like Audi Q7s or cars that the dealerships can bend you over any time they like.

I had a beautiful run in the 911 the other day. It was like that flat six was speaking to me...

I was reading the recent barn find thread, some people were mortified that these cars were neglected, my thought was "who cares, It's a damn car".

There's often a sweet spot for middle class people where their age and income and enthusiasm for the hobby intersects. I'm still enthusiastic about cars in general, I still like talking and thinking about them, but my desire to own them has dwindled along with the elasticity in my skin.

Outliers like Roger Penske and Jay Leno, people who are as passionate today as they were 50 years ago are few and far between. I think there are still a few on this board, but I think just as many have lost the spark.

For me it’s a question of time. The last year has been terrible, three kids in sports, my wife and I both coaching, 50+ hour work weeks, travel, I had zero time for an old car. Now, in the age of CV? I’d kill for a fun car project. I’m absolutely the kind of guy that could retire and restore an old 911 bolt by bolt. It’s more fun when there’s no pressure, that’s one thing I’ve learned.

Cliff have you thought about buying something newer, fun, and just reliable? Paul’s suggestion is valid, a car that’s fun but just needs oil changes every 5k. I’ve considered it myself, particularly in the age of 0% for 84 months. A PP2 or Bullitt Mustang sounds pretty good sometimes.

Glad, and kinda sad, to discover I'm not alone.

I still get out there, but working on cars is no longer the therapeutic salve to my psyche it once was. Interestingly, however, the garage itself still offers a sort of respite from the world - like my personal fortress of solitude.

_

What is a PP2?

^^^ How long it used to take me to take a leak, squared?

(although cubed would be more accurate)

Sell me your 993s folks at a reasonable price. Good home. :)

Why I sold my 72 last summer. It ran and looked beautiful But, honestly, haven't regretted it once. In fact, after 30 years with it, I feel a surprising sense of freedom.

I’m in the same boat. It gets harder and harder every year to do maintenance, let alone repairs. The last project was installing a 3” level on the truck last summer. Nothing since, but I still look for good deals on tools. 😂

My current project car. Bumpers backdated, new wheels & tires, refreshed mechanical systems, completely new interior. Still need to finish up work on the 5-speed swap and then on to the suspension. vash, I bought this from up around your part of the state.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586225877.jpg

Performance package 2. GT350 lite...but not too lite.

https://jalopnik.com/the-2018-ford-mustang-gt-performance-pack-2-drives-like-1830127224

Wow, I’m there with you.
I thought I’d NEVER tire of cars. They’ve been my passion since I was 10.
As a kid I had many car related motivational life goals. Get a 911 by 25. Ferrari before 40. Etc.
In the 80s I read every page of Road & Track and Car and Driver, cover to cover, over and over (I still have most of them).
I’ve been a hard core DIYer my whole life. Everything from painting entire cars to engine rebuilds.
To this day in my mid 50s, I’ve only taken a car to a shop once (I had to throw in the towel on a BMW rear wheel bearing replacement). Other than that, I’ve done all maintenance and every repair on every car I’ve owned. (When I look back at all the jobs I’ve done, it’s hard to believe).
I retired a couple years ago and thought with all the time I’d have, I’d get even more into cars.
But nope. The desire to work on cars is gone.
I sold my 911. Don’t miss it. Sold my Ducati. Don’t miss it. In fact I feel relief with not having them around. I enjoy the simplicity.
And I’m not into cars in general. Part of it is my 2 loves, BMW and Porsche, have abandoned me. They make nothing I’m interested in or would want to own and almost certainly never will again.
I recently had a glimmer of old car interest recently, and had a deal on a BMW 635, around a month ago before everything hit the fan. I was ready to wire the money and the seller said the car had a mechanical problem he wanted to get fixed. I’m so glad it fell through.
Then a couple weeks ago I looked at a 633 project car. Needs a head gasket, and lots of other little things. I was really ambivalent about it. We were $500 apart on price. I didn’t go up, not because of the money, but because I wasn’t really sure I wanted to get into it. Again, I’m so glad I didn’t.
I do appreciate and read about various cars every day still. But I’m totally fine admiring from afar and letting someone else deal with the hassles of owning them.

It's still a hell of a lot of fun to adjust valve lash on the '84. Never was fun to change spring plate bushings. Working on the Cayman is WAY CLEANER than the 3.2 air-cooled 911. Even changing shifter cables is cleaner and much easier.

So not much has changed. Would I drop the engine on my buddy's 911 SC and fix the oil leaks and vacuum leaks in 2 days, like I would have 12 years ago? Probably not, but I have more responsibilities now too.

Everything is true. I've got a DD bmw 740 that is pristene. I've got a BMW 850 A.C. Schnitzer that sits in my garage, covered, and not getting out at all. I used to do the usual stuff but now I just call " the guy". Sad. But I'm getting up in years and I just can't get around liked used to.

Wow, that's very nice. How much work was needed? I know you have been working on it on and off.

I finally got the car a couple weeks ago. It has been sitting and I need to shake it down. There's a loose connection to my gauges. It only works sometimes. Need to play with the alignment. Its a bit twitchy. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586229734.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586229734.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586229734.jpg

Vash, you don't have to wrench on a car to be a car guy. I still over cars, but almost do work on them anymore, plus I suck as a mechanic. Hold on to that man car for a bit longer. I have had the itch for a WW2 or after Willy's for some time but no way do I want a project. A nice driver will be nice but no more cars for now.

What project did you buy?

You gotcherself a Kermit! Cool! You're gonna have a blast with that thing!

That is a beauty!

I wouldn't enjoy wrenching at my age if it wasn't for my 2-post lift and every tool I can think of - to make it as comfortable and productive as possible.
I'm not quite where you are yet but what was once unthinkable, isn't anymore though.
When I need turnkey, I ride my Harley...

Am quite relieved that my cars are mechanically done. Really enjoyed making them better, or adding special touches, but that was then. Yes there are better motors, brakes and suspension settings but I am over chasing ‘better’ or ‘killer’. It’s a game of diminishing returns costing cubic dollars that doesn’t work for this retiree. Every once in a while I look at a project car, and say to myself that would be so cool if....but way too much work and too many headaches I don’t need. Rather than trying to scare myself spitless going too fast, now I enjoying hiking the mountains, travel (when we could pre-COVID), my grandson and getting together with friends. Must be “low T” but I could care less.

Yeah, but twitchy as all heck. I have to really hang on when I hit a bump. Its was built as a track car, so no rubber parts. Shifting linkages are all heim joins so shifting feels really solid and great but loud as hell. Just thinking about it my fillings have fallen off.

nothing a brand new truck can't fix
 

this doesn't have to be a bad thing. you can still enjoy your vehicle without having to wrench on it yourself. I find it therapeutic to just hang out in the garage. I still work on my motorcycles and minor things on the porsche but I outsource the big jobs as it takes me too long to get major stuff done and I don't have the time or expertise to deal with it. I will say that the last time I was disillusioned with the older vehicles that need lots of attention, I bought a brand new Chevy truck got it leveled and threw a set of 35" tires on it and really love how trouble free and low maintenance it has been. Its my DD and dare I say I even enjoy it more than the 911 sometimes.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586231496.jpg

Last year, I changed the suspension, brakes, wheels, etc. from 987.2 to GT-3 specs on the Cayman. Did it all myself, then drove it to the alignment shop. Wheels went from 18" to 19" 997 wheels.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586227663.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586227694.jpg

Also added a center radiator.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586231797.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586231822.jpg

And still wrench on the G series 911

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586231882.jpg

^. That wheel change made a big difference in the way the car looks! Muy Bueno!

I too have lost the zest for cars. You would think I would all over the green car nwo that no one is on the road. I basically parked it hooked up a batter maintainer and walked away. Its been two weeks, I still think about it daily but that's it. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy driving and driving fast but I feel like I am in a rut and want to spend more time with family then go our and pull the dash chasing after a loose connection. I am 53 this year, so there's a bit of time left, but I rather spend it doing something else and not crawling under a car especially a lower 911.

I think guys like yourself are what's going to cause the price of these old cars to go down similar to the American hot rods. Once that generation is done playing or taper off, then markets drops. Its not a good or bad thing. Just the way it is. Hey enjoy the little one, family and the traveling will be back in full swing before you know it.

PROBABLY has massive negative camber and really aggressive spring rates. It would be a hoot to turn that car into a street GT car with rubber suspension bushings and sound deadening.