True. It saved me a bunch of boring conversation the rest of the day.

Being a car guy is more than being a gear head.

We here on Pelican ask about a variety of issues relating to motors and performance but also ask about bodywork, interior restorations and electrical issues.

Car Guys buy/restore/maintain cars because of a love of the engineering built into the car.

My neighbor has an original 1965 MGB with all the documentation from date of custom order. He spent $25,000 restoring a $20,000 car because it originally was his dad’s car. and more importantly because he loves the car. Every registered Pelican Parts member appreciates this.

No offense but your rocket scientist neighbor likely bought his Tesla because it is currently the Vogue thing to do. Some will argue that they are saving the planet, however, there is a lot of research out there illustrating how EVs, like the Tesla, are actually worse for the environment than most/many internal combustion engines.

I recently read an article that said a classic internal combustion engine vehicle is better for the environment than a new EV.

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/evs-are-worse-for-the-environment-than-classic-cars/

As a car guy Teslas are a huge turn off for me. Putting the argument they have no “soul” aside, I am less than impressed with the build quality, support from the manufacturer, and general appearance of their entire model line. I was looking at the build quality of the CyberTruck and was amazed how poorly the various body panels met. On one vehicle the driver door was 1/4 higher than the b pillar.

My current daily driver is an E450 Coupe. 362 HP with a ‘mild” hybrid drive. In Eco mode I can get almost 40 mpg, in sport mode I can do 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. It is a blast to drive and the car has soul.

Unfortunately, most drivers out there can’t/won’t do the simplest maintenance issue on their cars, to include changing a tire.

Personally, if you brought your Cayman over to my place I would make you show me your motor so I could see how much the boxster engine has evolved from my old 2000 Boxster’s motor. . . and maybe we could talk about slapping a supercharger on that baby!

Back to Fred and Masraum’s comments. I don’t do sports. Don’t follow fashion. Don’t have much anything to contribute to small talk.

Wire a 120v outlet? Ok. Replace tie rod ends? Sure thing. Build a fly rod? Absolutely. Double clutch a worn out transmission? No biggie.

I am living in a time that doesn’t fit my skills and interests.

Depends... Looking at the current state of the world going forward your skills could become essential.

My step sister got a new car on her 16th BD and...
 

She ran it out of oil, didn't know what the oil light meant, so, with a few thou on the odo a new mercury was killed by ignorance.
My step son got a used Subaru sedan, and moved out of the house, before high school graduation, He ran it into the ground - drove it untill the pad lining was gone, ignored the grinding noise, didn't even ask me about it, continued driving untill the disc and pad were so badly worn, the piston popped out of the caliper.
When my grand daughter comes of age, i will do my beest to help her live with her new to her car.

chris

So, car guys that don't know about nor like sports, music, politics, TV, movies, culture, cuisine, travel, opera, fashion...they're "better" than people who do like those thing, but don't know cars?

Then, does that make me the Uber King Ruler Dude, since I'm a car guy AND like all of those things? I think so...

Usually car guys are better at drawing inference than this.

Some car guys don't like some of those things, it is true. Nobody claimed to be better. (Or if they did, no one takes them seriously. )
:D
Best
Les

Um no. I don't think anyone is saying that but...

I like "sports, music, politics, movies, culture, cuisine, travel, opera, fashion" but I dumped commercial TV about 10 years ago. Mostly YouTube now. My latest Sunglasses acquisition. Bought second hand for $120. They were about $1,200 retail in Australia.

Giorgio Armani Aviator sunglasses

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1693765957.jpg

I have not been a "car guy" in over 20 years...it was as much of a time and priority issue as it was I just lost interest.

But, my daughter had to know and identify all the fluid reservoirs in her FJ we bought for her used. She got a quiz on caution and warning lights, the owners manual, tire wear, filters, etc.

She also had to crawl under the FJ and change the oil, then change a tire in front of me with only those tools in her FJ.

She was delighted and I suspect most young people would be: If not, sucks to be you since you won't be driving.

Those are small hurdles for the opportunity to slip the surly bonds of farm in an FJ. I wish I had that opportunity...36p Beetle ftw.

My son was very mechanically inclined, worked the machnes with me for a long time before he got his license. He also worked for a friend of mine who owns a foreign car repair place...two summers of love.

Quick Sea Story: She was driving back from Florida to SC with her then fiance...he was towing the boat with a friend. She was in trail in the, I know, FJ, when the boat trailer had a flat tire.

He did not know how to change a tire, had no idea where the jack and tools were to accomplish said tire replacement.

Arden did it. They lasted another month of so.

"What a putz".

Life lesson, FTW!

I am a car guy always have been . To me it's a passion . Maybe less so as I age but still love tinkering . That doesn't make me superior to anyone that isn't . Just different .

I'm an extrovert 'car guy', I don't look at my shoes when I have conversations with non-car guys about non-car guy stuff :D

World would be a very boring place if everyone was a car guy, girl or alphabet gang car person

Same here. I tell people, I am not a real man because I don't watch any sports. Unless its bicycle racing but that's worst then watching paint dry. I can watch 4-5 hours of an entire road race and enjoy every bit of it seeing the tactics play out between them. Then again, I am weird.

When people ask me about the super game. I nip it in the butt early and tell them I have no idea and do not watch any sports. I do enjoy the Olympics

Funny, I'm a big car guy and I love my Tesla. After 100K trouble free miles, it's actually been the most trouble free car I've ever owned. And after 100k miles, the 0 -60 in 3 seconds is still a hoot. That being sad, I think ya just gotta hang around the right people.

A lot of us are just old (big 60 in 4 more):D but we like things we are familiar with like old car, old tools and old stoves as an example. I like some new cars, new GT3 for example but not a Tesla or that cyber truck but I like to look at the mechanical or elec parts on how its screwed together. I can't work on those and wouldn't want to, not that I work on my old cars now. I just don't enjoy doing it too much but am on schedule to change out the shocks on my wife's Sienna. Both kids are forced to do this with me. Muhahah. Its time after 100k on those old KYBs. I have no interest in cars from the 50s or the 60s. Sure the working principle are the same but for simple conversation while kicking tires with coffee in hand, its fun. Tell you the truth, I find it really boring when the shiny nuts and bolts guys talk about original factory specs and having the correct muffler tips. Big power, handling, I am all ears. Arts, I know nothing about but the typical stuff I was forced to learn in school but politics and etc are OK to listen to. Its about learning new things and exciting things. YOunger folks are interested in hacking, programming etc. This is their time and interest just like our super chargers and limited slip rear ends. In terms of mechanical repair, they maybe at a disadvantage but we are at a disadvantage with it comes to that damn phone or computer. This is not because they don't know it but lack interest just like many of us, we don't care to learn the computer or phones. Now, get the hell off my fooking lawn

One thing about non-car guys is they don't understand tools. They think our tools just lay around waiting for someone to borrow them. The idea that we have them because we need to use them is totally foreign to them.
At my dear wife's behest I loaned a set of jackstands to one of her friends a month ago. He's been back here at least twice since he took them. He has such a casual attitude towards tools that he can't be bothered to remember to bring them back. The idea that I might need them just doesn't compute with him.

I'd rather have a Tesla than a GT3. I've owned vroom vroom cars for 60 years and I'm ready for something different. If I'm going to own a car that is so complicated I can't fix it myself, it may as well be something more interesting than another gas burner. The environment or saving the planet or whatever has not one damn thing to do with it. I don't understand why so many people can't get it through their heads that electric is fun all on it's own - no other justification for owning them needed.

I read the start of this thread, thought of posting a reply, and then went to the driveway and replaced the stupid alternator (for the 3rd friggin' time) in the minivan. I'm a car guy, because I've always loved cars, from about the age of 2 (according to my parents). But I'm also a car guy, because I can't afford to always send stuff to a real mechanic every time something doesn't work on one of my cars or bikes.

I do 90% of the daily/routine/off schedule repairs on farm equipment, tractors included...it really is enjoyable to me given the access to the guts of the things.

I replaced a steering column last week on one.

I do not do diesel cycle work.

My two MF 2300’s are over 20 years old and run perfectly...the daily pre and post op care is everything. I am a beast about fluids, filters and grease. They are all stored inside and that makes all the difference in the world.

That, and frankly, I have been very lucky with car maintenance. I do enough to know what shape the Toyota’s are in.