Did you grow up around cars?

[IronFreak]

It was my grandpa for me. Never euro though, that didn't happen until recently. He was a head judge for the world of wheels for over 30 years. I grew up in hot rods, I helped him build a 35' and 38' plymouth, and a 53' stude. I did my first motor swap when I was 15 after I blew up the v6 in my camaro jumping some railroad tracks (spun a bearing). Built my first motor when I was 18.....blew up a week later. second one lasted until I sold the car.

I eat, sleep and dream cars.

[slammin.e28]

I'm too cheap to pay someone to fix my shit.

So I flipped a switch and knew everything about cars.

(and knobs)

[rturbo 930]

Sort of... My parents had (and still have) a 78 280Z, 68 Charger, and a 67 C20, and my grandparents had a 70 GTO... but the GTO was sold when I was 7, the Charger was non-op until I was about 13, and the Z was put away when I was like 3... so there were cool cars around, but they didn't run.

My dad is mechanically inclined, and for whatever reason, I though that I would have inherited that trait... and I was wrong. I think I'm pretty good at picking parts that work well together, and I know more or less how to do the work properly, but I'm terrible when it comes to physically doing the work. Oh well. Kinda sucks though because I have a few projects that need a LOT of work.

[Mr. Tasty]

nope.

it wasn't until highschool where I developed a want/desire to be around them and tear into them.

this. Did my first engine/transmission swap recently at 23.

[lukeADE335i]

My Dad was a mechanic, who's specialty was building engines.

We had Chrysler Slant 6's, Hemis and V8s around, and later 60's and 70's Nissans.

He was very in to Euro stuff too, but just for engine parts to do "foreign" conversions to improve engines longevity on the cheap - eg. Volvo Mahle pistons into Slat 6 Chrysler engines, BMW pistons into Holden V8s etc.

He helped a lot in my early days tinkering with e21s. We rebuilt my first M10 engine when I was 19 (a long time ago now!)

[AndrewBird]

My dad was a mechanic for 15 years or so. He taught me a lot, then I just ran with it and it snowballed from there. When I was 2 he showed me how to disassemble and reassemble a 2-barrel carburetor. Used to do it just for fun. I still have that carb. Even did it blindfolded once. lol

[DER E30]

I didn't really work on cars till I got my truck at 13, before (and still) I love to take things apart to see what makes them work. Anything that has gears or burns fuel I seem to be drawn to. I learned lots from working on my truck, and from the diesel tech program in high school. My interest in BMWs seems to go back to my mom's e46 she got when I was like 14. That car was the first thing I drove on the street, and took my driver's test in. I've learned so much about e30 from reading about things on r3v. Without r3v I would know half or less about my car, hell, I found my car on the classifieds here!

I eat, sleep and dream cars.

Also, this.

I'm too cheap to pay someone to fix my shit

and this

[estoguy]

Between my dad and my best friend and his dad, spent a lot of time around cars and just general fix it type things. My dad wasn't a serious wrencher, as he did have the money to have someone do it for him, but he did like to tinker and would always look at something first before taking it in.

My buddy had beater cars and started wrenching on his own and with help from his dad and I. Really caught the bug working with him.

Now I own his old E30, and I'll never go back.

[Todd Black 88]

Somewhat.

My step dad used to be a spare pit crew member for a local trans am type race team, in his spare time. I grew up watching that.
I did my first motor swap, with him, on my 72 240z when I was 14. We swapped a 350/4 speed into it.

[Ether-D]

nope.

it wasn't until highschool where I developed a want/desire to be around them and tear into them.

Same here. I was into r/c cars up until I started driving. I never really built anything on a car until the eaton build a year or so ago though.

[IceWhite]

Not wrenching as such, but four of my dad's brothers were in the secondhand/used car business. They each had their own used car lot.
Then about 8 of their cousins were also into the secondhand/used car business and they also each had their own used car lot.
Most of these businesses are still around today, but are now run by their sons.
At family gatherings all they talk about is cars, cars and more cars.

From a young age, from spending alot of time with my uncles and cousins, I was able to distinguish make, models and face lift versions of cars. The one that stands out the most is the E30, pre-facelift metal bumpers and later model plastic bumper body styles.

[Das Delfin]

I was super into cars growing up (especially american muscle cars) but no one else in the family was so I didn't get into wrenching until I bought an old car and realized it needed upkeep. And I was 21 by then. People on here (and on the toyota pickup forum I was on a few years ago) talk about their welded gussets and solid axle swaps and and exo cages and I'm like..jesus that'd be expensive to get into. I guess if you already have that stuff around it's cake to do a frame off restoration but I don't even have a proper driveway. I do my car stuff in the street and the mailman gets his panties in a twist because he has to actually get out of his stupid bus thing to reach the mailbox. Cars aren't the thing I do with my life and I don't think they ever will be so I'm okay doing things a little slow, compared to some other people. I just try to learn a little more with each project, so in the future I can do bigger stuff.

[E30_Pare]

I was that kid that took all his toys apart. Then I upgraded to legos. I also drilled a hole in a rock because power tools and I was young. First car I put together was with my pops spending nights in the shop restoring his 75 caddy eldorado. Still remember cranking that big 8L 500 caddy motor for the first time.

[shameson]

Pretty much have been into cars since I can remember. My dad was a car guy all his life and it rubbed off on me when I was young. He's had an e21, e30, 2 190e's, w124 wagon, VW bug, Audi 5000 turbo, Porsche 914... So euros were pretty much my thing.

I was actually in the back of the e30 when it was rear ended

[Northern]

I've always been into cars. I wouldn't really describe by dad as a huge car guy, but he's really into GM F-Bodies, and had two Trans Ams over the course of growing up (plus many other random cars.)

He is all about keeping it stock, so I don't know where my need to tinker came from. Also not sure where my distaste for American cars or love of E30's came from.

Maybe it was all the Gran Tourismo, Need for Speed, Test Drive, etc. growing up?