Does a TRUE e30 enthusiast need to wrench on their cars?

[613EDRTY]

There's deff different scenarios. If I owned an e30 m3 I wouldn't have prepped it for paint myself like I did to my eta this winter. I have a friend who has an e30 m3 you'll see it this summer mr burns. He's a wealthy guy and doesn't get his hands dirty. Id still consider him an enthusiast. He's owned something like 24 different E21's and E30's over the years.

This same convo often gets brought up at the ski hill with my friends. What defines a gaper a true park skier a true bc skier etc. If you don't ride twin tips are you a gaper? If you don't have avi training a sled and carry a beacon are you a true bc skier? etc

My answer is usually the same. As long as your having fun who cares. Some people care to much about others. Unfortunately my neighbor is one of these people...

That being said I hate those "built not bought stickers" and I will need your help when it comes time to do my waterpump, tb, thermostat Mr Burns.

[Reichart12]

You also have to think about situations besides money. If an older guy who has arthritis or other problems and cant work on his car but still enjoys owning and driving classics, I would consider that an enthusiast even if any work is done at a shop.

I think the choice of shop can also be telling of enthusiast or not.

[varg]

while it is certainly a logical fallacy, there is still truth in it. There are people that show up with a chequebook, "mod their car", don't know anything about it, and then sell it when they get bored.

lets put it this way - I like food. Technically, I'm a food enthusiast - but I'm not even close to being as much of an enthusiast as a professional chef who can cook their own meals from scratch. I'm better at paying somebody else to do it for me.

There really is very little truth in it, because you're defining something that is pretty arbitrary and subjective. The way people talk about it, being a "car enthusiast" is like a religion; "no real enthusiast would drive an automatic" "no real enthusiast wouldn't change his own oil" "no real enthusiast would drive a truck" "no real enthusiast doesn't like miatas" "no real enthusiast can't weld" "no real enthusiast pays a mechanic to do X"

You like food, but you're not a chef, but a some chefs don't really care about food and what they're doing - are they still food enthusiasts? Someone else loves cars, but they're not mechanically inclined and pay someone else to work on it, but they still love cars - are they not car enthusiasts? Where are you personally drawing the line? Different people enjoy the hobby in different ways and being good at something or a professional at something doesn't necessarily mean you're enthusiastic about it.

If you love cars and the driving experience, and have a desire to learn about them, that's all you need to be a car enthusiast. How far you take it or what you do with it is totally dependent on the person.

[ST1G]

No.

/Thread

[nando]

There really is very little truth in it, because you're defining something that is pretty arbitrary and subjective. The way people talk about it, being a "car enthusiast" is like a religion; "no real enthusiast would drive an automatic" "no real enthusiast wouldn't change his own oil" "no real enthusiast would drive a truck" "no real enthusiast doesn't like miatas" "no real enthusiast can't weld" "no real enthusiast pays a mechanic to do X"

You like food, but you're not a chef, but a some chefs don't really care about food and what they're doing - are they still food enthusiasts? Someone else loves cars, but they're not mechanically inclined and pay someone else to work on it, but they still love cars - are they not car enthusiasts? Where are you personally drawing the line? Different people enjoy the hobby in different ways and being good at something or a professional at something doesn't necessarily mean you're enthusiastic about it.

If you love cars and the driving experience, and have a desire to learn about them, that's all you need to be a car enthusiast. How far you take it or what you do with it is totally dependent on the person.

you're taking this way too seriously.

[matthugie]

Everyone has different aptitudes and levels of enthusiasm. Personally, I'm rubbish at cosmetic work and am not all that patient when working on cars (there may be a correlation there). I'm OK at the mechanical side, but not great. I do most of my own wrenching, but if I were mega rich I can guarantee I would leave most of it to people who have more aptitude and training than myself.

Also, most people who are mega rich are also very busy and don't have time to spend a full weekend in a garage cursing a seized bolt.

[roguetoaster]

If I were mega rich I can guarantee I would leave most of it to people who have more aptitude and training than myself.

Also, most people who are mega rich are also very busy and don't have time to spend a full weekend in a garage cursing a seized bolt.

Bingo. Essentially every rich car nut I know does this as they understand economies of time. The only exception being something nostalgic that they worked on for years and years, or maybe with a family member.

[ST1G]

Bingo. Essentially every rich car nut I know does this as they understand economies of time. The only exception being something nostalgic that they worked on for years and years, or maybe with a family member.

Yep. The book 'The Millionaire Mind' discusses this. Unless working on cars is a catharsis for you, if you're making more than about $60 an hour at your regular job it makes a lot more sense to just pay someone to take care of things that you're not an expert at.

[Ether-D]

I like my eggs over medium. That's the only way to eat eggs if you're an egg enthusiast.

[rturbo 930]

Where's the fun in just paying someone to do the work?

Not everyone enjoys car work.


My vote is no.

what about "famous" people who use older BMW's as part of their image? such as:

Tyler The Creator
Frank Ocean
Action Bronson

think any of those guys actually truly turn wrenches on their Bmw's?

I doubt it.

From what I know about him, I would say Frank Ocean is a real E30 enthusiast, and we know he doesn't work on it since he sends it to Castro. My gut feeling is that Tyler is just hopping on the bandwagon though. I have no idea who Action Bronson is.

[Shangsta]

Bingo. Essentially every rich car nut I know does this as they understand economies of time. The only exception being something nostalgic that they worked on for years and years, or maybe with a family member.

:stupid:

[slammin.e28]

I guess the main thing that grinds my gears is the bragging by those who have shops do things.

Mostly it turns into "I installed xxxx".....somewhere in the mix the "had" between "I" and "installed" will disappear.

Also usually the people having the work done are really cheap. Like, almost in a, why don't you DIY it kind of way. If you wanna pay to have it done.....you're going to have to be willing pay. We're not going to cut corners to save you money. Do it right, or find someone else who will cut corners or DIY it.

[Dj Buttchug]

regardless of my funds I would always work on my own cars. I don't trust other people to do things properly and to my standards

[ThatOneEuroE30]

The way I see it. You can't call your self an enthusiast if you can't turn a wrench. I've met people who say they are the biggest car guys ever but don't even know wtf a impact wrench is. To me your a true enthusiast you work on your own cars.

[nando]

I guess the main thing that grinds my gears is the bragging by those who have shops do things.

Mostly it turns into "I installed xxxx".....somewhere in the mix the "had" between "I" and "installed" will disappear.

Also usually the people having the work done are really cheap. Like, almost in a, why don't you DIY it kind of way. If you wanna pay to have it done.....you're going to have to be willing pay. We're not going to cut corners to save you money. Do it right, or find someone else who will cut corners or DIY it.

let's think of it another way.

You really like video games. except, you don't like to play them much or don't have time - solution! pay somebody else to do it for you!

or, you want an education, but that's too hard. I know! pay somebody to take your tests and go to lectures for you! (yes, it happens).

you might be a driving enthusiast. or maybe you like going to car shows, showing off the garage queen and BSing with other people. but how can you be a car enthusiast if you don't know anything about how it works or how it was built?

How "enthusiastic" can you be about any subject that is a black box that you don't understand?