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

[slammin.e28]

^^ This. Perfect.

[ST1G]

But you can understand, be informed and knowledgeable without actually doing it yourself. An enthusiasts is passionate about the car. When I make enough money that doing a timing belt job, or clutch job isn't worth my time, it doesn't mean I won't know how to do it, or understand it. It just won't be worth my time to do.

[lambo]

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

I am starting to not trust myself...

[Mr. Burns]

But you can understand, be informed and knowledgeable without actually doing it yourself.

AKA: Benchracer.

[Exodus_2pt0]

I would work on my toys and pay someone to repair the dd's.

That said, no, I don't think you HAVE to wrench to be considered an enthusiast, so long as you COULD wrench on it if you wanted to.

[F34R]

so we all agree to a certain degree.

Nando hit the nail on the head.

Jeremy Clarkson= gearhead/hammer extraordinaire
Richard Hammon= gearhead
James May=mega gearhead.

FTFY

[ST1G]

AKA: Benchracer.

Nailed it.

[IronFreak]

To me a car enthusiast and a gear head are different. I know a lot of people that claim to be "car enthusiasts" that dont work on anything. A gear head knows about the inner workings of his car and does at least some work on his car.
Even if i was mega rich i would be working on my car. I get satisfaction telling people "i built that"

This^

Also...I don't think you have to turn wrenches to be a enthusiast. I have friends that are very VERY good drivers that do next to nothing on their own cars, doesn't mean they aren't enthusiasts of the sport. I have friends that appreciate and are enthusiastic about cars from a visual perspective. I think a "true enthusiast" is someone that is passionate about cars to one degree or another.

If I was rich I would still work on cars, its in my blood, how I was raised. I would however have people do the things I didn't want to do, maintenance is boring, building turbo manifolds is awesome.

-Gearhead

[Exodus_2pt0]

AKA: Benchracer.

Except you won't get the skill and knowledge from being a benchracer, so....

[rturbo 930]

That said, no, I don't think you HAVE to wrench to be considered an enthusiast, so long as you COULD wrench on it if you wanted to.

Some people aren't mechanically inclined, should that disqualify them from being a car enthusiast? Or, some people might not have a garage, and therefore don't have space to work on the car, or a place to keep the tools to do so. Or, they simply don't have the time between work, kids, whatever other responsibilities they have. Does that make them any less of a car enthusiast?

lYou 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).

These aren't really good comparisons. A better comparison would be someone that likes video games, but only plays campaign mode, or only plays multiplayer online. Just because they don't enjoy every facet of the game doesn't mean they don't genuinely enjoy video games.

Doing your own work on cars is only one part of the car hobby, and I think it's silly to say that someone isn't a car enthusiast if they don't work on it.

I work on my cars, but I do so because I can't afford to pay a shop, and because even if I could, I don't really trust a shop to do the work to my standards. I don't mind smaller jobs, but anything that involves getting under the car on my back I dread doing. I'd happily pay someone to do that for me. And I'm really not good at it, either.



If you told Jeremy Clarkson that he's not a car enthusiast because he doesn't work on his own cars, I bet he'd punch you in the face.

[crzylildude]

Good one OP... I like this... very interesting... I hope you don't mind me re-posting this on IG..

And I do like working on my cars... and I don't care what others call me... It relieves my stress from work... so thumbs up on this :D

[slammin.e28]

If you told Jeremy Clarkson that he's not a car enthusiast because he doesn't work on his own cars, I bet he'd punch you in the face.

But he does work on stuff....with a hammer.

Also side note.....thread title specifies e30s.....not just cars.

[613EDRTY]

If you do all your own wrenching but nothing is torqued to the proper spec are you a true enthusiast?

I built my own deck, am I a deck enthusiast now?

Opinions are like assholes, we all have one. Finding a single answer to this question isn't going to happen.

[Mr. Burns]

I just wanted to bust out a 5 page read to flip through during poo breaks at work

[Mr. Burns]

BTW yes. You are a deck enthusiast now.