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

[the imitator]

Time is money, Money is time.. Whats worth more to you. Both parties are making a sacrifice to get exactly what they want. The difference is knowledge, which makes you a good owner, but not necessarily an enthusiast..

Old gramps has enough knowledge to seek maintenance for his vehicle; However isn't getting home and eyeballing his mini van for stance, He's just a good owner.

[15Michaeljoseph]

As long as you love the car, and actually KNOW HOW IT WORKS mechanically, its fine.


--Mike

[Best_name_available]

i cant believe there is 7 pages of this..

[flyboyx]

meh...i can certainly afford to pay a shop to work on my cars if i want to. there are lots of reasons i do it myself instead.

i am the one that gets to make any compromises if there are any to be made.
i don't trust the shop to do it right-i've had several bad experiences in the past.
i have all the tools except a lift to cover anything from an engine or trans rebuild to...?
i enjoy it.
i have the confidence and experience in my own ability to know its done right.

no matter how much money you make, it is still nice to complete a job for a few hundred dollars that would have cost a few thousand in labor. that money can always be put toward hookers and blow!

last week, i changed out the ball joints and tie rods on my f350. a little over 200 bucks in parts from vatozone. the shop wanted 550 for parts 1700.00 for labor! they can suck a dick.

i sent it out for an alignment to the tune of 89.00. there are two bushings on the top ball joint that adjust castor or camber. they cost about 15 bucks each at napa. the shop wanted 140.00 a side to install them stating it was mostly labor. fuck that shit. i took the truck back home, installed the parts in about 15 minutes and took it back over for the alignment.

[estoguy]

A few thoughts...

I remember Charles Bronson.

Eggs, scrambled or omelet.

I like the "all gearheads are car enthusiasts (whether they like it or not), not all car enthusiasts are gearheads." comment best.

In the past, I was more enthusiast and less gearhead. In the last 3-4 years, I transitioned to being a gearhead - partially out of necessity - I've saved a lot of $$$ doing things myself. Also, I've learned new skills, and have a greater appreciation for the mechanical trade and a greater appreciation for my car. With my E30, especially, I have gotten much deeper than ever into working on it. Outside of a couple of jobs and the mounting of tires onto rims, I can proudly say that I've done everything else on this car (sometimes with help). I've found it very rewarding.

Will I ever do anything really deep, like an engine rebuild or swap? Maybe. Depends on time/money factors. If I had the money, I'd probably pay someone to do it, but then also do research and learn how to work on things from there. I wouldn't pay someone to do the routine stuff.

[Ether-D]

And also it's "over-medium" on the eggs. Good-day.

[gtdragon980]

Hmmm, I think your logic is a bit off. If someone works hard in a given field and has the money to say, do a 24V swap and pays someone else to do the actual work, I don't see how that makes them less of an enthusiast than someone who spent hours and hours and hours doing it themselves. I tell people that I "put an S52" in my E30. And frankly, I work pretty effing hard to make the money that made that possible. Inevitably, the next question in the conversation is...did you do it yourself? No, I didn't. I paid a professional.

Money is effectively a tool, stored labor. So while I can do brakes, fluid flushes, etc...I have to decide if any job is within my ability or my time budget to do myself. If it's not, I crack open my wallet. Some of you guys act like anyone who can't completely tear down and rebuild their own car can't be an enthusiast and that's simply not true.

I'm not saying they are any less of an enthusiast at all. What I'm saying is, don't take credit for something you did not do yourself. Sure, you can say I installed so and so. But, if someone asks you did you do it yourself or not, don't lie and say you did, when all you really did was pay someone to do it for you. I'm not judging anyone for not working on their car themselves, hell, if I had the money, I'd probably do the same! I will still think of you as a car enthusiast either way, just don't take credit for something you didn't do yourself. Like I said, all gearheads are enthusiasts but, not all enthusiasts are gearheads.

[ajhostetter]

I think the problem really comes from, and it was mentioned above, car enthusiasts who claim or pretend that they do the work themselves. You can be a car enthusiast without knowing how to work on a car, but don't go around boasting that you installed this and that. You didn't do shit but open your wallet and throw money at a mechanic.

Basically, all gearheads are car enthusiasts (whether they like it or not), not all car enthusiasts are gearheads.

Hmmm, I think your logic is a bit off. If someone works hard in a given field and has the money to say, do a 24V swap and pays someone else to do the actual work, I don't see how that makes them less of an enthusiast than someone who spent hours and hours and hours doing it themselves. I tell people that I "put an S52" in my E30. And frankly, I work pretty effing hard to make the money that made that possible. Inevitably, the next question in the conversation is...did you do it yourself? No, I didn't. I paid a professional.

Money is effectively a tool, stored labor. So while I can do brakes, fluid flushes, etc...I have to decide if any job is within my ability or my time budget to do myself. If it's not, I crack open my wallet. Some of you guys act like anyone who can't completely tear down and rebuild their own car can't be an enthusiast and that's simply not true.

[TurboJake]

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?

This is a pretty poor analogy. A much better one would be

You REALLY like video games, but don't know the foggiest about how they're coded. I know! Pay other people to make them for you!

You really want an education in a specific field, but don't have the time to learn it yourself or is not your strong point. Solution! Pay teachers to teach you the most important stuff so that you can be more efficient at what's thrown at you! Or even better, pay those who did learn to do what you want done!

Both pretty logical things, and much more in line with paying a mechanic vs learning. Other than that, I know people that know makes and models of a car inside and out, having never turned a wrench. More specifically, knew a a guy named Shawn from my boy scout days. He was autistic and had cerebral palsy, but that guy knew EVERY single thing you could ever know about any Chevy vehicle. Right down to rattling off spark plug numbers, distributor cap part numbers (His favorites were the different numbers between the chevy 350, and pontiac 350, which was everything) and bolt threads on nearly every single part of any Camaro. First engine I rebuilt was with him, and that engine still kicks 14 odd years later.

I would absolutely say he was a die hard car enthusiast, having never turned a wrench in his life, and never wanting to either. He HATED being dirty in any way (As one would expect it's a little more difficult for him.) AND he can't even drive! So yes, you CAN have a true enthusiast without wrenching, which was the question that was asked.

It put a whole lot into perspective for me, and over the years realized just how high horse/soap box lecturing car enthusiasts can be.

[gtdragon980]

I think the problem really comes from, and it was mentioned above, car enthusiasts who claim or pretend that they do the work themselves. You can be a car enthusiast without knowing how to work on a car, but don't go around boasting that you installed this and that. You didn't do shit but open your wallet and throw money at a mechanic.

Basically, all gearheads are car enthusiasts (whether they like it or not), not all car enthusiasts are gearheads.

[cwatt]

What constitutes as 'wrenching'? Is that changing the oil? What about rebuilding an engine?

What's the difference between a 'true enthusiast' and an 'enthusiast'?

[Kevinl]

A true e30 enthusiast needs to work on their own car and it needs to be a manual

Just kidding

If I was loaded I would probably pay someone else to do the work. I like tinkering with cars but not really interested in doing major work although i still do.

If I could pay someone to do an engine swap I would because I don't really have the time thats why I'm still rocking the M20

My uncle owns a shop and I paid him to do subframe bushings in the e30 since I had no press and didn't want to fight it, it was worth every penny

[MoreMayhem]

How can you call someone who enjoys cars not a car enthusiast, I am sure there a plenty of people out there who love their cars but simply do not have the time to work on them.

Like myself I currently am working 10-12 hour days, plus I am also on call. My weekends are occupied with house renovation and maintenance, I get practically no time to work on my cars these days.

So am I not a car enthusiast?

Nope!

[Massimo]

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?

How can you call someone who enjoys cars not a car enthusiast, I am sure there a plenty of people out there who love their cars but simply do not have the time to work on them.

Like myself I currently am working 10-12 hour days, plus I am also on call. My weekends are occupied with house renovation and maintenance, I get practically no time to work on my cars these days.

So am I not a car enthusiast?

[Mr. Burns]

https://youtu.be/-Bt4Ly9_9Qg