What’s the most “Car Guy” thing a Car Guy can do??

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Sacrilege454@reddit

Actually complete a car. There are dreamers and doers. Dremaers outnumber doers 100,000:1. Nothing more annoying than a "car guy" who has a car that either barely runs, or hasnt run in decades that only talks about what he is gonna do with it, but the damn thing is in the same condition it was when he drug it home 5 years ago. You'll never do anything with it beyond sitting around, drinking beer and talking about your plans that will never come to fruition. I know like 25 of these people. The same people that were surprised that after being "busy" for 4 years, i rolled in in what i had built. The most car guy thing you can do is actually put forth the effort to make what you dream of a reality instead of just sitting on your ass talking about what you "will do" at some point in the indeterminate future.

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McGrufftheGrimeDog@reddit

it hurts because my dad has turned into the dreamer. Hes got like 4 projects and his daily driver. In his youth he was definitely a doer and built a lot of cars, fixed them up and flipped a few of them to put the down payment on my childhood home. Almost all of the cars havent been touched in yearsssss and i cant convince him to sell any of them.

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Prestigious-Grand-65@reddit

I am doing this currently. My BMW has been up on Jack's about twice a month for the past 7 months. Its a long process, and between working, wife, kid, and other hobbies, the time I have to get the car done is little. But I keep getting it done.

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indelico@reddit

Well said dude. I know I am guilty of this.

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Many-Perception-3945@reddit

It takes every once of willpower I have NOT to be that guy... I'm so guilty of cruising around, seeing INTRIGUING cars on the side of the road and thinking:

"that'd be so fun to keep in MY yard as a toy... No No No No you already have a Jeep and a Jaguar. No more white elephants"

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TheBigMan1990@reddit

I’m the white elephant king, lol. To the point where if one of my friends sees a car that’s weird… it’ll get sent to me. Like give me the late 80s Camrys that came with AWD, or the Preludes from the same era that came with all wheel steering (those were the last 2 projects I finished, like bought them not running, figured out what was wrong with them, got them running, drove them for a couple of months, and then sold to be someone else’s now running project car). Currently have a Pontiac Fiero that I want to do some fun stuff with, and a Porsche 928 shell that I want to do sacrilegious things too. I buy plenty of regular stuff too that has blown up in some fashion or another, fix it, sell it.

I am pretty strict with myself though, I’ve only got garage/shop space for 6 vehicles. At least one of those spots is reserved for one of my daily’s, and one of the spots is reserved for my boat. I won’t leave a project on my driveway or yard-so I’ve got to finish(ish) whatever I’m working on and cycle it out if I want to purchase more shit. Doesn’t matter how weird/esoteric/cool it is, if I don’t have space for it, can’t buy it.

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boy9000@reddit

Right… but what you described is not a ‘car guy’.. let alone the most car guy thing one can do

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jeepsies@reddit

U ok man?

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Rockytriton@reddit

Then sell the car months after getting it fixed

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pm-me-racecars@reddit

Sure, you rolled in driving a finished project, but I think you should have done X, Y, and Z instead which would cost thrice as much and make driving it suck, and so your car is shit. Once I finish my Supra, I'm going to be gapping Lambos all day.

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Sacrilege454@reddit

I know a guy that talks exactly like that too.

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Whyme1962@reddit

We are eating beans and ramen this week because I bought the cam and lifters and next week we’ll get a hamburger because I am buying the pushrods and roller rockers. So we will have something besides ramen and beans. Gotta do what it takes!

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MagicGator11@reddit

Well said! Living alone is nice, so you're able to actually take the bullet on these things. Now, when you have a wife or family to feed, it gets harder to explain the importance of your purchase...

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Whyme1962@reddit

Nah, I was married, but this was BC years.

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HeavyDutyForks@reddit

Bring home another non-running car to park behind the current non-running project because "it was too good a deal to pass up and I'll get to it eventually." He says while currently wrenching on the daily driver because, it too, is also a project.

"But, once you get one of those running they're reliable as they come." He says, all the while its spent more time in the past 3 years on jack stands than it has on the road

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Imaginary_Weird6027@reddit

Nailed it. Have 5 now, looking at another one. 77 4x4 van

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R-K-Tekt@reddit

Big brain over here!

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Spretzur@reddit

Perfect for when you are hunting children in the forest.

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Imaginary_Weird6027@reddit

I was thinking better for pulling the boat out of the water with minimal slippage, but you do you. Happy Hunting

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Hgh-Cls-Waffle-House@reddit

It's better sport than a fat redneck. Think of all the places they can fit. Just like the Coal mines and cotten looms of olden days. The children yearn to be put in small places with imminent danger.

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GrinderMonkey@reddit

Yeah, a daily driver.

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dontpaytheransom@reddit

Funny and accurate as hell.

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ratrodder49@reddit

Hey now, don’t call me out like that

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Hypersion1980@reddit

You mean parked in front of your neighbors house.

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Biff2019@reddit

Guilty. Got a "project" that's been sitting in the garage covered in plastic for over 10 years. Been trying to figure out how to get rid of it so I can get the [barely] running MGB with literally no rust that I've found that's within my $3k budget. The top is only 3 years old, but it needs tires. No smoke, but it's got a noticeable miss - but only part of the time.

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rustandcrust@reddit

Yup that's me

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Calm_Tonight_9277@reddit

Hoarding beaters is it

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gumby_twain@reddit

This is goods with a corollary. There better be at least one fully good driveable / raceable / showable car in the group or the person is just a hoarder masquerading as a car guy.

I’ve known way too many guys a stable full of never running fun cars, while they daily drive boring trash to consider them “car guys”

Car guys drive their shit or they might as well be old ladies with beanie babies.

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radXR650R@reddit

I feel personally attacked.

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RileyCargo42@reddit

"Its only a rotary how bad can it be?"

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drakitomon@reddit

I feel attacked. I have 4 currently in that state, and 3 running.

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djsnoopmike@reddit

Sounds like from personal experience 🤣

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Prestigious-One2089@reddit

That daily driver breaks down just enough once every few months too don't forget that part.

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Glum-Literature-8837@reddit

Hey, I’m going to tell you the same thing I told my wife: I swear I won’t buy that Trans Am until I sell the WRX.

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OpinionExisting3306@reddit

My wife just got ‘I know I don’t need another Jeep. I’m not going to buy it, I just want to look at it.’ We both know it’s total BS, but she plays along because she’s a good sport.

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Eagle_Fang135@reddit

By the time this ready to run then all the maintenance needs to be done due to it sitting.

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corporaterebel@reddit

OMG, I don't remember you being at my house...which garage party was this?

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annonimity2@reddit

Everytime someone you know gets a new car you have to open the hood and stare at it, even if you don't know anything about engines.

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Lower_Put4270@reddit

Go on the internet and talk about how much they hate new cars.

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gr8timesb4@reddit

Wash it by hand

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Doolie_69@reddit

Make road trips out of things that definitely didn’t need to be road trips

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Jaxis_H@reddit

Lemme tell you about WANKEL ROTARIES.

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ConcealedCove@reddit

IMMA TELL YA ANYWAY

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Humble_Implement_371@reddit

here they go with the circle wankelin themselves again

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Lucci_754@reddit

talk in depth about their car to people who are indifferent about it

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NeuronsActivated@reddit

Yes. My coworker will not stfu about his POS ‘06 Ram 1500 with rusted out fenders. It’s crazy. He talks about it like it’s some automotive wonder. Constantly telling me everything little thing about it that he likes despite my “mmm”s snd “no way”s. I literally don’t care lol

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Autos_Cuve@reddit

You been talking to my friends & family haven’t you 😂

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Whatever603@reddit

My neighbor used to tear all 4 sets of brake calipers off his Miata once a month and clean all the parts with a toothbrush.

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10and250@reddit

Your neighbor was not a car enthusiast, he was a psychopath

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weirdoldhobo1978@reddit

Buy a lower trim version of a car they've always wanted and then try and convince everyone that it's actually the best version of that car and not just the one they could afford.

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OverCorpAmerica@reddit

Put a lift in their garage shoes a car build from the ground up.

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Significant-Koala916@reddit

Keeping a car for a long time and still be excited by it

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intransit412@reddit

Tell you they drive a manual transmission in literally any conversation.

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Buffet-From-Temu@reddit

Telling people you drive manual is like a chef bragging about using a knife. Stick isn’t a flex but a baseline

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intransit412@reddit

See. You made it into a statement about driving stick. ;)

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boy9000@reddit

I agree but not in the way you do lol people aren’t even exposed to driving stick anymore so they don’t see it as a flex

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VegaGT-VZ@reddit

Dictate what non-car guys should drive and like. "SUVs r dumb. Everyone should only be allowed to drive small hatchbacks or minivans."

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BuzzardLips@reddit

Not fixing _____, because I know what it is and I’ll know if it gets bad, for now it’s fine.

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2lovesFL@reddit

cryo clean the engine bay

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magaketo@reddit

Unfinished projects and nooney

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VW-MB-AMC@reddit

Having parts for a car you have never owned and most likely never will own, because you never know.

Reading the workshop manual in bed, for a car you don't own.

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quadrifoglio-verde1@reddit

Spend loads of time/money detailing a new to you used car because of microscratches that 99% of people cannot see but bug you when the sun hits the paint.

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Nedstarkclash@reddit

Buy a Miata as a backup for the s2000.

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djsnoopmike@reddit

I would love an S2000 as a backup from my Mustang

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KingOfTheAnts3@reddit

Shouldn’t the mustang back up the S2k?

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djsnoopmike@reddit

Sometimes, I want something more lowkey and not loud and rowdy

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Racing_Fox@reddit

Honestly I’m considering buying a car next year and giving my mini to my gf. This new one will need to be garaged over winter but it’s fine I’ve got a second car.

It dawned on me this evening that that second car also has to be garaged over winter lol

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mysecretissafe@reddit

Why would you give the mini to the gf? Do you hate her?

With love, from a person with a mostly running mini currently on Jack stands in my garage.

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My_friends_are_toys@reddit

Drive and Alfa.

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Dry-Discipline-2525@reddit

have a car

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TheBigMan1990@reddit

Uses as a different project as a daily driver every time you meet up with them. Might do some harmless gaslighting, saying things like “what do you mean, I’ve had this car for forever”-yes, but you’ve only been actively using it for 11 days. Has at least half a dozen projects in various states of completion (actual completion is mythical though… like what’s that). Often there will be at least one thing about the car they are driving that is legitimately sketchy (gas tank ratchet strapped into place, only the front brakes work, battery has to be disconnected to turn off the car, etc.)

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oncreativemode@reddit

Drive

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Enough-Refuse-7194@reddit

I only have one non-running motorcycle and two non-running project cars. Maybe why in not married😆

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TrafficImmediate594@reddit

He might join a niche appreciation group for his specific car

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ohdeargodwhyme@reddit

In the middle of a conversation, suddenly starts looking at some random car because it made a strange noise.

Can be just a normal car with worn brake pads, can be a big old V8 without an exhaust system.
Car sounds strange, must investigate.

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Tronkfool@reddit

Lift the bonnet and whistle

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eight47pm@reddit

Buy a car as a daily, start modifying it until it’s not pleasant to drive then buy a second car as a new daily and from here the cycle repeats until we have a fleet of non running shitboxes

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boy9000@reddit

The circle of life 🫂

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ten10thsdriver@reddit

Been there, done that. Built my GTI MkVI into a track car and had to buy a beater TSX as a daily.

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eight47pm@reddit

Bought my diesel Mini Cooper SD as a daily, polybushed it, strut braces etc and now it’s lying broken in the back of my drive, bought a Lexus as a daily for the Mini and it needed so much work it was a second project, scrapped it and bought an XK, it now has really loud mufflers and has such poor fuel economy I’m looking for another car as a daily, the cycle never ends 😂

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Superlooie@reddit

Hoard one time use parts.

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boy9000@reddit

Buy useless parts and say it was a good deal and you could sell them, knowing deep down nobody will buy them and they’ll migrate from the garage to a box in the shed or attic until your significant other reminds you to throw them out for the 1000th time

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General-Pudding2076@reddit

This lol

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principaljoe@reddit

subframe in the corner of an efficiency apartment, because it was a good deal and may need it one day.

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graytotoro@reddit

Complain that the market needs a car with [ridiculous combination of options aimed at a specific niche market] but then refuse to buy such a car when it does get made.

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MacandMandy69@reddit

Well DUH, have a car of course. 🤨

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Just_Ramon@reddit

Trade in a great condition 2015 Outback for a 2017 S7 with semi high mileage. Let the headaches begin!

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Unicornbone@reddit

A car

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PassengerOk7529@reddit

Buying a convertible Mercedes and owning a 2023 SUV Mercedes. Needed a weekend car!

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Interesting_Dingo_88@reddit

Engine rebuild in the living room or bath tub.

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matixslp@reddit

You sound like my wife

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Interesting_Dingo_88@reddit

Get off Reddit and come to bed, dear.

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Unlikely_Rise_5915@reddit

Is a dishwasher that different from a parts washer?

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Comfortable_Angle671@reddit

Carb rebuild on the kitchen table

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Whyme1962@reddit

Chopper engine on the kitchen table, frame and all the rest in the second bedroom. Did a total rebuild in my second floor apartment. Rolled it out with a complete paint job, rebuilt engine, all new wiring and lights, da whole enchilada. Landlord thought he was getting to keep my deposit, didn’t happen.

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SkeletorsAlt@reddit

Wheel-to-wheel racing, oval or road. At any level.

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YouWillHaveThat@reddit

Yeah. I think this is it. Maybe rally too.

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Bindle-@reddit

Debadge the car and get a personalized license plate with the model name.

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The_Phroug@reddit

I own 6 cars, 5 are unique/neat/cool, and the last is my daily. Only my daily works, its a 2003 buick regal that I got for $500 3 days ago

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Repulsive_Vanilla383@reddit

You beat me to it, but I was going to go with a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix but the Buick regal is close enough.

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hemibearcuda@reddit

Bring home another "fixer upper" to add to the collection and promise the wife to sell one of the other four, again.

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Thatbastardkurtis555@reddit

I think it’s when you master car guy math. An example: when I was young I bought a 1990 Dodge Daytona Shelby for $1200. It needed paint, so I got it painted which cost a further $1200. And then I bought $1200 worth of performance parts for it, so I was pleased when I broke even after selling the car for $1200.

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Blow_Hard_8675309@reddit

Rise in a parade with a Girl Scout Troop in your convertible

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mysecretissafe@reddit

I did that, but it was a Christmas parade and I had a drag queen on my luggage rack and it was my MGB.

Suddenly the MGB’s oil pressure dropped to what I learned later was still an acceptable range, but all through the parade on Main Street I was revving like a fool at 5mph to keep the pressure up to what it had been doing and looking behind me to see if there was a line of engine oil behind me. Onlookers cheered the revving. I shidded all the way to the garage, and later the old heads on the MG forums comforted me that the acceptable range was indeed somewhere between 15 and 85psi.

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jrileyy229@reddit

That is anti-car guy. That's some boomer in a "one of one" c6 corvette that never sees rain kind of stuff

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gogozrx@reddit

Brand logo tattoo

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dreamcrush-@reddit

I’ve seen so many Honda tattoos

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mysecretissafe@reddit

Yeah but that Motorsports wing is so tattoo worthy tho

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dedzip@reddit

told a guy at a shop Im a ford guy and he grind and rolls up his sleeve to reveal his massive powerstroke tattoo. Fuckin sick

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workntohard@reddit

Modifying the car with intent to improve performance but make it worse in almost every way.

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Rare_Improvement561@reddit

Be ok with their car sucking to drive cuz it looks cooler now

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Competitive_Cheek607@reddit

Shit in the bathroom at O’Reillys (it’s not meant for customers, but they’ll let you)

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Grandemestizo@reddit

Insist that his thirty year old shitbox that they’re constantly repairing is actually more reliable than a new car.

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insanecorgiposse@reddit

Rebuild his own drivetrain

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EffectiveRelief9904@reddit

A burnout

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tripleriser@reddit

I have friends in my phone that I've known for 10+ years and they're still in my phone as Name Car. Chris 911, Benji BMW, Brian R32

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ten10thsdriver@reddit

I met one of my good friends almost 20 years ago on a forum. He offered to lend a hand swapping NX2000 calipers onto my B14 Sentra SE-L 2.0.

Fast forward nearly 15 years and I met my now wife in a Facebook car group. We bullshitted for a while then decided to meet in person.

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ten10thsdriver@reddit

Well, my wife just made fun of me for cleaning my lug nuts this afternoon. They had some brake dust and light surface rust on them so I wiped them down with Corrosion X as I was swapping to my track wheels and tires.

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Inevitable-Scene3930@reddit

A car guy will come to the aid of a budding car guy and share the ways of car guy-ness.

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AdultContemporaneous@reddit

Park in the very back of the parking lot, with at least one side of the car abutting a curb.

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RoIf@reddit

use motor oil as a lube… for.. stuff

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Hokeybogey@reddit

Well funny you mention that. I use motor oil to lube my firearms when I put them in storage. Excellent lubrication and protection from rust

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Dnugs94549@reddit

I know this is wrong, but Im not going to look up why. Do you coat your silver in maple syrup to keep it from tarnishing as well?

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Buffet-From-Temu@reddit

Be careful not to use an oil that's too viscous because it attracts a lot of dust and it slows down the mechanism when used in low temperatures.
Source: personal experience.

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Hokeybogey@reddit

💯great advice. I usually go motor oil for longer term storage, and CLP when running regularly

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TheMotizzle@reddit

Hahahaha is that a thing?!

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dedzip@reddit

No don’t do that you’ll get fuckin super duper cancer

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TheMotizzle@reddit

That's what I assumed

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Dnugs94549@reddit

Date a horse girl, like two sides of the same coin.

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No_Travel_7711@reddit

Keep a paintbrush in their glovebox to make sure your vents are always clean

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A_Hungry_Hunky@reddit

Disappoint everyone asking you for advice because you will sit their and accidentally shit all over the car they want

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toofarfromjune@reddit

Setup their life so every car in the household is a high performance variant of some sort. I cannot do standard people movers, even the wife’s daily is full of boost.

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SenorISO54@reddit

Buy his dream car after searching for 11 months for the right one, then sell it 7 months later after it wasn’t what he wanted after all.

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PsychologicalLog4179@reddit

Refer to cars as pieces of shit, because they all pieces of shit.

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9002alex@reddit

Have blokes in their phone contacts as for example

“Shaun, blue Rx7”

I have far too many contacts like that in my phone lol

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WrongKielbasa@reddit

My wife likes fall for pumpkin spice season

I like it because we get winter blend back and boost comes on quicker

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PositiveAtmosphere13@reddit

Finishing a project car and not having a basket case in your garage for decades.

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Bright_Town_4996@reddit

Buys consumables in bulk like he is running a commercial shop

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Much_Box996@reddit

Shift their gears.

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Dedward5@reddit

Like a European grandmother would

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Much_Box996@reddit

My grandmas also. And my mom.

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Dedward5@reddit

And my 17yer old daughter and all the other girls she knows who drive.

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Much_Box996@reddit

I didn’t say know how to do it. And you are a liar so piss off wanker.

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Cloudypicker@reddit

It’s so simple. It’s the look back after you park and are walking to wherever you’re going.

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Equivalent_Ball_9685@reddit

Fix what isn't broken.

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0Rider@reddit

Tell someone a crowd ran into the back of their mustang

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hawken54321@reddit

drive

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optigrabz@reddit

Store backup parts in the living room. Get yelled at for washing parts in the kitchen sink.

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ok-er_than_you@reddit

Knew a guy who worked at a parts shop and spent every dime he made on parts. He was a closed loop for the store. Very car guy.

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SoggyBacco@reddit

Start a basic maintenence or simple repair job then find something not right in the general area you're already working on. "While I'm here I might as well"....

Cut to many hours and an excessive number of garage beers later, you have to accept that your daily won't be drivable by the time you have work tomorrow so the non-op project with expired tags and no insurance will have to step up for a day or 2 (it probably won't even start in the morning)

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Dedward5@reddit

Track car, Tow Car, Daily driver.

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tads73@reddit

Fix a dead car on the side of the road and drive off.

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Whyme1962@reddit

Fixed a 38 Ford coupe for a guy one time on the side of the road. Three or four rods on a run, dude had run over a small rock that kicked up and cut his tranny cooler hose. I found an inspection mirror handle in my tool box cut a piece off and used it with a couple clamps to splice the hose. Made sure it wasn’t leaking and left while he and the group were getting the atf topped off.

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Having a photo of your car on your nightstand

Heel toe downshifts

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