built vs bought....

[americanmade]

i bought mine set up for drag. but i plan on putting 347 stroker kit in it and supercharge it. going to be painting it myself this winter. when people are lookin at my car i will beable to say with a smile on my face "i built that"

 

[1990Coupe]

I'm all about building too. My car isn't fast, but i BUILT it. That said, i wouldn't hesitate on owning a terminator, and building that, or a new 5.0 and building that.

I understand where this thread was meant to head though. I know a dude who use to frequent the boards all the time and was flamed constantly for things he'd have done to his car. Doing none of the work himself, and having someone else do it. Needless to say, the kid is the same, he just has a different brand car these days. I hate that.. When kids, or yuppies with loads of money show up with their car with all this work done and brag and flaunt it like they know WTF is under the hood.

 

[hoopty5.0]

LOL, I think everyone went to H.S. with that guy. Our guy like that's dad owned to Ford Dealership in town. The best part for me was, at 18 yrs old with a min wage after school job to buy parts I handed his ass to him!

I never had that chance

 

[NIKwoaC]

LOL.... never saw the "BLAKwoaC" before.... haha, great name!

Ha, I can't claim it, someobe else coined that. N8 maybe, can't remember.

Seems like you and I debated this one a while back in a thread about homebuilt engines where someone declared any engine built at home is going to fall to pieces. LOL..

Ha, I remember that. My eyeball muscles are still recovering from how hard I rolled them when I read that.

 

[N8Dogg98]

I think SSeater said it best when he said "getting too old for this." Every time I work on my car be it my Mustang or my daily, I find that over time it just gets more frustrating due to limitations on time and patience. I have less time to work on cars these days due to having a wife, 2 little kids, and a full time job. I love my kids and enjoy every minute of their company. That doesn't mean I don't still do my own work, and frankly if it is something simple I really have no problem doing it myself. However, the more complicated repairs where I'm required to be on my back with the car 12" from my face (trans rebuild, clutch replacement, exhaust work, etc...) will be left to a professional shop from this point forward. I've been there, done that, and have zero interest in doing it again.

I've reached a point in my life/career where I make enough money to be able to both save for retirement AND pay someone else to spend 4+ hours underneath my car to replace a clutch/trans/etc... 4-6 hours of labor is relatively inexpensive when I consider the time I spend with my kids to be priceless and I'm also saving my sanity and knuckles.

EDIT: also don't take the word "complicated" literally. Some would think changing over-head cams and replacing timing components is "complicated", however I'd much rather replace cams and timing components than install a mid pipe and cat-back while laying on my back with the car on jack stands.

 

[Boosted92LX]

I think SSeater said it best when he said "getting too old for this." Every time I work on my car be it my Mustang or my daily, I find that over time it just gets more frustrating due to limitations on time and patience. I have less time to work on cars these days due to having a wife, 2 little kids, and a full time job. I love my kids and enjoy every minute of their company. That doesn't mean I don't still do my own work, and frankly if it is something simple I really have no problem doing it myself. However, the more complicated repairs where I'm required to be on my back with the car 12" from my face (trans rebuild, clutch replacement, exhaust work, etc...) will be left to a professional shop from this point forward. I've been there, done that, and have zero interest in doing it again.

I've reached a point in my life/career where I make enough money to be able to both save for retirement AND pay someone else to spend 4+ hours underneath my car to replace a clutch/trans/etc... 4-6 hours of labor is relatively inexpensive when I consider the time I spend with my kids to be priceless and I'm also saving my sanity and knuckles.

EDIT: also don't take the word "complicated" literally. Some would think changing over-head cams and replacing timing components is "complicated", however I'd much rather replace cams and timing components than install a mid pipe and cat-back while laying on my back with the car on jack stands.

You yuppy poser!




I think if/when I ever get my shop building built and get a >>>>LIFT<<<< ,the world will be my oyster... I hate crawling under cars.... But I also hate diet and exercise... Yep, lift wins!

 

[hoopty5.0]

Those Mueller metal buildings are reasonably affordable. Have you looked into those SSeater?

 

[FastDriver]

Thanks, guys. Now I don't feel so bad about it... and yes, I absolutely will be turning wrenches and doing/learning what I can when I have that opportunity again. I'm actually looking forward to diagnosing and fixing a couple of problems on my beater 318i in the coming week that I have off. It's ABS light is on (WSS, maybe?), changing belts, oil change, and a funny vibration that only happens at over 60mph on a gradual left curve.... a hard turn left, or any turn to the right doesn't cause it to vibrate. I'm just going to get under the car and look through the suspension. Not sure what would cause that, but the first thing that comes to mind is the ball-joint.

It's kinda weird we've been talking about this, because it's the first time I've been able to work on my own car in quite a while, and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Boosted92LX]

Those Mueller metal buildings are reasonably affordable. Have you looked into those SSeater?

Shoot man, Mueller's high like giraffe booty! But, they are all metal frame and they'll last through the apocolypse. A buddy of mine just had a sweet wood frame metal skin 40X60 with 14 ft eave built with slab and doors for $21,000. How do you beat that? Mueller would be more than twice that amount. He had Wolf build it, and it is NICE!
They've got a webpage, check 'em out. I'm real close to paying off the FX4, and I'm gonna save up cash and get one of those 40X60's and a lift. Can't wait.

 

[hoopty5.0]

hmm, shows what I know then. $21k isn't a bad deal for that. Wish I had the land to put it on. What's a acre go for in your county?

 

[Boosted92LX]

hmm, shows what I know then. $21k isn't a bad deal for that. Wish I had the land to put it on. What's a acre go for in your county?

Rule of thumb depending on locale is 10k/acre. If you get off in a fancy subdivision or waterfront expect to pay more. I bought the wooded 3.3 acre plot next to us last year and stole it @ 26K. We've got a fuzz over 5 acres altogether after that purchase. I live across the road from the San Bernard river, our neighbor hood has a private boat ramp. A coworker of mine bought an acre and a half on the river side last year and spent close to 100k for it.

I'll drive to the boat ramp, thank you.

 

[hoopty5.0]

Rule of thumb depending on locale is 10k/acre. If you get off in a fancy subdivision or waterfront expect to pay more. I bought the wooded 3.3 acre plot next to us last year and stole it @ 26K. We've got a fuzz over 5 acres altogether after that purchase. I live across the road from the San Bernard river, our neighbor hood has a private boat ramp. A coworker of mine bought an acre and a half on the river side last year and spent close to 100k for it.

I'll drive to the boat ramp, thank you.

Yeah, those houses on the river are nice, I go wake boarding in the summers there. I still think 10K an acre is silly. Anything with 50 miles of Houston is skyrocketing. Even Sealy is there now. There are some decent plots for sale, but they are all surrounded by tornado magnets with questionable inhabitants...

 

[Gearbanger 101]

So what would we think of the individual who had all of their parts bought for them? Are they car guys as long as they put them on themselves?
Or the ones who "picked" out their own parts and had someone else put them on. They may have picked a great combination of parts for their build, but because they didn't have the means or possibly the knowledge to install it themselves, they're cast out of hotrod Valhalla by the wrench heads?

Like I said earlier…there are all kinds of snobs out there. There’s the buy it out right…turnkey and ready to go, the build it with their credit card type and now seemingly the type that won’t accept anyone who hasn’t bled and scrapped, living on the edge of poverty to support their hobby over years as a real car guy?

What a bunch of assholes this hobby is populated with!

 

[Boosted92LX]

Yeah, those houses on the river are nice, I go wake boarding in the summers there. I still think 10K an acre is silly. Anything with 50 miles of Houston is skyrocketing. Even Sealy is there now. There are some decent plots for sale, but they are all surrounded by tornado magnets with questionable inhabitants...

Yup. 10k is a lot for sure, especially when 20 years ago it was 2k. BUT- look at it like this... What kind of vehicle can you really get for 10K now, and will it appreciate like the land? you can finance property at or under 4% right now, If you are in a position in our area, it's the best investment you can make, period.

I uh, think we may be derailing a little, sorry OP!

 

[Boosted92LX]

What a bunch of assholes this hobby is populated with!

Indeed.

Once again, confusion and bewilderment conjured up out of simplicity...

 

[N8Dogg98]

So what would we think of the individual who had all of their parts bought for them? Are they car guys as long as they put them on themselves?
Or the ones who "picked" out their own parts and had someone else put them on. They may have picked a great combination of parts for their build, but because they didn't have the means or possibly the knowledge to install it themselves, they're cast out of hotrod Valhalla by the wrench heads?

Like I said earlier…there are all kinds of snobs out there. There’s the buy it out right…turnkey and ready to go, the build it with their credit card type and now seemingly the type that won’t accept anyone who hasn’t bled and scrapped, living on the edge of poverty to support their hobby over years as a real car guy?

What a bunch of assholes this hobby is populated with!

Agreed Brian... I have the ability to enjoy any car whether stock or modded, and frankly I don't care who the owner is I'll give anyone a thumbs up if I like their car (again self modded, someone else modded, or turn key). It makes absolutely zero bit of difference for me if someone does the work themselves, pays someone else, or buys a turn key exotic. What does bother me is arrogant a** holes in this hobby that have a "my chit doesn't stink" attitude because they:

a. built their own car with their own hands and think everyone else is a poser who didn't do the same,
b. bought an exotic and act like a snob with the attitude that their car is better than everyone else's because they paid $200K, or
c. daddy bought them a nice car and they paid to have a shop install all of the parts not knowing anything about those parts and walking around trash talking others who can't afford/don't have the time to make the same/similar modifications.

etc...

At the end of the day, it has more to do with the attitude of the individual car owner than it does to how they acquired or modded their car. Honestly, those of you who mod yourselves if you are jack asses to people who paid for a nice car or paid to have a car modified you're no different than a snobby terminator owner (IIRC that seems to be the most prevalent example you all have a distaste for).

 

[hoopty5.0]

So what would we think of the individual who had all of their parts bought for them? Are they car guys as long as they put them on themselves?
Or the ones who "picked" out their own parts and had someone else put them on. They may have picked a great combination of parts for their build, but because they didn't have the means or possibly the knowledge to install it themselves, they're cast out of hotrod Valhalla by the wrench heads?


What a bunch of assholes this hobby is populated with!

I think this is getting into splitting hairs territory. And I think anyone who can pick out their own parts has a decent understanding of how cars work. To get that, you usually have to work on them, no?

And yes on the assholes part.

**EDIT ^^^^ You can type it but I can't?!?!? What's this auto edit chit?

 

[hoopty5.0]

Honestly, those of you who mod yourselves if you are jack asses to people who paid for a nice car or paid to have a car modified you're no different than a snobby terminator owner (IIRC that seems to be the most prevalent example you all have a distaste for).

Yeah but you can usually tell who the ones are who bought a nice car just to be seen in it. The blonde in the passenger seat usually has bolt-ons too.

If you want to call me a snob for seeing ^ this guy and saying, "Nice car, sorry about your cack." then go ahead. I'm still going to snicker at him.

 

[N8Dogg98]

Yeah but you can usually tell who the ones are who bought a nice car just to be seen in it. The blonde in the passenger seat usually has bolt-ons too.

If you want to call me a snob for seeing ^ this guy and saying, "Nice car, sorry about your cack." then go ahead. I'm still going to snicker at him.

Sounds like you're just jelly At the end of the day, the guy in your above post is going to drive home in a damn nice car and get to hit a fine piece of ass... in this example if the guy wasn't a dick to you, why do you feel the need to be a dick back?

 

[Boosted92LX]

Agreed Brian... I have the ability to enjoy any car whether stock or modded, and frankly I don't care who the owner is I'll give anyone a thumbs up if I like their car (again self modded, someone else modded, or turn key). It makes absolutely zero bit of difference for me if someone does the work themselves, pays someone else, or buys a turn key exotic. What does bother me is arrogant a** holes in this hobby that have a "my chit doesn't stink" attitude because they:

a. built their own car with their own hands and think everyone else is a poser who didn't do the same,
b. bought an exotic and act like a snob with the attitude that their car is better than everyone else's because they paid $200K, or
c. daddy bought them a nice car and they paid to have a shop install all of the parts not knowing anything about those parts and walking around trash talking others who can't afford/don't have the time to make the same/similar modifications.

etc...

At the end of the day, it has more to do with the attitude of the individual car owner than it does to how they acquired or modded their car. Honestly, those of you who mod yourselves if you are jack asses to people who paid for a nice car or paid to have a car modified you're no different than a snobby terminator owner (IIRC that seems to be the most prevalent example you all have a distaste for).

I think it's funny how people go on the defensive when crap like this happens. It seems like it's almost in people's nature to look for something to get bent out of shape about. I started to about this comment here until I read A, B, and C closely, and determined I'm not in any of those groups. I stand behind what my reply to Chris/Fastdriver was in regaurd to being a true car guy. Now before getting mad about qualifying as a car guy, let me clarify:

People who love cars are going to try to attain them anyway possibly. Whatever way they attain them or the mods/improvements to them, you can't argue with respect or feeling of accomplishement gained by actually doing it themselves. I'm honestly not belittling the guy who doesn't do his own work. MY point here is, that's what really gains MY respect for someone and in my mind makes them more of a "car guy" LOL..

I like anyone I can sit and talk cars with. Ford, Chevy Dodge, Import, doesn't matter. Apparently, there are just varying degrees of "car guydom"... in my mind, anyway.