Mach929

iTrader: (3)

wayne_curr

iTrader: (8)

I've never understood this school of thought.

Also, I see so many older dudes at autox events that are just trying to get away from the wife/kids for a day.

Now, I can understand if you have to quit dangerous ports (like racing motorcycles, skydiving etc). Its not really fair to your family putting your life in danger regularly.

budget racer

iTrader: (1)

i was hoping that you would chime in!

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

I'm 27, with wife and kid, and will always own a project car, and it will probably always be a fast car. I love working on stuff, and my wife has accepted that. Hell, my mechanical inclination is my motivation for going to school, so I can learn to do cooler ****.

Last fall one of my good friends was killed on his motorcycle. I have always ridden, but my wife asked me nicely to sell the Triumph. I did, and promised her I'd never ride again.

I regret this decision every friggin' day. At first I felt good making that sacrifice for my family, deciding to not put myself at unnecessary risk. I hate not riding. The Miata is the only thing keeping me sane. I would complain about it, but I promised her I wouldn't give her grief.

In reality you can make some good decisions if you are doing things that might cause you to miss out on a full life with your family. The main reason I stopped riding was probability. For the amount of miles I rode (1100/week), it was just too likely that the odds would eventually catch up to me. My little brother, who was very good friends with the guy that got killed(lived in the apartment across from him), still rides his ZX-6R, but he only rides <200mi/week.

Don't let go of the things you do that are a part of who you are.

thymer

iTrader: (5)

It doesn't fade away, at least not for me. My daughter is going away to collage this fall so I am officially old. Still love fast cars and stuff that scares the crap out of me and don't see any end in sight. Next project is a body-off late forties, early fifties VW bug, would love a split window. Take it back to pristine showroom/museum quality. That would be loads of fun!!

Rafa

iTrader: (22)

I'm 56 and that hasn't stopped me.

Just don't let your father in law (or for that matter your wife to be) dictate how's it going to be.

Tell him this is like an incurable disease.

Stein

iTrader: (46)

A bit unique that I'm 42, married but we never had kids. Just didn't happen. Didn't bother me, though.

I generally have one expensive/time intensive "hobby" at a time. Mainly, my wife says, I con't care what you do, just pick one. I float from having airplanes to competitive pistol shooting to cars and back. On the car kick now at it looks like it's going to stick for a while, but I'd love to get another plane. My new "neighbor to be" on the acreage next to me is an aircraft mechaninc. He hasn't built his house yet but put up a 50x70 building with a 40' hangar door. He is putting in a runway. When it's done, we are going to split a plane. Good for him as it halves his costs, good for me because I get a plane 1/4 mile away, with a supplied heated hangar with my own private mechanic. It's gonna be great. The nice thing is, my wife loves to fly so she supports that hobby completely, which is a good thing because it is damn expensive.

Cspence

iTrader: (11)

Damn, life's been good to you....I can't imagine how much an airplane would set you back to purchase, maintain, and use.

Milton Tucker

iTrader: (2)

It varies greatly depending on the type of aircraft. I have chosen the “dark side” of aviation, and have an experimental. The up side is price, I can perform work on it my self (just need to get A&P to sign off), including modifications. Certified aircraft are expensive, and you are limited to changing minor things e.g., spark plugs, oil, light bulbs. It is a royal pain in the *** to get authorization to make the slightest modification on a certified aircraft.

I picked this up for $1750.00 after a hard landing, I will have $3,000.00 in it by time it is airworthy again

Stein

iTrader: (46)

I have nothing against expericmentals. I actually built most of an RV6. I had the airframe done and had 20K in it. Unfortunately, thenext thing to do was engine, avionics, constant speed prop, paint. It was going to take another 40K minimum to finish. I decided that $60K was too much for a toy and sold it.

My wife told me that she was happy that I came to that decision on my own. She said she would have never told me not to finish it, but was glad that I decided to part ways with it.

We have always had less expensive planes, generally in the 20-30K range. I had a Grumman AA1 that I learned in, a Mooney, which was fast but boring to fly, and a Luscombe 8A. Taildragger, no electrical system, had to spin the prop by hand to start it, just like in the movies.

Any more, it isn't the cost of the plane, but the upkeep. My last one cost $600 a month just for fixed costs like hangar, insurance and inspections before you turn the key. Add to that 11 gallons of fuel an hour at $5.00 a gallon and it adds up quick, plus you have to pay for the plane.

I wouldn't get back into it if it wasn't the sweetheart deal with the new neighbor. It's too expensive on your own.

Torkel

Sorry to hear your father-in-law suck.

My stepdads hobby and passion for cars has brought him, my brother in law and myself together in the garage so many times. He never gave up his hobby or sold any of the cars he considers to be the once with affection value which are 3 oldtimers, dispite having the house full of 4 kids and wife working full time. He even found time to take me to the GoKart track once a week for several summers. Sure, his time was never enough for what he wanted to do, but that is part of being a parent and having a hobby. And I bet he blowed of a lot of steam on those cars sometimes too... Today he has 8 cars and his DD is a 300HP SAAB.

I do not have as much wrenching time as I would like, having a fiancee and a dog. That doesn't mean I'll sell the Miata when I become a dad. But I might place a baby seat next to the dog-blanket in the garage.

fmowry

iTrader: (8)

I'm 41 with a 5 year old. For me, it's not the money, it's the time. That's why my damn LS6 conversion is taking so long. I told my wife long ago that there will always be a project type car. The only thing that has changed is I'm spending more money on my projects and the car is on a lift because I got sick of creeping.

My desire for stupid speeds on public roads has decreased though the capability of my cars to do them has increased.

Frank

turbomclovin

im 18 yrs old an i graduate i two weeks and i have the fastest car at my school, and im sure gonna miss high school but, my mom wants me to by a car and that invoves me selling my miata and i have thrown alot of money in it and have been to attched to it to let it go i have had it since i was 15 and no matter what i am not gonna sell it anytime soon cause i have to much pride in building it.

Toddcod

iTrader: (8)

My grandfathers liked fast cars.

In 1967 my one grandfather bought the family ride with a big block 396 so he could roast the tires.
In 1965 he went to buy a new truck. Some guy had blew the motor in a new 1965 chevy custom. And some kid had ordered a Double hump head 327, and never picked it up.

My grandfather told them to throw the 300hp 327 in the truck and he would buy it.

There are ways to get around having a fast car with family.

My other grandfather always got cadillacs with the biggest big block motors you could get in them. He had one with a 502.

And his last Cadi's had the Northstar V8's.
At 81 years old he would light the tires up. If he was alive today, he would tell you the storys of the mustangs he out ran on the highway.

And he always said boy you drive the new car. Your the one paying for it. LOL

Although my dad always gave my mom the new car.