''That'' gear head.

"davlac89" (davlac89) 01/28/2014 at 23:28 • Filed to: None

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This guy. The one who sounds like a gear head, talks like a gear head and most likely, is a gear head. This guy, who every once in a while, will talk to you about this '93 5.0 Mustang he's interested in. What parts he would put on it. Maybe months later it's going to be a first Gen Miata he's into, or maybe even that cheap and cool looking early MR2, not far from home.

This particular guy as got some money on the side. He could afford these cars if he wanted to. And the way he talks about them, he definitely wants them. Anyway he talks about it all the time, so he's got to want them? No? At least one of 'em? Well, ''that'' gear head, is one of my closest friend. One of my few car buddies, with who I can talk cars for hours, and trust me, he knows what's up.

But you'll ask me - '' Well what's wrong, son? You've got a buddy who knows more about cars than 90% of people, goes to car events, read about cars daily and to his own words said ''cars were his passion''.

Well what's wrong, (which is honestly nothing that crazy bad but have always been grinding my gears) is that I know for sure as hell that he'll never get that '93 5.0, or this first Gen Miata, or this Mr2, or this late WRX or any others cars he shown any interest in.

He always had a defeat to not get it.

- '' It's the wrong color!''

- '' Open diff.......really...''

- '' I can't put no camping gear in the trunk bro!''

After years hearing these, and learning to knowing him even more, I threw the towel. It's never been a money issue for him, he had enough. Neither did he lacked space to put a car, he had space. He knew resourceful car people to help him. So he basically had anything you need to get a fun car. Why didn't he got one?

Maybe you're saying to yourself right know - '' Well man, who give a flying F about the fact that your friend is not getting the cars he was always daydreaming about? Who gives a damn if never gets one, maybe he's got other priorities?''

Maybe you're right, maybe not. Anyway I've still not figured this one out yet and I don't want to be hating on my boy, I love him to death. But the final question I want to ask, and I don't really know I to phrase this........but should these kind of gear head (assuming there's more than just my homeboy) should weight less than a gear head who had lived it. Someone who had talked the talk, and walked the walk. Somebody who put the money on the table. Who put blood, sweat and tears into a car he was passionate about he owned.

I know it might still sound weird, but hear me out. Let's say you meet another man. You're both mad hockey fans, you both know hockey like the bottom of your pockets. You know goddamn everything, stats, history, players, just name it. But you learn that this guy, who knows as much as you, at least on paper, has never put a pair of ice skates on, never of his life. Do you see where I'm going?

So lets say you meet my gear head friend at a car event years from now. You both start talking about cars, you both know a lot. You realized this guy never owned anything mildly interesting of his own life. He talked cars like it was his passion, but lived cars like they were just appliances. He lived his passion through others. Maybe because he was afraid for some reason to ever make a move, to get his dream, to finally step in, first person. As soon as you'd know that, would you have that little tickling? Would you wonder, ''Why I am even listening to this guy? He didn't never even tried to live his passion.'' Should he have the same importance as the one around who followed their dream?

Maybe I'm just a bit frustrated about it. I'm slowly realizing that I'm the only one around my group of friend that has got that level of passion about it. The only one that has gone all the way to live it, to get the car he wanted.

I know they are way worst things happening right know in the world than a disillusioned gear head like me. Wars are worst than that, way way worst. This is nothing. But it's my little issue lately.

''That'' gear head is still one my best buddy today. I realized right now he is never going to live it, I just know it. He is now the happy owner of a brand new car I'm not going to name. It's not a bad car, but definitely not something a car nut would buy as his only car. I just keep thinking about all the cars he always talked about, he probably could have all afforded them for the 20 something grand he put on the new one. But what is done is done. I'm probably going to hang around that buddy for a long time, he's a good dude, he's a keeper. And the next time we're going to the bar, there's probably going to be hours of car talk in front of us. But there will always be the fact, that I think be will never be a proper gear head, because he will have never lived it.

I know it was a hell of rant. It had been a while since I thought about sharing this story with you guys. Wondering what you would think about it. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong. Let's the opinionated readers of Jalopnik and Oppo decide...

The Transporter > davlac89 01/29/2014 at 00:54

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He sounds like a bench racer to me. Somebody who knows everything about cars he's never driven.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > davlac89 01/29/2014 at 01:36

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Don't be too hard on him, he seems comfortable about his level of competence at this stage in life and its good to dream. Comparing him to a knucle-draggin', 10-W30 for blood, hard-core wrench turner isn't fair. That's like saying my regional autocross class championship doesn't count cause I'm friend's with the PWC drivers champion and attend F1 races. My trophy still has worth.

On the other hand, you sound like me. I hate spectating, if there's something I think I'll enjoy - I'm in with all 4 feet (wheels in this case). My philosophy is simple:

I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are;

because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star.

I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far;

for a might have-been has never been,

but a has-been was once an are.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > davlac89 01/29/2014 at 02:27

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Sounds like Good Will Hunting.

crowmolly > davlac89 01/30/2014 at 19:50

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Cars are typically a shitty investment. You sure he's not just being careful with his money?

davlac89 > crowmolly 02/01/2014 at 15:47

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Usually brand new cars are a shitty investment. And that's exactly what he got. For example, I bought a 68 Chevelle. I now own my dream car and I know that I could probably resell it for at least the price I paid for it.

Anyway, even if he would have bought let's say a 5000$ ''project'' car, this is the kind of car he could have been able to sell for the same price he paid. But you're right, in general cars are shitty investments, but in some way, travelling is too. But if you're into travelling, you're buying memories. So I guess I'm buying memories with my car too. And I guess he's just no gonna have some memories...

crowmolly > davlac89 02/02/2014 at 09:17

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Resale prices on "fun cars" can be tricky.

On one hand, you have situations such as yours where you picked up the car for price X and over time it will appreciate and you can make a few bucks. No argument there, especially if the car is VIN matched and has proper documentation.

However, once you get into spending money on the car (like wheels, engines, transmissions, paint, and so forth) you head down the road of investments with poor returns. If he were to buy a 5.0 for $7500 and throw $10,000 of stuff at it that doesn't make it a $17,500 car. And therein lies my point. The CAR might be a good investment, but if you decide to put some bucks towards it the value can swing the other way very quickly. Speaking from a money point of view, that makes it a shitty investment to many people, especially those who don't see the "happiness" that can't be measured in numbers.

davlac89 > crowmolly 02/02/2014 at 11:36

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You're absolutely right. Cars can turn out to be bottomless money pits. But for somebody who's into it, there's always going to be a certain smart balance that you can achieve. A stock 5.0 is still better that some Hyundai, even so if you put, let say, some cheap wheels, a cold air intake, muffler. These wouldn't even be 2000$ and you're going to enjoy your ride twice as much with them.

But obviously, anytime you start changing a car so much that you end up being the only one it's appealing to, you better be rich as F not to care about the resale value. I've seen way to much weird hot rod with ridiculous asking price just because the old man just added all the parts on the bill, it made no sense.