Is there a foreign language that is particularly useful to Oppos?

"MegaSuper" (megasuper) 04/13/2015 at 17:02 • Filed to: None

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(By Oppos I mean car enthusiasts)

You know how some hobbies have a strong connection to another culture/language, and sometimes that leads people who follow that hobby to take up said language as a 2nd one? Like videogames and Japanese, or cooking and French? (Or old operas and Italian/German.)

Do you think there's anything like that when it comes to automobiles? I mean, it may vary depending on what your automotive interests are, but are there any cases you can think of where it's super-useful? Would, say, a Japanese 240SX shop manual be more accurate or detailed than an English one somehow? Ditto for a German 914 shop manual or something?

Random question, I know, but topics about how so many cars are "global" today got me thinking about the people who build, drive, and love them too!

MonkeePuzzle > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:05

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top gear would suggest chinese

MegaSuper > MonkeePuzzle 04/13/2015 at 17:06

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Haha I think I may have missed this episode. Can you explain?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:09

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There's one thing I think learning languages is good for - project car hunts in rural areas. I suspect French or Spanish would actually be more useful than German for foreign market insane project-car-hell inquiries, because the Germans (I've found) are almost OCD about learning enough English to get by. That being said, my Spanish is minimal, and my German far better, because it's fun. I'll just have to get help when I finally go on a DS-19 or Matra Rancho purchase trip, or to wander Spain looking for Land Rover Santanas. You know, when I find myself with an excess of money and time and common sense is on vacation somewhere else.

MonkeePuzzle > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:09

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they went to try out cars in china, and found... they were crap! but... substantially less crap than they'd been just a few years earlier. AND the Chinese were the fastest growing market for cars.

crowmolly > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:09

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Math isn't a language but being strong it it really helps.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > crowmolly 04/13/2015 at 17:13

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I, for one, definitely have not referred to any math in making suspension bits and/or sizing coilovers. Nor planning induction systems. Nor weight balance, nor exhaust. No sir, none. None at all.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:25

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Spanish would help me when I'm trying to talk to the guys at the shop. (I live near the border)

MegaSuper > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/13/2015 at 17:26

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Do you ever run into that problem where you want to practice your German, but they answer back to you in English because they want to practice their English? Haha I heard that makes learning Dutch and Swedish (might as well be all the Germanic languages!) difficult.

How long did it take you to memorize when to use the right one of the 36 different adjective declinations?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:33

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The problem of wanting to practice German with someone who wants to practice English is very real. Most of the time, you only *really* make use of about 18 adjective declinations, so...

LongbowMkII > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:37

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my remedial Japanese hasn't been all that helpful with my Japanese cars, apart from reading stuff under the hood (next to the english) and being able to pronounce "jinbai ittai"

MegaSuper > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/13/2015 at 17:48

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Yeah I heard no one cares about the Genitive anymore, they just use von + possessive.

Best of luck to you!

MegaSuper > LongbowMkII 04/13/2015 at 17:49

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Ahhh you're in the greys so I should reply!

Did it blow your mind the first time you saw an engine that said "Toyoda" instead of "Toyota"? And then had someone explain the whole "number of lucky strokes to write Toyota" thing? I thought it was totally fascinating.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:49

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It depends on what you are interested in. Candidate languages are English, German, French, Italian, Korean and Japanese.

I speak English and French and have a functional knowledge of Japanese and German.

So I really should be driving a Citroen C6.

MegaSuper > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 04/13/2015 at 17:51

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Yeah that's probably how I would answer if someone asked me this. Depends on where your interests lie. So I guess if you like em all, you gotta learn em all!

And I realize their auto industry is getting smaller by the day, but I guess you have to include Swedish too, right?

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 17:57

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Possible. If you want to read service manuals written by trolls in Trollhättan.

Older manuals tend to have more glaring issues with translations, and that's where the benefit in being able to comprehend the original manual is useful.

But late models? Nah.

If you have a 1960s Mercedes, you may want to be able to understand the original German. A brand new one? The English manuals are just fine.

stuttgartobsessed > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 18:08

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Well I'd say French, German, Italian, and Japanese ought to cover it.

LongbowMkII > MegaSuper 04/13/2015 at 18:08

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actually saw Toyoda in English once or twice. Power steering cap IIRC. It was an '82 supra so all Japanese parts. I figure it was the same in Japan since foreign words are used to market things as upscale.