It's a boy!!! (why project cars are like having kids)

"Ross Kraz" (ropstafer) 06/30/2016 at 15:27 • Filed to: project cars, baby, kids

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While wrenching on my non-running project car recently, I realized how fond I was of the car before even being able to know what it’s like. I had a thought: this is like an unborn child. I love it, but we still haven’t actually met.

Terrible photoshopping done by me. Original image from bringatrailer.com

Full disclosure, I don’t have any biological kids. But let me explain why I have a mechanical one.

They say the best day you will have with a car is the day you buy it. They also say the most fun part about kids is making them.

Then you find out what you’ve done.

You may start off with a sense of false confidence. “We can handle this,” you say.

This is followed by doubts, stress, and maybe even a little regret in some cases. You realize that you are in way over your head.

Maybe we should just get rid of it. Could I live with that on my conscience?

As time rolls on, you start to realize how much money this is going to cost you.

Free time? What is free time?

You need to buy special equipment for them.

You ask for advice.

No, guys, I can’t go to the bar tonight.

This is messy.

Through it all, you start to fall in love with it. You care for it. You wonder what they will be like.

You wonder if they will like you. Will you be a good caretaker?

And then, the day comes. You finally get to hear their yells and see their face light up. This is the happiest moment of your life.

It has started.

You can try your hardest to make it as great as possible, but it has a personality all its own.

It gets even messier now than before; keeping it clean is impossible.

You ask for more advice.

People always want to touch it. Stop that. You might break something.

You learn their likes and dislikes pretty quickly.

Maybe, you even play with the idea of having another one.

Eventually, they are grown and don’t seem to need you anymore (except your wallet).

Then they leave you. All you can do is hope they don’t do anything stupid to wreck themselves. You just want them to be happy and want someone else to treat them as well as you have over the years.

All of your time, money, tears, and smiles have been poured into them. Looking back, maybe you weren’t ready. Who is? But you lived and you learned and, even if you could, you wouldn’t change a thing.

RallyWrench > Ross Kraz 06/30/2016 at 16:36

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If you have project cars and have kids, you can forget about the project cars.