![]() 08/23/2013 at 10:49 • Filed to: None | ![]() | ![]() |
Being an Opponaut who works at a dealership is like being Charlie Sheen at the AVN Awards. It simply feeds the addiction. Even if I were trying to get car-sober, it's the routine treats like this which would drive my recidivist behavior.
My soon-to-be-wife had some concerns about me working in this business. And it had nothing to do with those old stereotypical notions of life in a dealership (I work at a large, corporately-owned dealership, so I can tell you first hand that it's nothing like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which is absolutely hilarious and you should all watch it tonight, but I can't speak for the smaller family-owned dealerships). And it had nothing to do with economic concerns, or fear of a second Carpocalypse, another credit crisis, or the stagnation caused by the slow economic recovery. It had to do with my near-obsession with anything with a motor. Her concern was that this was the recipe for creating a monster. She thought that it would be nothing but car talk, 24/7/365. She fell in love with me, but was terrified of marrying Click and Clack. And you know what? She was wrong. I get to talk cars all day. I get to talk about the industry, the trends, and the classics. I get to talk with technicians and body repair guys. I get to have have conference calls and seminars on upcoming products with manufacturer reps. I get to press them for off-the-record info. I get to hear the early buzz about 11 different manufacturers straight from the horse's mouth. My customer lounge is filled with industry magazines (also the Robb Report, a few lifestyle/travel mags, and of course the DuPont Registry). Cars, cars, cars, all day long. I get to see the new ones come off the transporter, and the hidden gems from the auctions roll in. I get to see the employees and their beloved project cars and/or treasured shitheaps. As a matter of fact, working here has made me cherish my own shitheaps that much more. It's like loving a very old, nearly decrepit pet; on the surface it looks like hell, but you can never put a price on the memories. And by the end of the day, I am done. I am actually tired of talking and thinking about cars. It's out of my system, and I can go home without breathing another word about cars.
But I'll probably never bring her to the NAIAS with me. That is a 14-hour affair. And it's all "Me Time".
![]() 08/23/2013 at 10:53 |
|
That Suzuki/Tracker makes me miss mine... and those half doors are genius!!
![]() 08/23/2013 at 11:03 |
|
Is that beast for sale? I need a tuff truck....
![]() 08/23/2013 at 11:08 |
|
I read that has "those doors are half genius"
I'm not sure if I'm suddenly dyslexic, or if my brain was trying to make a funny out of your statement.
![]() 08/23/2013 at 11:08 |
|
Sadly it is not. It belongs to an employee who uses it as an ORV and dune truck. Which I salute.
![]() 08/23/2013 at 11:09 |
|
Dang, it looks massively fun. I love the half doors.
![]() 08/23/2013 at 11:21 |
|
half genius, half crazy awesome!!
![]() 08/23/2013 at 11:23 |
|
That's easier for my brain to dissect this morning. Thanks. :)
![]() 08/24/2013 at 13:02 |
|
I envy that you have found you car lot in life. Nice article and congrats on the upcoming wedding.
![]() 08/24/2013 at 13:24 |
|
Thanks!