Well Pops always sees packages coming to the door, mainly for the GP.
He eventually asks what I am doing.
I try to make it short and brief because he thinks about cars back in the day.
He always thinks opposite of what is right.
For instance, this IC kit, he is so confused on colder densor air is better. He thinks it should be hot for better combustion.
He doesn't understand why I need another reservoir since I have one, and he is like anotehr radiator, but how will that cool it down.
So I basically have to show him the parts and explain it.
He said what if you blow the motor? I said I'll fix it. He said, well that'll be expensive. I said, not as much as the tranny would be, $1500-2000. He goes, No way, motor expensive. I said, no, because I can fix whats wrong.
He also asked if I am going to the track to race, I said sure thing. He says what if you blow the motor, I said I'll fix it. Then he gets all weird and says, how you going to get around your bike? When we got a spare car and what not to get around in anyways.
He blew 6 trannies back in the day in one car, cause the motor was soo intense it kept exploding the cluster gear. Well back then, he could go to the junkyard and get a tranny for $75, lol.
I was just curious if your friends or relatives think they know something about what you are doing but really don't and he/she doesn't realize you have sites like gp.net, clubgp, and local club sites that have sooo much info for you, that you know the GP like the back of your hand.

My dad is always asking WTF something is for, and whats its purpose is. After explaining it all, its always "expensive". Yet he supports me through everything I do, and helps me out mentally/financially and always helps me do stuff. He's just not too "in tune" with whats going on in motorsports/powersports these days, but all is well.

lol my dad says, wow listen, the engine is too loud eliott, i say... yea thats an intake lol

My dad actually ends up knowing more than the internet.

Also he can beat up your dad.

KIDDING. Just thought it would be funny.

My grampa and my dad are actually pretty quick to connect 1 and 1 and infer as to wtf it is that I'm doing and/or want to do. I'm blessed with a sharp minded mechanically inclined family.

Except my mom, she freaks out at every new noise. I have to continually reassure her.

From an older persons point of view as well as an auto enthusiast, I'll offer my perspective. Personally I think I have progressed to modern times relatively well. Many of my friends and co-workers still bemoan the "old days" of big V8s, big 4 bbl carbs and RWD. Granted the old cars have their appeal but I think the new ones are more amazing than ever.

But more to the topic, lets all face the simple fact that modding cars IS expensive and there's just no way around that. Yes years ago you could grab a tranny for $75, but years ago I only made $3 an hour.
My Dad always thought I was blowing time and money but he didnt give me too much grief because he got me started turning wrenches and I think part of him was proud I had progressed past his skill level.
My ex-wife on the other hand was a constant nagger at how much I was cooking on the car. I remember telling her once "If you'd like, next time you can go buy a brand new car instead of a used one that I can fix, and when it breaks down you pay someone else to do that too."

I will admit I have seen and met guys that will live in ratshack and their little kids run around in thrift store clothes and no shoes but they show up at the dragstrip with a POS truck towing a romping SuperPro racer. These guys have a serious mental defect IMO.

I see the young guys today with the "ricer cars" and I scratch my head at their mentality as well as the hi-riding donk rides...and it makes me feel like I'm a little too old school.

The only time I feel a little off about my hobby is when I think about that guys who love cars but dont know squat about them. Yet they have worked all their lives to learn how to make money, and lots of it. Now that they are my age they can afford to buy all the cars I'll only dream about. Thats what makes me wonder sometimes if I didnt spend my time and money in the wrong places.

So much for regrets, I'm happy where I'm at and I love the cars I have and there are much worse habits and hobbies I could indulge in.

my dad says you can never improve a car over stock... he says modding cars are a waste of time and you never get your money back... honestly it pisses me off because obviously modding a car makes the car better at something

it's really frustrating actually.. i don't understand why he's like that

i tell him my plans and he just disregards them

now he's telling me i should just park the car in the garage and let it sit since pontiac is getting cut... i said yeah, what's somebody gonna want with a 160000 mile GP???

He's actually right about the fact that you'll never get your money back. I've got who knows how much in vested in my car and it isnt worth one red cent more than book value. Maybe even less since the average buyer looks at a car like mine and they think "well abused hot rod".

Ithink older people will always see things younger people do as a waste since it isnt what they did. Just like me, I cant for the life of me understand why so many young people act they will die without a cell phone that will do everything but blow their nose. I've just never felt the need to be that "plugged in"

I just got my first cellphone like 3 years ago, and you should have seen the look on the guys face at the store when I told him I had no previous account. You would have thought he had seen a dinosaur...maybe he did...me

Lets face facts that the auto enthusiast is a minority...and many people see it as something you should "grow out of"...some do, others of us never will.

Well tbat, atleast you know how to work a phone. My mom can't work her cell phone to save her life, she asks me to dail the numbers but on the other hand she is 60 years old and she's starting to lose memory a little bit.

My dad is 70 years old. He never own cellphone. He think it is stupid. lol I have pager and my dad have it too so we can talk each other if something come up. The pager is really OLD. It is look like 1995. My screen is black/green. Everyone told me "oh my god! that's totally old new! Get new sidekick or blackberry!". Since all deaf people use that in current year. I just like whatever and I like that because it is CHEAPEST! I don't need cool color screen, game, website, music, or whatever cool stuffs they have. My pager don't charge the battery for 3 weeks (always on forever). My ex-gf charge her sidekick every single day because it ate lot of battery. lol

My dad don't like when I got F1 hood. He think it is stupid. Why you want that for? I told him it is my car hobby. I want make it look neat for future car show that I always want to try it out. After paint the hood, he couldn't believe his eyes. He says it is actually look much better. The hood make my car more "angry look" lol... Also, he really love my exhaust system. He wants to drive mine so I let him drive it as long he don't crash mine lol

That's funny Tbat. I see 60, 70, 80 year olds in Publix with Bluetooth headsets in their ears!
LMAO, now that is some funny stuff to see.

People have Hobbies. Playing with the GP is mine.
To me, its given back what I've put into it.
It only "whines" when I tickle her throttle.
Its one thing in life that I can zone out drama and just have fun playing around, enjoying what the GP will give back once the project is complete. It's putting my skills to work.
It actually pays off, unlike the damn roses, flowers, cards, gifts I'd buy a gf, or ex as far as that goes, that I didn't get too much in return for, or much at all.
The GP gives back!

It shouldn't make you feel that way. I just turned 20, and feel like I'm too old school for it.

My dad was always supportive of my modding exploits, and whenever I was wrenching on the cars, he'd be right there helping out. I've only had one ex-girlfriend give me grief about my car hobby, and when she suggested I sell my '66 Riviera to buy her an engagement ring, my reply was: "And what makes you think you're worth ten grand!? Get out!" And thankfully, she did...

Best. Decision. Ever.

She obviously did not show interest in your hobbies and support you if she would rather you sell something like that for something as trivial as an engagement ring! lol

Thanks r.s., I bought the Riv in 1987, and still have it; my ex-girlfriend has been married and divorced several times since then..some relationships last longer than others..