A real car guy

[speedog]

So someone's comment in another thread got me a thinking as to what a 'real car guy' is.

What is a 'real car guy'? Can it really be defined? Obviously the person who made the comment in that other thread knows what it take to be a 'real car guy' but is that person's definition the end all to beat all when it comes to defining hat a 'real car guy' is?

[03ozwhip]

So someone's comment in another thread got me a thinking as to what a 'real car guy' is.

What is a 'real car guy'? Can it really be defined? Obviously the person who made the comment in that other thread knows what it take to be a 'real car guy' but is that person's definition the end all to beat all when it comes to defining hat a 'real car guy' is?

my view about a real car guy is someone that loves all cars and can see potential in all of them and can work on his own cars for the most part.

[ExtraSlow]

I think beyond has two or three types of car guys.
1) guys who are regularly in competitive racing
And 2) guys who spend a significant amount of thier wealth on automobiles.
Edit: maybe 3) guys who are into watching motorsports.

I'm neither. Just a dude who appreciates how damned good even cheap cars have become and who can do mid-level difficulty repairs himself.

[bjstare]

I'd quantify myself as a real car guy. Good understanding and application of handling dynamics, appreciate a broad variety of cars even if they don't suit my taste, and always put the "fun to drive" factor high on the list when shopping for a car. I have the ability to work on cars (it's not exactly rocket surgery), but have little interest in it anymore; the few hours I have outside of work are too valuable to me to be holed up in the garage and not spending time doing things with my friends/family.

[Darkane]

I'd quantify myself as a real car guy. Good understanding and application of handling dynamics, appreciate a broad variety of cars even if they don't suit my taste, and always put the "fun to drive" factor high on the list when shopping for a car. I have the ability to work on cars (it's not exactly rocket surgery), but have little interest in it anymore; the few hours I have outside of work are too valuable to me to be holed up in the garage and not spending time doing things with my friends/family.

Me too. I bleed automotive news, keeping up with what’s current is one of my hobbies/priorities.

I want to peruse something automotive in the future, being a brand ambassador or even just some sort of sales or something. Can’t see myself opening a shop as that’s financial suicide most of the time.

Perhaps get into Fred Philips good books and work at his museum. Need to meet him a few more times though. Lol.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

I don’t have a standard definition but I definitely consider myself one, work in the industry, schooling around automotives, read car magazines consistently, keep up to date on the industry, compete in amateur motor sports.

[JustinL]

I think beyond has two or three types of car guys.
1) guys who are regularly in competitive racing
And 2) guys who spend a significant amount of thier wealth on automobiles.
Edit: maybe 3) guys who are into watching motorsports.

I'm neither. Just a dude who appreciates how damned good even cheap cars have become and who can do mid-level difficulty repairs himself.

Damn. I'm all three. But really 1 and 2 are almost inextricably linked!

[dirtsniffer]

If you know what oversquare means you are a car guy.

[lilmira]

If you are not first, you are last.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[TomcoPDR]

Anyone who posts on Beyond

[Chantastic]

my view about a real car guy is someone that loves all cars and can see potential in all of them and can work on his own cars for the most part.

I would agree with this. Over the years I've driven/owned many Japanese and some German sports cars (240/GTI/STI/G35 etc.), and I guess I've unintentionally made myself a bit of a reputation as a 'sports car guy' to non automotive enthusiasts. In recent years, I've been driving around an EP3 Civic SiR and now a Honda Fit. The amount of negative comments I received when acquaintances of mine found out I was now driving 'just a Civic' was almost overwhelming (Why? Why a Civic? Who tries to make a Civic go fast? (lol)). It made me realize that there are a lot of people that like to pose as car guys to be cool, but really have no idea what they are talking about and are just full of ego. They wouldn't be caught dead in something like a Honda, let alone a Civic. Now that I have a Fit, the negative comments are even more extreme from acquaintances and total strangers. Interestingly, not only is the Fit the most hated car I've owned but it is also the one that has received the most positive comments from strangers, 100% due to it's unique color.

In the end, I drive and buy cars because I like them, not because I hope someone else will. I think that's the bottom line for a real car guy.

[Darell_n]

It would never occur to somebody to call themselves a ‘real car guy’ unless they were.

[RealJimmyJames]

Real car guy needs 100k into his wheels or gtfo

[Darkane]

If you know what oversquare means you are a car guy.

That won’t be a good indicator soon. Very few around.

Very few. Even less new.

[Carter240]

Definition: Jay Leno

[Darkane]

Definition: Jay Leno

Or the guy I mentioned earlier. Our very own Fred Phillips. His collection is one Jay Leno goes to visit. Think about that.

[corsvette]

Motor Trend put a pretty good definition out there on one of their best drivers car intro's a number of years ago that I think car guys can rally around:



Source: http://www.motortrend.com/news/2011-motor-trend-best-drivers-car/

Funny, that quote reminds me of what made buy my CTS-V sport (the turbo 6 model not the s/c V8), as far a luxury car's go the driving pleasure it's hard to beat and driving the car is pure joy, like several magazines have said this car feels like what a BMW was 15 years ago, such a direct driver to car feel is pretty rare nowadays.

I think what makes a true car guy is one that can find enjoyment in various different vehicles for different reasons. Liking a car purely for it's styling or significance in automotive history or for it's pure driving pleasure, maybe because it's rare in a way that the model has long been forgotten and very few preserved examples still exist.

I meet way too many "car guys" who don't give a shit about any vehicle unless it squirts from 0-100km in under 5 seconds, or is some wicked muscle car or exotic. I like the guys who can talk old 70's pickups, malaise era luxury boats, and still are in the know in the current automotive trends from basic Kia's to AMG Mercedes'. Seems to be plenty of genuine car folks here on Beyond.

[Shlade]

Real car guy needs 100k into his wheels or gtfo

If you don't got TE37's you're not a real car guy

[speedog]

If you don't got TE37's you're not a real car guy

Don't have them, guess I'm not a car guy.

[J-hop]

It would never occur to somebody to call themselves a ‘real car guy’ unless they were.

I found the opposite. The guys I know who I’d consider true car guys. The guys that own a proper torque wrench (not a ctire special). The guys that have had their hands inside an engine. The guys that have built 500+hp engines with their own hands. Those guys are the ones that will never announce themselves as a car guy.

They’ll sit idly by smiling while some guy with more cash or debt tolerance than brains spouts about how they are a car guy because they read a brochure and bought a nice car but have never wrenched a day in their life.

Sure I’d call that other guy an enthusiast. But a car guy? Nope

I’m forever chasing this, until my project car is a serious track car I’ll consider myself a poser :rofl:

[Darell_n]

I don't think being a real car guy has anything to do with money, whatsoever. Otherwise it would be called a real poor financial decision guy instead.

[J-hop]

I don't think being a real car guy has anything to do with money, whatsoever. Otherwise it would be called a real poor financial decision guy instead.

No, nothing to do with money. Just whether someone gets their hands dirty or not.

what I mean can pretty much be summed up by the opening scene of Tokyo drift. Real car guy builds his car. Other guy reads some magazine articles, memorized specs then buys a nice car and thinks he’s some Motorhead

“You can read the brochure” - Sean Boswell

[max_boost]

I think beyond has two or three types of car guys.
1) guys who are regularly in competitive racing
And 2) guys who spend a significant amount of thier wealth on automobiles.
Edit: maybe 3) guys who are into watching motorsports.

I'm neither. Just a dude who appreciates how damned good even cheap cars have become and who can do mid-level difficulty repairs himself.

#2 use to be me

Now i am none of the above haha

[JRSC00LUDE]

Nikola Tesla. Duh.

[A790]

A former buddy of mine is the definition of real car guy.

His cars are all well treated. He works on all of them. They all (like 6+ cars) have his touch on them somewhere.

He loves the community and helps people. He helped me turbo a Kia Forte in my garage. He even paid for most of the small shit that I didn't realize was something to even think about.

A real car guy doesn't shit talk, unlesss they're appreciating the shit they're talking about.

[ExtraSlow]

I'll agree with that, a real car guy doesn't talk shit and can appreciate the positive qualities in anyone's ride, even if it's slower and older.

[LUDELVR]

I'll agree with that, a real car guy doesn't talk shit and can appreciate the positive qualities in anyone's ride, even if it's slower and older.

This is what I'm talking about. It's the word appreciate that makes it for me. You don't necessarily have to agree with the build or like it but to appreciate it... you understand that there is a desire to alter the car to what the owner wants it to be, just like each and every one of us. Why build a car to someone else's liking when you have to own it? If you like, then do it.

[D'z Nutz]

my view about a real car guy is someone that loves all cars and can see potential in all of them and can work on his own cars for the most part.

I think to me this is the best definition of "a real car guy".

I don't agree that you have race, or have put $XXXXX amount of money into a car, or know how to disassemble and reassemble your ride to be "a real car guy" cause some people just don't have the means or accessibility even though the passion is there. That's like saying you can only like astronomy if you've been to space.

[Xtrema]

I'll agree with that, a real car guy doesn't talk shit and can appreciate the positive qualities in anyone's ride, even if it's slower and older.

/thread

You don't have to own them.

You don't have to work them.

All you need is appreciating them.

[J-hop]

I think to me this is the best definition of "a real car guy".

I don't agree that you have race, or have put $XXXXX amount of money into a car, or know how to disassemble and reassemble your ride to be "a real car guy" cause some people just don't have the means or accessibility even though the passion is there. That's like saying you can only like astronomy if you've been to space.

I guess for me it’s astronomers thinking they’re astronauts that gets me.

[Sugarphreak]

....

[shakalaka]

Real car guy? Someone who likes cars....a lot.

[NissanFanBoy]

Guys who drive Hondas are fake car guys.

[dirtsniffer]

Does nissan have more than 1 exciting vehicle?

[ExtraSlow]

The Nissan Kashi is Shure an excitingly spelled car name!

[NissanFanBoy]

Does nissan have more than 1 exciting vehicle?

Not really, just the one haha and I'm a big fan of it.

[J-hop]

Guys who drive Hondas are fake car guys.

Tell real street performance that haha.

Yea man, unless you’ve built a car running single digit 1/4 mile times you haven’t earned the right to talk trash, end of story.

[NissanFanBoy]

Real car guys live their lives a quarter mile at a time then?

PS, some of my closest friends drive Hondas

[J-hop]

Real car guys live their lives a quarter mile at a time then?

PS, some of my closest friends drive Hondas

Haha no just essentially if you want to talk trash about cars you better have something serious lurking in your garage to back you up.

[NissanFanBoy]

True true... My post wasn't serious though.

Everyone has to start somewhere like any hobby, I think to be a car guy you just have to "really like cars" like someone said that's it.

[ShermanEF9]

someone who doesn't give you shit for owning a nice domestic, or a civic hatchback with a fartcan.