NOHC_WBody Posted February 8, 2005 Report Posted February 8, 2005 I'm sure there's other members here that are also members of other more "all-inclusive" car forums. Maybe they'll understand. Maybe not. Either way, I need to let this rant out. Everyone comes to a point with ownership of their car where enough is enough...you back away and say "That's it, I'm not doing another thing to this car" It may be mechanical woes, or maybe the next mod is too expensive to justify, or maybe they're tired of hearing their SO complain "You spend more time with that damned car than you do with me", or maybe it's friends & their snide comments about your choice of car in the first place. But what do you do? You like your car...no one else can justify the time and effort you put into it, save for owners of similar cars...maybe. For me, getting discouraged is rearing it's ugly head more and more about my 90 International. I told the wife the only reason I bought the car in the first place was to eventually swap an L67 into it. Then..I bought another one..the 90' sedan. "What are you gonna do with that thing?" I told her I was gonna pull the tranny on it and put it into my International. Maybe I was lying to myself. Maybe I was lying to her. I've got no intentions whatsoever of disassembling the sedan to pilfer parts off it. Then she starts in with the "Why do you want to swap that other motor into your 2 door?...you know you're never gonna get your money back out of it." She just dosen't understand. She's never been and will never be a car enthusiast. To her, it's all numbers. 50 bucks here. 100 there...gas, oil and tires. All it has to do is get from point A to point B. Being an enthusiast, I'll never understand that logic, just in the same way she's never going to enjoy a spirited drive through the country with the sunroof open, the windows down and no particular place to go, to quote the song. I get ill..mad..downright pissed when someone else asks "why in the fuck do you want to swap/mod/even bother fixing that car(referring to my International). I can't logically explain it to them. I can't explain to them how it feels to accomplish something...to get your car "exactly where you want it"...to hear it go through the first two gears at WOT & why that makes me smile...How much I miss the way my old 3.4 GTP sounded at about 20 mph when I went WOT with the cone filter on it. How much I miss my 400sb 4 speed Nova hatchback. I tell them the car had no interior, save for the dash, two fiberglass seats, a shifter, a wheel and a roll cage. No one else understands why. And it's starting to get to me. All I hear is "it's not worth anything..why bother?" "It's a 3600 lb FWD pig." "A W-body? Why bother?" "What's your fascination with those damned things?" Maybe she's right. Maybe they're all right. Why DO I need to spend 2K on an L67? Why the fuck am I doing this? It gets to me, you know? Really the only thing keeping me interested in finishing my International is to prove the naysayers wrong. I've just gotten that discouraged about it. Anyway, thanks for reading my rant. [/rant off] Quote
GP1138 Posted February 8, 2005 Report Posted February 8, 2005 I can understand that. Nobody is going to understand our fascination with these cars and engines. I'm in an engine performance class where most of the class own imports or Fords, and most work on carb'd engines. The most modded car there is a Mitsu S1000 (something to that effect) and a S10 truck, and an Acura Integra. The Integra has nominal engine mods, but also has an exhaust fartcan that opens the Honk-a-Door garage door when the engine is revved. I say "W-Body" to someone, they go "What body?" Even the teachers, most look at me funny. I love these cars, though, because I know someone selling an STE around here for $275. Unfortunately, it goes the other way too, people selling '90 Lumina Euros for $4000 OBO in the newspaper. Bottom line is, do what you love, work on what you love, I.E. these cars. I love working on them, there's never really a time I don't. People ain't gonna understand it, but I'm sure your girlfriend enjoys doing something you don't understand. My girl watches TV sometimes. I don't understand that. Quote
GnatGoSplat Posted February 8, 2005 Report Posted February 8, 2005 Sorry to hear about the mental torment you've been going through. I'm glad I don't have the same predicament!!! I guess I'm lucky with my wife. When I told her I want to swap the LS4 V8 into my Cutlass, all she says is, "oh, you make me worry, you don't need a fast engine". For anything else, like when I said I wanted 18" wheels, she said, "DO IT!". When I asked her if I should buy the TGP, she said, "GET IT!" and she even helped me bring it back to Missouri from Texas. When I asked if she wanted 18" wheels on her Cutlass, she said, "hell yeah!" When I told her I was buying 20" wheels for my truck and had to drive halfway to St. Louis to get them, she said, "I'm coming with you!" She really likes W-bodies, especially Cutlass Supremes, and even though I don't think she understands everything I do, and I know she doesn't appreciate the sound of a V8 (she prefers a near silent engine), I'm really glad she's supportive and always has been. I've never been discouraged by friends or other car guys either. I guess it's because... well... I just plain don't HAVE any friends that are car guys. Heck, I hardly have any friends at all, just 3 guys that I probably only see 2 or 3 times a year. Of course, Penny is my best friend and she has no problem at all letting me blab blab blab about cars all day. Anyway, that sucks that you get all that negative input. The only negative stuff I ever hear about W's comes from this forum.... but anyway... I think you should turn the negative into positive. Use all the crap you get from others as fuel to build a car that'll kick their asses. For me, it's often the lack of appreciation that W-bodies get that motivates me more to build a W-body I can be proud of. Quote
Jeorge Posted February 8, 2005 Report Posted February 8, 2005 wanna know why you do it..... TO SEE THE LOOK ON THERE FACE WHEN YOU HAND THEM THERE ASS WITH A FAMILY CAR.................... I know thats why I do it... heck I spent $1400 on wires to rewire my STE and all to find out it was one box that I needed to bypass... from all the relays to the 170$ headlight switch...to the heat shrink tubing.... why do you ask because I love the car... the style the looks the toys in it.. anyone can get into a trans am camero or corvette and think they are fast but I tell you what....when you pull away from them in a family car it makes it all worth while... if she gives you crap about putting money into it tell here fine Im going to get a 1989 Turbo Trans am then.....and tell her how much they cost....she will then feel the 2-3K into your car will be worth it....if it makes you happy who cares what you Drive... I like the 90-91 cutlass internationals they are my second fave car for daily use... my fave is the 90-93 STE's by the way I know like 10 people who will not own anything but a w body around me.....when they feel how they handle when equiped right they dont want anything else... My Friend mark has a monte z34 and a lumina euro...his GF wants to get a 98-99 Regal GS and she is shopping for just the right one...been looking for almost 2 years now..and here mom looked for just the Right GP to get and found it...a 03 buurgandy SE because she liked the way ours handled. My Friend Rick has a bonni SSE and is looking for a Regal or a gtp and the list goes on... so if you like it Drive it... if you love it MOD IT Quote
RareGMFan Posted February 8, 2005 Report Posted February 8, 2005 wanna know why you do it..... TO SEE THE LOOK ON THERE FACE WHEN YOU HAND THEM THERE ASS WITH A FAMILY CAR.................... anyone can get into a trans am camero or corvette and think they are fast but I tell you what....when you pull away from them in a family car it makes it all worth while... It's worth every penny and every ounce of aggrevation when I come up to a street light at night, and the guy in the Lexus SUV next to me just drops his jaw in amazement when he sees the 6000 STE digital dash, or a steering wheel covered in lights. The middle aged Porsche Boxter driver didn't feel so cool or rich when he got spanked of the light, and just before I made my right turn, let him catch up so I could yell out "next time, get a REAL Porsche"! I love the look on the mechanics face when he gets under the 6000 to change the oil, and finds a driveshaft, or opens the hood of the GP to find a K&N filter attached to a TURBO! It's priceless. Not $50, not $100....PRICELESS! Are they worth the money being put into them? Of course not. But NO car ever is. NONE. You CANNOT mod any car heavily, and expect to get your money back. Modding cars is NEVER done for profit. So why do I do it personally? For the simple fact that I can't tolerate to drive something that everyone else has. And for one simple motto: REAL CARS ARE BUILT, NOT BOUGHT! 8) Quote
loominaz34 Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 I knew I couldn't be the only one that felt this way about my car. My girlfriend (ex-girlfriend as of tomorrow) told me i spent too much time, energy and thought on my Z34. She also doesn't understand going down the road just to go there. I've wanted and loved this car since I was 4 years old. Now that I have it, I may keep it forever. It may have some rust and a shitload of miles but This Summer, i'll fix the rust and start saving for a new engine/ trans. Quote
Darksyde Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 Hey i get the same shit for my Z34 on other boards. The one board i am on my sig has a pic of my car and 1 plain and simple statement. If you don't like my car Fuck Off. That's how I feel. I hate honda's, i don't go on there bashing the guys who spend their hard earned money building it up. People are just stupid. Most people should just be ignored. Do what you do, Love what you love If someone has a problem with it then they have a problem with you and they're just wasting your time talking to you. The more and more I am on this planet the more and more i realize i hate people. Quote
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 Yeah I'm sure that all Honda guys make fun of us, then the Mustang guys make fun of them, and the f-body guys make fun of the Mustang guys, followed by the Corvette guys making fun of the inferior Camaro, and then the Mopar Viper guys making fun of crappy Chrevys. Then the McLaren guys come and make fun of the Viper guys. In the end, the woman likes the red Mazda Miata convertable. Quote
White93z34 Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 i get that, in fact i got some of it here. i wrecked my car i have to live with that. i do. sending the best car i've ever owned to a junkyard was not an option. i worked 5-8 hour days 4-6 days a week for a month solid to get my car back on the streets. cost so far in the ballpark of $1200 by the time i'm done i'll be at around $2000. Quote
toastemcutlass Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 yeah im really sick of that shit too, i keep my car almost perfect and for the miles it is, yet until i put the new motor, people would be like its clean, but its a greocery getter, now the same people love my car just cuz its fast now, and it pisses me off, cuz i put my heart and sole into my car and it rides ten times better then most of the cheap ass rice on the road that talk shit to us. its even funnier when a guy with his chick in the passenger seat has a v-6 mustang or camero and think its so cool just cus its an f body..arg atleast i know i love my car, and to everybody who talks shit, see you at the next stop light the poor bastards never expect it. Quote
sl3196 Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 tired of hearing their SO complain "You spend more time with that damned car than you do with me" Holy shit if I had a dollar for everytime my wife said that I'd be rich. Quote
GPRACER Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 I swear that 99% of people are car stupid. We just have to put up with a lot of crap. Luckily I have a supportive family. My wife loves to go out and cruise, she was pissed when I got rid of the old Dodge Dart , hell my 3 year old son has GM coveralls and my 5 year old daughter already has dibs on the GP when she gets old enough to drive. I got crapped on at work for installing a bigger sway bar and an K & N filter in my "family Car" and I work at a dealership. Anyways to hell with them, all of them. Quote
92chevyeuro Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 I have only had my car for a couple of months now and Im already getting shit from people. They tell me its a grandma's car. I dont really care what they think, because the Lumina is actually my second car. I also own a 2000 Camaro Z28. I like my Lumina. Its nice comfortable car to cruise around in. I have always loved these cars, especially the 94-96 GTP's. Quote
Euro Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 i totally get where you're going NOHC, I get told this shit like "Why spend time on a car like this?" all the time People give me this type of response when I'm at car shows/cruise nights, etc. I usually just brush them off and tell them what i think they should do.... or even at school, a couple people have told me what they think of of my car by writing it on my trunk lid with their keys!!!(f-ing assholes) But, I guess with me(maybe with you guys too) these cars hold a place in my heart just because how much time I take on it, and because its my first car and whatnot. I would probably pay this much attention to my car(detailing, etc) as if i had gotten another car worth the time and effort to do it to. But I faced the fact that I(and everybody else here) have chosen to mod/detail/own such a car that regular Joe wouldn't think twice about it. Quote
Jeorge Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 I would probably pay this much attention to my car(detailing, etc) as if i had gotten another car worth the time and effort to do it to. But I faced the fact that I(and everybody else here) have chosen to mod/detail/own such a car that regular Joe wouldn't think twice about it. The Fact is I searched and Searched for my W body and happened apon it by total fate or what not....... yes the people dont think anything of a GP....... how ever the look on peoples faces when I take off from a stop sign and it Blows off makes everyone look around and they only see a Grand prix.... Reminds me of the time I was Crusin with my G/F (hates going fast in cars) at the time and she asked what makes this car so special and why do my Friends love driving it and I said they only made 1000 of these...and shes like so its because of the leather they like...I said NOPE....its the power they like..I then asked her if she wanted to see what was so "SPECIAL" about my car she said sure....so I floored it and she was like HOLY SHIT and so I stoped at 130 when she noticed the needle was past the speedo and she freaked..... was worth every penny... Quote
jeremy Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 ....so I stoped at 130 when she noticed the needle was past the speedo and she freaked..... fwiw: the TGP top speed is less then 130mph.... Quote
sonyman87 Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 If you ever get discouraged come back here. We support what you do with your car. my hats off to you Quote
Jeorge Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 ....so I stoped at 130 when she noticed the needle was past the speedo and she freaked..... fwiw: the TGP top speed is less then 130mph.... sure it is........I have a factory FREAK....been clocked at 143 and have had it faster then that......there are a couple of STE turbos that go past 128 mine Toms and I think dbtk2 have all had theres above 128 I know I have had mine above been paced at 150 in the car... mine is STOCK for the most part other then struts and a k&N Quote
sonyman87 Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 i remember an old friend befor i new anything about these cars back in 1993 ish.. they woman had her trubo grand prix up past 130.. maybe your thinking about the ones that have a leaky xover Quote
jeremy Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 maybe your thinking about the ones that have a leaky xover Pontiac and all the mags from when they came out said they top out at 128mph Quote
NORBI Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 I totally undersand you i was in same situation and still am. My 1st car was a 1988 Cutlass Supreme Base model which i still have and started changing it to International inside and my friends were making fun of Oldsmobiles and jsut my car becasue they had Mustangs GTs or BMW. But i didnt listen to them and later i got a 1994 Cutlass Supreme COnvertible with a 3.4 DOHC, and they were still making coments about it but not as much but still were telling me get a mustang get a mustang well due to the fact that i had to return convertible to the dealer because dealer broke it and only they could be was Honda or Ford i got a brand new Mustang GT 2002. 2nd day i owned Mustang it broke down on me and since then every month it was at the shop so i started making fun of my friends of how much Ford is a piece of $H!T and that i have to get rid of it befor it falls apart and warranty ends, so what i did got a 2002 AUrora 4.0 and dont listen to my friends anymore after i gave them a ride and said that its a nice car. I only get offended when people call it a Buick when its not. Quote
Jeorge Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 maybe your thinking about the ones that have a leaky xover Pontiac and all the mags from when they came out said they top out at 128mph yeah they are supost to be governed at 128 but not all of them are.... take a look at my site theres the stats of what they are supost to be Under the Hood Quote
dbtk2 Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 maybe your thinking about the ones that have a leaky xover Pontiac and all the mags from when they came out said they top out at 128mph 128mph is the REV limiter in 3rd gear. It won't shift into OD at WOT so you have to let off so it will shift into 4th, and then go WOT again. TGP's will go WELL over 128mph. At least mine does... Shawn Quote
SigEpCutlass Posted February 9, 2005 Report Posted February 9, 2005 keep on trucking dude don't let the bullshit bother you. Quote
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