Are you into real cars?

[Gratuit]

I used to but I'm not (that much) anymore.

My father is a real petrolhead, like many guys from those times. When I'm born (1982), he was driving an Alfa Sprint, then owned an Audi Coupe quattro. The L5 still awakes many memories in me when I hear one.
I've owned many VW Golf GTI, mk1 ('78, '82, '83) and 2 (16V '87, 8S EO '90)

 

But 15 years ago, I got a new job in the air pollution. I was responsible for the calibration and maintenance of all air quality monitors in the french speaking part of Belgium. That ment driving a lot (70-80 000km a year), and after 6 years of it I made a kind of nervous breakdown. I couldn't stand driving that much anymore, I always got angry on others. Plus I had a kind of ecological awakening, so I left my job, sold my mk1 GTI and walked for 3 months to Santiago de Compostella.
Now, I repair ebikes and their batteries. I still own a car, a 23 years old Renault Twingo. I've never owned such a practical car, plus it is really easy to find spares and to work on it. And it is cheap as f***. It is mainly for my wife, as I'm working home and often use an (e)bike if I have to go somewhere. We are living in the countryside, so it's kind of difficult to live without a car. I'd like to switch to an electric one in the future when we can afford it.

So even if I still give a look at some rally in my area, I don't like it as much as I did before. For me, cars belong to the past, but we are in a surrounding made around them so its difficult to live without one.
I like to experiment, so I'm a lot into cargo bikes and "intermediate vehicles" as we call them in French. These are vehicles between bikes and cars, i.e. form ebikes to very small cars. 
In 2021 I took part to the Sun Trip, an adventure around Europe with ebikes powered by the sun. I've build my own vehicle from scratch:

Here is me near the end of my 8000km trip in 2 months.

So no, I'm not into cars anymore. But I'm still interrested in everything that has wheels

[Wooders28]

17 hours ago, RCvet said:

Do you also get into real cars? 

Kind of...

Started a project thread in the 'Anything not RC ' section a while back, if you want to add some pics of yours @MadAnt  - 

 

 

[Andreas W]

2 hours ago, Gratuit said:

I used to but I'm not (that much) anymore.

My father is a real petrolhead, like many guys from those times. When I'm born (1982), he was driving an Alfa Sprint, then owned an Audi Coupe quattro. The L5 still awakes many memories in me when I hear one.
I've owned many VW Golf GTI, mk1 ('78, '82, '83) and 2 (16V '87, 8S EO '90)

 

Now that are some proper looking Gölfe. Spot on my cup of dark roast coffee. BBS, Ronal Turbo and OZ Turbo (my alltime favorite) give the looks I prefer after getting heavily inspired by the german VW scene in the 90s. That was before the austrians and belgiums took over and showed how to do it (Cult Society and MIVW). 

 

I also like going with our e-bike with trailer for getting groceries. No problem parking, no road fees and good for me,  as long as I use the advantage of ekectical power to make the trip longer.

[Smokescreen38]

ABSOLUTELY. I adore all kinds of enthusiast cars, basically since birth   

I have had a handful of fun cars that I've loved over the years including two Miatas (one with a big power bump from a turbo) that I miss dearly.  The one I've held onto though has been my 1973 Dodge Dart Sport. Certainly not the most glamorous nor collectible car in the world but it's mine.  I bought it for next to nothing, a one owner/23 year old car when I was 17.  It's now 52 years old...and I'm 46.     I've leaned on the driving experience kind of mods.  It has a pretty hot small block, 4 speed manual, chassis reinforcements, tubular front suspension components, super heavy duty torsion bars, performance leaf springs, performance shocks, four wheel disk brakes, etc, etc, etc,.  Ive found about 200lbs to remove (without carving up the car) and lowered the CG too.  It's a joy...of course, any moderate performance electric car on the road will keep up (or embarrass it!) but they will NOT be having more fun than me.  

It has been fun to see what you guys are into!  I could have guessed that there would be some good taste in 1:1 cars. 

 

 

[Guest]

I am loving the Dodge, that is a fine machine. 

[Old_Corny]

I do like pretty much anything on wheels. I used to own a Nissan R32 GTS which I loved and miss dearly. I broke it at a time when I was unable to afford two cars and sold it to a guy who used it for drifting. My TT-02d is based on this car

As age has crept up and hills got steeper, me and the wife bought a Bambuk Tandem e-Trike. Fantastic fun enabling us to ride again without balance/mounting/dismounting issues.

[kevinb120]

I did hot rod 60's cars back in the 80's when they were dirt cheap and plentiful, 9 mustangs over the years, other tangents like 240/260Z's, Miatas, first gen SC MR2(loved that little thing) even a 93RX7TT(which burned up with an electrical fire-Mazda's fault not mine) and motorcycles of various sorts.  Been about 12 years since I've tinkered with anything out of the norm(as kids will do...).  Although today our two family cars have 4 turbos between them (540i and a Flex ecoboost) and power I could only dream of back in the day it's still not 'boring'.  Although I'm getting the itch for something, Either a Cayman in it's more elemental form(as I think it's the spiritual successor to the old G series 911) like a 981 with the flat 6, or a new Miata Club or even a new Bronco Heritage, or go the other way with an old Alfa spider or real Mini.  Just...Something  Even toying with the idea of the EV converted Deloreans.

[Saito2]

3 hours ago, Smokescreen38 said:

 

That is an awesome Dart Sport. We don't see many around here set up like that. Nice.

I'll race ya! Just don't ask me to take any turns at speed......or stop with any authority, lol.

 

[Smokescreen38]

2 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

That is an awesome Dart Sport. We don't see many around here set up like that. Nice.

I'll race ya! Just don't ask me to take any turns at speed......or stop with any authority, lol.

 

Whoa. Your Nova looks like it rolled right out of an early/mid 70s street race. It looks mean with those traction bars and the slotted mags are perfection.  What's under the hood?

As for the race that would be a blast but I wouldn't bet any money on it if we're going from a standing start... I can't put any power down off the line with thanks to my suspension (and the no-season BFG radials   )   I suspect your Chevy launches well with that setup!  

[Saito2]

Just now, Smokescreen38 said:

Whoa. Your Nova looks like it rolled right out of an early/mid 70s street race. It looks mean with those traction bars and the slotted mags are perfection.  What's under the hood?

Thank you! That is precisely the look I was going for (basically what we all did as kids BITD). I still kick around the idea of adding a Grump Lump hood scoop with some lace paint but PA cops get fussy about hood scoop height. Its just a 4 bolt 350 with Vortec heads (center bolt valve covers do ruin the vibe a bit and prevent me from running some cool gold Moroso or cast M/T valve covers). Its actually a long distance cruiser drivetrain with 2.73s and a Saginaw four speed. The Saginaw might lack the durability of a Muncie (or Chrysler's awesome A833) but its 3.11 first gear lets it pull out with some grunt. My days of side-stepping clutches and ripping through the gears like a wild man are over .

[Wystan Withers]

The spirit is willing but the wallet is weak. Mustangs and Studebakers for me, but the ol' income ain't what it used to be. My old man's got a real nice Deuce roadster that'll be mine someday, hopefully later rather than sooner.

The culture is so different now too. Back in the late 80's early 90's there was a centrally located grocery store with a giant parking lot everyone congregated at on Saturday night. Hundreds of cars would roll through and folks mostly kept to an unwritten code- street rods got the first couple rows, muscle cars next, imports/sports cars next and farthest away were the lowriders and boom trucks... everyone with their own clicks and a long snake of cars and girls would creep through for hours. Depending on the race calendar, about ten you'd start to see trailered cars fresh from a day at Pomona appearing way out on the periphery, and at 11 when the lights went out that was the signal from the property owners it was time to clear out and for the drag racers to decide what 'the spot' was going to be that week and we made our way there. Eventually conflicts between SD, LA and Vegas gangs started becoming a problem as they used the car night as a meet up for their shenanigans so the cops shut it down. Or at least that's the excuse they gave us. Today it's mostly just us gray hairs going to a 'car show' where folks sit in folding chairs and fish for compliments. The fun side of it is gone... or maybe it's just that my youth is gone HA!

Of course, the days when a 17-year-old kid could afford something like this are long gone as well-

 

[RCvet]

37 minutes ago, Wystan Withers said:

The spirit is willing but the wallet is weak. Mustangs and Studebakers for me, but the ol' income ain't what it used to be. My old man's got a real nice Deuce roadster that'll be mine someday, hopefully later rather than sooner.

The culture is so different now too. Back in the late 80's early 90's there was a centrally located grocery store with a giant parking lot everyone congregated at on Saturday night. Hundreds of cars would roll through and folks mostly kept to an unwritten code- street rods got the first couple rows, muscle cars next, imports/sports cars next and farthest away were the lowriders and boom trucks... everyone with their own clicks and a long snake of cars and girls would creep through for hours. Depending on the race calendar, about ten you'd start to see trailered cars fresh from a day at Pomona appearing way out on the periphery, and at 11 when the lights went out that was the signal from the property owners it was time to clear out and for the drag racers to decide what 'the spot' was going to be that week and we made our way there. Eventually conflicts between SD, LA and Vegas gangs started becoming a problem as they used the car night as a meet up for their shenanigans so the cops shut it down. Or at least that's the excuse they gave us. Today it's mostly just us gray hairs going to a 'car show' where folks sit in folding chairs and fish for compliments. The fun side of it is gone... or maybe it's just that my youth is gone HA!

Of course, the days when a 17-year-old kid could afford something like this are long gone as well-

 

Certainly our youth is gone but social media changed it all. Way back when it was thing in high school I ran a car club for Fieros.  I started by making flyers I would stick under wipers when I saw one.  When I finally made one announcing the 1st meeting date I had no idea who would show up, I had tagged maybe 25 cars at that point. Imagine my surprise when 7 cars showed up.  That club went on to be 70 members and never changed my formula, good old fashioned mail.  Membership was $20 which basically covered my mail costs and gave me evidence the person was interested in me even mailing them.  I went off to college and let it go but we had  many great regular meetings with 25 or so actually participating each time. Small by today's "gathering" standard but was a genuine group of good people. 

I miss the days of here's the place and time, show up or don't.  Not interested in negotiating with everyone about time and place that works best for them and then no meeting ever happens as a result.  Or to your point, 300 unaffiliated guys who have no real connection show up and cause trouble and don't even know each other.  I built some real friendships back then under my old model that does not seem possible today.

Rant off ;-)

[Saito2]

5 hours ago, RCvet said:

I miss the days of here's the place and time, show up or don't.  Not interested in negotiating with everyone about time and place that works best for them and then no meeting ever happens as a result.  Or to your point, 300 unaffiliated guys who have no real connection show up and cause trouble and don't even know each other.  I built some real friendships back then under my old model that does not seem possible today.

There's something different about the times now too. Old car meet-ups were much the same in my area back then. Street rods had already degraded into fiberglass and billet easter egg colored machines run by the well-off elderly by that point and were adored by all. Muscle cars were a bit more fringe and just getting together with any fellow muscle enthusiast, regardless of brand was a good time just to be around fellow gearheads. Gradually, the shows got bigger and with the advent of the internet and social media, muscle cars gained mainstream appreciation as the aging baby boomers, now empty-nesters, having money to blow. In the late 2000's, thanks to Barret Jackson on TV and baby boomer-demand, the price of old 60/70s rides shot up. Every goof with a 4-door '74 Plymouth rotting away in his backyard suddenly thought it was worth a mint. It's weird to see grannies that once scowled and my loud street machines, disturbing the peace, now giving me thumbs up and trying to egg me into doing a burnout, lol. Times change and we all get old. Interestingly, the broad knowledge base all car guys had has become more segmented and broken up because specific-make forum echo chambers allowed guys to talk specifically about their make/model car.

[RCvet]

16 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

 the broad knowledge base all car guys had has become more segmented and broken up because specific-make forum echo chambers allowed guys to talk specifically about their make/model car.

A metaphor for all reality now !  I'll change two words    the broad knowledge base people  had has become more segmented and broken up because specific-make forum echo chambers allowed guys to talk specifically about their view

[donfilippo]

Despite working in the car industry my whole life (just like my dad), 1:1 cars in general do not interest me much, anymore. Often I struggle to recognize current models on the road. "Was that a BMW series 3 or 5?". I do still have a soft spot for the classics. Since I was 20, I have always had at least one of Britain's finest vehicles: Triumph!  There were some Spitfires, a GT6 and a Vitesse. To this day, I still own a 68 Spitfire MK3, which I had bought out of a French Garden in 2000. It is used regularly in the summer time.

[Wheel_Nut]

I used to be part of a car club.  It was fun at the beginning and I enjoyed learning new info, driving in club-sport / track days as well as the social aspect.  However it was expensive and hard to store equipment, tools, spare parts etc. I could see it was getting too complex and taking up too much of my life.  

Then I realised that RC model cars probably suit me better as there is a lot less fuss.  I’m less likely to get injured if I’m unlucky or run out of driving ability, and there won’t be any towing fees to get home from the circuit.

[zakspeed]

I decided to combine both hobbies !! 

[junkmunki]

I work in the industry for a famous car brand, the one with the silver horse.

I also have a 1970 Alfa Romeo spider veloce, and up until a few months ago, i owned a 1978 Jaguar XJC. I also have a classic boat.

I have a bit of blood running through my petrol stream

J

[Hypoxic]

Yup. But only because a 3000€ rebuilt engine was cheaper than a 45,000€+ electric car that I want nothing to do with. Dropping the old engine, transmission and transfer case here.

[MadAtComputer]

Yup. I am currently fixing up a 1984 trans am. Motor swap and a bunch of other work. My dad has a 1996 trans am that we have also been working on. Mine should be on the road this summer his already is. Well when its not snowing. Very much not looking forward to body work. I despise it lol will be painted original colors and will get original style graphics.

[CMshooter]

On 1/3/2025 at 7:32 PM, CMshooter said:

Cars cost too much.  Have a few motorbikes.

 

Current fleet.

 

[Jeepy2013]

Yes into the real ones too, been getting into overlanding the last few years....

 

 

[Mad Ax]

Yes and no.  I've been into cars pretty much since I was old enough to know what they were.  I wanted a car since I was old enough to ask for one.  I wanted me life to be about cars, I saw my life as a mechanic, or a racing driver, or a car collector.  But, you know, life got in the way, and also I think my parents steered me away from the car career.  I didn't realise until later in my childhood, after I'd already chosen my career direction, that my dad had been a big petrolhead when he was younger, with a string of unusual kit cars and motorbikes, but he gave it all up when he settled down to start a family and run a business.

I raced motocross bikes when I was 11, then did club karting for a little while after that, but the costs were prohibitive and we gave it up.

As a young adult, I strove for years and years to have some kind of nice car, and although I usually had something weird on the driveway, I never really achieved the nirvana I dreamed of.  I was always an outsider in the car scene and I could never work out where the other kids were getting the money to run their heavily-modded cars, when I was working a full-time professional IT job and could barely scrape the pennies together for an exhaust system and half-decent stereo.  I ended up getting myself into huge debt trying to modify or restore cars, and most of the vehicles I owned got sold (or given away) for scrap.

That said, there were some things worth mentioning.  The 3.0 Turbo Supra was the pinnacle of car ownership, I loved cruising this thing around the local town and I felt like the luckiest guy in the world when I was behind the wheel.  Sadly it was costing me more to get to work and back in this thing than I was earning, and when it needed 4 new brake discs to pass the MOT, and the tinworm was starting to eat into the rear arch, and the turbo shaft had more play than a dry day at Wimbledon, it was time to let it go.

This thing was brilliant.  A Jago Jeep kit car that I bought from a friend.  Supposed to have a 1.3litre Escort motor and 13 inch wheels, but it had these huge 15s with massive tyres and a 2.0 Sierra engine.  Top speed was about 55mph but it would pop the front wheels if I dumped the clutch.  Delivering pizzas in this was one of the best times of my life.  No seatbelts, no doors, just park up and hop out.  Unfortunately it got too much negative attention in town and on 2 different occasions, guys decided to pick fights with me.  (I think they saw a guy driving around for 4-5 hours in a noisy Jeep and just thought I was doing it for attention, I guess they didn't realise I was doing a town centre delivery job.  Why they thought that justified stepping in front of me and getting punchy is anyone's guess, though).

This is my current ride.  I call it the GCU Grey Area (only because I already had a car called GSV Sleeper Service).  Had this longer than any other motor vehicle.  3.5 litre petrol, automatic, cruises the motorway all day.  It's got coilovers now so it sits a little lower to the ground, full camper conversion in the back that I made myself, including a pull-out desk with keyboard tray so I can work in the back from anywhere in the world.  Sadly the tinworm is starting to eat it alive, it does around 20mpg, and I'm not sure if the new vehicle tax changes in 2025 are going to force me to sell it.  I'd love to spend £4000 having all the rust fixed and a fresh coat of paint (I literally couldn't buy anything else for 4K that would be as fast, comfortable and reliable) but the constant thread of the government ransoming me to drive it is making me nervous about spending any money on it.  That said, a 15 year old euro MPV will probably cust just as much to tax, if not more, so maybe I'm better off keeping this running..?

I've also been into bikes for years.  I got myself into debt at 21 to buy a 400cc sportsbike and get an intensive training course to get my licence, and never looked back since.  The world looks so much better through a visor.

This was the best bike I ever built.  I put it together from parts, mostly done myself although I had the exhaust system made by someone else.  Early GSXR-750, Bandit 1200 rear wheel, Yamaha front end with USD forks, tank covered in fur, home-made wolf head on the front, mudguard made from an old car tyre.  I called it Grond.

Finally - today's ride.  Owned this longer than any other bike, and have no plans to sell it.  I love the torquey motor and low grumble, wide, comfortable seat, and the awesome presence on the road.  Smaller bikes are fun, but nothing beats a heavy musclebike for the open road, IMO.

 

I'd really love an old American musclecar on my drive, but I doubt it'll ever happen, especially with the government trying to get us out of cars.  Public transport where I live is an absolute joke, so I don't see me ever not having a car, but I doubt I'll ever get that special vehicle I dreamed of.

[Krustybus]

I love 1:1 cars, always have done. Spent a lot of years messing around with old Golf GTI's (mk1/2) but then with starting a family and a long commute to work I just got a reliable daily and much like my participation in RC became a casual observer consuming online content etc. 
I've got a lightly modified Skoda VRS estate as a daily now (wheels/suspension and a few updates to the body) and a T4 camper. The camper allows me to enjoy tinkering about whilst keeping the family involved. We could probably get a bigger non-VW camper for the same of less money but I do love my T4. 

[lupogtiboy]

My username should be a clue! I've been a VW nut since about the year 2000 when I bought a 6N Polo. Upgraded this to a Lupo GTI in 2004, which I still own today. Semi-retired her when I bought a 2013 High Up, mostly for my daily driver, but also for my son's 1st car, which he's been driving for 3 years now. My current daily is a 2019 Up GTI which is stage 1 remapped, intake, dump valve and turbo elbow, running around 150 bhp up from 115bhp. 

I'm sad the way the motor industry is going, I have no interest in any electric car unless it has the Tamiya badge on it and is scaled down! I work in a VW/Audi main dealer, and all the techs here hate working on EV cars, they are nothing but trouble.