Is "Built Not Bought" ruining the hobby?

[mrk1]

Very interesting read, plenty of people guilty of this here.

http://lateral-g.net/is-built-not-bo...ing-the-hobby/


I am not saying Im against doing your own work and you have to pay a shop. Its the flaming people often get for paying thats getting old. Most people do there own work to save money and I think everyone has had an experience that ended up costing way more because they decided to DIY

[Rampage]

I will freely admit to having less respect for someone that just writes checks compared to someone that actually wrenches on their own car. I cringe when I see these guys going FI and then if a clamp blows off a coupling they have no idea how to fix it and have to have the car flatbedded to a shop.

They are also great at quoting specs that they read right off the side of a box or that the tuner told them but they honestly have little or no clue of what any of it means outside of boasting about the numbers on a forum or at a car meet.

I think there is room for all kinds of people with all levels of skills in the car scene. The ones that do their own work and actually know their way around a car will get more kudos from me. I also have a great deal of respect for those that don't yet know much but are making a concerted effort to learn.

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by mrk1

Very interesting read, plenty of people guilty of this here.

http://lateral-g.net/is-built-not-bo...ing-the-hobby/


I am not saying Im against doing your own work and you have to pay a shop. Its the flaming people often get for paying thats getting old. Most people do there own work to save money and I think everyone has had an experience that ended up costing way more because they decided to DIY

I think it is great the some people have the time and place to build their cars, but what about guys like me? I have limited tools and no where to really work. Sure I can install bolt ons and easy things and I enjoy doing so when I can. However if/when I get a turbo kit I will pay someone to install it as I don't have all the tools or a garage to work out of and this is my only car so I rather have little down time. Now guys like me still take the time and effort to plan our builds and take great pride in our cars. At the end of the day we are all passionate about our cars. Now what really bothers me is some guys go buy a car (I know a lot of kids like this in Calgary) that has been built up by someone else and they pretend they know everything about the car they bought, but in reality they know nothing about it. That is what bothers me.

So in my eyes I have respect for anyone that builds their car (by any means they can) and takes pride in their ride and can have an intelligent conversation with me about it. I have no respect for guys that just buy a car and pretend they are a car guy when they know nothing about it and just go to car meets to vape.

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by Rampage

I will freely admit to having less respect for someone that just write checks compared to someone that actually wrenches on their own car. I cringe when I see these guys going FI and then if a clamp blows off a coupling they have no idea how to fix it and have to have the car flatbedded to a shop.

They are also great at quoting specs that they read right off the side of a box or that the tuner told them but they honestly have little or no clue of what any of it means outside of boasting about the numbers on a forum or at a car meet.

I think there is room for all kinds of people will all levels of skills in the car scene. The ones that do their own work and actually know their way around a car will get more kudos from me. I also have a great deal of respect for those that don't yet know much but are making a concerted effort to learn.

LMAO this is so true its sad!!

[e1_griego]

^Agreed.

If you actually know how a car works and what the parts do, then it's whatever. But if you have no clue and have just paid for everything, then it's a bit annoying.

The flip side of that is the people doing the 'built not bought' route and doing everything wrong along the way, or at least half-assed.

Really I think it comes down to the fact that you should be an educated enthusiast and if you're going to throw money around -- either on parts or labor -- you should know what you're getting. For my automotive social circle it's the uneducated (or blissfully ignorant/unnecessarily arrogant) folks that tend to grate on us. But if you're a young kid just starting out and, most importantly, willing to listen then we'll take you in.

[Tcoat]

Can't read the attachment since it is blocked for "malicious content" so going to have to guess what it says from OP's comments.


Probably one of the worst arguments I ever had on here was with a gentleman that stated that since I do not change my own oil I must "pay somebody to sleep with your wife". This is the sort of attitude that seems to be prevalent on the internet and I for one disagree.


For a bit of background I have been a "car guy" for 40 years. I have completed two full body off restorations and engine rebuilds (58 Chev Wagon and a 64 VW Karmann Ghia) in my time as well as at least a dozen engine swaps and/or tear downs. Needless to say I have the skills to do just about any work on a car (except what is now called "tuning" I would blow the poor thing up).


What I no longer have, is the desire to do that work myself nor the tools and facilities to do it in even if I wanted to. At 56 years old I am not going to run out and buy several thousand dollars worth of tools and rent space to do some one off jobs on a car. I am sure that there are many others in the same sort of situation and regardless of age they just simply can't do car work (apartment dwellers for example). I have no wish to be crawling under a car in the laneway to change oil just so I can say I do my own work or Save $20.


Now what I do have is money and if I want something done on my car I am very willing to part with it and pay somebody to do that work for me. I bought my car with dealer installed lowering springs, TRD exhaust and sway bars. Does the fact that I did not install them make them any less effective or appealing? No I don't think it does. People that like to condemn others for not doing their own work need to look at the total picture not just what their own personal lifestyle and desires are. There are many guys on here that bought completed cars and are very happy with them and to say they are a lower class just because they didn't build them is ridiculous.


What is supposed to happen to the cars that people build and then don't want anymore? Should they be stripped back so the next guys has to do the same work over again or should they just be crushed so that there are no more "bought" cars?


Sorry if this is not in line with what the attachment says but it is my two cents (3.2 cents Canadian) worth.


Edit: wow I took too long to write that!

[JimR]

Time and money are both finite, valuable resources.

Time has an opportunity cost, just like cash. If you spend every night in the garage fabricating, you have missed out on moments that could be spent with family, friends, or even learning to drive the car better. Just like if you spend all you money on mods, you aren't investing in yourself, retirement, home, etc.

I heard an interview with Jay Leno recounting how he was so poor that he used to sleep on the street. He honed his craft telling by making policemen laugh when they hustled him from place to place. He made something out of absolutely nothing. If he built his dream garage by himself, he would never have time to enjoy his success.

[mrk1]

Originally Posted by e1_griego

The flip side of that is the people doing the 'built not bought' route and doing everything wrong along the way, or at least half-assed.

I love this one, the guy at the meet preaching "Built not Bought" yeah buddy we can tell

[mrk1]

Knowing what end of a wrench to use isn't the only measure of a car guy. I have buddies who can drive laps around me in terms of track skills but struggle with anything past a tire change. Does that make him less of a car guy? He pays me for maintenance on the car but he could be my driving instructor at my next track day.

[PandaSPUR]

Agreed with all of the above.

Using the article author's analogy of Jay Leno, lets put it this way. People respect the guy because he actually knows about the cars he owns, he knows the history behind them and how cars in general work.

Thats different than some random guy walking into a dealership and saying "give me your fastest car."

Personally, I pay for shops to do work on my car since I live in NYC. I have no garage, not even a driveway. The most I can do to my car is some interior work and the most basic bolt-ons that dont require a jack. My parking garage attendants would be pissed if they saw me jacking up my car and taking bits off of it lol.

[JoeC]

Is "Built Not Bought" ruining the hobby?

it might be for those who are sensitive to what other people think about them.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Rampage

I will freely admit to having less respect for someone that just writes checks compared to someone that actually wrenches on their own car. I cringe when I see these guys going FI and then if a clamp blows off a coupling they have no idea how to fix it and have to have the car flatbedded to a shop.

They are also great at quoting specs that they read right off the side of a box or that the tuner told them but they honestly have little or no clue of what any of it means outside of boasting about the numbers on a forum or at a car meet.

I think there is room for all kinds of people with all levels of skills in the car scene. The ones that do their own work and actually know their way around a car will get more kudos from me. I also have a great deal of respect for those that don't yet know much but are making a concerted effort to learn.

100% with you on the bolded parts.
Knowing your stuff and not doing it is not the same as not knowing shit, not doing shit and then boasting about the shit you have.

[jawn]

The common denominator is that stupid people are ruining the hobby.

[e1_griego]

IG builds^^

Builds for likes, not for purpose.