Are we obesssed..?

[Dukestar25]

Just canvassing opinion here... my other half cannot understand the fact that everytime I/we go anywhere, that I take my camera with me in the hope of spotting some rusting (possibly running) relic on my travels.I tell her it's a hobby but she says it's an obsession... Is she right?

[pogweasel]

Total obsession. After a while you can almost smell, feel the tat before you see it. Any journey becomes a spot-a-thon, and mental (or sometimes physical) notes are made on the location of grot for re-observation at a more convenient time later. A driveway or garage full of non-functioning, rusty rubbish, that will never be worth anything even if you DO sort it out, and various sheds, cupboards and hidey-holes full of 'useful' bits for cars you haven't owned for years, and you've forgotten what they were for anyway....L I V I N'

[Mr H Sceptre]

Very nicely put, Pog

[MrRegieRitmo]

Thoughts of what you might see on a simple stroll to the paper shop means something isn't right in my head

[UltimateJames]

Its what camera phones were made for !i always have mine ready on the dashboard for such occasions

[j-j]

obsessed? mois? Supermarket crap parks govern a trip to the shops every time - sometimes I actually get groceries..

[shite_meister]

Yes definately, the problem for me is that anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with cars although they think I'm interested in all cars which isn't quite true. In all honestly if you put something like a 1976 Allegro VDP next to a Ferrari F360 then it ain't the red one that captivates me. Modern dross especially stuff that I will never be able to afford holds no interest with me, I might be sad but I'm a realist so I'm only interested in what I could own.

 

There are other reasons such as the satisfying feeling of carrying out a repair yourself to just being different to the crowd.

 

If my head ruled my heart I'd have one small modern economical car but then that would be boring.

[j-j]

Modern dross especially stuff that I will never be able to afford holds no interest with me, I might be sad but I'm a realist so I'm only interested in what I could own.There are other reasons such as the satisfying feeling of carrying out a repair yourself to just being different to the crowd.

^YES!!^

[MrRegieRitmo]

Elaborating on my last point, going out yesterday afternoon to meet friends, walking into town = shite spot snapped with camera phone. Walking home again after last orders = 2 shite spots snapped with camera phone within 20 yards of each other. Heading out this afternoon to the Co-Op = another shite spot duly snapped. It happens anywhere at any time. Unfortunately it's not always possible to take action, I refuse to take pictures when there's people in, at or nearby said shite, which unfortunately meant I had to pass by the opportunity of snapping the E reg high roof (Disabled access?) Astramax van & the pale blue 4 door MkI Escort within feet of each other in the same small Co-Op car park! The owner of the Astramax was loading shopping into it as I approached & as I noticed the Escort a young male & his girlfriend (encouraging sight, shite & the young) were exiting the Co-Op & returning to the Escort....bugger. That same morning on the bypass I spotted another sight worth documenting for posterity, I was overtaken by a phase 1 Megane Scenic in a dark blue colour, R reg, then presumably coincidentally followed by a phase 1 Megane hatch in the exact same colour, also R reg. That unusual scenario is something that will become less & less likely as time goes on! It would have made a good picture, both of them in the same shot along the bypass...

[pogweasel]

Yes definately, the problem for me is that anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with cars although they think I'm interested in all cars which isn't quite true. In all honestly if you put something like a 1976 Allegro VDP next to a Ferrari F360 then it ain't the red one that captivates me. Modern dross especially stuff that I will never be able to afford holds no interest with me, I might be sad but I'm a realist so I'm only interested in what I could own.

 

There are other reasons such as the satisfying feeling of carrying out a repair yourself to just being different to the crowd.

 

If my head ruled my heart I'd have one small modern economical car but then that would be boring.

A great philosophy! (foolosophy?)

 

I'd like to know where you draw the line on 'realism', I find it quite interesting, not only from a shite perspective, but that of petrol-headed-ness in general.

 

For instance a couple of days ago, Mrs_Pog and I were idly browsing eBay for local stuff together.

"What do you think of this one?" I announced.

This one being a 2002 BMW M3. I expected the elicited response to be 'looks like the one you have got', but she played along for a bit... I read off the stats, you know 0-60 in veryfast, 155 top whack, 346bhp etc... she was not disagreeing yet, so then the price comes in. Sticker price is £9995. About the same that I would expect any of my non-car friends to casually fritter away (on credit) on a bland dealer-special-edition 58-plate dullsmobile. I know which I would rather!

However Mrs pipes up: "Is it worth the £8500 over the price you paid for your current car, which lets face it looks pretty similar"

Is she wrong? Is she right? an extra 25mph, which you'd never be able to use anyway? An extra 200bhp that's really quite 'spare'. £500 can buy some lovely old rammle. But even though I love shite, I;d love something "Proper" one day.

 

Automotive pragmatism, that what she practises. It's a tool, a white good, like a fridge. As long as she gets a new one every couple of years that's adequate - you know, safe, economical, does the job - and is CHEAP (never ever pay book!), then that's her sorted. Head over heart.

[andrew e]

Trade in Pog she's messing with your MoJo

[pogweasel]

Yes, and no. I'd like a £10000 M3. £10000 is probably what most folk finance for on a Kia Thing. So it's not a huge commitment. But can you justify £10000 over a £500 car that can still put a huge grin on your face, whether driving it or looking at it. It's that reverse one-upmanship as Shitemeister said. Even with blandage like the Focii that Mrs_pog is supplied with, inane as it may be, it's SATISFYING when you buy one at half the book value.

[Justin Case]

I regard myself as a refreshingly normal but perceived as slightly eccentric by those in our circle of friends and family who judge the worth of a car only by the newness of the registration, who in turn I see as completely bonkers. Mrs A, to give her credit, is quite tolerant of my interest in elderly vehicles, so I can't be too bad, and is quite down to earth in her choice of car - comfortable, reliable, presentable, good driving position and efficient air-con, which to be honest isn't a million miles from my tastes; I just want something a bit different with character as well.

[reallyloud]

This is almost certainly the wrong forum for impartiality regarding dangerous, illegal and foolhardy attempts to capture utter pieces of shite. I am dangerously close to a point of planning a holiday around the cars in that country.Most of my ever decreasing friends and random family treat my car related habits, in say the same way one might treat a problem child with psychotic tendancies - with some amusement and sympathy but tend to ignore it. I don't care. Once I become unemployable I'll pass the rest of my life in my Trebus like house, knowing that I have a complete set of 1970's What car magazines, Majorette toy car models, entire Simca brochure range and exactly 1 million photographs. I win.

[michiel]

My 'Normal' is her 'saddo' as well...

[pogweasel]

Once I become unemployable I'll pass the rest of my life in my Trebus like house, knowing that I have a complete set of 1970's What car magazines, Majorette toy car models, entire Simca brochure range and exactly 1 million photographs. I win.

Beautiful. I'm welling up, man.

[trigger]

I think this forum as encouraged me to be more geeky, before i'd just go oh looks there's an old car i've not seen for a long time, now i'm hunting for them with the camera!only problem i have is that i'm a bit shy at taking the pictures as i worry what other people would say and worry if i had a owner ask why i'm taking photos of there shit heap.On the plus side my wife now goes around pointing the cars out and comes home from work showing of photos of cars sees seen on her break in the same way that a cat brings in a dead mouse into the house to show of to you!

[MrRegieRitmo]

i worry what other people would say and worry if i had a owner ask why i'm taking photos of there shit heap.

Just be honest & say you like it, surely they'd much rather hear that than "I'm taking this picture because I've never seen such a pile of crud in all my life!" What's the worst that could happen? That's how I got round it in Malta when I was more blatantly taking pictures, partly because I was on holiday & therefore brave & carefree & partly because the shite was so spectacular it was worth the risk & I didn't care who saw! Apart from the jaunt with my mates, then I did care whether they saw! Somehow always got away with it though by hanging back everytime I saw something cool & hoping we weren't mid conversation at the time! Any owners who caught me taking pictures usually asked if I wanted to buy the car! Actually got into an in-depth conversation with one older Maltese lady who caught me taking pictures of her son's vehicles, all about old cars! It can work out well, she told me about the Malta car museum which I later visited that holiday

[andrew e]

Once I become unemployable I'll pass the rest of my life in my Trebus like house, knowing that I have a complete set of 1970's What car magazines, Majorette toy car models, entire Simca brochure range and exactly 1 million photographs. I win.

Beautiful. I'm welling up, man.

I'm getting a HARD-ON

[Guest]

I'm not sad in any way, in fact, I'm a really cool dude.

[andrew e]

SO WHY ARE CHECKING TO SEE IF YOU CAME OUT WITHOUT ROLLING ON SOME "BLUE STRATOS" THEN, EH?

 

[Pete-M]

I was having a pint in a pub in the Lake District this afternoon with a couple of friends. I'm there, chatting away, glancing idly around when I spotted two immaculate, French registered, Daf 66 Marathon Coupés going past in convoy.I only just resisted the urge to whip out the ol' Camera phone and grab a pic, but it would have been a proper scramble to get a pic or two and I would have looked somewhat mental, so I didn't.Borderline case though.

[pogweasel]

I'm not sad in any way, in fact, I'm a really cool dude.

TRUE.

 

 

 

 

Look out! It's that badass mofo Hirst!

[seth]

Twas funny recently when there were three adults in the Minx (one female) on unfamiliar roads who were all looking up driveways etc looking for tat while cruising along. I really don't know what the four year old who was also in the car is going to come to...

[brammy777]

i can safely say, yes i am obsessed.every time im going down a road, i will look for shiteevery time.today on my driving lesson i noticed a mk IV escort and it diverted my attention so much i missed a turn.winhahahahabut yeh, full blown case here!

[shite_meister]

SO WHY ARE CHECKING TO SEE IF YOU CAME OUT WITHOUT ROLLING ON SOME "BLUE STRATOS" THEN, EH?

 

[Station]

My missus just accepts it, although I feel terribly sad doing so. She is into her flowers and gardening, and is obsessed about it, but also other stuff similar to me.

[shite_meister]

Yes definately, the problem for me is that anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with cars although they think I'm interested in all cars which isn't quite true. In all honestly if you put something like a 1976 Allegro VDP next to a Ferrari F360 then it ain't the red one that captivates me. Modern dross especially stuff that I will never be able to afford holds no interest with me, I might be sad but I'm a realist so I'm only interested in what I could own.

 

There are other reasons such as the satisfying feeling of carrying out a repair yourself to just being different to the crowd.

 

If my head ruled my heart I'd have one small modern economical car but then that would be boring.

A great philosophy! (foolosophy?)

 

I'd like to know where you draw the line on 'realism', I find it quite interesting, not only from a shite perspective, but that of petrol-headed-ness in general.

 

For instance a couple of days ago, Mrs_Pog and I were idly browsing eBay for local stuff together.

"What do you think of this one?" I announced.

This one being a 2002 BMW M3. I expected the elicited response to be 'looks like the one you have got', but she played along for a bit... I read off the stats, you know 0-60 in veryfast, 155 top whack, 346bhp etc... she was not disagreeing yet, so then the price comes in. Sticker price is £9995. About the same that I would expect any of my non-car friends to casually fritter away (on credit) on a bland dealer-special-edition 58-plate dullsmobile. I know which I would rather!

However Mrs pipes up: "Is it worth the £8500 over the price you paid for your current car, which lets face it looks pretty similar"

Is she wrong? Is she right? an extra 25mph, which you'd never be able to use anyway? An extra 200bhp that's really quite 'spare'. £500 can buy some lovely old rammle. But even though I love shite, I;d love something "Proper" one day.

 

Automotive pragmatism, that what she practises. It's a tool, a white good, like a fridge. As long as she gets a new one every couple of years that's adequate - you know, safe, economical, does the job - and is CHEAP (never ever pay book!), then that's her sorted. Head over heart.

Interesting point, I bought a BMW e36 M3 last year because I needed a reliable car to get me across Europe so that part of 'realism' kicked into my shite-infested brain (ironically I ended up buying a £450 Accord to do the journey in) it came into work on PX and I had wanted one for a few years and as it was a bit of a no-man's land when it comes to M3s it was affordable, its fast, powerfull and does pretty much everything well but interesting in a shite-lover's definition? er no and its 15 years old so it should be ticking my shite boxes but by definition an M car isn't shite, I even bought loads of used bits for it the other day from a stripped M3 like I used to do with Rover SD1s but despite this I'm still left with a slightly empty feeling about the M3 maybe because I'm becoming a hardcore shitter enthusiast.

 

I'm aware that it cost me more than my other shitters and I got pissed off when three dipshits decieded that they'd use it to buffer their car doors against it and life is too short to be about worrying about parking dents-fuck, my Accord doesn't have a straight panel on it and its such a relief driving it, it does everything well and its in such a condition (by previous owners) that a bit of damage wouldn't ruin my day although in an ideal world fucktards would at show the basic courtesy of respecting other people's property.

So I have a reliable powerfull fast car that does most things well....but it just doesn't feel as nice or as 'right' as when I'm driving one of my shitters-its that feeling of driving something that is unusual and totally fit for purpose and yet unwanted because of what is essentially fashion and as my missus keeps telling me I am most unfashionable.

 

Ah white goods, I would be a rich man if I had the same attitude as your missus or indeed most missussess but hey I'm a man who is in his natural element dicking around pretending I know what I'm doing with a spanner and a car of advancing years, its a great feeling and I love it, each to their own I think is the phrase I might be thinking of.

[shite_meister]

My missus just accepts it, although I feel terribly sad doing so. She is into her flowers and gardening, and is obsessed about it, but also other stuff similar to me.

Everyone should have their interests and hobbies its just we're made to feel that we're being somehow antisocial in someway messing around with shite rather than something new and shiney to keep up with the Jonses.

[Mr Lobster]

Everyone should have their interests and hobbies its just we're made to feel that we're being somehow antisocial in someway messing around with shite rather than something new and shiney to keep up with the Jonses.

Thats a very good point. But when your interests are cars then unless you are into really expensive, unattainable stuff like Ferraris or what the majority perceive as classics (ie MGBs) then a lot of people think its just plain odd.A lot of my friends think I'm a little odd in liking old French cars and can't understand why I don't just finance myself up on a BMW 116i like them as they are a "brilliant" car. But then I don't really give a fuck what anyone else thinks, I'm happy, Mrs L shares my interest in obscure old stuff (to a point anyway) so whos complaining!