How do you explain your fascination to X about Y

[asagaai]

So I did an oil change to my XR8 recently, and put in 5w20 Nulon full synthetic. The engine definitely to my feel of the bum pulls harder, with more torque, than the Castrol Edge stuff.

So Supercheap auto had 25% off the stuff to members, so I bought out 1 shop stock Saturday, another shop Sunday, and I have a number of bottles in the kitchen bench to be stored in shed, and I am looking at the honey thickness up to lights (seems slightly thicker than the Castrol Edge) and reading the label about Molybedium and feeling so chuffed with my purchase.

My smart **** daughter, who goes to Uni, and truth be told has acquired more distinctions in 1 year than I achieved over 2 degrees, looks at me with a slightly ridiculing curl of the lip and says what possibly can you find so interesting with those bottles.

I mumbled something about this oil giving me more torque and the car pulling harder, her eyes glaze over in the confirmation she is talking to the local village idiot.

Has anyone else funny stories where they have been very interested and fascinated with X, and failed miserably to explain the obsession with a non believer?

[PG2]

Trying to explain the fascination of Australian Ford Forums to my wife.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by PG2

Trying to explain the fascination of Australian Ford Forums to my wife.

I met AFF before my wife, sorry hun its part of the package.

The other half has been through many shows,races etc and generally tolerated it.

Shes all good with another project to come aslong as it fits all the family (6 seater). That makes it hard, otherwise I just need time to have my toy and a family toy and I am happy.

She reads lots of books, dont want to sound like a neanderthal but I cant stand reading the same thing for much longer than 30 mins or so. But I probably read just as much if not more than here through here and car magazines...

[Feathers]

I have often had to try to explain my desire to learn Finnish to people. Even when I've been travelling to Finland, people find out where I'm going and can't understand why I'd want to. (Note: It's not actually winter and cold all the time).

Last year, trying to explain why I was going to Finland to study Finnish, and then do a 6000km road trip with a bunch of guys I'd barely or never met in person before, and mostly knew from the internet.
That just got me looks like I was insane. Apparently people from the internet aren't real, and are all psychopaths.

[bbcoupe]

I've been a car nut for the duration of my 26 year relationship with my wife. Rebuilt the same car twice from a chassis up, travelled nationally with cars and mates, been on club committees and run national events, etc.

For most of that time she participated as a dutiful partner might and as her interest began to fade I was always encouraging her to find her own special interest to fill spare moments with.

"Be careful what you wish for."

Very slowly with riding a bike to work 10 years ago she is now OBSESSED with her bikes. It's not an interest, it's her every waking thought. And as if this new LIFESTYLE is not enough for here she has encouraged our 13yo daughter to follow in her footsteps....

Now, as I've fulfilled my duties to clubs and events, and ticked many road trips off the bucket list, my obsession with cars remains but the time spent committed to car oriented activities no longer holds a commitment or obligation, rather it's a love affair with the automobile and mates and being out in the shed.

So do you think either of us can explain to the other why we are so passionate about our interests???

NOOOOOOOOOOO!

[HO 3]

I quite regularly tell the wife XY means MAN...............

Cheers Mick

[Brian_H]

Originally Posted by HO 3

I quite regularly tell the wife XY means MAN...............

Cheers Mick

Ha! A geneticist in our midst.

[HO 3]

Originally Posted by Brian_H

Ha! A geneticist in our midst.

No, not that smart unfortunately, but you get my drift.........................


Cheers Mick

[GO FURTHER]

As a car enthusiast, it’s hard to explain to wifey….

- Why I’m using the “2 bucket method” to wash the car, when the missus uses only one.

- Why I use numerous mitts, wheel brushes, microfibre clothes with different fibre lengths for windows, waxes and polishing when she just uses an old sponge and rag.

- Why I dry my car with a Metroblaster air blower when she just uses an old shammy and try to explain to her I want to keep swirl marks to a minimum.

- Why I clean my engine bay, when she says; “But who’s going to look under the bonnet”? … “But love, I wash my body where the sun don’t shine, and nobody looks there either!”

- Why it takes me a whole afternoon to clean my car and she does it in 10 minutes at the local car wash.

- Why I’m using retina burning mega floodlights illuminating the paintwork when polishing and its in broad daylight.

- When I change my engine oil, and the better half retorts; “Didn’t you change your oil just recently?”…. “Yes dear… But that was a distant 5000 KM ago!”

- When I’m washing the car, and she snaps; “Your nuts... Don’t you know it’s going to rain in the next couple of days?”, and I respond; “Yes, but that will be new dirt ... I don't want the dirt to layer and pile up”

- When I check my tyre pressures at home and top up using a foot pump when she just does hers at the servo… “But darling… I need to check the pressures when the tyres are stone cold ... And I'm doing my leg exercises at the same time!”

- But best of all is trying to explain to the minister of finance why I "need" man made synthetic engine oil that costs four times as much as what goes in her car

[Brian_H]

Originally Posted by bbcoupe

I've been a car nut for the duration of my 26 year relationship with my wife. Rebuilt the same car twice from a chassis up, travelled nationally with cars and mates, been on club committees and run national events, etc.

For most of that time she participated as a dutiful partner might and as her interest began to fade I was always encouraging her to find her own special interest to fill spare moments with.

"Be careful what you wish for."

Very slowly with riding a bike to work 10 years ago she is now OBSESSED with her bikes. It's not an interest, it's her every waking thought. And as if this new LIFESTYLE is not enough for here she has encouraged our 13yo daughter to follow in her footsteps....

Now, as I've fulfilled my duties to clubs and events, and ticked many road trips off the bucket list, my obsession with cars remains but the time spent committed to car oriented activities no longer holds a commitment or obligation, rather it's a love affair with the automobile and mates and being out in the shed.

So do you think either of us can explain to the other why we are so passionate about our interests???

NOOOOOOOOOOO!

By "bikes" do you mean motorbikes or pushbikes? - big difference! I have motorbikes that's why I ask.

[bbcoupe]

Originally Posted by Brian_H

By "bikes" do you mean motorbikes or pushbikes? - big difference! I have motorbikes that's why I ask.

Pushbikes-road racing, hill climbs, cyclocross, track anything she can peddle.

[TUF_302]

My missus has no idea about cars, she regularly forgets he Magna is FWD and i have to explain why it handles so much better than her VT did lol, and anything mechanical, forget it lol, i just get that look of wtf look

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Love XB's.

A few guys from work been around checking out some of my cars, and they don't get it. They have no idea why I want to own or drive such cars and why I spend so much of my days off working on them.

Then sometimes they see an old car for sale (might be a holden or an XW or XY or old Datsun or something) and they will say here, is another old car for you going cheap

They have no idea that it's not an XB...

[Brian_H]

Originally Posted by TUF_302

My missus has no idea about cars, she regularly forgets he Magna is FWD and i have to explain why it handles so much better than her VT did lol, and anything mechanical, forget it lol, i just get that look of wtf look

Welcome to my world!

[Sabantien]

It was always photography for me. People show some interest, but you start talking about it and the eyes glaze over... I pretty much don't bother trying to explain to people. No point.

[Express]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

It was always photography for me. People show some interest, but you start talking about it and the eyes glaze over... I pretty much don't bother trying to explain to people. No point.

I’m the same when it comes to cars and even if someone asks me a question or appears to take an interest I’m still concise with an answer as I know they don’t really care, it’s just their way of being polite while trying to get their head around why I it takes more than one to make me happy or why I feel the need to baby and love them.

I feel a little embarrassed if I show passion.

Non-car people don’t get car enthusiasts at all.

[Blem]

Not missing your point but 20w is too light unless you only do short runs taking the missus to the shops & back.

[fps_grandma]

Better yet, tell people what they want to hear!

Nobody needs to know the XR6T is a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive car powered by a 4.0 Litre DOHC Inline 6 turbocharged engine with an aluminium head and cast-iron block generating up to 270kW of power at the crank or it has an data recorder in case you try anything funny with insurance fraud once the airbags have been deployed!

They only need to know it's quite spacious compared to their own subcompact car for seating up to 5 young average-sized adults!
Two convenient cup holders at the front!
The AC can be activated on the 8 inch touch screen!
You can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth or USB!
Its high-tensile steel body and other safety features earned its 5-star ANCAP rating!
It's got a large boot for the shopping!

Originally Posted by asagaai

My smart **** daughter, who goes to Uni, and truth be told has acquired more distinctions in 1 year than I achieved over 2 degrees, looks at me with a slightly ridiculing curl of the lip and says what possibly can you find so interesting with those bottles.

I've graduated with Distinction average in my Bachelor's degree several years ago and I drive an FGX XR6 Turbo.

I think I've earned it especially if it's an Engineering degree which is one of the more relatively difficult degrees and everyone has their own preference of car.

I'm just not interested in conforming and in the automotive context I refuse to conform to the front/four-wheel-drive bandwagon.
Ha! 4WD Bandwagons! SUVs! Hatchbacks! Bah!

[asagaai]

Originally Posted by fps_grandma

I've graduated with Distinction average in my Bachelor's degree several years ago and I drive an FGX XR6 Turbo.

Couple years ago I was involved in a nasty case involving 2 B doubles having a head on collision at 100kph both ways, caused by a blow steer tyre. Issue was safety concerns and whether there should have been a recall by the manufacturer in Australia.

I had a conference over 2 days with this chief engineer in a government department very high up who dealt with defective designs in cars and enforcing recalls, and we started chewing the fat and I asked him what was good in terms of vehicles nowadays, and he said the FG Falcon is very good now as all the bugs were ironed out over the years, and if he had to go a performance vehicle instead of German he would go turbo Falcon....

Going back to topic- another story, my old man was a hard nut, was a sailor when a teenager and he used to box in the navy to get more food and avoid menial jobs. I am sure he took a few to blows to his head cause he has not 1 engineering bone in his body.

As a kid, about 10-12 in Africa, I became obsessed with these male dolls called action jacksons, were soldiers, had different guns, equipment, different bits of machinery. I loved the machinery, was quite detailed.

Anyway, was pretending being at war playing with them, on couches etc, and my old man became annoyed, ie saying boys should not play with dolls, blah blah. I tried to explain it was not a girls toy or a doll, tried to show him the equipment, but he was dismissive and said stop being a sissy etc.

I gave up trying to talk (now realize he was just a homophobe), and naturally I became bored just pretend playing with the dolls, progressed sticking little firecrackers under the soldier and blowing him up into the air (pretty cool), then stuck a bigger firecracker in his hand and blew his hand right off, and it was nicely charred (more cool).

Finally I stuck a star of Africa (monster cracker resembling small stick of dynamite) to his mid, and blew that sucker in half, with the head decapitating some 15 feet away (major cool to me at the time).

Finally, when my old man saw the blown hands, midriff, head decapitation, and charred uniform pieces in my bedroom, I finally was able to manage communication without words with him.

[mike_nofx]

Your daughter is smarter than you. Sorry but its true.

If you HONESTLY feel that doing an oil change with better oil has improved your torque with noticable feel... well... Good luck to you!

[duaned]

Originally Posted by asagaai

So I did an oil change to my XR8 recently, and put in 5w20 Nulon full synthetic. The engine definitely to my feel of the bum pulls harder, with more torque, than the Castrol Edge stuff.

Although not really possible, what better way to justify the expenditure on new oil!

[mechanic]

asagaai

You've just answered the question about why some of us are fascinated with guns and others are petrified of them.
The difference being you won't be treated like a criminal because of your interest in all things car related.
Although some very intolerant people do have a real set against us who like cars, dismissing the whole topic as a way to get from A to B.

[mik]

I have a young step brother 20 years my junior, .......... i often i get the rolling eyes treatment because im not doing stuff the way he would do it , he always knows better ......so he tells me .