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Unit 5302 · 04-10-2007, 10:30 PM

You know, I don't think it's just having a different type of vehicle in the stable that had me posting less. It's a waning interest in cars as a whole. Having a car hobby is extremely expensive, and I've chosen to do other things with my money.

In addition, as I got older, performance cars became less and less of a priority. I have two sport bikes now, which I left behind in Minnesota so I can't use them, and they provide more usable performance for me than any car could. The bikes accelerate faster, and provide more sensory feedback while riding than being inside a shell can. The roads where I live have become traffic clogged, and it seems like more and more highway and freeway patrol cars are out and about every day. I have very cheap insurance rates with a now excellent driving record, and I find myself less and less willing to risk a lot of out of pocket premiums (auto insurance premiums, ticket prices, job qualifications if I were cited for something more than speeding, even life insurance premiums are higher if you have a poor driving record) by racing around. I guess where I lived in Maple Grove, MN, the area outgrew fast driving as much as I did.

Then there's the issue of friends. My two main friends that were into the automotive hobby either grew distant from me in terms of any sort of relationship or distant from me in terms of physical location. My new friends weren't really into vehicles and without that driving force to keep up with the Joneses or talk about having that supercharger or whatever, the thoughts just fade away.

Finally, there is a knowledge issue. You would figure that after 5,000 posts (admittedly at least 1,000 were probably me flaming some poor kid) I would be a good go-to guy with questions. However, things are very dynamic in the racing and performance communities. I might still know how to diagnose a problem in a malfunctioning running condition, but there are true performance enthusiasts on this board that have acquired serious real world knowledge of racing products and modifications. Those performance enthusiasts are not only more knowledgeable than I am when it comes to making modifications to Mustangs, but their information is also more up to date. It's pretty rare that I come across a topic where I can post relavent information that another member couldn't elaborate on more or better than I.

Like Mr 5 0 indicated, I believe these message boards have long time contributors, but there are generations on boards just like there are generations in life. My time as a young kid pining after Mustang's and performance cars are over. I see a lot of the guys with expendable cash in their 40s get back into the hobby to meet enthusiasts that are not only interesting people, but good people, so maybe that interest will open back up again for me someday. There are a couple project cars that are still on my "wish list" that I never got a chance to have so you can never tell. Until that time, I will likely remain a bit of an apparition on this website.

04-10-2007, 10:30 PM	#26
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	Re: Anyone Remember Me?? You know, I don't think it's just having a different type of vehicle in the stable that had me posting less. It's a waning interest in cars as a whole. Having a car hobby is extremely expensive, and I've chosen to do other things with my money. In addition, as I got older, performance cars became less and less of a priority. I have two sport bikes now, which I left behind in Minnesota so I can't use them, and they provide more usable performance for me than any car could. The bikes accelerate faster, and provide more sensory feedback while riding than being inside a shell can. The roads where I live have become traffic clogged, and it seems like more and more highway and freeway patrol cars are out and about every day. I have very cheap insurance rates with a now excellent driving record, and I find myself less and less willing to risk a lot of out of pocket premiums (auto insurance premiums, ticket prices, job qualifications if I were cited for something more than speeding, even life insurance premiums are higher if you have a poor driving record) by racing around. I guess where I lived in Maple Grove, MN, the area outgrew fast driving as much as I did. Then there's the issue of friends. My two main friends that were into the automotive hobby either grew distant from me in terms of any sort of relationship or distant from me in terms of physical location. My new friends weren't really into vehicles and without that driving force to keep up with the Joneses or talk about having that supercharger or whatever, the thoughts just fade away. Finally, there is a knowledge issue. You would figure that after 5,000 posts (admittedly at least 1,000 were probably me flaming some poor kid) I would be a good go-to guy with questions. However, things are very dynamic in the racing and performance communities. I might still know how to diagnose a problem in a malfunctioning running condition, but there are true performance enthusiasts on this board that have acquired serious real world knowledge of racing products and modifications. Those performance enthusiasts are not only more knowledgeable than I am when it comes to making modifications to Mustangs, but their information is also more up to date. It's pretty rare that I come across a topic where I can post relavent information that another member couldn't elaborate on more or better than I. Like Mr 5 0 indicated, I believe these message boards have long time contributors, but there are generations on boards just like there are generations in life. My time as a young kid pining after Mustang's and performance cars are over. I see a lot of the guys with expendable cash in their 40s get back into the hobby to meet enthusiasts that are not only interesting people, but good people, so maybe that interest will open back up again for me someday. There are a couple project cars that are still on my "wish list" that I never got a chance to have so you can never tell. Until that time, I will likely remain a bit of an apparition on this website.