[The following post is a response to the posting by Calvin Kim of Road and Track Magazine.]
I read somewhere that the average male thinks about sex every 7 seconds... I think about cars every 3. I feel that this infatuation with cars is what makes me a "car guy", and the wrenching I do on my own vehicle is certainly a significant part of that. The wrenching provides a connection to the vehicle that simply cannot be made solely by driving it.
Non car guys are unable to understand such a connection. They look at their vehicle and they see a means of transportation, a method by which they can go from point A to point B. Others see a symbol of their success or status, an expression of their wealth or style. But us car guys, we see an extension of ourselves. Our cars are part of who we are, they are what we live for. Our girlfriends don't get jealous when we look at other girls, they get jealous when we go out to the garage (and if you are a car gal reading this, your boyfriend is a very lucky man indeed).
Non car guys are unable to understand such a connection. They look at their vehicle and they see a means of transportation, a method by which they can go from point A to point B. Others see a symbol of their success or status, an expression of their wealth or style. But us car guys, we see an extension of ourselves. Our cars are part of who we are, they are what we live for. Our girlfriends don't get jealous when we look at other girls, they get jealous when we go out to the garage (and if you are a car gal reading this, your boyfriend is a very lucky man indeed).
It is difficult to explain what it is like to hear an engine roar to life after you have put your blood, sweat, and tears into it. You have spent countless hours carefully tearing down the engine, separating the block, measuring bearing journals and ensuring piston rings are within tolerance. Countless more have been spent trying to get those damn piston rings back into their cylinders, and re-assembling the heart of your vehicle. All the electrical has been reconnected, the ECU mapped, fluids added and checked.
It's the moment of truth.
You turn the key and hear the familiar "ea-ea-ea-ea-ea" of the starter, a "chug-chug" as the pistons attempt to do their leg-work. Your heart is racing a mile a minute as you give it a bit of throttle and "VROOM" the engine roars to life. A rush of ecstacy turns that nervous "please let this work" expression into a smile from ear to ear coupled with a cry of celebration. It's not just the engine that is coming alive, it's you. You hop behind the wheel and peel out into the morning air (yes, you will have been up all night at this point). You, your car, and the open road. This is what driving is all about, you are piloting a machine that exists because of your love for it. You know that if you ever go back into the house you're going to be sleeping on the couch, and you couldn't be happier - you're a car guy.
There is an incredible documentary done by Eric Bana called "Love the Beast" that explains the connection between a man and his car. Guest interviews with world-renowned car guys Jeremy Clarkson and Jay Leno attempt to clarify what it means to be in love with your car, and in my opinion they hit the nail on the head. If you're a car guy, you already "get it" so watch the film and enjoy. If you're not a car guy, watch the film and if by the end you don't "get it", at the very least I hope that you'll understand it.
I just watched the trailer above and got shivers - no joke. Guess what I'm going to go watch for the umpteenth time?
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