What does your girlfriend/wife think of YOUR project??

[Slopoke]

Mine HATES my SBC Swapped Z.

 

What do yours think?

[galloguy05]

My girl actually supports my project! Anytime we are out and she spots a z and I haven't said anything, she brings it to my attention. We will see how much longer this lasts once I start dumpin some larger amounts of money into the car though. The tide may change when that happens. Lol. I doubt it though. She's actually pretty good about it. She knows that the z was here before her and could very well be here longer than her!

[zeeboost]

The Zs were part of the factor that my girlfriend and I broke up - we were pushing 9 years on our relationship. She loved the Zs, loved that I did all the work on them, and usually supported me, but I think I just ended up buying too many projects, got in over my head with them, and a lot of what little free time I had (generally worked 70-80 hours a week) was spent messing with the cars. True, they weren't the only reason behind the break-up, but they were definitely a contributing factor.

 

Ironically enough, this shifted my priorities to where I realize that they're just materialistic things, and even though they're a fun hobby, they really don't bring me true happiness. I've already given one Z to my brother, since he's about to turn 16, and should be down to 1 or 2 soon enough - hell, if I can find enough buyers, I may be out all together.

 

Don't mean to gloom this thread up, but all I'm saying is to just remember that these are just cars. Even though she may be cool with it, don't let it reign in priority, unless you don't care to keep her, but then you might as well dump her anyways. This is strictly off my experience, but I know a couple of other people that let cars get in the way of their relationship / marriage (again, I'm sure there were other factors, too), and in the end, I really don't think they were happier with the car. Again, could be just me...

 

I'm sure several other people here have found a nice balance (although I'm sure an offset one) between the two, so I'm sure they'll chime in.

[cockerstar]

My girl likes my Z, and even helps me work on it from time to time, but more often than not she sees it as competition for my attention and has even said I love the car more than I love her.

It's never led to any arguments though, likely due to the fact that I'm able to balance my time between the two. She really seems to like that I ask her opinion on aesthetic things like seat options, paint colors, and body modifications.

Hey, at this point the girlfriend is cheaper to be around!

[Mayolives]

Out first ride together was in a 240 and after adding about thirty more years to the equation, z cars are part of our life together. I'll probably have one around when they carry me out.

[ZR8ED]

You mean my main project or my secret project/s? hehe J/k

 

I made an agreement with my wife about spending $$$$, Garage, car events etc. She is pretty cool with it. She helps a little bit with the car, and comes to most of the events that I attend.

 

I agree. Balance is the key. Keeping things secretive and separated is not the way to long lasting happiness. (for cars and girls)

 

BTW I made those arrangements early in the relationship, and I considered them to be deal breakers. I have to be realistic and live with this aggrement, so I considered it carefully before allowing my relationship to proceed. (learned this from previous situations)

 

Life is good.

[Slopoke]

My girl actually supports my project! Anytime we are out and she spots a z and I haven't said anything, she brings it to my attention. We will see how much longer this lasts once I start dumpin some larger amounts of money into the car though. The tide may change when that happens. Lol. I doubt it though. She's actually pretty good about it. She knows that the z was here before her and could very well be here longer than her!

 

 

Exactly what I think. They come into the relationship knowing exactly what i do and how much it means to me. But I also agree with Zeeboost,

that you have to be able to balance what you love out. Girlfriend and car.

I make time for both. I couldn't get enough when I saw my girlfriends face

when I stared the car with Open headers. It was kinda nice driving around too, the exhaust notes tuned her out with all the " I hate this car, take me home now"

[MAG58]

Cars have always been a family thing for me, always. I've yet to date a girl who's been able to handle being at most equally important to the family/cars, god forbid less important.

 

'Tis a sad day when the majority of people request full devotion of another person and lack the ability to handle it when they aren't.

[Slopoke]

Cars have always been a family thing for me, always. I've yet to date a girl who's been able to handle being at most equally important to the family/cars, god forbid less important.

 

'Tis a sad day when the majority of people request full devotion of another person and lack the ability to handle it when they aren't.

 

 

My ex couldn't handle it. Z cars are my passion, I love building them.

If she wasn't yelling at me for working on it on my days off, she was

telling me whatever I did didn't look good and I should do it differently.

... I ignored her for a year, and then it got annoying because it wasn't just my car she was nagging about anymore, it was my job, my school,

everything it seemed like. Progression at its worst

[thehelix112]

First time I drove my wife anywhere was in my dodgey turbo 240z with crap brakes. She still maintains it made(makes) her feel like shes going to die. But she knows how happy it makes me, so is supportive of it.

 

She organized space in her grandma's shed for me to keep working on it so it wasn't out in the weather, and is going halvies in my new set of wheels.

 

Dave

[roger280zx]

Over the years there have been a handful of situations where I considered selling one or two of my Z's. She always helps me find another way to deal with it, and talks me out of the sale. Shes helped me; strip cars down, pull engines, clean and pack parts to sell, and even been on a few trips to the junk yard. She is a blessing and is so much more than I deserve. I finally made her a lady August 28th last year (after six years). Shes not going any where and neither is my 240z.

[iBang]

My girlfriend supports me with my Z. As a car enthusiast and motor head herself she understands the desire very well. Heck, she sold me the RB25 for my swap when she parted out her race car.

 

That said she also helps restrain me when I get some of my wilder ideas and start thinking about buying things I probably shouldn't. It works out pretty well overall.

[CArFAn]

I have lost many girls and i'm still happy. I don't really care about them because i can tell they are not the ones. The "ONE" will be appreciative of what i do with my spare time. Until then the hunt continues.

[tightywhitey185]

I always find the ones where they dont mind my projects but they just dont really care about it eather.Im convinced that my obsession with this car is something all my own and just isnt very womanish.When i have relationships with certain girls its like im living 2 lives.The relationship,going out with our friends,going out to dinner all the time playing house situations and balancing my career and my wicked obsession with cars.I have never truley met someone who ive shared this completely with.I feel like women will never understand why projects are so cool and valuable learning experiances.I not bitter. haha

[Michael]

My wife contends that my frustrations with being unable to make the final push towards streetability of my Datsun is a cloud over my wellbeing, and therefore she wholeheartedly wishes that I would spend MORE time in the garage. In fact she keeps suggesting that I just farm the remainder of the project out to a professional. And she recommends that I just buy a new sportscar and quit my plaintive gripes about not having a vehicle that can out-accelerate pickups and rental cars off the line at traffic lights. You see, I’m the stingy one, and she’s the wise one.

[Guest jeffie7]

Mine doesnt mind, however I don't handle projects like a lot of people.

I'm not a fan of buying a project car and nickle and diming it over the course of 3 years all the while, adding more cars to the collection.

 

I set goals, and only pull the trigger when it can be done right.

 

I plan on picking up a 240Z as soon as I have enough room and doing a engine swap + turbo as with body kit and paint. mark my words I wont do it until 200% of the money is lined up as with all the steps needed to make it happen. I say 200% because we all know how car budgets go.

 

It took about 2 months to get in my body kit, turbo parts, motor parts, rear end, fuel lines and so on for my 350Z. at the point where I had everything in hand it took 1 week for body kit/paint and 2 weeks in my own garage for the turbo kit and I took it to have it tuned. Just under 1 month and my car went from near stock to exactly what I wanted.

 

Took some coin, but all projects do, rather then nickle and dime I saved it up and did it all at once. =)

[m1noel]

My girlfriend hasn't been around as long as the yellow Z we still have. She's pretty good as long as I don't get too carried away and spend time with her too. When I built up the old L6, I spent a little too much time in the garage. One night pretty late, the door opened, a pillow and blanket came flying out, and the door locked. I learned my lesson. I've had this Z 27 years and 5 more over the years since then. Vicki and I have been together 25 years, married over 21. Oh yeah, she paid to have the car painted for an aniversary present a couple of years ago and bought me the seats for Christmas that same year. She'd no more let me sell this car than one of our kids. Gotta love her!

[nullbound]

My ex loved my silver 240 and actually helped out some when I was putting it back together after paint paint in 2003. She could polish the hell out of wheels but got really upset that I didn't let her work on things like wiring. She thought I didn't trust her, but it wasn't that at all. It just boiled down to me doing things a certain way that she didn't really understand. I tried to keep her involved, but before I completed the reassembly it turned into this big ordeal about me loving the car more than her, which is absolutely the truth.

 

My current girlfriend cares nothing about my car obsession, but likes that I can fix her's when needed.

[Slopoke]

That's awesome that half of you guys have supportive wives or girlfriends. The one's that don't... the hell with them. You'll find yours. I've only had one ex that actually helped out with oil changes, breaks, cleaning and what not. If they didn't help, that sure respected the fact that it was my pride and joy and if they knicked it, scratched it or anything they got the look of "oh ♥♥♥♥, i hope he didn't see that" on their faces.

[galloguy05]

Exactly what I think. They come into the relationship knowing exactly what i do and how much it means to me. But I also agree with Zeeboost,

that you have to be able to balance what you love out. Girlfriend and car.

I make time for both. I couldn't get enough when I saw my girlfriends face

when I stared the car with Open headers. It was kinda nice driving around too, the exhaust notes tuned her out with all the " I hate this car, take me home now"

 

Yeah she knew what the car meant to me when getting into the relationship. I do keep the time balanced though. Especially now that funds are running a little low and cant afford parts. lol. She supports my z passion though and has talked me outta selling the car many times when my frustration level reaches its boiling point. hasn't gotten down and dirty tearing things apart with me yet but she hangs out and seems generally interested in what's going on, so nothing to complain about there. But balance IS key. Not only for your relationships but for OUR state of minds also. Working on these cars so much can make even the best of us a little crazy no matter how much it can be an escape from daily problems at other times.