I'm not "Car Crazy," are you?

[Heatgain]

I know this may sound a little weird, being a member of this and other detailing boards, but I'm not a "car crazy" guy. I guess I'm an appearance guy? I look at cars constantly, but I'm looking at the finish, the gloss, looking for RIDS, swirls, paint transfer. I'll see a nice sports car go past and wonder of the thickness of the paint coat, or what product would work better on the rag top.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a Porsche/Bentley/Cobra/classic/etc. too, but not to the point of being "Car Crazy." I'll look at an engine and while someone's droning on about horsepower or handling a curve on the Autobahn, I'm thinking this engine would look so much better cleaned and dressed, or what brush would I use to reach that black hose in the back.
Someone will show me an interior of their car to brag about it, and I'm checking out the leather to see if it's coated or not, and wondering if a slight sheen or a matte finish would look better on their dash.
I went to a "Cruise-In" the other night to see what that's all about. There were classic cars, all sorts of Mustangs, Vettes, a Porsche or two, and while everyone else is oohing and ahhing over the cars or the engines, I'm only checking out swirls/gloss/slickness etc.
I appreciate a "Show & Shine" on a daily driver much more than one on an '08 Vette or garage queen Ferrari. Oh, I'll look at those and appreciate a jeweled finish and such, but the car itself just doesn't excite me.
Am I an oddity on here, or are there some others out there who think along the same lines?

[california love]

Thats the definition of car crazy. Everyone in here veiws cars the same way.

[jimtriz]

I find myself looking at all types of cars and wondering, "How would that one look with a good detaililng done on it?", and "boy, I would love to get my buffer on that one!" It doesn't matter what type of car it is, I just see the paint and finish and how it COULD look. So no, you're not alone. Maybe we could start a support group or something...LOL

[simracer]

Nope. Car crazy here. And yes, in the back of my mind, I'll think how much nice a car might look if they took a little care and preparation. If the owner is receptive, I might make a suggestion on improving the appearance because he just may not know. And others don't care and that's fine.

But I'm a gearhead who enjoys driving and amateur racing here and there.

[slicknickis3]

Originally Posted by simracer

Nope. Car crazy here. And yes, in the back of my mind, I'll think how much nice a car might look if they took a little care and preparation. If the owner is receptive, I might make a suggestion on improving the appearance because he just may not know. And others don't care and that's fine.

But I'm a gearhead who enjoys driving and amateur racing here and there.

I'm with you, I'm a complete Gear Head! From the inner workings of a motor to the finer details in the paint, I love every bit of it.

Detailing is just one of many aspects of being car crazy. I love driving, working on, looking at automobiles (Fine ones that is...)

I wish there were more amateur racing events around here....one day I'd love to compete in one.

[Accumulator]

Eh...one of the reasons why I sometimes call myself "the Autopian Heretic" is because IMO I'm not all that into this stuff compared to a lot of people. I keep my vehicles nice, but I keep *all* my stuff nice and to me, detailing is just another chore like shining my shoes.

I have zero interest in how anybody else cares about my cars and I seldom attend car shows/etc. unless there's some piece of automotive history I want to check out. I have zero interest in motorsports. Generally, I couldn't care less how anybody else treats their vehicles.

OTOH I *did* build and equip a swell home detailing shop, I always own six or more vehicles which I keep in concours condition, I sometimes detail rental/loaner cars, I read seven or eight car magazines every month, I spend a fair bit of time here at Autopia, and everybody I know thinks I'm *completely* car-crazy!

[rjstaaf]

To be honest I am more car crazy than I am Autopian. I can't say I have ever given the finish a second thought when looking at a fine automobile, I am more interested in looking under the hood than anything else I get far more satisfaction from flushing the transmission fluid, doing the brakes or changing the plugs than I ever have caring for the cosmetic aspects of the car.

These days between work, family and trying to get a college degree at 45, I am looking for quick and easy solutions to get the results on the paint and other cosmetic surfaces. I have been using Zaino a lot more than I used to mainly because of it's ease of use and durability.

I do still get comments that my Mustang still looks showroom new even with 112K on the odometer. What makes me happy is that it still runs like new even with 112K on the odometer

[Scottwax]

I've always really been into cars, both mechanically and the appearance. I bought a '71 Chevelle for $400 when I was a senior in high school and starting off the modding by taking a paint and body class. The car was rough enough that all I got done was the body work and primered it. Next up was the chrome waterneck. Which leaked the first time I put it on. Then the gold anodized Moroso valve covers. Which leaked the first time I put them on. Not the best start, eh?

Bigger 2 barrel carb and headers were next, then an aluminum intake and a Holley 1850 (600 cfm, vacuum secondaries). Then a 268H Comp Cam, B&M Holeshot converter and Lakewood ladder bars. I had a friend help with the cam install and a shop do the converter but I did the rest myself. I found a set of 041 fuelie heads with a fresh 3 angle valve job that would bump my compression from the smog heads my car had (the engine was a Target Master 350, 8.2:1 stock compression) by at least 1 full point. Then an Edelbrock Torker intake and Carter 625 AFB carb. By then I'd gone from a 16.8 @ 83 stock (with dual exhaust and glasspacks) to a 14.8 @ 96 mph, still on the open 2.56 rearend.

I then upgraded to a Holley 4777 (650 double pumper) and my et dropped to a 14.68 and trap speed picked up to 100 even. I dialed a 14.65 and drew an '82 Mustang 5.0 with a 16.0 dial. Cut a good light and blew past the Mustang a good 150 feet before the traps, so I lifted and coasted through the lights...and still broke with a 14.63 @ 93 mph. Should have kept my foot in it, probably would have been close to a 14.4 @ 101 or so. 3.08s and posi got me into the 14.30s but I had to shift into 3rd just before the traps so my speed was around 98 mph. Got some Richmond 4.11s and dropped down to 14.27 but trap speed was off at around 96-97. Just really didn't have enough cam.

Time to go nuts, amirite? New short block, came out of a friend's low 13 Nova. Forged 11:1s, big Crane cam. Definitely a lot stronger engine...done in by a bad harmonic balancer. It is really ugly when the big end of a rod comes apart at 6500 rpm. Really, really ugly. 4 lobes of the cam, 4 lifters, 3 pushrods and chunks of forged TRW piston side skirts. Nice hole in #6 as well. Time for another short block. Forged 10:1 pistons, balanced and blueprinted, LT1 pink rods, 292 Magnum Comp Cam. Not much power under 3500 rpm so out with the B&M Holeshot and in with a Hughes 4000 stall (modified Vega converter). Instant low 13s at 108 mph in full street trim, best run of 12.84 @ 108. The heads were a real choke point, the 1.94/1.50 valves just weren't enough for the cam so I was short shifting around 6800 rpm. Better heads and would have been shifting around 7200-7400 rpm.

Coming home one day, driving up my street and the engine started knocking and before I could put it in neutral and shut it off, the engine went completely quiet. That was it for the Chevelle. As much as I hated to get rid of it, now I needed another short block and was also going to need to completely redo the brakes-upgrade to front disc and the rear brake lines were leaking. Beyond my financial ability while in college.

I bought my Dad's '77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham. He'd already had me remove the converter and put in a test pipe and replace the balky Q-jet with a 650 cfm Holley spreadbore. I got an Edelbrock Peformer intake for it, upgraded HEI coil and a 2200 rpm stall converter. The 2.41 gears had to go, but the best rearend I could find was one with 2.73s. Still better than the stock gears. The stock single exhaust was horrid. The pipe on the driver's side went under the oil pan and forward towards the passenger downpipe and connected up near the exhaust manifold, making about a 270 degree turn at the connection. No wonder the car was so sluggish. Real dual exhaust dropped the hand timed 0-60 time from 9.2 to 7.8 seconds. I have never seen such a huge improvement from just dual exhaust-but the stock design was so bad, I probably found 40 hp or so by dumping the factory single exhaust.

I ended up buying a '73 Delta 88 for $550 because it had a 455. Factory rated at 235 hp and 380 lb-ft, well beyond the 170 hp/270 lb-ft 350 (stock) I already had in the Cutlass. Pulled the 455 and swapped it in. Had to use the 350 exhaust manifolds since the 455 manifolds were meant for the larger Delta engine compartment. The stock HEI dropped right in, same firing order too. I figure with the dual exhaust (vs the Delta's single exhaust), 14 x 5 K&N air filter and HEI, the 455 was probably making around 260 hp and 400+ lb-ft of torque. Hand timed 0-60 dropped to 6 flat. 2 months after the swap, some clown blew through a light and totaled my car.

1974 Z/28 next. Last year they had the L-82 350. Already had Hooker headers and purple hornies (who else remembers those?) and a Hurst shifter for the M-21 4 speed. Still had the posi tag on the rear end too. Added a Performer intake and 3310 Holley (780 cfm). Unfortunately, my ex-wife was writing hot checks all over town and I ended up selling the car.

After that, it was family style cars, although I did put headers on my '79 Celica and a better exhaust and built a cold air intake for my '85 Celica. Headers, CAI, exhaust and pulleys (plus suspension mods) on my '90 Accord. My 626 was the only car I've owned I did absolutely no mods to. Even the crappy Pontiac Sunturd I had I did upgrade the anti-roll bar bushings to uerthane. Now that I have my Maxima, I've done a few minor things, debating whether or not to get headers (the best bang for the buck) because they will eliminate the pre-cats and I'll have to run O2 sims and hope the inspector doesn't look under the car so I can pass my state inspections.

In addition to all that, I was pretty anal about how my cars looked. Even when my Chevelle was primered, I still washed it and kept up the chrome bumpers, trim and the wheels.

Yeah, I am pretty car crazy.

[Picus]

You can be both car and detailing crazy.

[Accumulator]

ScottWax- It's scary how many of the products and even *part numbers* you mentioned are still so familiar and had me nodding my head and thinking about my own past projects

Seems like *everybody* ran a Comp. Cams 268H in *something*

[california love]

Scott im totally with you. My first car was a 74 Nova, my dad gave it to me with no engine. I sold my bicycle that I used to run the paper route with, and bought a 350 4 bolt main engine. At this point my father helped me. His intention was more than learning to change a flat. We sent the engine off to Richmond power sports to have it balanced, and blueprinted. It came back, and we worked together to build the fastest car in my highschool. The girls were all over it, and the others could'nt touch it, BIG - UPS to my dad ! A little under 450 HP. My love for cars started !!! If its not fast make it shine, and if its fast make it shine !

[Scottwax]

Originally Posted by Accumulator

ScottWax- It's scary how many of the products and even *part numbers* you mentioned are still so familiar and had me nodding my head and thinking about my own past projects

Seems like *everybody* ran a Comp. Cams 268H in *something*

That 268H was a great cam, tons of midrange torque. Worked amazingly well with the Holley 650 double pumper...how else do you explain a 100 mph trap with 2.56 gears?

I even got a set of Rhodes lifters that bleed down under 3500 rpm-sort of a low tech VTEC for $70. Made the lope go away completely, made my car sound completely stock (suckered more than a few people that way!) and at 3500 rpm, the lifters are fully pumped up giving me all the midrange and top end potential of the cam.

I could still rebuild a Holley in my sleep and then set up the squirters and cams so it is completely bog free out of the hole.

BTW, you ever put a set of Sonic Turbo mufflers on a car? Still haven't heard a better sounding exhaust.