We started ‘MyStarCollectorCar’ in April 2009, but we were dedicated car guys long before our debut as an e-zine for other car guys.
We have met thousands of car guys over the past 16 years and most of them share some common traits because of the nature of their similarly aligned interests.
As a result, we have assembled five of the most common characteristics found in a typical car guy and will list them for our MyStarCollectorCar readers.
Jim Sutherland
The first characteristic runs against a common warning given to young kids because the car hobby means car guys will talk to strangers, whether at a car show or just driving around in their retro rides.
A vintage vehicle attracts plenty of attention and curiosity from onlookers who ask a lot of questions about it. Consequently, an owner will be obliged to forget about the no-conversations-with-strangers rule and engage in a conversation with them.
The second characteristic extends from the first one because there are elements of a conversation with a stranger that are annoying, so a car guy will need a boatload of patience. Many strangers will trot out a story about somebody in their lives who owned a vintage ride “just like yours” in their words-even though their general description fits another make, model, year, and planet.
Conversations with these clowns is part of the program for car guys, so patience is a very necessary virtue.
The third characteristic of a car guy is a willingness to help other car guys whenever the need arises in their lives. A car guy will always stop when he sees a vintage vehicle with its hood up and stranded on the side of a road. Car guys will also help another car guy during a project when he needs a hand during the process. Help may come in the form of advice or tools and parts, but rest assured a car guy will aid another car guy.
The fourth characteristic of a car guy is their unbridled enthusiasm for time behind the steering wheel of their beloved ride. Car guys realize old iron was never meant to be dusted occasionally and largely ignored in some forgotten corner of a garage.
Car guys like to exercise their road beasts and show them off to a bigger world of curious onlookers. They do not simply start them, drive them onto a trailer, and then steer them into a nearby spot at a show. They drive their vintage rides to a show and enjoy the journey along the way. Car guys love the adventure found on the road and would not have it any other way because their vehicles were built for driving-not to win trophies.
The fifth and final characteristic of a car guy is they are always on the hunt. They may attempt to suppress their uncontrollable need for another old vehicle, but most car guys are largely unsuccessful in this regard.
Car guys keep track of what’s in their favorite buy/sell publication and have already figured out a game plan if they discover another retro ride in their world. It may involve begging, pleading and a divorce, but a car guy will always consider his options when he looks at an old car ad.
There you have it, a brief look at the inner workings of a typical car guy.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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