Hot Rods Does your better half / girlfriend encourage your obsession?

We were talking last night about this and how many of my fellow club members wives/girlfriends don't like old cars and rarely go to any shows.

I am one of the fortunate ones, Brenda really enjoys the old cars as much as I do.

Her wagon has been a part of her life since she was a child.HRP

 

My wife has been tolerating my obsession for 41 years now. Now its more like " At least I know where he is "
She goes with me once in a while just to humor me. Had her up to Rhinebeck a couple years ago and she told me all my friends and I do is talk about cars. Duhhhhh !! Did have her to Carlisle and she thought it was amazing but the best part to her was I held her hand...Awwwww!!

 

My wife of almost 36 years was driving as OT 74 Charger when we got married. Became a well know pinstriper. Forced me to 'give' her the 50 Chevy Ute we found in Australia. Insisted we get the money to build my 30 by 40 shop. Along with a ton of other car stuff, she is the driver for our Land Speed 28 on 32 rails roadster.
So yes, I am damn lucky and I know it.........

 

17 yrs. ago , after talking w/a freind who reminded me that if I was ever going to build my T[he knew it had been in the attic of my shop since '68] that I probably ought to think about getting to it , I came home & asked my wife what she would think about me doing that . Her response was " How can I help ???" She does love to ride !!
dave

 

DOES YOUR BETTER HALF / GIRLFRIEND ENCOURAGE YOUR OBSESSION?
No, oh did you mean the one about cars, no again.

 

I would put myself on the lucky side of this line. My better half actually found my 50 for sale in town, came home, told me she had to show me something but wouldn't tell me what it was, drove me to it and told me all of the reasons I should buy it. She is responsible for buying quite a few of the tools in my garage. In our recent search for a new house, she has told me that we need to have enough room for me to build a pole barn, or we need to have enough left over to find a shop for me to rent/buy. She's really not one for hanging out at shows, but has no problems with me going. Actually last night we were watching the TROG coverage on CCC, and she told me I need to get out there for that. Yeah, I consider myself really lucky.

 

NO

 

Like I always say "my wife and I have an understanding. I buy cars, she understands."

She is very supportive of my hobby/addiction/affliction. Rarely puts limits on me and knows there are certain Bucket List vehicles that I may buy, regardless of her opinion.

I'm a lucky guy.

 

NO !!! I've never had a wife or GF in my life who thought my obsession with cars was anything but stupid, and taking me away from sitting on the couch with her, watching House and Garden TV ! When I was with my last GF, I would get to my shop MAYBE one or two nights a month, and she was always saying "You spend all your time at that damn shop, not with me !" I know some of you guys name your cars. My Ex Wife named mine for me, she called it "THAT DAMNED CAR !"

That's why all my exes live in Texas ! (Florida, actually) The single life is SO good !


Don

 

My wife-to-be was living next door to my Mom and Dad when I met her. Her 7 y/o daughter was fascinated by the sapphire blue F 100 I drove when I came up from L.A. to stay with the folks. My truck needed a king pin so I pulled it apart in Dad's driveway with the little one watching and helping. Her Mom came over to see if she was being a pest and stayed a while. When I needed to get a king pin kit she offered to take me to Sacto Vintage Ford. She was fascinated by the store and asked tons of questions. She bought some Tiki mugs and stuff. I was impressed, I knew I had found someone very special. We left and I asked her where she'd like to eat, "There's a Denny's, that would be good" Oh boy, I'm in trouble....
Six months later we were married and bought a 5 acre ranchette about 10 minutes from my folks place with lots of room for the kids (there are 3) and an unfinished shop for me and my junk. After 25 years of bachelorhood I took the big plunge and life has never been better!! She has her own clean little Corvair and she loves going to cruises and events, especially the Bakersfield CHRR where we usually sleep in our family van so we can be at the track at sun up. Now she's addicted to Eagle Field - she keeps better tabs on what's coming up than I do!
Recently a good friend offered us a smokin' deal on his clean '56 Chevy 210. She saw the photos and said, "Get it". I hemmed and hawwed for a month but we finally went and got it. We drove it home on New Year's Eve.
She said, " what took you so long, you know you wanted it?"
I'm very blessed indeed......

 

When my wife and I got married, she had a 64-1/2 Mustang. She still likes the old cars and doesn't really question me on it. Before kids, she went to lots of shows with me. Now, I think she sees me taking the kids and her not going as a break.

 

Oh yeah!

Encouraging > supportive> understanding> tolerant>indifferent>anything south of that.

Encouraging? Wouldn't have it any other way. T'was somewhat rather more full on than 'encouraging' a few years back, but it's all great - even when honey do's are 'get on with that 'king hotrod so we can drive it'. Blessed I suppose - I carry it well

In the context of the question I'm guessing that's a good thing

Chris

 

Boy, what Don said was sure true for me too. Two ex-wives and a few ex-significant others. I had given up and moved on. And then.........(see above)............. I didn't think it was possible.

 

Married my wife in '66, eloped with her in an OT big block four speed '65 vette coupe. She has always been a supporter, cooking for the gang that came to our shop Monday nights to work on stuff, going to shows, helping me when I worked alone in shop and still after 50 years is by my side. The good Lord has given us some tough rows to hoe last few years but he did lead me to a great partner in life and two children, three grandchildren. We have never been without some sort of hot rod all our years together. I trust the moderator will bear with me on the first picture. But I thought it was interesting to bridge all 50 years of marriage with three photographs. Gal in second picture is our daughter. And our son is in picture three. First picture is 1966 just before we eloped, second picture is Minnesota in the 1970s, and the third picture was this past summer here in NH.

 

Bob, does Brenda have a sister
Just kidding, I love my wife, she does not love cars.

 

I would have to say my wife likes to go places in the '32 but doesn't really care to sit at a show and look at other cars. She was more than happy to leave central Illinois and drive to N.C. in June, Des Moines, Iowa in July, Colorado in August and Missouri in October. So far the only trip planned for next year is Deuce Days in July in Victoria B.C.

I think she likes it.

 

My wife is totally cool with my car builds in the garage....she likes the whole aspect, and helps me do body work and sanding when I ask...she dives right in! The ''only'' thing she is adamant about, is to keep it ''neat and tidy'' and behind closed garage doors and not spill out into the yard....She wants to drive my jalopy all the time...cat-eye sunglasses and scarf in her hair....I think she would be fine building her own car if I mentioned it____Ray

 

She loves riding in old cars with me. She used to fuel my obsession until she realized the reality of cost and breakdown and cost and cost. We used to make alot of shows. Now her interest is just driving around not hanging at shows.
I tend to agree. Really boring spending 5-6 hrs talking about cars.

 

You have to stay away from those "high maintanence" women !!
dave

 

My wife encourages me - when I spend money on tools or whatever, it kinda gives her an excuse to spend money on fabric or her sewing machine collection (not that she needs one). She keeps telling me I need to get out in the garage more!

 

At first...

 

My honey can identify MoPars now and she always buys me stuff like an engine stand, a rolling stool for doing brake jobs, etc. She enjoys all of the car stuff we do and was even a club President once. I would not trade her in for ANYONE or ANYTHING!!

 

We've been married for going on fifty years, she's for anything that gets me out of the house.

 

How about tolerates it!

 

My wife and I have been married just under a year and have been together for 4 years and she is very supportive. My wife loves the music, cars and everything to do with it. I have wanted a roadster for a while and I talker to her about starting one this winter. She checked our savings acct and said go ahead and buy one. We have a small fleet of cars and she has no problems getting more.

She rides with me anywhere I want to go in the old cars and never bitches about heat. I am sweating and complaining and she sits there enjoying the ride. She plans most of our vacations around car shows.

All my presents are always car related and she takes notes on what parts I want/need so she can surprise me with them.

She is a keeper

 

Here's a hint for some ladies.My first wife made me be with her all the time. My second wife made me want to be with her all the time.

 

My wife has no interest in old cars. She's a gardening nut and spends most of her time taking care of about 15 of them in our front and back yards. She'll be glad to ride over to Sonic for some ice cream on Saturday nights in whatever old car I own at the time but that's about it. It's not that big of a deal to me because she has a LOT of other great qualities that more than make up for her lack of interest in old cars....

 

My wife is like the old SEX story. Every time she went with me the first year, I put a jelly bean in a big jar. The second year every time she went I took a jelly bean out. The jar still has alot of jelly beans in it.
Married 56 years!

 

In 1977 my girlfriend went to Hershey for the first time, she was walking up the isle in deep mud and it was raining. She said it was "Great!". Popped the question that Christmas eve and the rest is history. Both our kids and the Grandkids have been to Hershey before their first birthdays. LA Roadster Show has been added to the yearly car events she looks forward to. Yeah, I'm a very happy guy. Bob

 

Two years ago my wife said we should move. Her thinking was that we could find a house with more property so that the Grand Children would have lots of room to play safely. "Oh and also you could built the big garage you have always wanted for your toys!" So we bought a house five minutes from our last one, as you can see in my avatar we now have a long driveway. Our Grand Children have plenty of room to play and I have my garage, which I am still working on.
I have a Great Wife, and I have felt that way for 42 years! KK
P.S. right after my 62nd birthday she said I should go back to Connecticut and buy my friends '32 roadster that I have coveted
for quite a while!