How's your family involved with your hobby ?

[Maikl]

Hi everybody,

just had a talk with a couple of friends the other night about how they manage to fulfill the "requirements" of hobby AND family. Turned out that most of them have a wife that (though she takes part in his cruises, meetings and shows) is not really interested and just hopes to avoid an otherwise lonely and dull day when jumping onto the passenger seat. Some have a wife that get along pretty well alone and does never ever join their husband on his cruises (leave alone in his workshop!). And a very few have wifes like me, where she is not only interested in his hobby, but she is also eager to learn something about cars. With most of the latter ones, the cruises to the car-shows are whole-family-events, rather family picknicks with the kids, who are thrilled by going for a ride with that "peculiar" car.

What about your families ? Are they quite attached to your hobby ? Or do you have to apply for free time in the garage and for going to a show etc. ???

Best regards
Kindacool

[rcull]

Mine is fine with my hobby. She usually like to come to a run or show, but I think she is a little dissapointed with the lack of excitement. She loves mixing with the people though. She leaves me alone in my shop except when she thinks it's about time to open a beer on a hot afternoon.

I have probably dragged home 20 wrecked Buicks onto our 5 acres and shes still here so she is tolerant!

I think I'll keep her...

[howpeculiar]

We have 7 cars right now, 4 running (2 are daily driver trucks), and we are always looking for more! We plan on having many cool cars to play with in our retirement, and we both enjoy learning as much as we can. We have 2 teenagers right now, so it has really slowed down the progress on our restorations, but we are both still very interested in cars. For us, the 'hobby' is actually just a lifestyle, not many guys have a wife that gets excited when she find a 62 special in a junkyard, or is willing to take a car apart down to it's most base components just so we can better understand how we should inspect, repair, and restore our cars. We have one stall in the garage for long term projects, and the 68 Impala donor is almost nothing but a shell on frame now. We only get a little time here and there to work on it right now, but we enjoy having a little barley pop and figuring out how to remove just one more thing before we have to make dinner. She may not always know what she is about to do, or what this 'wierd squarish thing' does, but she is never afraid to find out. She is committed enough that she started parking her suburban outside rather than leave her camaro outside (this is a big concesion in the winter here!). I would have to say that my family life not only doesn't suffer because of cars, but that the cars are an important part of my family life.