When did you first know you were a gearhead?

[LaserRed01GT]

I remember the first time my dad and a few uncles took me to Houston to see the NHRA nationals. I'll never forget that first time seeing the Top Fuel dragsters run. I was hooked from then on. Then at about 10, my uncle opened a small shop in town (New Braunfels, TX) and my parents would let me hang out over there on the weekends. I bugged the living ***** out of my uncle and the guys by asking a million questions nonstop! But I learned. That went on for a few years.

Then when I moved back in with my Mom, after my parent’s divorce, my uncle had a friend who used to race a 210” Top Fuel Altered dragster in the NHRA. He retired, but he wanted to keep running the dragster at National events and other misc. exhibition events. So I was taught to wrench on fuel motors at a pretty young age. His son would drive the dragster at some of the local NHRA events and some of the HRP NHRA nationals. Later after I got out of the military, they asked me if I wanted to drive the car at a IHRA exhibition at a new local track (San Antonio Raceway). I said yes of course, but the IHRA ended up not allowing him run it. The dragster has just sat for years now. He still starts it up on alcohol every now and then.

Then when I was about 22, I got to go to my first Hot Summer Nights car show in Reno, NV. If you ever get a chance, GO, it’s awesome.

Anyway, I think it was the 7,000 HP Top Fuel cars that initially fed my disease – gearheaditis.

What started it for you?

 

[stangman]

about 8 years ago when i got my first mustang

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

in the womb, i gave my mom a tune up. She was running a little rich, throwing a CEL

 

[d98gt]

I knew I shouldn't have ran my seafoam through your mother

As for me.. I'm not sure if there was an actual "point" that I noticed it. I remember sitting around with older family members telling stories about the cars that they had/raced in the past and I loved just listening about it.

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

I knew I shouldn't have ran my seafoam through your mother

I hear it cures acne, and that one of the three wise men brought it for the birth of Jesus

 

[thomas91169]

when i started telling the mechanics how to fix my car, and that the only reason they had it in the first place is cause i dont have a lift.

 

[squares98]

Starting from 1982(2 years old), My neighbors had ;a 71'? ferrari daytona, another had a 80ish ferrari gto, another had a Alpina 7 series, another muscle mustangs. Dad used to be a Porsche/BMW nut in the 70's-80's. I knew BMW was the bomb by time I was 3. Any i knew the only respectable early 80's Monte Carlo's were v-8's. Daytona, Indy, I watch them like religion back when racers were ironclad heroes.
I knew I was bonafide when I got my first r/c car, it was all over after that, my parents knew it too, lol.

 

[Shiroelex]

I think I knew when I was 8 or so, while I was at the hardware store buying piping to make dual exhaust for my go-kart.

 

[03ghoststang]

about 4yo when we would do tune ups on my uncles trans-am

 

[SaleenGT2001]

i was about 9 and i would tear apart my r/c cars to see how they worked and try to make them faster.

 

[04GTMustang]

about 3 years ago when i got my mustang and put my first mod on it.

 

[jivepepper]

Mine started when my mother was a drag racing groupie, and got pregnet by one of the pit crew.

 

[SaleenGT2001]

 

[whyask]

when my marriage was going to sh** cause I spend more time on my cars and toys than I did my wife.....WHOOPPPSSS !

 

[Team Ford]

When I bought my Mustang. Also I've found that I take pride in owning an American made car where as before the Mustang I didnt mind or have a preference of what kind of car I drove.

 

[LaserRed01GT]

Mine started when my mother was a drag racing groupie, and got pregnet by one of the pit crew.

LOL, I guess that means we're related.

 

[forum155pl]

i figured it out when i had to take my engine out and swap in a new one.. i had so much fun and i wasnt scared of my engine bay anymore so i kept modding.. and modding... and modding.... its a never ending cycle now..

 

[dsg03bullitt]

I was born a gearhead and i will die a gearhead!

America is all about speed. Hot, Nasty, Badass speed lol Shake n Bake.

 

[DocG]

I don't remember the age, but I remember having a good ol' time riding with my dad in his Triumph TR-7.....there was this hill on a different street, at the top it went up slightly before it went down. He'd hit that thing at like 60 and we'd achieve lift-off! Then I'd help him sand and primer it when I was like 6.....I'd mod my RC cars....put ski's on the front....spikes in the tires for the snow. Made a rollcage for a go-kart.....tweaked my dirt bikes...etc.

I actually did more gearhead stuffa s a kid than I do now. Now its so hard to spend the money on this stuff.....I'm too busy being "responsible"

 

[04fullitgt]

When I was a kid I use to watch dukes of hazzard religiously, I was crazy about the general lee. I had a bunch of little hot wheels replicas of it. Im also crazy about really short shorts too