What Would You Tell Your Younger Enthusiast Self?

Autopian Asks Younger Enthusiast Self
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The automotive affliction is one that often takes hold at a particularly young age, and as youth as a time of experimentation, we often make some mistakes in our journey to being the car people we are today. However, what if you could potentially, maybe, perhaps attempt to stop some of those mistakes before you even started? Yep, today’s Autopian Asks involves time travel, so fire up your Mr. Fusion and let’s get cracking.

Imagine that underneath the seat of your latest second-hand ride, amongst crumbs and other debris, you found a magic envelope capable of sending precisely one letter to yourself in the past. What would you tell young enthusiast you? Obviously, you could mess up history and indeed the future considerably depending on what you write, so exercise extra care, but a little anonymous message probably won’t hurt, right?

Admittedly, if I had to do this, I’d probably write just three words: “Trust the process.” Everything I’ve done and haven’t done has led up to this point, for better or for worse. Everything about where I’m at right now, from writing about cars to owning the cars I do, has been a massive moonshot, and perhaps out of an abundance of caution, I wouldn’t want to risk messing that up. Of course, the alternative is “find space for that RX-7,” but then I’d be tempting fate. Our own Mark Tucker, pictured in the lead photo, would send a message along the lines of “The rust isn’t worth fixing.”

So, what would you tell your younger enthusiast self? Would you drastically attempt to change history, assuming the Novikov self-consistency principle won’t save you, or would you do something else? As ever, share your thoughts in the comments below.

(Photo credits: Mark Tucker)

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176 thoughts on “What Would You Tell Your Younger Enthusiast Self?”

    1. Which rustproofing did/would you go with? I’ve been eyeballing getting a fluid film treatment on my ’23 Maverick…but just haven’t gotten around to it.

      1. An engineer acquaintance who saw some testing materials said Krown was head and shoulders above the rest. It’s the only one I’ve used: ironically, it was on the BMW!

        1. Repair Geek did a really great video in 2019 where he tested all possible substances on sheet metal and then pressure washed to see how well the undercoating held up. Fluid Film seemed like the best for both protection and still allowing accessibility for maintenance/repairs. Looks like he did another round of testing in 2020. I’ll watch it sometime tonight to see what his new results came out to.

          1. Yes, I find that I no longer have to break out the fire wrench (torch). I do reapply every fall, but that’s a 1 hour job with my compressor and the spray gun. I do all 4 of our vehicles. It’s what the fleet managers use on plow trucks, so you know it works. Now it also comes in black (they just add graphite powder).

          2. The sutff this fellow saw was testing done by the National Research Council of Canada. Apparently the core ingredient of Krown is something the US Military uses for the same.

            And don’t fall for the electronic rust protection. It does not work.

      2. Do it yesterday. Any product on a rust free chassis will be fantastic compared to picking the “right” one when you get around to it and there is already salt and sand in the nooks. I use fluid film, it’s easy, a bit messy, but my cars have been doing well in Maine where others rust.

        1. The engineer I mentioned would get the full “drill into cavities” treatment on new cars. He would void the corrosion warranty, but the car wouldn’t corrode.

  2. Don’t drive to college that rainy day when the drunk driver totals you 67 MGB.
    Or
    Don’t buy that 280Z to replace the MGB, because you just blow the engine 3x cause you’re not a responsible 20yr old.

      1. Well, one time it really wasn’t my fault. The builder didn’t clean out the oil ports after they turned the crankshaft. So all the bearings spun on my way home. They rebuilt it again for free.

  3. Tricky. Do I warn myself about the crash that broke my spine and hand? What if there was a worse crash I missed?

    So far this timeline has worked ok. I don’t want to risk it.

    I wish I’d bought an NSX when they were 15 grand, and an FD RX7 when they were 5, and an R32 Skyline GTS-t when they were 3. That’d be a cool three car garage for ever.

    1. I missed out on a nice NSX back in 2014 for $19k. I dithered on a decent 912 back in 2005 for $5000 and sold my 4WS Prelude Si for chump change back then. But not that long ago I bought a low miles Fiat Abarth and I’m pretty damned sure it’s a future collectible as every time I drive it it feels abundantly ‘right’.

    2. Roughly 15-20 years old (generally speaking) seems to be the sweet spot for buying a car if you intend to keep it a long time bc you love it and think it will be a future classic.

      The Challeng of course is cars take up a lot of space, so…

      1. You need the space (or find a safe, preferrably inside space) to store it when it’s not being used
      2. Preferably you drive it or at least run it 1x per month minimum to keep everything working
      3. Maintenance for a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, nth car can get tedious
      4. (excess) funds for 1-3 too 🙂

  4. “Enjoy modifying cars while you have disposable income”

    By the time I bought my third vehicle in my late 20s, all I could really justify buying was something that was fuel efficient, reliable and comfortable to commute to work in. I still add small things that improve my enjoyment like alloys for my snow tires, window vent visors, light window tint and Tuxmats, but pretty much everything else gets left stock.

    I modified my first two vehicles a fair bit, and wasted a lot of money doing so, but I had fun, learned about turbochargers and got to own one of my attainable dream cars (Mazdaspeed6)

  5. Stop worrying so damn much about the car being spotless; it doesn’t matter.

    I used to be fairly obsessed with keeping my cars pristine, esp when I got my first ever new one.

    Now, I keep things clean & tidy, but no longer spend hours sticking brushes in vents or waxing constantly.

    So much better for my sanity and my enjoyment remains the same.

  6. Buy the car you like and keep it running. Having the new shiny impresses one.

    Also do sell your first car you will miss the family connection.

    Avoid the SHO.

    Buy the full size Blazer.

  8. Just try to make the repairs. Learn more, try more, do more, Buy what you want.

    Just buy the Rubicon as you will never be allowed to add the fun stuff to your JK sport so just buy the Rubicon.

  9. I am my young self, so I can’t really say much to myself now. But, I see a lot of people who are older then me who wish they could have keep their first car. So death do me and my 350z apart.

    Unless a very nice Chrysler New Yorker comes along… just maybe…

      1. I love mine too. Even if the vq35de loves oil..

        I have never seen a 2CV in person! They are super neat though. Don’t those have the hydro pneumatic suspension?

        1. The 2CV has conventional suspension, sort of. Front and rear on each side are connected via a weird horizontal spring assembly under the doors.

          The body roll is ridiculous, but you can, and should, drive one flat out all the time.

          My cousin drove my old one through the Sahara, and stopped for a weekend in Germany on the way home to replace the chassis. I think David Tracey would get on just great with my cousin.

  10. The problem with altering the past, even a little bit, is that you never know what happens in the future.
    You rent a different house, that house collapses in a sink hole. You take that vacation, the cartels kidnap and murder you. The brakes fail on your new project car, you end up trapped in a ravine while fuel inches towards the sparking electrical hodgepodge under the dash.

    I’m generally happy where I’m at. I haven’t sold any of my cars (I haven’t done as much as I’d like to with them, either.) I don’t need to tempt fate

  13. Pretty isn’t worth the premium. Any number of random events can get rid of the pretty of a car.

    Cars are a big PITA, as is generally anything with a ton of moving parts, and the less you’re able to work on them the more of a PITA it is to own them.

  16. Advice to younger self: Stop turning the air filter housing covers upside down on the family car. It’s silly and does not make a 225 Slant Six sound cool.

    2. Good point. I did spend a large amount of time when I got my Mustang debating if I should take the snorkel out.

      Eventually did, then replaced, and did again. I think it’s still out, sitting in the back of my hall closet, but I’m not sure. What a tool.

  18. Don’t listen to your dad, swapping a transmission is not impossible! Could’ve had a mint Mercedes 240D 4 speed for 1200$. Probably still be driving the thing!

      1. (Transmission) Swapping seems like it should be pretty straightforward…
        Transmission rebuilding on the other hand is certainly more of a speciality that even lots of professional mechanics leave up to people that decide to specialize in them

  19. Everything I’ve done and haven’t done has led up to this point, for better or for worse.

    I normally phrase that as “everything I’ve done has brought me here, and I like here”, but just the same I’d appreciate it if you got out of my head. 🙂

    Operating under the assumption that the note to self should be about things mechanical, I would probably tell me to stockpile some interesting air-cooled VW performance parts: Weber 48 IDAs, cylinder heads, etc.

    As a much younger man I did tell myself to keep that one motorcycle and to get on eBay in 1999 and start buying parts for it, so that part worked out already.

    Also: hold on to that 1991 Grand Am with the 5MT. It’s a good car and you get hosed on the trade-in.

  20. Good job on not buying that GTI you were thinking of, you really dodged a bullet there, and as far as project cars, once you’ve got it running well and enjoyed it for a while, don’t sell any of them to make room for the next project car if they start with RX and end with a number

      1. LOL, my current fleet is an RX8 and an is300 wagon as my project car. Had the Lexus since 2019 and many go fast parts ready to put in as soon as something breaks and I have an excuse to pull the engine, but the stupid car just insists on working perfectly.

  21. Oh this is easy!!!
    Time warp June 19, 1995: Scrap of paper found in the glove box of a new to me 1977 Camaro I just bought from my brother-in-law.

    “Do NOT eat the chili”

    Real life: I stopped at a sketchy roadside restaurant in Nowheresville MO at 3 in afternoon. I ordered the all you can stomach entree/salad bar. Worst food poisoning in my life and made the next eight hours of driving a living (barely surviving) hell.

    2. The problem with that message is that you wouldn’t know which chili. Then you’d be depriving yourself of delicious chili for the rest of your life.

      1. The kicker was I had worked where it was parked for 15 years and water never rose near as high as the building I parked it against. One event put almost 30” of water throughout that building.
        Live, lose, learn

      1. I’m sure grownup me could do a pretty decent job of painting and I KNOW I could lay down some badass stripes and designs. Young me with his first car and more exuberance than experience? Not so much.

    1. That is possibly the best advice yet. If someone has already disassembled it it is fully fucked and should not be touched. I once bought an 69 Riviera in boxes,stupid young me thinking I was able to un-fuck it. I was not..

    2. Maybe good advice for younger enthusiasts, but this is how you can get amazing deals when a little older and actually capable of getting it put back together.

        1. I think I get it. But a project someone is sick of is far cheaper than searching and buying piece by piece and you have parts that no one thinks of selling. Knobs of a original radio, an antennae, a better set of rims, glove box etc. Plus a store of extras or a few parts to sell.

          1. I’ve done this on a few occasions myself but overall I’ve had better experiences instead with the two extremes of either fully-assembled parts cars or individual parts.

            The rare and truly magical option, of course, is to find someone who is willing to sell their disassembled project at a single, low price but who then for some strange reason doesn’t really care whether the buyer takes everything away. I’ve only encountered that once, which is just as well because my shed is getting rather full.

                1. No while not EZ over time I have paid for cars and houses with smart buying and long waits. I actually spent years to find a roof rack for the VX. Once I found it I sold the 4 little pieces of plastic that fit in the roof rail hiding the connection for $450. This is 4 pieces maybe 29 cents of plastic each but a collector want original VX gave me $200 more than the roof rack cost. An astute car guy with access to internet and salvage yards could make a living on recognized valuable parts ahead of time. Cool cars with what is unique or often broken with the ability to hang onto the part.

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