Wives

[redidbull]

There was mention of a wife support. Made me curious, how many have supportive wives and ask their opinions on your project. Bonus, how many wives help? I am fortunate that my wife is supportive, for the most part. Her complaint is I have too many projects at once. She never questions what I buy but I usually run it by her before if it is a big purchase. She does help with small things like bleeding brakes. She is 4’10” and her small hands often come in hand for getting a bolt in the small area where my Italian sausage fingers don’t fit. Jim

 

[Bamamav]

I couldn’t support another wife, one’s enough….oh wait, wrong answer.
Mine has always been supportive, she’s as much a gearhead as I am. In the past she has helped me pull transmissions, start header bolts, pull engines, sand, you name it, she’s probably helped me do it. She doesn’t get out there with me like she used to, age, movement, time are all different now. Same for me, about half a day is enough, used to go from AM to midnight only stopping to eat, no more of that.
I spend what I want, but I do have the courtesy to run the big purchases by her. Usually though, it’s her telling me to quit dilly dallying around and just get what I need because I’m cheap. Grew up that way, have lived that way for years, hard to change old habits.
Been with her 47 years next month.

 

[Tripper]

Mrs Tripper has always been supportive... especially since I use my own $$$! Although she did go halfzies on the Rambler wagon!

BoB

 

[bob w]

60th anniversary coming up in April. My wife has ridden in one hot rod once. That's it. I have custody of the cars, she has everything else. She whines about the money and time spent. But if I hung around her all day, every day she would want me back in the shop. I pretty much equalize the car hobby spending with the clothing boutique, furniture store and jewelry store spending. Happy wife, happy life.

 

[dutch]

my wife drives Volvo. Before that Mazda...many miles.
That said; all she wants is reliability and some comfort. She really does not understand why anyone would need other wheels but round ones.
She likes my projects done but my work also involves panel beating for customers so there`s no way around old crappy vehicles here. As long as I don`t bother her too much with it, she`s really supportive. Been that way for 34 yrs.

 

[soltz]

This is my christmas cookie Not a lot of help but support on most stuff. 2nd time for me just had the 25th.

 

[smallfoot]

Been to the alter 3 times. I guess you could say that for a while
I supported them after stripping 50% of my finances on the divorces. Support from them was pretty much nil...
It's been all me on whatever for 26 years now and I won't try it again. Guess I just don't have what it takes to put up with much nonsense!

 

[forbigpicture]

Been to the alter 3 times. I guess you could say that for a while
I supported them after stripping 50% of my finances on the divorces. Support from them was pretty much nil...
It's been all me on whatever for 26 years now and I won't try it again. Guess I just don't have what it takes to put up with much nonsense!

HaHa... on #4 here...I hear ya on the lost play money...but this one has put up with me and my
"hobbies" for 24 yrs now, I think I'll keep her...

 

[gene49]

Before we got married, I worked on her car. She was my buddy's older sister, and she was a full time student in nurses training. Her car broke down, and my buddy could not get it working for her. I worked at a gas station and could put it on the hoist and I got it fixed for her. I think I worked on it 3 or 4 hours, she bought me a Micky D lunch, it was all the money she had! We started dating after that. When we got married, I had done some body work on her car and we sold it to pay for our wedding (that car was a 68 Sport Satellite with a HP 383, floor shifted auto, with 3:91 rear gears). I drove a beater, she drove my paid for 3 year old car. I was 19 when we got married.

I worked a full time job and I worked nights on car repair side jobs. After she finished school, she worked full time as a nurse in our local hospital. She knew I was a car guy going in. We got married in May, and in June, my buddies and I built a dirt track car and she was supportive! We made an agreement and split the house hold expenses, she paid some bills, and I paid the others, we each had household bills we paid. All the money I made at my full time job, and a big part of the money she made at her full time job was to cover the household bills. The money I made on the side was for the car hobby. The money left from her check was hers to spend however she wanted. We had a good budget set up and were both frugal, so we did pretty well.

Six months later we bought our first house, a side by side duplex. We rented out the one 1/2 and lived in the other 1/2. That was actually cheaper then paying rent, but we were not expecting the winter heating bill to be so high that 1st year. The last heating bill of the season was over $200, and we had no idea how we were going to pay it. I did a couple side jobs, sold a few car parts, and paid the gas bill. She knew where that money came from. After that she never questioned me about buying, or selling cars or parts, or working on cars. Over the years I have always provided her with a pretty nice car to drive, we always had a car or truck for me to get to work with, and we nearly always had a "car for fun."

Along the years, she has handed me some money to get a car part or something else I needed for a car from her money. She was a big fan of our dirt track racing (we did it for 20 years) and she was pretty involved. When we quit dirt track racing (my decision), we got into street cars and car shows. She liked that a lot better then the dirt track racing. Our life has pretty much been built around cars (she is not afraid to drive them a bit hard). She has helped in the garage a few times, but she has always been supportive, and she has always been actively engaged in car activities. There have been many years we have logged over 10,000 miles a year in our "fun cars" and we have taken them on vacations to over 25 states.
The 1st picture below is her and I near the summit of the Rocky Mountain National Park 2 days after they opened the pass at the end of May, 2016. The old coupe is about 1300 miles from home from home in this picture, it was on a 2800 mile cruise through IL, MO, NB, CO, WY, SD, back to CO then home through IA.

This picture is of the two of us at the Ark Experience in KY in 2019, we drove the same car with fresh paint on that 1400 miles trip through IL, IN, OH, and zigzagged through KY, TN, before heading back home in the north west corner of IL.
This May will be 48 years we have been married.

 

[offroadrolls]

My wife has a rule. I can't buy another car unless I've sold 2 of the ones I already have. For the most part she finds my obsession with cars ridiculous but she goes along with it because she sees it's something I love. To me that's even better and other than the car hobby we see eye to eye on everything else, I'm truly blessed!

 

[gparmer]

My wife has a rule. I can't buy another car unless I've sold 2 of the ones I already have. For the most part she finds my obsession with cars ridiculous but she goes along with it because she sees it's something I love. To me that's even better and other than the car hobby we see eye to eye on everything else, I'm truly blessed!

Same, but as I reminded mine recently...2 of the 4 years I didn't have a shop I spent in bars. My momma pointed out years ago that as long as I was wrenching in the shop she knew exactly where I was.

 

[Matt167]

My wife knew I was a car and boat guy going in. When I told her I wanted to re kindle a project that she had never seen, and buy a frame for it. She told me that she couldn’t tell me no. We budget for parts and stuff now so I have a little to spend on it.. and since I’m a mechanic. We count the savings on repairs in my play money budget.

When we got married I was adamant that we needed a toaster oven but she didn’t want one. We got one though because I wanted it. Now that we have one, she uses it all the time… I told her this morning I want a cheap thrift store toaster oven for my welding rods. I got a confused look.

 

[lowbudget50]

My wife is pretty understanding. She is however a neat freak, so my clutter of cars sometimes overwhelms her! But she understands. My car business pays for my Hobby's so it's a win win!!

She has started getting more into the cars herself. She wants one of her own now! Which is who ime picking away at her sedan slowly. But to be honest out bronco will be a good daily once it is done!

 

[23crate]

cool thread,,

Mrs Crate drives a hybrid, when she was looking around for one - i suggested that would be a good idea as it frees up gas money the V8s... i may not repeat her answer here

Mrs Crate doesnt quite get car culture, (or "stupid old cars") but has riden in same while we towed her horse float -full and empty- trailer loads of hay, gravel, lumber, and various other paraphenalia.

Once i even had to bribe her with a flash lunch at a winery to get to go to hot rod nationals for a look .. just because i wanted her to get a look in at what it was all about ..

altough she tolerates it well often saying "why dont you go to that show , drags, or other car thing --i know its your passion "
..
i like that---
shes alright for a woman ! ( i have told her that too )

 

[Couper]

My wife is awesome..... always supportive and never gives me a hard time about spending money on my hobby's. And I gota tell you I haven't always been the best husband. I don't know what I did to deserve her but I sure am blessed to have her. Always has breakfast for me....when I'm running late she has it packed to go. I feel like nothing I can say can give her the credit she deserves.... 49 years now

 

[Old Iron]

Judy, my wife of 53 years, likes the old cars and likes seeing the next one. She loves road tripping in them and attending a several shows each year.
My spending of money, large or small, is up to me, although I do let her know when it's going to be a lot.
She thinks it's a good thing I spend everyday in my shop, it keeps me going and gives purpose.
I have a very talented 35 year old young man that shows up everyday, I call him my Herford bull cause he's built like one.

 

[smallfoot]

I applaud all you guys that have what it takes...

 

[BillM]

I'm very fortunate as well. Mine is super supportive, gives me plenty of space for doing what I want to do, pretty much whenever I want.

 

[mikec4193]

When I first me my wife in 2008 she was out in the garage all the time....she sounded like she was into cars a lot more than she really was...then I put a ring on her finger and I don't see her at around the shop any more...
She does not care what I do as long as I keep the bills paid..

Typically when I purchase a project I tell her she will need to sign for it but other than that she doesn't have a clue what I am doing anymore...in fact she doesn't really care what I do anymore...

We have I guess a kind of an open marriage if you can call it that...she does her stuff and I do mine...

"Just because you live with them doesn't mean you gotta love them" that is my motto now...

Wives....still not sure why they are so different than men

MikeC