Young Person Rant

[Rod]

Do not get me wrong; I may not be considered as one of the Young people (Age 33) that people seem to want to get involved with the pro-touring community. I read Pro-Touring articles that state time and time again that they are concerned about getting a younger audience into the sport. But a big BUT, I myself have dreamed to be involved in this community for over 18 years now and still could not even dream about being involved with this sport. I love this sport to no end and want to see it prevail! but Pro-Touring cars are not Hondas that have parts by the dozens ready for you to just bolt on. I mean most of the younger crowd on this site seem to be associated through a family member or have a job inside the industry. As for me, coming from the outside I can only window shop so to speak when it comes to a project worthy of this site.

When it comes to cost of being involved, I have not seen many vehicles on this site that is competing in the autocross events costing much less than say $20,000 US. I know that I sound like a crazed lunatic for talking like this, but I come here and get depressed and not really inspired by the beautiful projects on this site. But I seem to be drawn to these particular cars because I try to live and breath octane as much as I can with zero budget.

I guess what I am saying is; How do you do it? Do you not have any debt or do you have to remortgage the house to get things done?

I must apologize for this rant... I just feel like it may come to the point where I should just walk away and never think about it again...

I will get off my soap box now and leave you all alone... I just needed to get this out there and possibly get peoples thoughts of how crazy or stupid I am for even thinking this way...

how is it done?



how bad do you want it???

I did it myself....if I didn't know how to do it I asked or found a place or someone that can teach me, welding course at a community college, at 17 I was sweeping floors and working in the yard sorting hoops at Boyds shop just so I could watch how guys built those cars..volunteered 3 hours a night for a month at a body shop to learn how to paint and do body work, while I still had a 50 plus hour a week job, I mopped the floors at an engine shop so the Hall of fame engine builder Bruno Gianoli would teach me how to build an engine correctly, even just 3 years ago I was learning how to do Tin work at one of the best shops in Northern California...I have meet and worked with some of the best in the industry this way........most days I pack a lunch, my new car is a 1985, I bought used parts on craigslist to get going, you make due with what you can afford and have fun building then racing the rest will come....there is nothing cooler than having David Pozzi showing you how to TiG weld a header back together, Dick Guldstrand sitting there explaining to me roll center movements on a camaro step by step or Bret Vokel handing you a pair of shocks saying try these or Kyle Tucker buying you breakfast before an event....some of the best cars on this forum are majority built by the owners such as Marks Hellfire or Marys "best car in the world" none of those cars are a one shot deal, Marys car like my own is a version many times updated from its starting point