How long have you been into cars?

I was just curious as to when everyone got into the car hobby. What age were you? How long ago? Is it your career?

Since I was about 5- been going seriously since about 17 and have been working in the Auto industry for about 18 months now :biggrin:

I got into cars at about 9-10 years old. I started working on my friends cars at 15. I have worked in the industry now for almost 8 years.

I'd say I was born with a wrench in my hand as early as I can remember I loved cars, not that I really knew anything about them besides which ones were fast but even still I know I couldn't say half the names right usually all garbled up talk of a 6 year old. Never really got into how cars worked, broke and were fixed until I started working for my father when I was around 11-12, but now I'm just an annoyance to my friends because thats all I ever talk about and no one ever understands half the crap I'm talking about when I talk about cars. :tongue:

My parents noticed I liked cars at the age of 2 when I could name cars by their headlights or taillights. It's been a life-long passion and I've been working in the automotive industry since graduating from college...like I had a choice.

prolly since I was about 15 is when I really started to show interest :iceslolan

From at least 2 years old, when I always wanted to go for rides in my dad's VW Bus...and always pointed out Bugs when they drove by. By 5 years old, I had 8 80-car cases of Matchbox cars, and was identifying every car make and model that we passed on the road. By high school, a friend (whose father had a hydraulic lift) and I pooled together enough money to buy old Stangs, Camaros, Rancheros, etc, and rebuilt them as a side project...selling them off when done.

When I started driving in '83, I got into the modding bug pretty fast - and haven't been able to leave a car stock since then (well, a few crap cars I've had weren't WORTH modding...but most have received some workover!).

Still just a hobby for me, not a career. (Wouldn't mind if it was though...)

Started a Matchbox collection when I was 3. Learned to drive stick when I was seven with one of my mom's old employees teaching me in her 1974 VW Bug with blocks on the pedals.

Hoping to do good as a computer programmer/software developer so I can support my habithttp://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/frown.gif.

I had an interest in cars from the time I was 8 or so, thanks to Knight Rider :lol2: I've always liked the sportier cars, but I am starting to lean more toward luxury. I dunno, I am sure whatever I end up with next might have a bit of both worlds in it. Haven't made cars a career though. I have been tempted to quit my job and go to automotive school just to learn to work on cars so that I can do everything to the car on my own or at least have the knowledge as backup for when it goes into the shop. :D

Just for the last 35 or so years...... :biggrin:

I strated when I was 18....

6th grade or 11 years old.

I have always loved cars since I can remember. I didn't get serious about them until I was about 16 and looking to get my own car. That is when I started trying to learn as much as I could about them. Since I was about 7 I was fetching tools for my dad whenever he would work on cars. I learned a lot from him. It is not my profession or trade; instead I got into the computer industry. I would love a career in the automotive industry though.

I'm gonna try and get a Saturday job in a year or to in a garage that prepares Porsche's for racing (it's a relatively small one)and I'm seriously thinking about becoming a car designer or driver, where should i start?

A group of kids in the neighborhood had a small "race team" put together and they saw my interest in how cars worked. They asked me to come to meetings and after that they took me under their wing. I think I was like 13-14 then. Haven't turned back since.

My first word was Ferrari.:lol:I started liking cars at around 12.From 9-11 I loved Planes.

Hmmmm. I don't know if I can pin-point when. I know that my interest in automobiles developed out of an interest in railway locomotives though (and I remember knowing exactly how steam locomotives worked since the second grade)
I know that I was already reading about cars by that time too. So essentially, for as long as I can remember!

I remember being hooked on cars ever since the first time I sat in one, my parents old 1977 BMW 733i. I always heard him say "it's a european import." which I had no clue what he meant at the time. The part of the car I got really interested in was the windshield wipers. I used to love to see them go back and forth, wiping the pouring rain off the window. I still remember those orange gauges on the dash, watching that little MPG gauge go back and forth. Ah, all the good memories, brings a tear to your eye. :')

Cars? maybe about 5 or 6. Racing?...ever since I learned how to ride a tricycle. I use to race my tricylc eagainst my brother and my friend when I was 3 or 4. Oddly enough, racing is the only thing I can remember from me early childhood. I REALLY got into cars when I was about 13.

when my uncle bought the 90' NSX, then sold it. so about 13 years. ever since the NSX, i was really into cars.

I've liked cars for about 4 years now and at the moment I'm 13 so I could have a job in the car industry but the reason I think I mostly like them is because my Dad's cousin who is called Piers Johnson sponsors Piers Johnson in the British GT. Look for a small triangle saying OPC in it and thats my Dad's cousin's company :D Also I've gone to see many racing events like this years British GP ( Go Barrichello!!! ), Goodwood Festival of Speed and some small race meetings at Brandshatch, Snetterton and Goodwood :lol2:

well being an ex- pot head, id have to say ive been into cars for as long as i can remember. which is when i was 22, or last summer. my foreman had a connection at the local honda dealership so we got my little sister a civic and i was going to save up a few more bucks and buy one too. so i started learning about cars. luckily a smoking deal on a 65 mustang fell in my lap and i got that instead, otherwise i would have a realy ricey civic.(my tastes in modding imports is completely different now, so thanks to the af community for your help when i was new and impressionable)

Since I was born! I've always had Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and Tonka growing up. My mom was always amazed that I could tell a car by just seeing a tail light when I was so young. Not to mention there was a guy 2 blocks behind me that had a Testarossa so that just intrigued my interests even more. Been into the Sport Truck scene since I was about eleven. So all my life, its always been cars cars cars.

I always sorta liked cars, but didn't really get extremely interested in them and learn about them until about the end of 2001, when I was 17....I blame Gran Turismo 2, after I started playing that I got obssessed like I am now :D

Now I want a career in it, and I plan on getting it :D

i always liked cars, but wasnt really "into" them until about 14 or 15. so about 6 years

at which point, my parents bought a car (that was going to be mine).. and i ran with it. somehow, i went from an old 87 mercedes to the mercedes clk-gtr, and i was hooked.

im just now getting into the car industry, we'll see how far in i can get

I have been intrested in cars for as long as I can remember, my parents tell me that when I was 3, and my Dad was driving, I would always sit on his lap, to get the feeling that I was driving (back then I probably thought that I was!) I always used to just sit in cars pretending to drive when I was little, 5 or so. But my intrest really sparked when I was friends with this kid down the road when I was 9 and his dad was building a Lamborghini replica. I can still remember the sweet smell of car bog (putty). I have been building model cars for a while and now days, my life revolves around cars, so many posters in my room, model cars and basicly anything to do with them goes in my room. I have done about 8 assignments on different parts of cars, different engines..ect. My mates all like cars, but I still confuse them with all the car talk, like about engines and stuff. I have known how to drive a manual since 6th grade when me and a mate used to gun around on his farm in an old Manual Subaru Brumby (a 1992 ute) Now I am 14 and I really can't wait the 1 and a half years until I can get my licence. Although I hope to buy a car to work on before then, my chances seem pretty low.

And that is pretty much my life story :icon16:

I don't really remember when I became interested in cars. My earliest memory was playing with some hotwheels on a pool deck while on vacation in Myrtle Beach. When I was 10 I could indentify many modern fighter jets and cars.

Ever since I first played Need for Speed and drove the Diablo, I've been hooked on Lamborghini's. That was around 12 or 13. I've known the concepts of how transmissions and engines work since I was about 9 or 10, but I didn't really start to learn about all the parts (camshafts, valves, synchromeshes etc.) until I was 14.

I would say since i was 3 or 4. Ive been nuts about them since Dad started teaching me how to work on them at about 13. Haven't been able to leave any of mine stock since.

ever since i was a kid opening up my toys and tryin to swap parts :D

I've been into cars, racing, whatever ever since I can remeber. If it makes loud noise & goes fast its all good. My dad is an ex-drag racer & I was brought to the races/track before I could walk. All the jobs I have ever had has been in the Auto Industry. Started at Jiffy Lube when I was 15, became Asst. Manager at 17. After that Cadilac for a short time, then BMW:bigthumb: I was at Honda for a while before going into business with my partner - 14yrs @ Honda. We do almost every thing besides auto tranny rebuilds, machining, or fabrication. Mosty Auto repair, detailing, after-market electronic install or any other accessory. I aslo give some time @ the shop next to us which builds & maintains a fleet of race cars - Spec Ford & Formula Mazda

Started racing racing when I was 4 on a big wheel :grinyes: won that race. Then started racing go-karts when I was 8 or 9 til about 13. My ultimate goal is to be some type of paid driver - racing or test driving I dont care as long as I can go fast & its not my car I have to worry about.