Grassroots Motorsports

Register Log in to GRM
- Community

Birthdays
Recently on the Classic Motorsports forums

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Are you "that guy" in your neighborhood?

1 2

April 10, 2010 11:19 p.m. wearymicrobe Reader

friedgreencorrado wrote:

poopshovel wrote:

In my neighborhood, "That guy" is the guy who doesn't cut his own grass, change his own oil, etc.

Ditto. That's half the reason we moved out here. Moral of the story, if ya don't want to be hassled by the neigbors, get away from rich people. These folks think we're a little odd, since mine are sportscars instead of pickups or muscle cars, but nobody cares about the noise/parking because they all have their own.

My wife always says. "The punishment for being rich, is that you must live among them"
April 10, 2010 11:22 p.m. David S. Wallens Editorial Director

I guess I'm that guy, sorta. A year or two ago I was standing in the front yard when a guy slowed to a stop in front of our house. Hey, what's with all the cars you cycle through, he asked? So I told him what I do. Oh, he replied. I'm on the homeowners board and was just wondering. I'm more of a bike guy, but you have some neat stuff. Oh, and I'm also the local Snap-On rep. Here's my card.
April 10, 2010 11:40 p.m. Wally SuperDork

We made sure we live in "that neighborhood". My property only borders one other. His garage is bigger than my house and about 100 yards away seperated by swamp. Across the main road is a guy with to tent car ports on his front lawn. One has a T-bucket type hot rod with a plywood body and a back seat and the other has a new Challenger. A women down the block has chickens that roam the neighborhood (Mmmm, fresh eggs) and the guy next too her is retired and raises racing pigeons. Behind them is a guy whose lawn has about five lawn tractors in a corner and a nice 63 Chevy. I was looked at suspiciuosly at first as city folk but now blend right in except I try to keep everything mowed and painted, and I do use the $10 dollar car wash instead of turning my dirt driveway into mud.
April 11, 2010 12:16 a.m. friedgreencorrado Dork

David S. Wallens wrote:

I guess I'm that guy, sorta. A year or two ago I was standing in the front yard when a guy slowed to a stop in front of our house. Hey, what's with all the cars you cycle through, he asked? So I told him what I do. Oh, he replied. I'm on the homeowners board and was just wondering. I'm more of a bike guy, but you have some neat stuff. Oh, and I'm also the local Snap-On rep. Here's my card.

Dammit, David! Many of us already consider you one of the luckiest SOB's (and I mean that in the Southern appreciative "damn good sum'bitch" way, not in any other) on the face of the planet. You're part of the staff, you own a couple of seriously cool cars, and now you're telling us the local Snap-On guy is one of your neighbors?

Next, you'll be telling us that you can actually afford Snap-On, and the real jealousy can begin..
April 11, 2010 12:32 a.m. David S. Wallens Editorial Director

No, sorry, no Snap-On tools here. Speaking of homeowners associations, we used to live around the corner in a townhouse. That house was under two associations--the big one for the neighborhood plus a local one just for that group of townhouses. At the time, our BMW 318ti race car lived with me. So what did I do? Got on the board. Everyone else thought the race car was cool, and we never had any complaints.
April 11, 2010 1:33 a.m. skierd Dork

I live in an apartment complex that's mostly full of college kids, many of whom it would surprise me if they had ever worked a day in their lives. Chores, cleaning up after themselves, laundry, and the like, let alone a job. More than a few times I've had the motorcycle reduced to a frame and engine on a stand and an assortment of parts around a grease and oil covered me while most of them are heading out to do... whatever the hell these grown children do with their time.

I got really weird looks when I was doing some minor maintenance and farkle installs (heated grips and new bars plus a few minor odds and ends) between the blizzards this winter with 3 feet of snow on the ground around the bike. Changing tires is always good for a gawker or three too.

Don't fit in, don't really care.
April 11, 2010 7:54 a.m. 924guy Dork

yes ladies and gents, i live in "that Neighborhood" and im loving every minute of it... but youd never know it unless you sat quietly for a few minutes and just listen...

If i dont hear the lovely music of an air impact, the buzz of a welder, the high pitch of a turbo spooling up, or a big block being revved up at least a few times a week in my neighbor hood, either there's a storm coming or someones burying a code inspector and i cant hear the shovel hitting dirt...
April 11, 2010 8:09 a.m. Jensenman SuperDork

I'm 'That Guy'; weird furrin cars, refuse to make car payments, shop behind the house etc. The good things: there's no HOA (and I will never live in a 'hood with one), the neighbors around me know I'm always ready with tools and help and the few who are jerks live too far away to be a problem.
April 11, 2010 8:14 a.m. shadetree30 New Reader

I'm also "that guy" and I build up karma by occasionally helping one neighbor with his painting business trucks, another by hauling junk to the scrap yard, well, you get the idea. Fifteen years and no grief from any motherberkeleyer about the occasional project/race car or repair.

Answering the occasional car question for the city councilperson doesn't hurt either.
April 11, 2010 8:29 a.m. mk2mer New Reader

I don't have a neighborhood. My nearest neighbor is about an eighth of a mile away through the woods. I blow up aerosol cans, rev engines, blare music. Nobody can hear.
April 11, 2010 8:42 a.m. Knurled Reader

I live in a neighborhood of "that guys". It's nice here. Plus, the driveway-side neighbors are deaf so I don't feel too bad when I come home from racing the loud car at 2am.
April 11, 2010 8:49 a.m. sachilles HalfDork

I'm that guy.....but so in my neighbor across the street. Lots of those folks up here in vermont. However, I do live in a resort town, so many folks have "people" to take care of stuff for them. Truth be told, if I had more financial freedom, I'd probably pay someone to mow my lawn. It's not big enough for a riding mower, yet it's not the easiest for a push mower. Fortunately my wife and I had a son last year, so as soon as he's old enough he'll be cutting the grass.
April 11, 2010 8:49 a.m. Kia_racer Reader

I would be 'that guy" if the Apt would let me. Right in the lease. no working on your car, period! I can't even change the air filter. really sucks.
April 11, 2010 5:46 p.m. sobe_death Reader

Kia_racer wrote:

I would be 'that guy" if the Apt would let me. Right in the lease. no working on your car, period! I can't even change the air filter. really sucks.

I had that problem at my apartment complex when I was in school. What did I do?? I started doing maintenance work on the complex employees' vehicles for free+parts and the complaints just started being ignored
April 11, 2010 6:42 p.m. P71 SuperDork

Being "that guy" today...
April 11, 2010 7:10 p.m. dj06482 Reader

Luckily, we live in a good neighborhood. By good, I mean that the neighbors help each other cut down trees, haul brush away, lend a hand if they see someone needs help, etc. Having a portable garage seems to be a prerequisite for living in my neighborhood, I'm trying to think of a house that doesn't have one!

I try to be considerate (i.e. no chainsaws/lawmowers/leaf blowers before a certain hour, etc.), and everyone seems to do the same. The biggest problem is trying to get something done on a nice day when all the neighbors are out working on projects, as well. Too much conversation, not enough work done
April 11, 2010 7:26 p.m. Twin_Cam Dork

Volksroddin wrote:

I live in a apt. you get real weird looks for changing you oil there. Not to mention when people notice you have real trees in your apt.

Yea, except in my apartment complex it was nasty, condescending, down-their-nose looks. So I moved

Just replaced an A/C compressor today and the new neighbors just walked by and said hello. I don't see what's so repulsive about people working on their own damn cars...
April 11, 2010 7:39 p.m. Datsun1500 Dork

93gsxturbo wrote:

Now my other neighbor right across the street is a total dickbag. I started my truck (diesel) and moved it across the street to my other neighbors driveway to help them move a dresser. I left it on high idle (1200 RPM), and it has a 4" MBRP exhaust. Other neighbor came and complained that it was too loud, and I should shut it off. Its loud, but I hate shutting off a cold diesel. So when I dropped my cool neighbor off after dropping off his dresser, I rolled PLENTY of coal and left some rubber deposits out in front of my shiny happy person neighbors house. Meanwhile my other neighbor was yelling "Light 'em up!"

Just so I get this right. You moved a truck that you admit is loud into someones driveway. That person complained about the noise so you burned rubber in front of his house. Yet you call him the dickbag?

Do that around here and the locals will just shoot the motor to turn it off.....
April 11, 2010 7:44 p.m. autoxrs Reader

When I lived in the ghetto part of town no one gave two hoots if I worked on the cars. Heck the red car was completely torn apart as I rebuilt the suspension in the apartment lot. But, I moved because well the ghetto part of town was crime prone and noisy. Now I live around old geezers and can't work on the cars. I was detailing the MR-S yesterday and didn't get any dirty looks.
April 12, 2010 12:07 a.m. Appleseed SuperDork

I live in neighborhood of random hillbillies and rednecks. Were all our own "that guys."
April 12, 2010 12:38 a.m. ckosacranoid Dork

been there donwe that...and have the police vists to prove it..... someone at least once a year bitchs to the police about some cars or something in the driveway.. The funny thing is i dont annoy anyone, blast the stero, leave the yard looking like crap, or anything and say hi the most of the block....i dont work on mycars much myself, i ened up getting lots of help since i kinda suck that way, but io have some type of project hanging around at times though.....but its my grandmother that gets to deal with the boys in blue when they show up since it is her place though..sigh list of things complained about. the brite ornge demo car. the duster on jack stands the olds parked in the yard for less then 24 hours the rambler park in the yard for a month.... a set of tires hidden behind the house mostly out of site and you had to look from the side road to see them lots of bitching from everyone about the loud exhust on the olds that i drove every day...i just didnt care unitl the 2 nd stop from the cops about it..then i fixed it cause i was getting annyed with how loud it was so far no complained about the race car under the tarp.... 2 of 3 cars have the extra pedal and everyone also has to listen to met alk about cars all the time...sigh...meybe i should get date....
April 12, 2010 12:50 a.m. friedgreencorrado Dork

P71 wrote:

Being "that guy" today...

Stop the brake checks on the straights, and you could find a second or two around that place...
April 12, 2010 6:09 a.m. NYG95GA SuperDork

My neighborhood is almost enirely made up of "that guy".

Different folks serve certain functions;One guy has an enclosed shop that's pretty nice , but he doesn't have many tools. That's where I come in to loan specialized tools, I also leave an air line turned on in the back yard, where kids stop to pump up there tires;adults, too. I also do sandblasting for area neighbor in the antique business, and others. Overall, it's a pretty great. We even have a guy who mows most of the lawns for free!
April 12, 2010 8:51 a.m. Paul_VR6 Reader

Luckily the people that think they're better then everyone else live around the corner. My neighbor just started parking his enclosed trailer in the front of his yard. Doesn't bother me one bit, but I bet it pisses the fancies off.
April 12, 2010 9:14 a.m. mw HalfDork

I am not that guy in the neighbour hood. I'm the only one who doesn't cut my own lawn. I pay some kid $15 to do it so I can spend more time in the garage. I do have a lot of cars around, but they change frequently, and I'm not the worst. I have one neighbour who has had some old pickup rusting away (just a skeleton now) and another who has a really loud bike that come and go at really late hours. I assume my neighbours don't mind since my racecar is relatively quiet and I try to keep things covered up and neat looking.

1 2

You'll need to log in to post.