You're Addicted To Rallying When....

[Redwarf]

Stolen from the Brindabella Motorsport Club forum:

 

*you think of the value of expensive household items in terms of the number of rally tyres it represents.

*“New tyres or eating properly†is no longer a decision worth spending time thinking about – dry bread and/or two minute noodles will keep you alive for ages.

*buying tyres that cost $200 each, and only last 120kms doesn't seem at all unusual.

*if someone gave you a million dollars, spending it all on rallying would definitely be an option.

*your road car is closely related to your rally car.

*your road car has driving lights on it.

*you have a spare car for your rally car.

*you have considered buying a spare car for your road car

*you know the exact size of the most obscure bolt on your rally car.

*you think nothing of being awake at 2am the morning of a rally because you know nobody else is going to put this rotten car back together.

*you know what bog is, and why they sell 15 kilo drums of it.

*you know that “Oscar†has nothing to do with grouches, or dead artistes.

*You know how to spell Juha's, Tommi's and Heimo's Surnames.

*you're planning on calling your first born “Juhaâ€. Even if it's a girl.

*any driving story re-enactment involves lots of opposite lock style arm movements – even at the insurance company office.

*the word “works†doesn't mean "it functions".

*the idea of rolling a car isn't horrifying.

*you actually know how long it takes to change a tyre on the side of the road.

*you know what your next rally car is going to be – even if you have just finished building this one.

*you see another car stopped in a stage, and your first thought is “Woo Hoo! Another one off the listâ€.

*you have a story that starts “The biggest accident I ever saw was this RX-2…â€.

*you actually have a view on the Mazda vs Datsun, or Sti vs Evo debates.

*you know detailed mechanical specifications of several cars you've never even seen under the bonnet of.

*you know the stage times and finish placings of several people you've never even spoken to.

*You can remember your stage times and placings from three years ago.

*you can remember seedings from five years ago.

*“DCOEâ€, “L18â€, “12Aâ€, “V5â€, “VR4â€, “SP85â€, “4G63â€, “E6K†and “S2†all mean something to you.

*you use “DNFâ€, “DNS†and “Sti†like they're real words.

*your grandmother doesn't have to ask what “DNF†means anymore.

*you have a heart-break DNF story that involves you.

*you also have an “I'm such an idiot†DNF story involving you.

*you know what a “DNF jumper†is, and why you'd have one.

*You know the bright side of DNFing early is early beers.

*you look at car accommodation as THE most important factor when looking at real estate.

*co-operative neighbours are the second most important factor when looking at real-estate.

*your neighbours all know you as being “the rally car guy/girlâ€.

*you meet new people and they know your house already – “the rally car houseâ€.

*you look back at your first rally car with a mix of horror and joy – mostly horror.

*you want your first rally car back anyway.

*you have gone through a stage in your life when making things lighter is THE secret to going faster – “if I can get enough weight out, I can win outrightâ€â€¦ in a stock 1300cc car.

*you've gotten over that stage, and just decided to drive better instead.

*you've seen someone vomit in a full face helmet.

*you know at least four alternative sources of the acronym “CAMSâ€. And they're all derogatory.

*you know at least two people at CAMS on a first name basis – eg: “We're not going to send you another temporary licence Nathanâ€, “But Melissa…â€.

*you have been to virtually every rally in a 400km radius of your house for the last five years – except for that time when your great aunty died (selfish bitch).

*you don't really know what you'd do with yourself if you weren't rallying.

*you have a car worth many thousands of dollars, and you only use it eight times a year, at the most. This doesn't seem unusual.

 

 

* When every free piece of wall space is filled with either doorplates and numbers from all your rallies, or rally posters.

 

 

... conversations about dirt roads hundreds of kilometres away always involve the phrase "that corner where so and so crashed really badly". And everyone knows where that is.

 

... you know at least one person you can phone at 1:00am the morning before a rally, and ask them for obscure rally car parts.

 

... you own at least three pais of axle stands.

 

... you get the shopping trolley sideways.

The term 'overcooked' has nothing to do with food

 

You know what someone means when they say 'I had an off'

 

It's perfectly acceptable to drive a car with bits hanging off it, just to get to the end

 

It's normal when you hear a loud noise in the back, to drive faster to get to within pushing distance of service before it becomes terminal

 

The term 'oversteer' brings a smile to your face while the term 'understeer' makes you cringe.

 

You spend hours in the garage looking at you car, wishing you hade enough money to make it go faster

 

Your wife has long ago given up, and serves dinner in the garage for the week before an event.

 

 

 

 

And for Mel:

 

- you become accustomed to being know as "XXX's" navigator

- you rank potential life partners on their ability to help at service points

- having someone else's car in you backyard is not an issue

- you'd seriously consider walpapering your living room walls with pages of a roadbook

- your housemate knows not to interfere when your plans for the weekend are "rally stuff"

- your work colleagues know you as "the car chick"

- "she's into cars" is a compliment

- "XXX would be a ****ing fantastic ride" is not considered innuendo

- You never, EVER make plans on a rally weekend, even when you're not competing... just in case...

- No one ****s with your highlighters.

[demuire]

May not actually be a "rally driver" by definition, but puts hands up for:

 

*you think of the value of expensive household items in terms of the number of rally tyres it represents.

 

*“New tyres or eating properly†is no longer a decision worth spending time thinking about – dry bread and/or two minute noodles will keep you alive for ages.

 

*buying tyres that cost $200 each, and only last 120kms doesn't seem at all unusual.

 

*if someone gave you a million dollars, spending it all on rallying would definitely be an option.

 

*you think nothing of being awake at 2am the morning of a rally because you know nobody else is going to put this rotten car back together.

 

*you know what bog is, and why they sell 15 kilo drums of it.

 

*any driving story re-enactment involves lots of opposite lock style arm movements – even at the insurance company office.

 

*the word “works†doesn't mean "it functions".

 

*you actually know how long it takes to change a tyre on the side of the road.

 

*you see another car stopped in a stage, and your first thought is “Woo Hoo! Another one off the listâ€. (hahaha, this is so bad, when I really should be looking out for an OK sign and marking down in the pace notes where it is, instead my mind is going "WOO HOO!")

 

*“DCOEâ€, “L18â€, “12Aâ€, “V5â€, “VR4â€, “SP85â€, “4G63â€, “E6K†and “S2†all mean something to you.

 

*you use “DNFâ€, “DNS†and “Sti†like they're real words.

 

*you look at car accommodation as THE most important factor when looking at real estate. SO TRUE!

 

*you have a car worth many thousands of dollars, and you only use it eight times a year, at the most. This doesn't seem unusual.

 

... you get the shopping trolley sideways.

 

You know what someone means when they say 'I had an off'

 

It's perfectly acceptable to drive a car with bits hanging off it, just to get to the end

 

The term 'oversteer' brings a smile to your face while the term 'understeer' makes you cringe.

 

You spend hours in the garage looking at you car, wishing you hade enough money to make it go faster

 

Hehe...

[MissSydneyCruising]

f@$king brilliant :P

 

can I say that here? its Fox isnt it? :)

 

i think I'm just addicted to cars. my girlfriend at work asked what i thought about a new apartment she was buying... 1st thing out of my mouth is "whats the garage like" :)

[Xany]

^^^^^^^

 

yup.....thats rob alright....hehehehehe

 

 

thats was pure gold rob....thanks for that. :)

[Tiger]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

Nice work to whoever put that one together. Too many lunch breaks and after work hours spent in the process IMO but still worth it! :)

[Teddy]

lol !

 

ahh thats the best thing ive seen all week :greenbounce :)

[Super Jamie]

* You consider buying an industrial shed instead of a house, because you can't put a hoist in a house

 

that's me :)

[Nitephyre]

hahaha nice one robbo

[Redwarf]

Not just a rallying one this one:

 

When you walk into a autoparts store and go "I need one of these" and they say "whats it off?" and saying "its not important can I just have one the same" is SO much easier then explaning.

[demuire]

When you walk into a autoparts store and go "I need one of these" and they say "whats it off?" and saying "its not important can I just have one the same" is SO much easier then explaning.

 

SO TRUE!!! And yet some people *insist* on knowing what it was out of, and then proceed to try to convince you that it really wouldn't fit on your car (even though you've explained that necessary modifications have been made, and the old part actually came off the car...)

[demuire]

Haha, its even better where your parts store / wreckers still don't know you by name but they remember the model of car you drive as soon as you walk in biggrin.gif

 

The guys at the wreckers must be so confused by now, since I keep buying bits off different cars :thumbsup:

[99]

No one ****s with your highlighters.

 

EVER

 

**** with my highlighters, you **** with me

[demuire]

Hehe, navigators get a bit that way don't they? :D

 

To make myself feel more "at home" in the Sherrin Hire Mini, the first thing I did was went and bought a whole heap of velcro tabs, and then proceeded to polka-dot the interior with them :thumbsup: So I have somewhere to stick all my highlighters, my super cool pencil, my stop watch, and everything else :dance: Nobody stuffs with my velcro tabs :)

[Super Jamie]

SO TRUE!!! And yet some people *insist* on knowing what it was out of, and then proceed to try to convince you that it really wouldn't fit on your car (even though you've explained that necessary modifications have been made, and the old part actually came off the car...)

parts store people are mostly idiots, occasionally you do find one that's helpful and realises parts from other cars fit other things (like the guy at autobarn on sunday who tried several different fuel caps on my car until we found a chrysler one that fit), but it's often easier to just say "this part for this car" and not explain any more :thumbsup: