After reading Harley's bad news in Body Shop and how his wife was a little less sympathetic than he expected, I'm just wondering how other wive's feel about your Camaro or other collector cars.

My wife helps clean and detail our cars before each show or cruise-in and attends every event with me. She is always the one to remind me of up coming events and encourages me to get ready and go even when I have something else going on. She is the one to pack all the things we need for the event and loads them into the car. She is always buying things to help detail the car such as : Mother's products, McGuires Products, cleaning and polishing cloths, tire shine and anything she finds and thinks will make the cars look better.

I guess I have just been taking her for granted and that most all wives supported their husbands and enjoyed their cars together. She got very upset when I mentioned selling our 57 Chevy convertible as she enjoys the top down ride and it's the only convertible we have. She also drives our 68Camaro BB/ 4 speed.

She would be heartbroken if she damaged one of our cars and would even offer to pay to have it fixed. Think I might just start appreciating her a bit more.

I haven't found the Camaro of my dreams yet but my wife deserves sainthood for putting up with the search. She spends hours driving to look at car after car with me and gives her support when I seem to be loosing hope. My god she's going to let me spend 2/3 of our savings to buy my dream. Here's to the woman!

My wife is very supportive. She won't drive my cars because she is afraid she will do something wrong. I tell her it's a car and I can repair or replace it. She knows how much time and effort I put into my toys so, she just enjoys going for a ride.

Not all wives are so supportive, count your blessings. I have seen friends have to lie to buy parts, or try to sneak things. I couldn't live like that. As long as the bills are paid and there's food on the table there is no issue with what I do with my time and money. She would rather have me out in the garage, than hanging out in bars, etc...

Let's not forget it's a two way street. I support her in anything she wants to do. I never complaing about her spending money and she doesn't have to ask me for permission to buy things. We communicate and we are both happy.

mine feel pretty good.

my wife is very supportive cause my 67 is in her name cause she wanted it. and she picked it out to buy.my son and me redid the whole car except finishing off body and painting car.

mine feel pretty good.
You must be in Utah...

My wife and do not understand the others passion for their hobby, she is a runner, but the following quote sums it up.

Let's not forget it's a two way street. I support her in anything she wants to do. I never complain about her spending money and she doesn't have to ask me for permission to buy things. We communicate and we are both happy.

I divorced the bitch and kept the car!

My wife supports my involvement in the hobby with my car and the car shows that I run. She is involved to an extent. She is also the one that after we got settled in our house that told me to get my butt moving and finish my car. She even let me use some of "our" money on the restoration in addition to lots of my $$$

She likes the 69 Camaro, and is happy as long as it's not a 3rd or 4th gen, which I do like. And she really likes the 5th Gen, so maybe we'll have a matching 2009 to my 69 :)

It may sound cold, but I do what I want....pretty much. If she didn't like me working on this car it'd be...tough luck. Seriously. I have my outlets to remain sane, and this is one of them. I pay the bills and keep the house & yard in great shape. You have to have a balance in your life, and that is the key. So yeah, I might get carried away with excessive time spent on the car at times, but it's a short lived "one project at a time" kinda deal. It works.

The only reason I came home with the 68 SS I currently have is because she went with me. We left without the car and stopped to have lunch before heading home. She made me write a list of pros and cons about the car. She insisted we buy the car, I drove it home the next day. A year later it sits and I have almost no interest in it. I wish I hadn't bought it, never wanted another SS. She knows like all the others before it that I'll sell it and after a few months start looking again for another. Had a lot of Camaros and I'm not happy with any of them for very long. Been doing that for almost 30 years now. She puts up with it and has for a long time. I'm lucky to have her, the wife that is, not the Camaro. The car is easy to replace.

My wife just says, "If that is what you want" I also support her with whatever she wants to spend on her hobbies without saying a word....The kids are grown and on their own, so why not enjoy life and have fun....Of course I haven't told her about me maybe wanting to get a bubbletop....:rolleyes: :)

I had the vert before her have talked about selling it but she said NO. We drove 10 hrs to pick up the hot rod when she was 8 months preg. with our son after I purchased it on e bay. She let me blow all my savings building it and goes to every race and videos every pass. My first wife hated the vert and hated car shows. I am grateful every day for meeting my current wife.Lord knows she puts up with alot! I tell her I am looking for a third one and she just looks at me like I am crazy and says" Its your money":thumbsup:

My wife puts up with me just the way I am. She is not so crazy about the dust created with my hobies tho and has convinced me to build that dream garage I've been talking about.:hurray:

Jeff

I divorced the bitch and kept the car!
fell outta my chair laughin when I read that. You never quite know what you going to read on here... lol

Back in the 70's my wife enjoyed my 1951 Dodge Business Coupe ,1965 Impalla SS and 1966 SS Malibu . She was ok with my 1955 Belair, 1957 Belair, 1974 Nova SS and my 1957 Chopped and channeled Chevy Pickup in the 80's.

In the 90's, she hated my 1970 Chevelle SS and my 1955 Belair. In the 2000's ...She is again ok with my Camaro but that is about it. I figure its the damm Soaps on day and night changing these women into man hobby haters :) . We all know how these women get about their soaps..right. I am supportive to her by asking " What ..watching Stupid Stories again" :)


Kev

SHe could care less. No a/c not comfortable

My wife ownes our 67 rs conv. She is more into the hobbie then me these days We got offered big money at one one the local shows and she would not sell. I have a green light to do what ever I want to the car, money is no problem in her opinion, after all it is hers. big block 502, triple black with heated seats and a cd player

My wife actually set up the deal on my car. Her neighbor growing up was into buying any muscle cars he could find. All I did was pay him monthly till it was paid off. He has passed away since then (cancer) . His wife has sold almost everything he had left but a few special ones. My wife is awesome about it. The only thing she wants is houndstooth interior in it.

My wife supports my "habit" 100% :yes: -- she even likes to get her smart-ass comments in every now and then because she listens to some of the crap my buddies tell her around the garage -- its all in good fun :D -- and by the way, she wants me to get new wheels and tires for the Camaro as a Christmas gift :thumbsup:

Im lucky my wife originaly when I got the car, she didnt understand why it all had to come apart and be spread all over the house. A year later she got the house back I got my car together. After a year of living that way she was tired of it I was tired of the coments like ,
(why is there a bumper under the bed? and I cant set the table with that wire harness there,and I didnt see that emblem before I sat down, . Now She is the one that wants to go to shows she loves spending the day that way. Its been a great family thing for us. She still wont drive it, afraid something could go wrong and the repair could mean loosing her house to piles of parts everywhere I think.

Mine is terrific! A few times we've been in a financial pinch, life's unexpected things like the transmission in our Honda van blowing up (another story,) kids etc. and she's always stuck to her guns when I've offered to sell my car to make life a little less tight on the finances.

Her response is "NO, stop suggesting that"! She states every man deserves one passion / hobby in life and she knows how long and hard I searched before I could find a first generation Camaro that I could afford that didn't have trees growing through the front seat :)

Guess I'll keep her!

Clickette deserves some kind of award for putting up with this passion but she gets just as much fun out of riding around and seeing the :thumbsup: from other folks. She carries our Camaro business cards in her purse and gives them to people that start to talk about old cars. If the weather is good, she is first to ask 'can we go for a ride?'.
Plus she looks great, just like she did when we got married 28 years ago. Cant say that about me ;)

Well I think my wife looks at my cars as a future 401K supplement if we don't survive putting our two teenagers through college..so far they seem to be safe from the budget ax..sooo, I guess that means she supports me with my habit. I don't drink, gamble or do drugs..I just do CAM 2. What's not for her to like ;)

Mine believes cars are merely for getting from point a to point b, or so thats what she tells me. However I notice when it was time to get her a new car, she didn't want a saturn or a jetta, NOo she had to have a volvo! I did make it a point to point that out to her, and periodicly have to when she gets ill with my spending on car projects. :)

Luv her to death, but sometimes.... I have learned though she will never care for my car hobby, its even cost me more than few sweet rides to date, example:

72 vette ragtop - I love the metal bumper vettes, got a deal on one needing engine work, so we rebuilt the engine and it was cherry! I had the toy I wanted and was done looking in my mind. However 1st run at spring came and decided to take it out to the mountains with the top down. The wife had not ridden i nthe car yet as we just finished it up that winter. Well 30 minutes into the trip I had to turn around because of:

1. Too loud - she didn't like the sidepipes
2. Smelly - The fumes / spent gas smell of a v8
3. Sits to low - didnt like sitting so low that every car that passed by could look down and see her
4. Wind/Sun - when we got home the tops of her legs were slightly sunburned

So she refused to ride in the car ever again! I kept it for another 6months before finally giving up and letting it go, no fun if the wife is not into going out for a crusie here and there.

My wife says at least she knows where I am. And she trusts I won't sell the family out to buy parts.

My wife bought the 67 for me.I have known about the car since the early 80s and missed a chance to buy it in 2000.When it went up for sale in 2002 she said that I had wanted it for 20 years lets go get it.Now she wont let me sell it.


As for how the wife feels she feels real good to me.Hope no one else is feeling her.

Wife understands I need an outlet. Sold the Suzuki Hayabusa (GSX1300r) -very fast bike- before I splatter myself somewhere at 130 plus, also I was bored on the bike, been there, done that. Would prob get arrested/hurt/both sometime soon if I keep doing this......

Always been a gearhead since maybe age 5 when my dad floored his '65 Electra and made such an awesome sound. Think it had a 403 nailhead.

Have to spread out purchases so it affects us minimally. Like, not running up a big balance on my credit card, but most purchases are just fine.

She's not so much a hardcore car person as I am per se, but she understands and likes a lot more now than when we first met. She understands this hobby/passion of mine is here to stay, so have a little fun.

She's not really into spinning wrenches at all, but will help out if it's a job that needs 2 peoples hands from time to time. Thats a lot more than what some wives will do.....

Hey! She can drive a 3 on the tree! Learned that on a '62 Bel Air! Was made fun of in high school driving that, but the people who had no car quickly shut up when faced with the fact she had wheels when 5.0 Mustangs were the thing to have!

I've been building cars for 25 years, my wife has been with me for 20 of those and has always been supportive.

Our current 69 Convertible was bought for her in 1987 and It's been in pieces since the day I picked it up (Flatbed, 2 pickups, and about 30 boxes).

Its actually getting painted this week and will be on the road next season .... She's been very patient with me doing the rotisserie resto, but she knows it will all be worth it when she gets behind the wheel. :yes:

Uh guys? I'm the wife and it's my car. Most of you know where we are now...I'm currently flying solo in the garage (God help us!) but not in life. Will it change? We can only hope. I did manage to come to a temporary decision. I AM NOT SELLING! Guess I'm gonna learn this welding thing....Any tips?:thumbsup:

I had the vert before her have talked about selling it but she said NO. We drove 10 hrs to pick up the hot rod when she was 8 months preg. with our son after I purchased it on e bay. She let me blow all my savings building it and goes to every race and videos every pass. My first wife hated the vert and hated car shows. I am grateful every day for meeting my current wife.Lord knows she puts up with alot! I tell her I am looking for a third one and she just looks at me like I am crazy and says" Its your money":thumbsup:

Third car or wife?

My wife allways says: I prefer that you spend money and time in your camaro that girls and parties :thumbsup:

I bought my 69 right before we got engaged. I knew if I didn't, future purchases would have to be cleared through her, and it would be a while after the wedding and combining of bills before that would happen. Plus it was steal. I think is the main reason she resented the car for the first year of our marriage. She isn't a big fan of the camaro, :( she wants a GTO convertible, chevelle, charger, or something along those lines. She keeps threatening to sell the car (jokingly... I hope!) But now that the restoration is slowly coming along and the interior is done, she is more of a fan. I told her she could drive it (occasionally) until I get it painted. I think I shot myself in the foot! She likes the car more now, but I don't know if she will ever let me get in painted now! :sad:

Well they say a picture holds a million words. This is my wife smiling after she just ran the 1/4 mile with me (oh ya, she's the one in the car - not the guy with the beard, ha, ha,) She'll help me when I need a hand and I can trust her to drive the car (has a 5spd.) anywhere. She's not afraid to step on it either but I still need to show her how to do a good burnout. http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd304/willyb68/CamaroDrags2.jpg
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd304/willyb68/CamaroDrags5.jpg
oh ya and she can also cook!! :yes:

Guess I'm in the minority here.... My wife absolutely HATES my car and she's not afraid to mention it. (I think she rather I had a girlfriend..lol) She's vowed to never so much as sit her butt in it, and to date she has kept that promise. Forget about cruise in it. Now I realize my car isn't your "normal" car and can be a bit intimidating, but I was a gear head long before I met her. I had a Pro Street 57 Chevy when we met so she knew I was a "car guy." She did go for one or two cruises in the 57 but didn't like it a bit. O well, I don't seem to have a problem getting someone else to ride shotgun. Maybe she'll warm up to it now that it's almost done. I doubt it. She will however go out for a ride with me on my motorcycle and loves it???? I can't figure it out.

Mark - Blower looks sweet, love the setup of the car.

This topic is well represented by great stories of different perspectives. I married my wife a year and a half ago after a short courtship. I knew she was the one, and I was wise enough to not let her go. She basically saved my life from drinking and got me focused on living right. I bought my 69 in high school, drove it, then stored it for the next 10 years. After mentioning it a few times, my wife insisted I get it out of storage, and begin wrenching on it. I got it home and have began the disassembly process. Then a wrecked 97 Camaro with a LT1/T56 became available for cheap, and she said we can barely afford it. So we bought it. She helped me pull the engine and transmission late in the night, was genuinely interested in the process, and we had a drink afterwards.
Now we are no silver spoon kids, by any means. I am self employed and work roughly 12-14 hour days and weekends so we can pay bills, and she can go to school and get her masters degree. We live very, very simple lives and go "with-out" a lot at this current time. My wife is very supportive of what I do, and I her. I have mentioned once that we could sell the Camaro to pay bills, and she verbally assaulted me on "how could I even think that?". It is the best feeling in the world to have a partner that has your back 100% and believes in you. It make take a while, but one day we'll be able to enjoy the Camaro after over a decade of hibernation.

Uh guys? I'm the wife and it's my car. Most of you know where we are now...I'm currently flying solo in the garage (God help us!) but not in life. Will it change? We can only hope. I did manage to come to a temporary decision. I AM NOT SELLING! Guess I'm gonna learn this welding thing....Any tips?:thumbsup:
As an aside, glad to hear that you're not getting rid of the car MaryBeth. Sometimes this hobby turns into an obsession though and a break is needed. Maybe your husband will be back on board after some time away. In the meantime, if you're not comfortable welding yourself, find some other things that need to be done.

Sorry about getting off-point folks...

My wife is great about all things motorized, she encouraged me to get my Harley, and my Camaro and put up with about 16 yrs of both my son and I racing moto cross and all the expenses involved. She loves going out in the Camaro but wont even drive it with me in there for fear of messing it up.( this doesn't exactly break my heart :yes:)
She knows how long Ive waited to get an other first gen so Id say she is very respectful of my toys.....

Paula is very supportive of my hobby.She doesn't spin wrenches but never says a word about money or time spent in the shop.Of course,some of that time and $$ is spent on her ragtop and her Harley!

Third car or wife?

LOL Both of those would be my money but one of them would take all my Money:yes:

My wife actually bought the 68 for me , always there if I need a hand . It's like I'm happy so she's happy too and she does have her hobbies also .

My wife supports me (My god I can believe I just said that) In actuality she resents the time I spend on the car.
She can always always always find some project that needs to be done or finished before I can spend a few hours on the car. Although some may think it would be great for the spouse to get into this hobby with them. For me its my "Cave" my solitude my unwind mechanism. The newest "supportive" thing she does is tag along to help me shop @ the swap meets. Translation TO supervise any $$ spent
Hope she comes around soon...

My wife doesn't share my passion for these cars by any means, but she does at least try to understand it. She never gripes about the money I spend on it, and I don't spend what we can't afford. I wish she would go to shows and ride in it more, and I'm currently trying unsuccessfuly to convince her to come out to Yellowstone with me next summer. She says we can't leave the 2 older boys home alone for 2 weeks, they'll trash the place. I agree regarding Jake, but am hopeful he'll move out by then. Dan can handle it.

If she won't go, I'm gonna saddle up with Brian (10) and hit the highway, just us. "Boo" is always up for anything!

OK heres another of the ones youve all been waiting for. Im surprised to see so many supportive wives here. but I guess if they arent supportive you dont have a car... That was the case for me for a very long time but no more!

If my car were done, Garnet Red, Black stripes, Vinyl Top Chrome Mag wheels and I parked it next to a red saturn at a dealership then sent her out to get something she probably wouldnt be able to tell the 2 cars apart. She doesnt understand my love, she says my focus should be entirely on her and our kids and that my distractions are tantamount to neglect. I work 40-48 hrs a week and I pay the bills. And I do spend time with them. So when she was not supportive of my idea to get a Camaro I reminded her that we in fact got divorced back in 1999 and if she didnt like it that was just too bad lol :waving:. ( I know, strange situation, but works to my advantage often lol) A month earlier I bought her a brand new Toyota Minivan nicely equipped for her and my kids safe roadtrip to Colorado, an upgrade from the Chrysler we had. She can be particularly selfish imo. Maybe I will meet some nice woman who likes cars at a car show because she says she will not be going to any. :rolleyes:

http://www.easymoney69.com/Images/femalebrain.jpg

My wife is fairly supportive. She wants the camaro finished and i'm sure she thinks about that while doing all of her shopping (not for a moment). As for helping work on it, letting me use the computer to get on TC is about as far as she is willing to go. She used to like to ride in my 76 TA, but it was to much of a hotrod for her (she didn't like to drive it). I'm hoping the camaro will be something my family can enjoy with me.

We have a plan. She is about to finish nursing school. After we pay off a few things, it is supposed to be my turn.

The current score card is... Sold my 73 TA before my daughter was born (wouldn't trade her for anything). I sold my my 76 TA to help pay bills while my wife is in school. My wife will not even let me think of selling the camaro, that means a lot since she knows what it means to me. I tell her if I don't get to do my camaro soon (i've only had it 21 years), i'm backing a cement truck up to her car and filling it full (I would only be punishing myself since she prefers to drive my truck)!

Truth is I'm living the dream (wife and daughter), finishing my camaro would be the icing on the cake.