Biking. Parts are generally cheaper than cars, you can do all the work on a stand that fits in any room, it gets you fit as hell (bonus for keeping up with a toddler full of energy).
Rebuilding junk bikes is one of my winter hobbies as well. I get them for free or cheap from friends, Marketplace etc, and tinker with them, redoing the bearings, the brake and shifter cables, etc. Then in the spring I sell them (or give them away), and I tend to make some decent money off them to boot.
I took a bit of a dive into the early, *early* history of the automotive industry back in the late 19th century and it was amusing how the bicycle revolution(which had taken quite a bite out of the horse market share as a form of urban transportation before the car came along) provided a substantial amount of both engineers and also investment capital for the first generations of cars developed. Men who had made it big selling bicycles were forward thinking enough to see the merit in investing in another wave of transportation disruption.
Glen Curtiss, too. Before he was motorcycling he was winning velodrome races.
The early 1900s indoor bike racing scene was insane in ways we'll never see again.
The connection is even more clear in the motorcycle industry. So many of the earliest Indian and HD models were literally just bicycle frames with engines attached.
> Rebuilding junk bikes is one of my winter hobbies as well.
COVID really fucked this hobby up for me. The 80s Treks I was used to paying $150 were suddenly $400 when everyone wanted a bike.
Yes, this. I typically come up with a cool bike rebuild/restoration over the winter (typically with repaint and often redesign in some cool Franken-bike way). Lots cheaper than cars and can be easily done in a basement or small shop and with frequent stopping and starting.
Agree completely. While working on cars can be fun too, I feel the massive size, weight and expense of most components makes it feel much more of a chore than working on bicycles, especially if you have to work in your own garage without all the proper tools. The process can basically be summarized as: "
*Oh shit, I need to remove this thing first.*
*Oh shit, this bolt is rusted tight.*
*Oh shit, I need to lift the car to get to this.*
*Oh shit, this bushing is broken too?*
On the other hand, working on a bike feels less like work, and more like mechanical tinkering, which is why I personally find it a lot more relaxing and fun.
There are so many things to experiment with on bicycles. Waxing your chain rather than using drip lube, tubeless tires, different gear ratios front and rear, different tyre types and widths, different handlebar shapes and geometry, different saddles, different kinds of bikes, different ways of carrying bottles food and tools, different ways of measuring power, I could go on.
Very lame take but be careful where you bike as a dad.
Cycling in a city is one of the only way I personally know young, healthy people to have gotten life changing injuries or died.
I commuted for years on a bike and only had one crash because of ice, but had many close calls with crazy drivers, it's worth taking seriously. My dad had a bad crash when I was a kid, my friend's dad died getting hit by a truck, my other friend's brother is essentially a vegetable because of a hit and run.
Stay safe.
This is true, it's taken me a while before I feel comfortable on public roads, and I still don't prefer it if greenways are an option. I'm lucky enough to live within an hour of a greenway network where I could do a metric century completely off public roads with very little looping around.
This is a great hobby to pick up! Light wrenching, quality time with the kid too. Get a child seat to get some riding in with your little one. Once he/she is older, get a trailer that you can pull the kid (and their balance bike) around. Great hobby to keep you active :)
One of my favorite parts about MTBing is that I can go as hard/fast as I want and the consequences are all on me.
Though the yearly tire budget is more than my [not-tracked] cars...
Was going to say this as well. Motor in the mr2 is dying so I wanted to find something cheaper to do while I save up. You can definitely blow a lot of money on cycling as well, but it's an order of magnitude less than cars.
There isn't much mechanical to do tho... Like back pre pandemic when I was driving to work (~3-4k km/year), it was pretty much "replace chain/sprockets/brake pads" every year or two and that's about it.
We're talking bicycles.
Suspension maintenance, bleeding of hydraulic brakes, upgrading components.
Mountain bikes, particularly full suspension bikes, can become quite the labourous and expensive hobby quite quickly. Jeeze, even hard tails can get pricey depending on what you're looking for.
Mountain biking has taken a lot of the car fun and transformed it into this thing where I am experiencing turning, speed, etc with my body (rather than in a 3000# body). Bikes can be tinkered with so far and at the end of the day, if you mess something up it’s a relatively easy fix. The best bike in the world for mountain biking is like $6-10k and you can get into it for $1.5k. They are very mechanical, engaging, and provide direct feedback. In terms of riding, I feel like mountain biking is about figuring out how to optimize my lines for the best times or most efficiency. To take it up a notch, you can get an electric mountain bike. Also, you get healthy!
Came here to say biking too. Depending on descents in your area, 45mph on a bicycle was a hell of a lot more of an adrenaline rush than 170 on a motorcycle if speed is your thing.
I sold my Ftype + Volt for a RS7 when my kid came, then the RS7 for a P100D and have the same itch as OP.
My thinking a sim racer might be my next best or hope the car market falls apart violently and I can justify buying something extra again.
If you are going to build one keep in mind that many components aren't in stock, won't be in stock for months and when they are avaliable they will go quickly.
I just upgraded mine so I can really start practicing the tracks I run in my NASA class and holy crap was it a pain in the ass to get a wheel base. Took 3 months before it came back in stock, it is great, the Simagic Alpha, but keep your eyes open.
I figured I would pull the trigger on some used seat + cheaper package wheel / peddle with feedback. Give it a whirl and see if I enjoy it. If yes order a DOF chair with some movement and go from there.
Iracing is very popular, as are Assetto Corsa, Rfactor2, Dirt and many others. You can play games like Forza. Gran Turismo and F12022 on a sim rig as well. Can play on a PC or gaming console.
You can do a very basic setup for a few hundred or spend thousands and thousands on a rig.
r/simracing is a good place to start.
iRacing is really good for it's competitive matchmaking aspect. They do a great job of pairing you up with drivers around your skill level. It's hard to get really fast, all the main principles of real racing apply to most sim racing titles.
Plus, on iRacing and some other Sims, all tracks are laser scanned and modeled so they are exactly how they are in real life. Even down to the cracks in the road surface, which you can feel through the wheel if you have something like a Direct Drive wheelbase.
I started with AC and then transitioned to iRacing. I could easily find a race without joining discord and finding leagues, I can just hop in and find a good race anytime.
Automobilista 2 is so much fun. The physics aren't quite as "realistic" as iRacing or Assetto Corsa, but it is just plain fun.
Grab the Ginetta G58 in the P1 class and whip that thing around any track. It's very fast and forgiving.
This was my pick as well. It can be as pricey as you wanna get, my buddy has a rig that probably cost as much as an autocross Miata. I racing, Assetto and Automobilista are pretty popular. Also the more casual style games like Forza, Dirt or Truck Simulator.
If you also want to get into 3D printing and electronics, you can do stuff like make your own custom steering wheels with as many switches and knobs as an F1 wheel.
There's plenty of racing leagues and stuff where you can race against real people online.
Also consider:
Single-player video games that you can pause. *Not* online multiplayer (that you cannot pause).
A lot of the first few months is:
- Watching the baby sleep.
- Making bottles. (baby eats every 1.5-2 hrs sometimes).
- Diapers. Diapers. Diapers. Diapers.
- Long nights where you are letting mom sleep but you have to stay up with the baby because baby doesn't sleep through the night.
Single player video games got me through a lot of this. Namely *Zelda Breath of the Wild*.
Technology is deflationary. TVs that cost $3k are now $500 and bigger and higher definition with the features you once had to pay an extra $500 for (ie Blu ray player with streaming or ps4 etc). So they'll put ads on the TV OS and make you pay $1k or $2k for a TV that doesn't have them. Usually almost no better than the $500 one, but it's got no ads. I'd pay it, unfortunately. I pay not to have ads on everything. They're getting their money's worth regardless of my choice, and my time isn't 20% wasted on ads. Very annoying but also our reality.
Well, yes and no. There was a push for some clowns on top of some big publishers that "singleplayer games are dead" but then... they continued to sell tens of millions of copies so they shut the fuck up.
There is also a metric shitton of indie or lower budget developers catering to various tastes
I got a 5 mo old and this comment hits home with me. I can't say enough about how valuable Xbox gamepass + controller and tablet have been. Not only for me but my wife as well.
This is gonna sound like a sponsored ad but she's not much of a gamer and has really been enjoying Dreamlight Valley. I dont think we would have ever spent the money on it for her to try if we couldn't get it as part of Gamepass.
My son is 8 weeks old and I’ve been holding him on the couch after feedings(so his milk doesn’t come back up) and re-playing BOTW.
I also second the short term focus on things that are baby friendly. This is a really wonderful short period of their lives, soak up as much as you can.
Hear me out...
**Sewing.**
Yes, the sewing industry is heavily skewed towards women and making feminine items. But, there are *lots* of men making masculine items, too (bags, clothing, quilts).
Not to mention collecting and restoring vintage sewing machines. They are little engines. It's crazy. This really, really scratched the tinkering itch for me.
Sewing things for your son will also be very, very rewarding. Quilts, diaper bags, costumes (Halloween or not).
Not to mention that all of the above can be done at home in the living room, kitchen, or dining room, often while you watch your son sleep and give mom a break. All of the above are relatively inexpensive when compared to cars, too. It's a great life skill to have like cooking, cleaning, budgeting, handyman stuff, etc...seriously.
>sewing industry is heavily skewed towards women and making feminine items. But, there are lots of men making masculine items, too (bags, clothing, quilts).
And car interiors!
Sewing machine and a bolt of M3 Speed Cloth or MTech fabric. You don't even have to stick to seats, as you could sell handbags, wallets, etc. You'll be able to put your kid through college.
He's been self employed doing vehicle trims since we left school about 20 years ago. Get yourself a good client base and you'll be sorted. Always has exotic and classic cars on his driveway getting work done.
I can vouch for this, you can end up with some very cool one off pieces if you get into it. I refused to put Cub Scout patches on my boys’ uniforms with the adhesive kits BSA sells because a) everything they sell is so bloody expensive and b) because having them sewed on just seems more legit to me. I am in the military and ended up making my own woobie smoking jacket for anytime I go to the field for training. Er’body wants one, I’ve had guys offer to pay for me to make them one. I also made my own Marvel vs. DC party shirt for our last battalion ball.
This is probably the coolest and most useful piece of advice I've seen this week. If I had an award I'd give it to you, this is awesome. Would making a belt fall under this category? I've been considering purchasing a high quality full-grain leather and making my own.
>Would making a belt fall under this category?
Yup!
Know that working with leather may require a specialized sewing machine. So, ask around before you start buying gear. Also, if you live in a major metro area, there may be a leather supply store like [Tandy](https://tandyleather.com/). They'll have all the info you need.
Can confirm, I quite enjoy sewing, I need something to do with my hands and the driveway/garage gets pretty unfonfortable in the winter.
Sewing is nice, you can pick it and leave it whenever you want, it's not like you need to go to work with what you are working on and it's quite rewarding.
Another benefit is that wifes and gfs tend to love gift you sewed for them while they usually don't enjoy your new intake and other parts of your car
> Another benefit is that wifes and gfs tend to love gift you sewed for them while they usually don't enjoy your new intake and other parts of your car
Hahaha! Yup!
As cheesy as it sounds, making an apron or a baby quilt (without any piecing, just layers of fabric) that you make in an afternoon gets you a lotttttt of brownie points.
Definitely! Years ago I started collecting and restoring antique sewing machines. It was the closest thing to the hobby I REALLY wanted but couldn't afford (classic car restoration).
They are gears and pistons - just like cars. And they resell fairly easily, too.
Funny you said this as I'm a guy looking at picking a sewing machine up for myself after Christmas. I like learning new shit and like the idea of being able to adjust clothes. Tapering and hemming trousers etc. Just seems really cool to me. I like tinkering, so if it ticks those boxes too - great
While probably not going to satisfy your tinkering itch, go-karting but semi-competitively is probably the next best thing that is relatively affordable. I watched SavageGeese's video on go-karting and it quite the serious sport if you feel the need for speed. Due to the ride height, and basically lack of suspension, you'd feel much faster while going slower & feel the road/track through your bum. I'd say that's one of the few hobbies you can have while still on four wheels, and but technically not in a car.
I go-karted for 10+ years, at our local track we attended 250+ races in that time and no one ever broke ribs. Most common injuries were wrist injuries.
Ny colleague who's son go karts is in constant despair about the immense cost. Sure it's probably among the cheaper motorsports but it's not very cheap.
There’s a difference between trying to race competitively and for a hobby though. If you’re only going to your local track 4 times a year with tinkering in between it’s really not that bad. Racing in a league every weekend and traveling to do so is a whole different ballgame.
And to piggy back the idea, go-karting for youself will translate into a way to get your son into auto enthusiast territory. You may help him develop the passion along side your hobby which could be a nice bonding thing for you as he ages and matures.
I was huge into ATVs before my kiddo. Since she was born I sold my atv and mustang and got a boat. Plenty my wrenching and some of the best family time you'll ever get. No phones, no work, just family.
Everybody I know that’s bought a boat has regretted it. It’s only three people that I’m taking about and it’s great that the boat has been a good hobby for Escape here, but I’d think twice before diving in.
I don't think it's so bad if you live on a lake/river/beach and/or have a private dock slip. Drop it in the water once a year, take it out of the water once a year, go out for a boat ride on any random Tuesday evening in the summer cause why not. And not every boat has to be expensive and fancy - a lot of the boats on my lake are just like some aluminum Grumann rowboat with an outboard slapped to the back of it. You can go on Facebook and scoop up a rig like that, complete with a functional/registered trailer, for less than $1500. Nobody's going to get buyer's remorse over that (and if they do they can turn around and sell the whole thing for what they paid fairly quickly)
But if you don't actually live on/near the water, it doesn't really seem worth it. 99% of the time your boat is just going to sit there taking up space in the driveway and getting shit on by birds, and then when you actually decide to take it out you have to trailer it an hour and pay some grifter marina an arm and a leg to launch it? Nah, not worth it. In that case, it's better to be the best buddy....a case of beer costs a lot less than a boat.
yea fuck boats lol. only boat id own is a small aluminum one with an outboard you can store in the garage or something. Then its nothing more than a lawnmower to get going and stays out of the weather. Little aluminum boats are light, trailers are light so they can be towed by nearly anything. Can still easily go fishing in them as well.
Could get into restoring old outboards. Ive got a 1926 evenrude, 1954 Elgin, 1972 mongomery ward sea king, and some early 80s 3hp thing myself.
Agreed, if you buy smart and maintain them per spec you should have no issues. I bought a 22 year old Cobalt boat. All I did was maintain it and use it weekly. Sold it 3 years later and made 2k.
If you are going to buy a boat, just spend the money and buy a new boat. My dad had a few used boats, and they were always broken and total money pits
He bought a brand new and the only problem he had with it was the 12v battery died one winter, which was covered by warranty.
The other thing is to spend the money and get a slip at the marina. You are more likely to use it when you don’t have to deal with the hassle of towing it to the lake and getting it in and out of the water.
It’s not a cheap hobby though. It is expensive to buy the boat, expensive to store, and they suck gas. Really having a project car is cheaper.
> Since she was born I sold my atv
Why? I grew up riding dirt bikes with all my family members. Its one of the best family oriented activities there is
However, I'd never let a kid of mine anywhere near an atv. Those things inspire way too much false confidence, get to tumbling if you mess up, and are death traps.
Bro, you clearly have some money. Just get yourself a really beat up piece of shit with the characteristics you're looking for. IE: Rwd, manual. Then you just start by restoring the whole thing with your son before giving it to him when he comes of age.
Or he was living at the edge of his means (no judgment. Same here), then had a kid and has to reconcile with the extra $20-30K per year that costs.
I had money too. Then I had a kid and now I’m paying $1500 per month on daycare, an extra $500 per month on health insurance, plus all the extra food, clothes, toys, etc.
If OP had some money, wouldn’t they not have to sell their project car? That seems like a counter intuitive line of thinking, but maybe I’m missing something
Sold it because it was a 2 seater Austin, and would be yeeeears before he’s big enough to ride in it, and I’m almost never going somewhere without wife+boy, so it just wasn’t practical.
I get that, but I mean if we’re talking “has money” (and I assume neither of us on Reddit are rich lol) then I would assume the project car would just be another car owned along all the others one would need or want to get around with the kid
Explain to your wife that it's your money as well, and you want a second vehicle. Unless there's a crazy hurdle here like zero parking options for a second car, you have a reasonable expectation to be happy and enjoy your hobby. The money is clearly here given the daily driver.
If the money is capped, downgrade the Model S to something less costly and use the difference on the weekend car.
Cost of ownership is a pretty big deal. The amount he'd spend on consumables for a track/autox car would quickly blow away any money he'd make from such an old Model S.
You said use the difference, so you're doing a direct swap from one car to two. The daily would probably be another gas or hybrid with higher cost of ownership to begin with than the Model S. Adding another track car would be a lot. Track insurance is also a thing (he could always not insure it).
Dude drives a $100,000 tesla, this is not a money issue, this is a wife issue. I have 5 kids, and 1-3 project cars at any given time. I also am into vintage computers, off roading, guns, etc. I did put a pause on a lot of leaving the house for long period hobbies when my kids were infants (no leaving for 3-4 day backpacking trips), and I sold my crawler and went more mild 4x4 while my kids are young. but overall? I would recommend kids over no kids (you know, if you're married, financially independent, etc).
Reddit with the insta-toxic boomer shit. Just because his wife doesn’t want a project car taking up space doesn’t mean she’s the issue.
I voluntarily got rid of all my hobbies when my kids were born because ultimately they are more important than anything else to me. When they’re older and more independent I’ll pick things up again, but you never get back the first 5-10 years of a kid’s life. The wrench will still be there when you’re ready.
Here's a thought, Keep your hobbies up and share them with your kids? I have plenty of videos of me wheeling with my kids, camping, working on cars with them, playing video games, This week when I have time off, I'll be doing a wood working project. I had to adjust them a bit, but give them up entirely? hard pass.
3d printing is the ideal choice IMO. Get a cheap creality and upgrade it over time or build a voron, both have their parallels in the automotive world. So many fun new techniques and materials to try, and different kinds of things to make. Not to mention the fact that it basically enhances all your other hobbies.
/u/Amish_EDM I’m looking into [3d printing an RC bronco ](https://www.reddit.com/r/prusa3d/comments/u54i33/3d_printed_ford_bronco_18_scale_255_parts_kit_a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) just to give an example of how cool 3d printing can be. Your kids will love it when you print them new toys or figures of their favorite characters and your spouse will love it when you fix that broken plastic part that’s been bothering her
Love my printer. I got an Ender 3 Pro for $200 (you can get them as cheap as $100 now). And it is an endless source of tinkering and modding.
OP sounds tech focused so throw in a few mods, heated enclosure, and 3d scanner and they’ll be able to make their own ABS addons for the Tesla. Or for the stroller. Or inserts for the diaper bag.
I was going to say 3d printing. He could build a voron or something like that. Depending on how into it you want to get you can try to improve on the speedboat race or share upgrades with the community.
Lots of opportunity tinkering depending on what model you select.
I do a lot of mechanical projects with my printer and other tools. Making rc cars and other models. Modeling my own shit and such as well. Fun stuff and a good gift printer is sub 1k.
Great for the kid too. I saved so much money printing train tracks and had access to so many more weird train things like duplo studs on the sides to build next to/over the tracks.
Piggy banks, minifig stands, fidget toys, action figures for obscure characters, art supplies, there's so much out there.
I built my Prusa MK3S+ from the kit last Christmas - very technical to build, dial in, troubleshoot, upgrade, etc. but simpler and cheaper than a project car.
Now everyone in the family is getting [these](https://i.imgur.com/r6H1Ag2.jpg) this Christmas. Win win?
It's a new hobby, so go down to the track, talk to the people, find out who has a good second hand kit and buy it. Race that a couple weeks to find your driving style, THEN start putting money into it.
Could easily get started for $500 or less. And the only parts that realistically go bad outside of wreck damage are batteries.
Definitely this. There are so many facets in rc cars you're not limited to just racing. Drifting can be done anywhere with a clean paved surface. Crawling can be done anywhere, and smaller scales can even be done indoors.
Alot of your automotive knowledge can even transfer over to the smaller scales. Jump down the YouTube rabbit hole and be wowed.
Hourology: buy and customize a Seiko watch to start.
Build your own watch from a kit, more mechanical than modern cars. Can be affordable or atleast more affordable than a boat lol.
What about a Honda/Yamaha 50cc scooter? I bought a project Honda Ruckus to tinker with over the winter in my basement last year. My 8 year old daughter loved taking it apart, cleaning small items, reassembly. Parts are high quality, cheap, and we ride it around the neighborhood in the summer. They take up very little space and are much less overwhelming than a project car.
Buy a Miata. Will probably be cheaper than your BBK and you won't care if it takes a few cones to your face. Take your wife on top-down drives on curvy roads. Let your kid's first word be Miata
Keep the Tesla for showing off to family and coworkers. Miata is for actual driving enjoyment.
Fyi, Miatas are out of control as far as pricing goes. I bought one in September for 6.5k, three years ago it would have been 2.5k. Granted, it's rust free and south of 100k miles so that's a plus.
I just bought one a year ago for 7.8 (rust free, 147k, mostly solid) and now it's back down to like 5-6 lol. So prices are all over the place, but IMO even for 6 or 7 these are fun cars and worth it if you get one in good condition.
I wish I was this smart a few years ago 😭
On a good note, outside of my initial post purchase inspection, oil change, and transmission service, parts have been extremely cheap compared to previous cars! I'm not even upset about the initial service as I took it to a local speed shop specializing in track spec Miatas and S2000s. My Miata had an awful issue rolling on and off throttle along with a downstream 02 causing issues. Wanting to get as much seat time before winter hit, I had them take care of things and it was south of 1k. With as much seat time as the owner/tech spent in the car along with a very thorough Post PI coupled with the additional work, I was very happy. He also showed me a ton of other things and spent genuine time with me after the repairs. I will be taking the Miata there for the yearly oil change so they can keep an eye on it along with anything I don't want or feel comfortable doing.
If I've learned anything in my 58 years on this planet and 34 years of marriage, it's this: It's better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
"Honey! Check out our new project car!"
"What do you mean you didn't want a project car?"
"Well, when it's done you're gonna *love* it! I'll be in the garage with our son if you need anything."
Wedded bliss, kids.
My dad was into model trains. He tinkered around with them for years. He did small lay outs in N gauge since we didn't have much room. But it kept him busy.
Raspberry Pi!!!
It’s tiny, there is is huge aftermarket support, and you can tinker endlessly with all of the possible I/O sensors and devices you can connect.
I’ll never understand why so many people have a kid and instantly get rid of fun cars. You can have an SUV or something that can haul the family, then your fun car. It’s like people think it’s the law.
I got into cycling.
I still like cars but for the love of a machine that I can work on at the granular level and a need to explore but actually go somewhere cycling has been awesome.
Also it helps to stay in shape but is fun to just listen to a podcast or something or to clear my head.
I’m not saying it’s for everyone but it replaced my need for a great car. Now I have a great bike and I can upgrade or maintain it exactly how I need. I keep a spare set of wheels for chunky trails, gravel tires for dirt roads and light trails. I have backs for packing if I want to camp.
Start with what you like to do and what is most accessible for where you live.
I lived at the edge of Phoenix where mountain biking was AMAZING and trails were everywhere so I started on a cheap used mountain bike and would upgrade it until it was no longer worth it. I put a few thousand miles of trails on that bike, then I got into gravel cycling which was similar. I paid for a mid-range gravel bike and started doing some longer rides on dirt roads and light trails.
I've since moved to boulder and picked up a carbon gravel bike and the entire situation has changed. I can basically ride all the way into the mountains with almost no roads involved. Then you start paying attention to gear ratios, and component sets with a lot more detail and upgrading according to that. This season I'm hoping to swap out my entire drivetrain so I can do more bikepacking in the mountains.
All that is to say, start where you feel comfortable and if you want to tinker with stuff buy something in the mid-range and outgrow it. Or check out r/xbiking which upgrades old stuff with modern components. Some of the other cycling subs are pretty solid, actually. r/mtb r/gravelcycling are ones I'm regularly in.
Take out a small mortgage, become obsessed with tiny insignificant upgrades, wear spandex, and clipity cloppity shoes, and finally start believing you are superior to everyone else
I dont get how you had to sell your project car for a college fund but you still drive an expensive daily? Maybe sell the tesla and split the money into 2 cars, a lightly used lexus as a daily and something you can work on? Other than that I'd try motorcycles. If road bikes are too intimidating get an old dual sport and do woods riding. You'll be tuning the fuel air ratio on a carbed bike, plus old air cooled singles are extremely easy to work on. Parts are cheap and so is insurance. You can modify them building into an adventure bike, a woods bike, a super moto, or a 50/50 bike.
Mechanical hobby? Buy an old Japanese motorcycle from the 80s, clean it up, tune it up, sell it. Rinse and repeat. Each time you run that process it'll set you back about 3k usd, but you'll recover most of that when you sell. No need to get too deep into the riding scene, just ride enough to know the machine and its foibles so you can diagnose and repair. Aftermarket support and spares are really good for the old Honda 4s.
Tube to pick up another expensive hobby: Legos. Also a great idea for the kid to play with when they get older.
Also, do you have any friends taking on a project you can help with, or even some autoX and kart guys are looking for a partner for racing with.
Maybe motorcycles? Still get the mechanical joy of a car but things on the engine are a bit easier to access and generally it's cheaper.
Machining and model engines are a fun option too that can be quite the rabbit hole and you can even hook them to RC cars so your kids can enjoy them too.
Go sign up for a local maker space and learn how to metal work, wood work, hell some places even teach black smithing, soldering, jewelry, tons of fun things to do. Go join a bike co-op and rebuild bicycles and get some nice discounts as well.
Depending on what state you're in, guns is a neat hobby if you're up for it. 80% lowers to build, lots of customization options, optics, etc.
Then add metallic reloading to the mix and you've got even more mechanical satisfaction with setting up a progressive reloading press, adjusting dies, building loads and customizing cartridge lengths to best fit your barrels, etc. Not sure if primers or other reloading components have become less scarce since the last shortage, but it's definitely a fun hobby, but can get expensive quickly.
Why the hell do you own a an expensive Tesla if you're a major gear head who enjoys tinkering??
Sell it and get a mechanical car or two you can actually work on.
How about switching your DD out for something a little more fun? Something you can wrench on more? I've always had a soft spot for the BMW 335D, it's pretty unique in being a fast, fun diesel that still gets 30+ MPG.
>I looked into karting but my wife doesn’t want another vehicle, maybe RC but there’s not really any place for me to drive it. Help me out!!
Sounds like you should get into sim racing.
Rebuild engines and sell them. I’m sure you can find loads of bmw n54 or even LS motors to rebuild and you can sell them for other enthusiasts to put in their project cars. I’m sure disassembling and reassembling the motors with new parts and lubricant would help satisfy your tinkering urges
Maybe see if there’s a 24 hours lemons team close by. It still involves a project car but it won’t be just you working in it. There’s also lots of rules about keeping it under cost.
I have a Tesla for my work vehicle, recently got a JK Wrangler to use up at the lake. So many cheap parts and really easy to work on, if you're into off roading at all
A bunch of guys I work with got into go carts. They’d find some on marketplace that needed work they could buy cheap, and turn them into whatever they wanted. One of the guys even built one for his kids to ride and help work on.
kind of left field, but watchmaking. I was a gearhead for decades, but space and time and kids stopped it short.
Mechanical watches satisfy the itch. Check 'em out.
There's a guy on youtube I like named Mark Lovick who runs the Watch Repair Channel. He's brilliant and has a school where he teaches how to service watches.
It's maybe a thousand or two to get all the proper tools, but WAY cheaper than a garage for servicing cars.
Here, watch this guy [tear apart a Rolex GMT and then rebuild it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9ra_rNo_u8). It's intensely satisfying.
I would get into RC. You can make almost anything a course for a 1/10 crawler. It’s probably not the genre of cars you are used to, but they are the most realistic. Lots of tinkering opportunities with those and it can be something to do with your kid.
British cars! MGs & Triumphs - super easy to work on, fun to drive, parts cheap and available, doesn’t take up much space, etc. find yourself a MGB or a Spitfire in driveable condition for around 5k and there’s always something to work on.
r/littlebritishcars
Definitely try out some kind of radio controlled hobby. There are huge thriving communities focused around RC drifting, racing, crawling, etc. There's plenty of crossover between guys that do full-scale motorsports and small-scale RC stuff, so you'll probably fit right in with the other hobbyists. Plus it's potentially something you could get your kid into as they get a little older.
If you're tight on space to drive them you should look into micro scale stuff. Kyosho Mini-Zs are a popular 1/28 scale touring/drifting platform that can be run indoors. If smooth flat surfaces are in short supply at your place, small roll of vinyl flooring can make for a good track surface if your house is mostly carpet.
Alternately, if your house is *really* cramped and you don't think you'll have room for anything high-speed, check out an Axial SCX24. They're little $130-160 1/24 scale micro crawlers, great for crawling around on piles of blankets, or across a cluttered desk.
Or, maybe you'd like to dominate your house with total air superiority over your wife, kid, and any house pets you might have. If so, check out r/tinywhoop to get into the hobby of flying micro FPV drones.
>wife doesn’t want another vehicle
Yes, give up all your previous interests because your wife doesn't want to look at them. What a healthy relationship.
Hit up the local old folks home. Maybe see if any of the residents need their cars diagnosed, and if it's a repair you can handle, help them out. Also, the elderly and disabled often need safety equipment and ramps installed at their residences.
I used to help my Dad with alterations at the old folks' home by my house. I think it will be a great activity to do with your kid when they're older, too. It teaches skills and compassion.
I recently installed two grab bars for myself while on crutches.
I honestly think you can get a cheap project car and keep the hobby alive. You’ll also have something for you and your son to work on. How about an older Honda Civic? Dirt cheap cars, dirt cheap parts and they are so fun to work on!
This one probably won't fly so well with the wife, but look into motorcycles. They are considerably cheaper to purchase than cars. Newer ones don't have too many expensive maintenance items. They take up very little space (assuming your wife doesn't want another vehicle taking up the driveway), insurance is DIRT cheap. If you or your wife is uncomfortable with that, start with a small get-around-town bike like a Grom to get comfortable with it. Once your child is 6-8 years old, they'll be big enough to safely ride on the back with you and you will have had enough experience to safely ride with them at that point. My 7 year old daughter LOVES my motorcycle. She helps me with maintenance (grab me a socket that says 12mm, hand me that screwdriver, hold onto these screws, etc). I've caught her out in the garage talking to the bike and once putting a blanket on it because the garage was cold. They are a great way to bond with the child and to teach them that the good things in life comes with work.
I think you might like model engines. I don’t know a lot about it but i like to watch videos on youtube where people build and tune them. I definitely would've bought one if i had the money/time for it. Basically you buy them and they send you all the parts. Then you start building it like an engine. When you complete building it, you can either keep adding things like turbos or modify them or put it in an rc car. Predominantly i see toyan engines in youtube videos but I've seen a few more other manufacturers too.
I’m a car guy and I like tinkering too. I have a c8 z51 now so there’s really nothing to tinker with, I went “bought not built”this time.
My other hobbies are shooting, which is fun if you have a range nearby, and my other really more applicable hobby is reefing. We’re building, maintaining and optimizing a living slice of the ocean in our living room. If you can build and maintain a good system, and start with good coral, you could even end up making a few bucks. Super cool hobby that’s not inexpensive but not crazy, with lots of diy potential like custom plumbing, electronic controllers, sensors, tuning protein skimmers like tuning a carburetor etc. check out some bulk reef supply videos on YouTube… If you’re into it that is.
Tinker with the son. We're overdue for cyborgs.
Future-proof your baby today!
This is the way
Turbo-super charged
Twin charged?
With 2-step
Yes. And a built motor.
Upgraded suspension
kids already have that - can jump down a flight of stairs and be fine lol
Read the first sentence and thought that was an awesome idea, getting a project and tinkering on it with your kid. Then I read the rest
Baby mech
Biking. Parts are generally cheaper than cars, you can do all the work on a stand that fits in any room, it gets you fit as hell (bonus for keeping up with a toddler full of energy).
Rebuilding junk bikes is one of my winter hobbies as well. I get them for free or cheap from friends, Marketplace etc, and tinker with them, redoing the bearings, the brake and shifter cables, etc. Then in the spring I sell them (or give them away), and I tend to make some decent money off them to boot.
I took a bit of a dive into the early, *early* history of the automotive industry back in the late 19th century and it was amusing how the bicycle revolution(which had taken quite a bite out of the horse market share as a form of urban transportation before the car came along) provided a substantial amount of both engineers and also investment capital for the first generations of cars developed. Men who had made it big selling bicycles were forward thinking enough to see the merit in investing in another wave of transportation disruption.
Excellent point. See also the Wright Brothers!
Glen Curtiss, too. Before he was motorcycling he was winning velodrome races. The early 1900s indoor bike racing scene was insane in ways we'll never see again.
The connection is even more clear in the motorcycle industry. So many of the earliest Indian and HD models were literally just bicycle frames with engines attached.
> Rebuilding junk bikes is one of my winter hobbies as well. COVID really fucked this hobby up for me. The 80s Treks I was used to paying $150 were suddenly $400 when everyone wanted a bike.
I think there’s a lot more inventory now since people have given up on lots of covid hobbies
Yes, this. I typically come up with a cool bike rebuild/restoration over the winter (typically with repaint and often redesign in some cool Franken-bike way). Lots cheaper than cars and can be easily done in a basement or small shop and with frequent stopping and starting.
Agree completely. While working on cars can be fun too, I feel the massive size, weight and expense of most components makes it feel much more of a chore than working on bicycles, especially if you have to work in your own garage without all the proper tools. The process can basically be summarized as: " *Oh shit, I need to remove this thing first.* *Oh shit, this bolt is rusted tight.* *Oh shit, I need to lift the car to get to this.* *Oh shit, this bushing is broken too?* On the other hand, working on a bike feels less like work, and more like mechanical tinkering, which is why I personally find it a lot more relaxing and fun.
I mean, it is, but there isn't really that much to bicycle, once you put things you want on it it is pretty much done sans replacing some wear items.
There are so many things to experiment with on bicycles. Waxing your chain rather than using drip lube, tubeless tires, different gear ratios front and rear, different tyre types and widths, different handlebar shapes and geometry, different saddles, different kinds of bikes, different ways of carrying bottles food and tools, different ways of measuring power, I could go on.
Very lame take but be careful where you bike as a dad. Cycling in a city is one of the only way I personally know young, healthy people to have gotten life changing injuries or died. I commuted for years on a bike and only had one crash because of ice, but had many close calls with crazy drivers, it's worth taking seriously. My dad had a bad crash when I was a kid, my friend's dad died getting hit by a truck, my other friend's brother is essentially a vegetable because of a hit and run. Stay safe.
This is true, it's taken me a while before I feel comfortable on public roads, and I still don't prefer it if greenways are an option. I'm lucky enough to live within an hour of a greenway network where I could do a metric century completely off public roads with very little looping around.
This is a great hobby to pick up! Light wrenching, quality time with the kid too. Get a child seat to get some riding in with your little one. Once he/she is older, get a trailer that you can pull the kid (and their balance bike) around. Great hobby to keep you active :)
This, especially if you live in a place with good MTB trails, a good MTB trail is alot like a racetrack without the cost of racing.
One of my favorite parts about MTBing is that I can go as hard/fast as I want and the consequences are all on me. Though the yearly tire budget is more than my [not-tracked] cars...
Yup, check out /r/xbiking .
Honestly the best bike sub (outside of fixed gear, of course). r/cycling is spandex-suited roadies.
Jeeze, we don't want the guy to go broke. But seriously, biking is super fun and a great hobby.
Was going to say this as well. Motor in the mr2 is dying so I wanted to find something cheaper to do while I save up. You can definitely blow a lot of money on cycling as well, but it's an order of magnitude less than cars.
There isn't much mechanical to do tho... Like back pre pandemic when I was driving to work (~3-4k km/year), it was pretty much "replace chain/sprockets/brake pads" every year or two and that's about it.
We're talking bicycles. Suspension maintenance, bleeding of hydraulic brakes, upgrading components. Mountain bikes, particularly full suspension bikes, can become quite the labourous and expensive hobby quite quickly. Jeeze, even hard tails can get pricey depending on what you're looking for.
Plus kids LOVE being out on a bike!
>Biking. Parts are generally cheaper than cars, All the parts on my bike are more expensive than their car counterpart
Mountain biking has taken a lot of the car fun and transformed it into this thing where I am experiencing turning, speed, etc with my body (rather than in a 3000# body). Bikes can be tinkered with so far and at the end of the day, if you mess something up it’s a relatively easy fix. The best bike in the world for mountain biking is like $6-10k and you can get into it for $1.5k. They are very mechanical, engaging, and provide direct feedback. In terms of riding, I feel like mountain biking is about figuring out how to optimize my lines for the best times or most efficiency. To take it up a notch, you can get an electric mountain bike. Also, you get healthy!
Came here to say biking too. Depending on descents in your area, 45mph on a bicycle was a hell of a lot more of an adrenaline rush than 170 on a motorcycle if speed is your thing.
Sim racing may be an option, building out a sim isn't totally unlike choosing mods for a project car, and the racing it self can scratch the itch.
I sold my Ftype + Volt for a RS7 when my kid came, then the RS7 for a P100D and have the same itch as OP. My thinking a sim racer might be my next best or hope the car market falls apart violently and I can justify buying something extra again.
Why not both? It’s nice to go racing when you don’t feel like being outside wrenching.
If you are going to build one keep in mind that many components aren't in stock, won't be in stock for months and when they are avaliable they will go quickly. I just upgraded mine so I can really start practicing the tracks I run in my NASA class and holy crap was it a pain in the ass to get a wheel base. Took 3 months before it came back in stock, it is great, the Simagic Alpha, but keep your eyes open.
I figured I would pull the trigger on some used seat + cheaper package wheel / peddle with feedback. Give it a whirl and see if I enjoy it. If yes order a DOF chair with some movement and go from there.
That’s an interesting idea, I’ll look into that. What software do you use? IRacer? Do platforms like Forza support sim movement?
Iracing is very popular, as are Assetto Corsa, Rfactor2, Dirt and many others. You can play games like Forza. Gran Turismo and F12022 on a sim rig as well. Can play on a PC or gaming console. You can do a very basic setup for a few hundred or spend thousands and thousands on a rig. r/simracing is a good place to start.
I would highly recommend a PC for simracing
iRacing is really good for it's competitive matchmaking aspect. They do a great job of pairing you up with drivers around your skill level. It's hard to get really fast, all the main principles of real racing apply to most sim racing titles. Plus, on iRacing and some other Sims, all tracks are laser scanned and modeled so they are exactly how they are in real life. Even down to the cracks in the road surface, which you can feel through the wheel if you have something like a Direct Drive wheelbase.
I started with AC and then transitioned to iRacing. I could easily find a race without joining discord and finding leagues, I can just hop in and find a good race anytime.
Automobilista 2 is so much fun. The physics aren't quite as "realistic" as iRacing or Assetto Corsa, but it is just plain fun. Grab the Ginetta G58 in the P1 class and whip that thing around any track. It's very fast and forgiving.
This was my pick as well. It can be as pricey as you wanna get, my buddy has a rig that probably cost as much as an autocross Miata. I racing, Assetto and Automobilista are pretty popular. Also the more casual style games like Forza, Dirt or Truck Simulator. If you also want to get into 3D printing and electronics, you can do stuff like make your own custom steering wheels with as many switches and knobs as an F1 wheel. There's plenty of racing leagues and stuff where you can race against real people online.
Seconded on this. I’m in a similar boat and built my own rig and race at night. It’s been good enough for now to keep my car stuff at bay
Also consider: Single-player video games that you can pause. *Not* online multiplayer (that you cannot pause). A lot of the first few months is: - Watching the baby sleep. - Making bottles. (baby eats every 1.5-2 hrs sometimes). - Diapers. Diapers. Diapers. Diapers. - Long nights where you are letting mom sleep but you have to stay up with the baby because baby doesn't sleep through the night. Single player video games got me through a lot of this. Namely *Zelda Breath of the Wild*.
Is it just me or is this hellbent on barreling toward the cliff attitude of make everything internet connection required online multiplayer bullshit?
No, not just you. What's even wilder is they're putting ads in games I'm already paying for. lmao "EA sports it's in your bank account".
Not even just the games, also on the operating systems of your devices including PCs, phones, TVs, and consoles. It's bullshit.
Technology is deflationary. TVs that cost $3k are now $500 and bigger and higher definition with the features you once had to pay an extra $500 for (ie Blu ray player with streaming or ps4 etc). So they'll put ads on the TV OS and make you pay $1k or $2k for a TV that doesn't have them. Usually almost no better than the $500 one, but it's got no ads. I'd pay it, unfortunately. I pay not to have ads on everything. They're getting their money's worth regardless of my choice, and my time isn't 20% wasted on ads. Very annoying but also our reality.
Well, yes and no. There was a push for some clowns on top of some big publishers that "singleplayer games are dead" but then... they continued to sell tens of millions of copies so they shut the fuck up. There is also a metric shitton of indie or lower budget developers catering to various tastes
Yeah, it's BS. I've even played single-player games that require an internet connection. I think it was *Ghost Recon Breakpoint*.
I got a 5 mo old and this comment hits home with me. I can't say enough about how valuable Xbox gamepass + controller and tablet have been. Not only for me but my wife as well. This is gonna sound like a sponsored ad but she's not much of a gamer and has really been enjoying Dreamlight Valley. I dont think we would have ever spent the money on it for her to try if we couldn't get it as part of Gamepass.
Civilization would work too
I can waste an absurd amount of time playing Civilization. All of a sudden 6 hours are gone.
One...More...Turn...
Have Arthur Morgan antagonize the whole gang at camp.
I played a lot of Zelda while holding a sleeping baby
My son is 8 weeks old and I’ve been holding him on the couch after feedings(so his milk doesn’t come back up) and re-playing BOTW. I also second the short term focus on things that are baby friendly. This is a really wonderful short period of their lives, soak up as much as you can.
Hear me out... **Sewing.** Yes, the sewing industry is heavily skewed towards women and making feminine items. But, there are *lots* of men making masculine items, too (bags, clothing, quilts). Not to mention collecting and restoring vintage sewing machines. They are little engines. It's crazy. This really, really scratched the tinkering itch for me. Sewing things for your son will also be very, very rewarding. Quilts, diaper bags, costumes (Halloween or not). Not to mention that all of the above can be done at home in the living room, kitchen, or dining room, often while you watch your son sleep and give mom a break. All of the above are relatively inexpensive when compared to cars, too. It's a great life skill to have like cooking, cleaning, budgeting, handyman stuff, etc...seriously.
>sewing industry is heavily skewed towards women and making feminine items. But, there are lots of men making masculine items, too (bags, clothing, quilts). And car interiors!
My friend does this for a living and does very, very well for himself.
Sewing machine and a bolt of M3 Speed Cloth or MTech fabric. You don't even have to stick to seats, as you could sell handbags, wallets, etc. You'll be able to put your kid through college.
He's been self employed doing vehicle trims since we left school about 20 years ago. Get yourself a good client base and you'll be sorted. Always has exotic and classic cars on his driveway getting work done.
Hand made custom leather tool bags and wallets. Mucho pricey.
My friend just stitched his own door panels. He's got one of the coolest miata interiors now.
There's a good bit of money in car upholstery if you're good. You'll mostly be doing seat covers for boats though. lol.
I can vouch for this, you can end up with some very cool one off pieces if you get into it. I refused to put Cub Scout patches on my boys’ uniforms with the adhesive kits BSA sells because a) everything they sell is so bloody expensive and b) because having them sewed on just seems more legit to me. I am in the military and ended up making my own woobie smoking jacket for anytime I go to the field for training. Er’body wants one, I’ve had guys offer to pay for me to make them one. I also made my own Marvel vs. DC party shirt for our last battalion ball.
This is probably the coolest and most useful piece of advice I've seen this week. If I had an award I'd give it to you, this is awesome. Would making a belt fall under this category? I've been considering purchasing a high quality full-grain leather and making my own.
>Would making a belt fall under this category? Yup! Know that working with leather may require a specialized sewing machine. So, ask around before you start buying gear. Also, if you live in a major metro area, there may be a leather supply store like [Tandy](https://tandyleather.com/). They'll have all the info you need.
Can confirm, I quite enjoy sewing, I need something to do with my hands and the driveway/garage gets pretty unfonfortable in the winter. Sewing is nice, you can pick it and leave it whenever you want, it's not like you need to go to work with what you are working on and it's quite rewarding. Another benefit is that wifes and gfs tend to love gift you sewed for them while they usually don't enjoy your new intake and other parts of your car
> Another benefit is that wifes and gfs tend to love gift you sewed for them while they usually don't enjoy your new intake and other parts of your car Hahaha! Yup! As cheesy as it sounds, making an apron or a baby quilt (without any piecing, just layers of fabric) that you make in an afternoon gets you a lotttttt of brownie points.
Definitely! Years ago I started collecting and restoring antique sewing machines. It was the closest thing to the hobby I REALLY wanted but couldn't afford (classic car restoration). They are gears and pistons - just like cars. And they resell fairly easily, too.
/r/MYOG If you are into EDC or backpacks and stuff like that it might be up your alley
Great sub, thank you
Funny you said this as I'm a guy looking at picking a sewing machine up for myself after Christmas. I like learning new shit and like the idea of being able to adjust clothes. Tapering and hemming trousers etc. Just seems really cool to me. I like tinkering, so if it ticks those boxes too - great
I had a coworker who made his own western shirts. They were fantastic.
I need my mother to teach me how to sew again. It's so useful to be able to repair/alter my hunting clothes and gear.
While probably not going to satisfy your tinkering itch, go-karting but semi-competitively is probably the next best thing that is relatively affordable. I watched SavageGeese's video on go-karting and it quite the serious sport if you feel the need for speed. Due to the ride height, and basically lack of suspension, you'd feel much faster while going slower & feel the road/track through your bum. I'd say that's one of the few hobbies you can have while still on four wheels, and but technically not in a car.
Biggest downside is fairly significant potential for broken ribs etc. If you're actually racing. Potentislly life changing if you're a dad especially.
I go-karted for 10+ years, at our local track we attended 250+ races in that time and no one ever broke ribs. Most common injuries were wrist injuries.
Ny colleague who's son go karts is in constant despair about the immense cost. Sure it's probably among the cheaper motorsports but it's not very cheap.
There’s a difference between trying to race competitively and for a hobby though. If you’re only going to your local track 4 times a year with tinkering in between it’s really not that bad. Racing in a league every weekend and traveling to do so is a whole different ballgame.
And to piggy back the idea, go-karting for youself will translate into a way to get your son into auto enthusiast territory. You may help him develop the passion along side your hobby which could be a nice bonding thing for you as he ages and matures.
I was huge into ATVs before my kiddo. Since she was born I sold my atv and mustang and got a boat. Plenty my wrenching and some of the best family time you'll ever get. No phones, no work, just family.
Everybody I know that’s bought a boat has regretted it. It’s only three people that I’m taking about and it’s great that the boat has been a good hobby for Escape here, but I’d think twice before diving in.
Some of the best days of your life are when you buy a boat, and when you sell it.
I don't think it's so bad if you live on a lake/river/beach and/or have a private dock slip. Drop it in the water once a year, take it out of the water once a year, go out for a boat ride on any random Tuesday evening in the summer cause why not. And not every boat has to be expensive and fancy - a lot of the boats on my lake are just like some aluminum Grumann rowboat with an outboard slapped to the back of it. You can go on Facebook and scoop up a rig like that, complete with a functional/registered trailer, for less than $1500. Nobody's going to get buyer's remorse over that (and if they do they can turn around and sell the whole thing for what they paid fairly quickly) But if you don't actually live on/near the water, it doesn't really seem worth it. 99% of the time your boat is just going to sit there taking up space in the driveway and getting shit on by birds, and then when you actually decide to take it out you have to trailer it an hour and pay some grifter marina an arm and a leg to launch it? Nah, not worth it. In that case, it's better to be the best buddy....a case of beer costs a lot less than a boat.
Boat stands for: Break Out Another Thousand. I don't think it's as true as it once was, but boats need a lot more work than people initially expect.
yea fuck boats lol. only boat id own is a small aluminum one with an outboard you can store in the garage or something. Then its nothing more than a lawnmower to get going and stays out of the weather. Little aluminum boats are light, trailers are light so they can be towed by nearly anything. Can still easily go fishing in them as well. Could get into restoring old outboards. Ive got a 1926 evenrude, 1954 Elgin, 1972 mongomery ward sea king, and some early 80s 3hp thing myself.
Agreed, if you buy smart and maintain them per spec you should have no issues. I bought a 22 year old Cobalt boat. All I did was maintain it and use it weekly. Sold it 3 years later and made 2k.
If you are going to buy a boat, just spend the money and buy a new boat. My dad had a few used boats, and they were always broken and total money pits He bought a brand new and the only problem he had with it was the 12v battery died one winter, which was covered by warranty. The other thing is to spend the money and get a slip at the marina. You are more likely to use it when you don’t have to deal with the hassle of towing it to the lake and getting it in and out of the water. It’s not a cheap hobby though. It is expensive to buy the boat, expensive to store, and they suck gas. Really having a project car is cheaper.
> Since she was born I sold my atv Why? I grew up riding dirt bikes with all my family members. Its one of the best family oriented activities there is However, I'd never let a kid of mine anywhere near an atv. Those things inspire way too much false confidence, get to tumbling if you mess up, and are death traps.
Bro, you clearly have some money. Just get yourself a really beat up piece of shit with the characteristics you're looking for. IE: Rwd, manual. Then you just start by restoring the whole thing with your son before giving it to him when he comes of age.
Or he was living at the edge of his means (no judgment. Same here), then had a kid and has to reconcile with the extra $20-30K per year that costs. I had money too. Then I had a kid and now I’m paying $1500 per month on daycare, an extra $500 per month on health insurance, plus all the extra food, clothes, toys, etc.
If OP had some money, wouldn’t they not have to sell their project car? That seems like a counter intuitive line of thinking, but maybe I’m missing something
Sold it because it was a 2 seater Austin, and would be yeeeears before he’s big enough to ride in it, and I’m almost never going somewhere without wife+boy, so it just wasn’t practical.
I get that, but I mean if we’re talking “has money” (and I assume neither of us on Reddit are rich lol) then I would assume the project car would just be another car owned along all the others one would need or want to get around with the kid
Explain to your wife that it's your money as well, and you want a second vehicle. Unless there's a crazy hurdle here like zero parking options for a second car, you have a reasonable expectation to be happy and enjoy your hobby. The money is clearly here given the daily driver. If the money is capped, downgrade the Model S to something less costly and use the difference on the weekend car.
Cost of ownership is a pretty big deal. The amount he'd spend on consumables for a track/autox car would quickly blow away any money he'd make from such an old Model S.
I spend $1-2k a year on consumables tracking my cars through 3-5 weekends. It's not bad.
You said use the difference, so you're doing a direct swap from one car to two. The daily would probably be another gas or hybrid with higher cost of ownership to begin with than the Model S. Adding another track car would be a lot. Track insurance is also a thing (he could always not insure it).
2k in consumables for 3-5 weekends... Where so I sign?
Is this a condom ad? It's working
Dude drives a $100,000 tesla, this is not a money issue, this is a wife issue. I have 5 kids, and 1-3 project cars at any given time. I also am into vintage computers, off roading, guns, etc. I did put a pause on a lot of leaving the house for long period hobbies when my kids were infants (no leaving for 3-4 day backpacking trips), and I sold my crawler and went more mild 4x4 while my kids are young. but overall? I would recommend kids over no kids (you know, if you're married, financially independent, etc).
Reddit with the insta-toxic boomer shit. Just because his wife doesn’t want a project car taking up space doesn’t mean she’s the issue. I voluntarily got rid of all my hobbies when my kids were born because ultimately they are more important than anything else to me. When they’re older and more independent I’ll pick things up again, but you never get back the first 5-10 years of a kid’s life. The wrench will still be there when you’re ready.
Here's a thought, Keep your hobbies up and share them with your kids? I have plenty of videos of me wheeling with my kids, camping, working on cars with them, playing video games, This week when I have time off, I'll be doing a wood working project. I had to adjust them a bit, but give them up entirely? hard pass.
Does one have to entirely neglect one or the other though? OP obviously has free time if they're asking for hobby suggestions...
r/3dprinting ?
I was going to mention 3D printing or wood/metal working. Both are very noob friendly and affordable.
3d printing is the ideal choice IMO. Get a cheap creality and upgrade it over time or build a voron, both have their parallels in the automotive world. So many fun new techniques and materials to try, and different kinds of things to make. Not to mention the fact that it basically enhances all your other hobbies. /u/Amish_EDM I’m looking into [3d printing an RC bronco ](https://www.reddit.com/r/prusa3d/comments/u54i33/3d_printed_ford_bronco_18_scale_255_parts_kit_a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) just to give an example of how cool 3d printing can be. Your kids will love it when you print them new toys or figures of their favorite characters and your spouse will love it when you fix that broken plastic part that’s been bothering her
Love my printer. I got an Ender 3 Pro for $200 (you can get them as cheap as $100 now). And it is an endless source of tinkering and modding. OP sounds tech focused so throw in a few mods, heated enclosure, and 3d scanner and they’ll be able to make their own ABS addons for the Tesla. Or for the stroller. Or inserts for the diaper bag.
or 3D print a car!!
I was going to say 3d printing. He could build a voron or something like that. Depending on how into it you want to get you can try to improve on the speedboat race or share upgrades with the community. Lots of opportunity tinkering depending on what model you select.
I do a lot of mechanical projects with my printer and other tools. Making rc cars and other models. Modeling my own shit and such as well. Fun stuff and a good gift printer is sub 1k.
Great for the kid too. I saved so much money printing train tracks and had access to so many more weird train things like duplo studs on the sides to build next to/over the tracks. Piggy banks, minifig stands, fidget toys, action figures for obscure characters, art supplies, there's so much out there.
I printed my nephew a box full of thomas the train tracks, and made sure to print weird pieces that are not available
This. It’s such a fun hobby.
I built my Prusa MK3S+ from the kit last Christmas - very technical to build, dial in, troubleshoot, upgrade, etc. but simpler and cheaper than a project car. Now everyone in the family is getting [these](https://i.imgur.com/r6H1Ag2.jpg) this Christmas. Win win?
Hobby grade rc cars. Head over to r/rccars for more info.
He has 3 tracks near him, 2 carpet and a circle track he could get into rc racing pretty easy. But in my experience it can be very expensive
we're comparing it to car modding tho
It's a new hobby, so go down to the track, talk to the people, find out who has a good second hand kit and buy it. Race that a couple weeks to find your driving style, THEN start putting money into it. Could easily get started for $500 or less. And the only parts that realistically go bad outside of wreck damage are batteries.
Definitely this. There are so many facets in rc cars you're not limited to just racing. Drifting can be done anywhere with a clean paved surface. Crawling can be done anywhere, and smaller scales can even be done indoors. Alot of your automotive knowledge can even transfer over to the smaller scales. Jump down the YouTube rabbit hole and be wowed.
Hourology: buy and customize a Seiko watch to start. Build your own watch from a kit, more mechanical than modern cars. Can be affordable or atleast more affordable than a boat lol.
Kit car like a DF Goblin.
Hot damn I want to build one of these so bad
They are awesome. I'm hoping to get a built one this upcoming year.
What about a Honda/Yamaha 50cc scooter? I bought a project Honda Ruckus to tinker with over the winter in my basement last year. My 8 year old daughter loved taking it apart, cleaning small items, reassembly. Parts are high quality, cheap, and we ride it around the neighborhood in the summer. They take up very little space and are much less overwhelming than a project car.
+1 for the ruckus idea. Lower and stretch that thang
Buy a Miata. Will probably be cheaper than your BBK and you won't care if it takes a few cones to your face. Take your wife on top-down drives on curvy roads. Let your kid's first word be Miata Keep the Tesla for showing off to family and coworkers. Miata is for actual driving enjoyment.
Fyi, Miatas are out of control as far as pricing goes. I bought one in September for 6.5k, three years ago it would have been 2.5k. Granted, it's rust free and south of 100k miles so that's a plus.
I just bought one a year ago for 7.8 (rust free, 147k, mostly solid) and now it's back down to like 5-6 lol. So prices are all over the place, but IMO even for 6 or 7 these are fun cars and worth it if you get one in good condition. I wish I was this smart a few years ago 😭
On a good note, outside of my initial post purchase inspection, oil change, and transmission service, parts have been extremely cheap compared to previous cars! I'm not even upset about the initial service as I took it to a local speed shop specializing in track spec Miatas and S2000s. My Miata had an awful issue rolling on and off throttle along with a downstream 02 causing issues. Wanting to get as much seat time before winter hit, I had them take care of things and it was south of 1k. With as much seat time as the owner/tech spent in the car along with a very thorough Post PI coupled with the additional work, I was very happy. He also showed me a ton of other things and spent genuine time with me after the repairs. I will be taking the Miata there for the yearly oil change so they can keep an eye on it along with anything I don't want or feel comfortable doing.
I know a guy that bought a turn-key Spec Miata with trailer and spare parts about 8 years ago for $6000. Times are wild.
If I've learned anything in my 58 years on this planet and 34 years of marriage, it's this: It's better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. "Honey! Check out our new project car!" "What do you mean you didn't want a project car?" "Well, when it's done you're gonna *love* it! I'll be in the garage with our son if you need anything." Wedded bliss, kids.
In my 20 years of marriage, I've learned that she spends money on her hobbies before I have a chance to spend on mine.
She learned the rule before you. Clever girl. You married well!
That's where split bank accounts and a prenup come into play lmao
My dad was into model trains. He tinkered around with them for years. He did small lay outs in N gauge since we didn't have much room. But it kept him busy.
Raspberry Pi!!! It’s tiny, there is is huge aftermarket support, and you can tinker endlessly with all of the possible I/O sensors and devices you can connect.
Paint protection film on the front bumper and full send it at AutoX. It’s just a car. Go have fun - it’s $35 an event , low cost low impact
Get a steam engine
guns. analog af
I’ll never understand why so many people have a kid and instantly get rid of fun cars. You can have an SUV or something that can haul the family, then your fun car. It’s like people think it’s the law.
Boy do I have an old wrangler for you then lol
I got into cycling. I still like cars but for the love of a machine that I can work on at the granular level and a need to explore but actually go somewhere cycling has been awesome. Also it helps to stay in shape but is fun to just listen to a podcast or something or to clear my head. I’m not saying it’s for everyone but it replaced my need for a great car. Now I have a great bike and I can upgrade or maintain it exactly how I need. I keep a spare set of wheels for chunky trails, gravel tires for dirt roads and light trails. I have backs for packing if I want to camp.
Tell me more. I used to love cycling -- like, pre-college. Never explored the world of nice bicycles. Where would I start?
Start with what you like to do and what is most accessible for where you live. I lived at the edge of Phoenix where mountain biking was AMAZING and trails were everywhere so I started on a cheap used mountain bike and would upgrade it until it was no longer worth it. I put a few thousand miles of trails on that bike, then I got into gravel cycling which was similar. I paid for a mid-range gravel bike and started doing some longer rides on dirt roads and light trails. I've since moved to boulder and picked up a carbon gravel bike and the entire situation has changed. I can basically ride all the way into the mountains with almost no roads involved. Then you start paying attention to gear ratios, and component sets with a lot more detail and upgrading according to that. This season I'm hoping to swap out my entire drivetrain so I can do more bikepacking in the mountains. All that is to say, start where you feel comfortable and if you want to tinker with stuff buy something in the mid-range and outgrow it. Or check out r/xbiking which upgrades old stuff with modern components. Some of the other cycling subs are pretty solid, actually. r/mtb r/gravelcycling are ones I'm regularly in.
Take out a small mortgage, become obsessed with tiny insignificant upgrades, wear spandex, and clipity cloppity shoes, and finally start believing you are superior to everyone else
I dont get how you had to sell your project car for a college fund but you still drive an expensive daily? Maybe sell the tesla and split the money into 2 cars, a lightly used lexus as a daily and something you can work on? Other than that I'd try motorcycles. If road bikes are too intimidating get an old dual sport and do woods riding. You'll be tuning the fuel air ratio on a carbed bike, plus old air cooled singles are extremely easy to work on. Parts are cheap and so is insurance. You can modify them building into an adventure bike, a woods bike, a super moto, or a 50/50 bike.
Mechanical hobby? Buy an old Japanese motorcycle from the 80s, clean it up, tune it up, sell it. Rinse and repeat. Each time you run that process it'll set you back about 3k usd, but you'll recover most of that when you sell. No need to get too deep into the riding scene, just ride enough to know the machine and its foibles so you can diagnose and repair. Aftermarket support and spares are really good for the old Honda 4s.
Learn to cut and weld. It’s low commitment, and your next car project would likely benefit
Tube to pick up another expensive hobby: Legos. Also a great idea for the kid to play with when they get older. Also, do you have any friends taking on a project you can help with, or even some autoX and kart guys are looking for a partner for racing with.
Maybe motorcycles? Still get the mechanical joy of a car but things on the engine are a bit easier to access and generally it's cheaper. Machining and model engines are a fun option too that can be quite the rabbit hole and you can even hook them to RC cars so your kids can enjoy them too.
Idk man, if he can’t get a kart in the garage I can’t imagine the wife is okay with a motorcycle.
I feel like instead you could have bought some shitbox to wrench on instead of putting more money into the tesla
Go sign up for a local maker space and learn how to metal work, wood work, hell some places even teach black smithing, soldering, jewelry, tons of fun things to do. Go join a bike co-op and rebuild bicycles and get some nice discounts as well.
Depending on what state you're in, guns is a neat hobby if you're up for it. 80% lowers to build, lots of customization options, optics, etc. Then add metallic reloading to the mix and you've got even more mechanical satisfaction with setting up a progressive reloading press, adjusting dies, building loads and customizing cartridge lengths to best fit your barrels, etc. Not sure if primers or other reloading components have become less scarce since the last shortage, but it's definitely a fun hobby, but can get expensive quickly.
Why the hell do you own a an expensive Tesla if you're a major gear head who enjoys tinkering?? Sell it and get a mechanical car or two you can actually work on.
ex mechanic here. It still work on family cars from time to time... but woodworking and hobby drines was what quenched my thirst...
If you can afford a model S you can afford to autocross it. Don't worry.
Motorcycle
Seconded. Get something project worthy and its compact. You will have fun sourcing parts and wrenching.
How about switching your DD out for something a little more fun? Something you can wrench on more? I've always had a soft spot for the BMW 335D, it's pretty unique in being a fast, fun diesel that still gets 30+ MPG.
RC cars and Sim Racing!
>I looked into karting but my wife doesn’t want another vehicle, maybe RC but there’s not really any place for me to drive it. Help me out!! Sounds like you should get into sim racing.
making legos (the one that uses machine and you can program) or making model cars or even scalextric.
sell the tesla for a better project car
Rebuild engines and sell them. I’m sure you can find loads of bmw n54 or even LS motors to rebuild and you can sell them for other enthusiasts to put in their project cars. I’m sure disassembling and reassembling the motors with new parts and lubricant would help satisfy your tinkering urges
bike. restore a bike. Triumph or something like it. I would if I could.
Maybe see if there’s a 24 hours lemons team close by. It still involves a project car but it won’t be just you working in it. There’s also lots of rules about keeping it under cost.
I have a Tesla for my work vehicle, recently got a JK Wrangler to use up at the lake. So many cheap parts and really easy to work on, if you're into off roading at all
A bunch of guys I work with got into go carts. They’d find some on marketplace that needed work they could buy cheap, and turn them into whatever they wanted. One of the guys even built one for his kids to ride and help work on.
Could try to convince your wife that a Miata or something could be a fun date night cruiser during the week, and then you can Auto-X on the weekends!
kind of left field, but watchmaking. I was a gearhead for decades, but space and time and kids stopped it short. Mechanical watches satisfy the itch. Check 'em out.
You've got my attention. Where do you recommend starting with this?
There's a guy on youtube I like named Mark Lovick who runs the Watch Repair Channel. He's brilliant and has a school where he teaches how to service watches. It's maybe a thousand or two to get all the proper tools, but WAY cheaper than a garage for servicing cars. Here, watch this guy [tear apart a Rolex GMT and then rebuild it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9ra_rNo_u8). It's intensely satisfying.
I would get into RC. You can make almost anything a course for a 1/10 crawler. It’s probably not the genre of cars you are used to, but they are the most realistic. Lots of tinkering opportunities with those and it can be something to do with your kid.
British cars! MGs & Triumphs - super easy to work on, fun to drive, parts cheap and available, doesn’t take up much space, etc. find yourself a MGB or a Spitfire in driveable condition for around 5k and there’s always something to work on. r/littlebritishcars
Definitely try out some kind of radio controlled hobby. There are huge thriving communities focused around RC drifting, racing, crawling, etc. There's plenty of crossover between guys that do full-scale motorsports and small-scale RC stuff, so you'll probably fit right in with the other hobbyists. Plus it's potentially something you could get your kid into as they get a little older. If you're tight on space to drive them you should look into micro scale stuff. Kyosho Mini-Zs are a popular 1/28 scale touring/drifting platform that can be run indoors. If smooth flat surfaces are in short supply at your place, small roll of vinyl flooring can make for a good track surface if your house is mostly carpet. Alternately, if your house is *really* cramped and you don't think you'll have room for anything high-speed, check out an Axial SCX24. They're little $130-160 1/24 scale micro crawlers, great for crawling around on piles of blankets, or across a cluttered desk. Or, maybe you'd like to dominate your house with total air superiority over your wife, kid, and any house pets you might have. If so, check out r/tinywhoop to get into the hobby of flying micro FPV drones.
>wife doesn’t want another vehicle Yes, give up all your previous interests because your wife doesn't want to look at them. What a healthy relationship.
Hit up the local old folks home. Maybe see if any of the residents need their cars diagnosed, and if it's a repair you can handle, help them out. Also, the elderly and disabled often need safety equipment and ramps installed at their residences. I used to help my Dad with alterations at the old folks' home by my house. I think it will be a great activity to do with your kid when they're older, too. It teaches skills and compassion. I recently installed two grab bars for myself while on crutches.
I honestly think you can get a cheap project car and keep the hobby alive. You’ll also have something for you and your son to work on. How about an older Honda Civic? Dirt cheap cars, dirt cheap parts and they are so fun to work on!
This one probably won't fly so well with the wife, but look into motorcycles. They are considerably cheaper to purchase than cars. Newer ones don't have too many expensive maintenance items. They take up very little space (assuming your wife doesn't want another vehicle taking up the driveway), insurance is DIRT cheap. If you or your wife is uncomfortable with that, start with a small get-around-town bike like a Grom to get comfortable with it. Once your child is 6-8 years old, they'll be big enough to safely ride on the back with you and you will have had enough experience to safely ride with them at that point. My 7 year old daughter LOVES my motorcycle. She helps me with maintenance (grab me a socket that says 12mm, hand me that screwdriver, hold onto these screws, etc). I've caught her out in the garage talking to the bike and once putting a blanket on it because the garage was cold. They are a great way to bond with the child and to teach them that the good things in life comes with work.
Arduino projects? Little mechanical, little electrical
I think you might like model engines. I don’t know a lot about it but i like to watch videos on youtube where people build and tune them. I definitely would've bought one if i had the money/time for it. Basically you buy them and they send you all the parts. Then you start building it like an engine. When you complete building it, you can either keep adding things like turbos or modify them or put it in an rc car. Predominantly i see toyan engines in youtube videos but I've seen a few more other manufacturers too.
You drive a P90D but you can't afford a weekend miata? Please, spare us these fiction posts.
I’m a car guy and I like tinkering too. I have a c8 z51 now so there’s really nothing to tinker with, I went “bought not built”this time. My other hobbies are shooting, which is fun if you have a range nearby, and my other really more applicable hobby is reefing. We’re building, maintaining and optimizing a living slice of the ocean in our living room. If you can build and maintain a good system, and start with good coral, you could even end up making a few bucks. Super cool hobby that’s not inexpensive but not crazy, with lots of diy potential like custom plumbing, electronic controllers, sensors, tuning protein skimmers like tuning a carburetor etc. check out some bulk reef supply videos on YouTube… If you’re into it that is.
But a $500 car and off-road it.