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Anyone else get flak from friends/family?

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Twinturbo120

10+ Year Contributor
475
24
Aug 14, 2010
Miami, Florida
I get a lot of flak from friends and family from owning my dsm. Always saying stuff like, they are unreliable, crappy, waste of time and money. Now that I bought a second one, it hits me even harder. Instead of being happy for me, taking part in a hobby I LOVE, they criticize me. Does this happen to anyone else? How do you deal with it? It's funny they criticize me and stuff, but when the boost comes on and the bov vents, they are smiling. Go figure.
 
It happens to me ALL THE TIME.

Hell, we all do it among ourselves, and to ourselves. I just finished a 2.3 forged stroker build, as well as a built transmission, new rear differential, axles, xfer case, new turbo, etc and I joke that it's still going to break down on me. The best thing you can do is honestly just go with it. If they genuinely feel this platform lacks in potential then they are more than likely uninformed, and so any explanation you try and give them will be futile.
 
I have to agree, it's more ignorance than anything. And indeed, when I do explain things, it doesn't make it any better. Just goes right through their mind.
 
Where did they get the idea that somethings gonna break?
most Mitsubishi cars [in general] are vary reliable cars, and I see them, everyday on the roads and freeways, Galants, lancers the 1g, 2g,3g,4g, dsms, 3000gts and the vr4s, monteros, outlanders, pickups, they all are vary reliable cars, its just abuse, that will wear down any car, but if you maintain and drive a Mitsubishi/dsm [in some cases Chrysler imports] normally and you won't need to pay a whole lot to keep it in service and they tend to be cheaper to buy since they are not as overrated [and in some cases inflated LOL] as toyota, honda, and the gm, clone appliance offerings.

I think in this lies an issue, dealers cant really make money on dsms, most car salesmen I have talked to about Mitsubishi think they are garbage.
I see that as a really immature way to look at any car brand in general.

If you want to save money dsms are not always reliable, but if your smart enough to turn your own wrenches and have great mechanical skills, i'm quite sure you won't mind giving a car more time and attention... which in my honest opinion is time better spent, as apposed to sitting next to a person who wishes he had a dsm, and he talks smack about them because he/her has no good skills fixing them, and then goes out and listens to other foolish friends/mechanics who have no skills working on dsms ether to try to further bolster their immature innate suspicions.

This kind of thinking is best surmised in movie quote below.
"Who's more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?"
Star wars: a new hope.
Actor:Sir Alec Guinness -Obi-Wan Kenobi-

LOL that reminds me next time you take your friends out tell them [after they give you guff:argue: about dsms breaking and cheep talk] quote obi wan kenobi and say... well not word for word you should improv it a bit so it fits.
“If you strike me down,I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” :p
 
Thats not the car, that´s our life style.
I´m building my DSM since 2010, and in 2012 I bought a ´98 Nissan 200SX, of course It´s not OEM it is arround 280hp right now and all people keep telling me I´m crazy, and I shouldn´t spend money on old cars etc
Sometimes it is difficult, but then I start my engine, and when the rpm range hits the 4000rpm and my titanium apexi line screams I´m so happy that no one can f*** my day jajajajaja
And imagine the day I go drifting jajajaa the night before I can´t even sleep jajajajaja
We are happy without hurting anyone

That´s our hobbie and our life style, so keep on tuning!!
 
The girlfriend gives me plenty of crap about my 2g she hates the car and calls it a rice burning piece of crap. I gave up trying to change her mind and just tell her she is just jealous of it because I wont let her drive it. As far as my friends that try to give me flak over it they quieted down after they either went for a ride in it or tried to run against it and there v8 was spanked by my 4 cylinder:thumb:
 
there's haters for every category of car. i came from a supercharged mustang gt 91 fox body. built the car myself and to be honest it broke just as much. if it wasnt one thing it was another. oh rear ends trying to leave the car, time to box the control arms. clutch burned out.. time for a new one. stock t-5 tranny took a dump time too upgrade. high performance is just that, with older vehicles. my reasoning is that they are cheap and modding a dsm gives you some of the best bang per buck. i had around 370hp in that mustang but with 10,000 total spent. i pieced together my dsm for under 4000 including price of the car i got it cheap tho. friend of mine was going to scrap it i saw potential in it. that was 2 years ago still my weekend warrior as of today. currently 14b turbo full tank of 112. ecm link with all supporting mods.. and as much boost as that little turbo will throw at it. and as much timing as i can squeeze before i get knock ret. stock 7 bolt with 160k LOL. hasn't blown up yet but wont be suprised when it does. most of my friends all think the same thing. they say junk. but when they hop in the passenger seat they say wow. one friend has a modded speed 3 wont line it up at the strip. he says not fair you have awd. i say.. not my fault. LOL.
 
It depends on what they are giving you flak for. Is it because you have everything in your life in order, and they wonder why you build an old DSM and not a newer nicer car? If that's the case, do what you enjoy and forget what anybody says.

Or is it flak because you are 27 years old with student loan debt, have a part time job, live at home with your parents, and have 15k in a mid 90's Mitsubishi? There is a big difference.
 
well said NosLaser. but not an entirely true statement. there's the in-between.. like in my case, where you have everything you need and are self sustainable, but cant afford to go out and just buy a new boss mustang for a toy. me personally i do cash for my hobbies. and can only afford so much at a time. i have my own life and place. and a hell of a rivalry between friends. LOL one friend has a 86 corvette in my garage. I call it the broken yellow banana turd. (it is a cool build but gotta pick on him.. 327 swap. built engine, ported heads 6sp standard. currently has a busted rear) he calls my gsx the black garbage can. Another friend has a 03 mustang gt he wants to s/c soon. me and my friend tom are going to be putting together a 14b powered mid 90's oldsmobile cutlass soon. ugliest car u ever seen 3.1 v6. have extra turbo parts laying around. im donating to the cause. sleeper is the idea.. but a lotta my friends mentality is v6? ok. v8? ok. diesel? ok. 4 banger? yuck.
 
So, how is his statement the least bit off?
 
Andrew, what you described sounds much more like friendly ribbing.

The OP is describing criticism for building his car, which usually brings into question priorities. If his priorities are in order, then see example one that I posted. If not, we all now know why he is getting criticism.
 
I have got a little in the past, particularly when I had some health problems and decided to sell my Honda that ran and keep my Eclipse that didnt. Why? I couldnt work anyways, so why keep a 700 dollar replaceable car that I can do without for awhile? Its hard to find a car as clean as mine around here. 8/10 I look at have strut tower rust, wheelwell rust, or both. Or some other sort of egregious problem. I didnt work hard to find this car just to piss it away for a few dollars. It means more than that to me.
 
My girl friend teases me about it.
"the bi*** in the garage"
She doesn't really mind though.

A couple guys at work poke me every now and again. Those guys are the bolt on a cold air intake and cat back Pwow! performance type of guys. Are you saying pow or wow? Pwow!
I did get some pleasure when we were in the fire protection room that has a big turbo diesel fire pump and they are eww and ahhing at it and I say "man I still want to steal that turbo on there. (it's an hx40) and they start teasing how it wouldn't work, diesel, 5.9 liter and yours is a 4 banger roll eyes and snickering at me. Then I tell them "well thats the exact turbo I have on my car." yep surprise and silence.

Since then when they get an import car they come to me for answers on performance. ha ha
 
My girlfriend is the only one who really gives me shit for it. She thinks it's very immature saying stuff like "are you a teenager trying to fix up your car?" God that pisses me off. I try to explain that even grown men like to build/work on cars, but it just falls on deaf ears.

I've had my uncle and a neighbor say a couple one-off remarks about it being a waste of money...some people just don't understand.

I think if I quit using it as my daily driver, they would view it as more of a hobby.
 
People who talk shit are usually bitter ex-DSM owners of one color or another. I personally don't GAF. Everyone's shit stinks. That or they are just ignorant. As it's been explained before, DSMs were kings for years, especially on the street. When they finally started falling by the wayside to hackjobbers and ricers, all those years on the top breeds resentment.
 
The way I see it is ya it may be 20 some years old and it no 2014 corvette but my car dose not cost 60,000 and its way more fun plus there is nothing like pissing off the v8 guys when you smoke them in a race. yes maybe they think I wasted my time putting countless hours in my car but you know what I feel my more pride in my car knowing that I work on it and put that many hours it rather then just going out and buying a new car. plus it just a dsm thing I don't expect them to understand any ways.:thumb:
 
Just remember always build your car for YOU, not someone else. There is a huge community of people in the DSM world and that really makes it worth it to me. I've been frustrated before too, I've had the craigslist ad typed up and ready to post but something always drags me back, I guess you can call it the dsm bug. These cars are a dying breed and I'm happy there's so many people that share my passion for it. Any highly modified car is going to lose its reliability it's called the mod bug and we all have it. But when you beat the doors off a 25k STI with and 2500 dollar DSM, that's what makes it worth it to me:rocks:
 
My wife told me the other day that if she ever came home from work or wherever and found my under my car dead from a jack stand mishap or anything of the nature, she'd be okay knowing I died doing something I loved.

I think she understands.
 
Does this happen to anyone else?

Rarely. Any time someone says something bad about my DSMs, its just playful joking.

My family loves that I have a hobby I can be proud of and are always happy to hear about my latest DSM adventure.
Friends are into all kinds of cars: one guy is a jeep/4x4 fanatic, my neighbor is big time into his old Nova, another friend is all about his two SUVs and big wheels and sound systems. All my rallyx friends love Subarus and Evos.
My g/f has wanted an Eagle Talon since high school, so no problem there.

It's funny they criticize me and stuff, but when the boost comes on and the bov vents, they are smiling. Go figure.

All right, I'll figure. I figure this statement negates what you said in the first part of your post.
 
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I get nothing but support. Have owned my 98 gsx for about 8 months. My friends all say they wish they had one. My wife loves it. My kids call it turbo and love it. Ive been savin up for a paint job. My step mom said your car is so cool id like to get it painted for you. Just call it a bday present from me. Now thats love people. I cant believe you get hated on for it. Only haters ive had at all are honda owners trying to downplay the cars power and potential.
 
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