Welcome to Car Idiots Forever®!
Hi, I’m Bernie Golias, Chief Car Idiot.
Once upon a time (back in 2014), my wife Sara and I were talking about a few recent car events we had attended and a gathering we had recently held in our home. While car-collecting friends and I were out in the garage ogling my latest authentic Winton restoration discoveries, the wives were inside our home, sharing experiences they have gone through with their husbands.
“You guys all seem to have some sort of compulsive behavior issues concerning personal collecting habits and the car hobby,” Sara teased.
She told about the woman whose husband brought a Ford Model A into their house and parked it in the family room for over twenty years! Not surprisingly, the car was decorated for Christmas and other major holidays.
Another wife commented that her husband had just taken her to a car show for her birthday. “What?” Sara said. “No present, no dinner, no nothing?” The car show, the man seemed to think, was present enough.
Sara went on to say, “They’re all Car Idiots, if you ask me.” I couldn’t stop laughing . . . until I thought about my own mental wellbeing. I have, after all, been in love with a Winton for most of my adult life.
Then, I thought to myself . . . hmmm, there’s something more about the relationship aspects of this collecting hobby than meets the eye or is exposed outright at a cruisin’ or around a table over coffee.
Fast forward to Car Idiots Forever® . . . a website, YouTube series and Facebook page that embrace this term of endearment for those who are passionate about cars. Or, more accurately, passionately obsessive. Through interviews, blogs, videos and lots of laughs, we tell the stories of collectors and the vehicles they love.
To be considered a Car Idiot is not derogatory at all. It is a badge of honor among those who share the same passion.
It is amazing that so many people are hooked on car collecting, and the relationship aspects interweaved with this hobby are fascinating. How many colorful stories that could have been shared with the many like-minded collectors have been squashed over the years to protect their marriages or to simply avoid the embarrassment of the lack of control when the bug to collect bites? (If you’re reading this and shaking your head, you know what I mean.)
It’s time for us to step out into the headlights and embrace our Car Idiocy! Learn the terms of your obsession, like:
Ability Index: The desire to show off at an auction. A My-Dad’s-Bigger-Than-Your-Dad mentality. Usually measured by the amount of funds dispersed.
Lag Effort: The purchase of items associated with the individual’s choice of vehicle that fills the time between the acquisition of another auto. These purchases often fit within a desirable marque, make, and model, usually germane to or associated with the main item or vehicle (e.g., oil cans, signs, models, and literature).
Share your stories, brag about your hard-won finds, show off pictures of your most favorite vehicles. We are a haven where car collectors can laugh about and develop their sometimes-inexplicable passion.
Featured are tongue-in-cheek discussions with self-proclaimed psych-auto-analyst Dr. Oedipus Redline, who explores the psyches of car collectors and their subsequent relationships. Interviews with avid collectors tell amazing and fun stories of the When, Where and How of their obsession. There are featured local auto shows, useful links to auto clubs and other car collecting-related resources, and a merchandise page where you can download Dr. Redline’s new eBook, Car Idiocy: The Ultimate Guide.
Visit caridiotsforever.com to laugh . . . stay to share and to learn. You can watch Dr. Redline on the Car Idiots Forever™ YouTube series, the website at caridiotsforever.com, and the Car Idiots Forever® Facebook page.
As we visit and learn about car collecting, Car Idiots Forever® intends to educate our community while exploring the relationships and connections that continuously feed our enthusiasm.
Again, welcome!