Dishonesty

[gtjames]

Have you ever been dishonest with your significant other about buying or selling Opel related items? Or Am I the only one feeling guilty?

1) Always
2) Often
3) Sometimes
4) Rarely
5) Never

[spdkilz02]

does this poll have anything to do with the things u bought from me?

[gtjames]

Maybe a little It's time to come clean.

[jeff denton]

Good one, James! I get to be the first one to vote "never" and if you take that vote seriously you are as gullible as anyone who would marry a stock car racer.
You are now required to explain, just what the heck is going on that made you think this one up?
I wanna make a bet. This thread will get so spaghetti, be lots of fun, get into stories from way back and end up in the greatest hits album.
Here. Try this one. "Uh, honey, we can get the dishwasher fixed good as new AND get all new valves and springs and retainers from OGTS on the credit card for a LOT less than Home Depot wants for this dumb new built-in GE copycat with the automatic spot free rinse cycle...."

[gtjames]

I suppose the first step to solving a problem is admitting there's a problem. I have been buying one thing after another for a GT I have only driven on and off a trailer. All of it truthful until I bought the high compression pistons. So I misplaced a decimal point when I shared the great news with the Mrs's. It was an honest mistake, right? She has been way too cool about everything up to this point and I doubt she will divorce me over it. It surely isn't worth the guilt. Tonight I will break her the news. If you notice that I haven't signed onto this site for awhile, please, send the paramedics.

[heimue]

I could honestly vote for "Never". I would never be dishonest to my wife, the thing is just that I don't tell her everything...

Dieter

[Rose]

Bwahahahaha.......wait a minute.....does this mean I will never be able to trust a man who is into opels? Thanks for the heads up

[GTJIM]

Originally Posted by Rose Bwahahahaha.......wait a minute.....does this mean I will never be able to trust a man who is into opels? Thanks for the heads up

All men who are into Opels are completely worthy of trust - except when it comes to ... Opels! Not sure about the Ladys yet ..........
Trust Me!

[jeff denton]

Yeah. Never ever try to budget any hobby. Budget the important things like where you sleep and what you drive to work and what you eat for the month but never put a price tag on what you do for fun. Or you'll make it no fun. Do what you can. Or can what you do. A fellow Opel racer got real mad at me last time I suggested fishing from the bank if you can't fish from a fast boat. It sucks when life is all about money. If marriage is about money you had problems the minute you met your next ex-wife. My wife loves Opels about as much as I love horses and guess who runs the s*#t shovel and wheelbarrow and then guess who roots the loudest for #00 on the racetrack?
Team effort. That's marriage.
My wife runs the books here, she is a pro. She has the decimal points figured out and makes income meet the credit card bills and can get real fussy about any irregularity in spending habits regarding hobby vs. reality.
I don't think she'd divorce me if I bought a new engine for my Opel but she would certainly adjust the grocery budget to exclude anything that fits in my lunchbox... Something has to give, ya know.
Show your honey this thread while it's still civil and have a good talk about it in the nude with the lights off.
Happy Easter!

[Dirk]

Originally Posted by jeff denton I don't think she'd divorce me if I bought a new engine for my Opel but she would certainly adjust the grocery budget to exclude anything that fits in my lunchbox... Something has to give, ya know.

Nod, the sound system in my buick was worth the 2 weeks of top ramen tho.
It was harder to stop smoking than it was to stop eating

[Rose]

Trust Me!

This can't be good.........

[73OpelMan]

Well I cannot say my significant other is my wife but she is a girlfriend of close to a year. (She holds my credit and debit card just so I cannot spend). I have before lied to my girlfriend and even worse my mother (Im 18) about how much a part costs *Cough Carburetor Cough* *Cough Alternator Cough*.

But hey everyone Sins every once and awhile. It is a fact of life. Lets jsut hope the people you sind to do not find out. hehe

Spencer

[kndlindsey]

I haven't lied about what opel stuff costs and probably never will. Dave has a very very good idea about what things cost and SHOULD cost and I don't. So any purchases I run by him first to see if it's a good price.

Plus, he is the one that told me that I would have no problem spending $1000 on a nice set of wheels, that's wheels only, no tires. He appreciates cars and thinks you should buy the best where it's needed.

We also have always had a policy of clearing major purchases with each other. I nearly never tell him no, but he has told me no a lot of times, with gardening/household items. He hasn't told me no yet, in fact I said I didn't want to buy the Gtt and he MADE me.

We were at the parts store yesterday and he said to me "how come we never had money for my car but now that YOU have a car we have lots of money for it?"

He is getting a new interior for his Chevelle next weekend. bucket seats, a new rear seat, new upholstery on all, carpet, etc. for $500. Course he has a lot more coming because in the last few months i have spent about $4k on my 3 opels and parts, etc.

[okiejohn]

well I can say no as I am single. but I have definitely gotten carried away a time or two.........ok or three. as long as the important things in life are covered I guess its ok to occasionaly go oops I get paid again when.

[jmbinjax]

Fortunately, I usually get home earlier than my wife and I have the opportunity to get the UPS/FedEx/USPS packages b/4 she sees them. I then collapse the boxes and put away the parts - "I don't know how these parts continue to multiply, they must be like rabbits."

[saxybiker]

Our answer is never. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we are mutually addicted to Opels.

Allen says "No, I never have to lie to you about Opels because you buy them all!

However, the disease of "Opelitis" can tend to run rampant when you are both infected and there is no one to say "No".

Vickie & Allen

[kndlindsey]

that will be our problem now. I will never tell him no on the chevelle so that he will never tell me no on the opel. I see a lot of "enabling" and "codependency" in our future

[tunepipe911]

That is a good question,have to be carefull ,what to put here for an answer
internet is a powerfull thing

[gtjames]

Wow...I didn't realize this would be such a good question. It almost feels like a cyber-counseling session. Last night I came clean about the total cost of the pistons (the only item I wasn't completely honest about). I'm glad to get that off my chest. She was shocked. It did take her a moment to speak. But, in the end, she set the limits. "As long as we don't go into dept." And I'm more of a stickler than her about that. I only buy the things I have the money for. Things are nice and peaceful this Easter morning and I was really happy to be able to wake up and read everyones neat experiences. Thanks for everyones honest and dishonest feedback. Happy Easter.

James.

[asdasc]

Yep, I agree! I have never had to lie to my wife about Opel parts. She is pretty supportive. In fact, I am sure she would rather I spend more money on it, and less time on the forum. She wants me to spend my time with her and the kids! This is MY addiction. I barely have time to work on the car, as I am always READING about working on my car.

There is so much to learn here. I thought I knew a lot about Opels before I found this site, after two engine rebuilds, and literally removing every nut and bolt at one time or another on my previous GT's. Boy was I wrong. Stock is easy, but once you start to change things, it effects everything else.

There are maybe a couple things I need to come clean on, mostly the S10 clutch I bought a week or two ago. But I will. I tell her everything, just not always right away!

By the way, I do enjoy time with her and the kids. Why, just yesterday my youngest and I washed the Opel together!

[GT Tim]

I am lucky never had to lie about the price.I just don't always volunteer information.She has been great about this build,that I have changed my direction more than my clothes.She knows it will all be worth it in the end.Then I can buy her one to build and not sell it"I sold the one for her". I had no idea she had even gotten attatched.Thanks Tim

[BQS4]

My wife looks at it this way, the money I have spent on Opels, and I rather do a lot of trading than swapping money, is FAR less than gas, and other bills we HAVE to pay for. Also, she knows it keeps me out of trouble, and keeps me close to home, unless I'm out hunting down parts or bringing cars home. I can also watch the kids in the yard while I work.

[baronbors]

Three greatest lies of men
#1. The check is in the mail
#2. My wife doesn't understand me
#3. Honey- I got a really great deal on my Opel part.
OK - I modified the third one.

[jeff denton]

I use #3 a lot! Getting a great deal on parts (thanks to my friends here) has incredibly offset paying premium prices when we have to go that way.
One of my credit cards is used only for the Opel racing hobby. It lets me go wild when I have to, and it's just a monthly payment. I have found that proper use of credit cards can greatly increase my credit rating. If I was to try to save up cash to feed my addiction, we would never get anywhere. Sometimes when I have to spend cash on the race car, I'll use the checks that credit card companies always send. Sure there is a finance charge and some interest to pay, but that's just how it goes. I gladly pay to play, making a monthly payment makes it totally do-able. When money gets tight and my wife complains about that payment, I have to do some side work (usually boat repair or a fabricating job for someone) to cover it. Luckily there's always plenty to do around here!
Lots of people who don't seem to be able to afford their hobby suffer from what I recently heard called the Latte' Syndrome. It's responsible for pee-ing away a gross amount of money. Think about that $5 a day habit of sipping on a cappucino, add to that $5 a day for a pack of smokes, and $6 per evening for six pack. Do the math, that's $496 a month, that's my trailer house payment!! Any of us would love to put that in the Opel budget instead of down the drain and up in smoke...

[gtjames]

We had the greatest talk about the Opel stuff on the way up to the in-laws this morning for Easter. My wife is one hell of a good woman and boy do I love her dearly. She has some valid concerns about my hobby and the cost of the hobby. But she won't tell me not to do it because she knows it makes me happy. In turn, I do spend as much time possible with them (wife, daughter, and another on the way) good quality time. She would tell you that I'm a great father and husband. I provide for the family in a manner that allows her to be at home with the kids. I know that makes her happy...she tells me so all the time. We are in a position to have a few nice things as long as it doesn't interfere with our family. If anyone else felt a gaint knot in your stomach, like the one I felt, it may be a chance for you and yours to grow together.