Our Two Cents: Truths you learned with your car

In this episode of Our Two Cents, we asked the crew here at Hagerty Media about the one truth they learned while doing something with their car. It can be while working, driving, or maybe even daydreaming about their car.

To wit, I distinctly remember one time in high school with my algebra teacher caught me daydreaming about some sleek, fast, and stunning performance car . . . instead of actually doing my classwork. But quadratic equations haven’t done much for me since then, but my daydreams about cars led to a career here with you wonderful folks. But that’s a little off-topic, so let’s get back to the question:

What’s one truth you learned with your car?

Be patient

For starters, senior editor Eddy Eckart reminds us to not get too caught up in the work and to remember that good things come to those who wait: “Any decent-sized project will always take longer than you think. Patience really is a virtue. If you get stumped, solutions come to you by walking away for an hour/day/week.”

Bite off what you can chew

Smaller bites are usually much better for you. Hagerty Price Guide editor Greg Ingold gives a great follow-up to Eddy’s insight: “Big projects are best done in smaller, manageable bites. Take your time and set small, goals for yourself, which feels good when you hit them. The project will go smoother and be far more rewarding than just diving in without a plan and tiring yourself out physically and mentally. It’s kinda like what Eddy said.”

Your happy place

Executive editor Eric Weiner reminds us all that self-care is a universal notion. No, you may not need a spa day; you may just need to clear your head with a long drive or quality time with like-minded friends: “First off, a day I drive my convertible is almost always better than a day I do not. Secondly, working on my own cars is a lot more enjoyable with the right space, knowledgeable friends to lend a hand, and the right tools. These are two of my happiest places.”

Potential energy has . . . potential?

Community coordinator Eugene Leeds is being a little coy about a suspension modification he once performed on a car, but we can read between the lines: “Springs are easy and safe to change out.”

Avoid compounding interests on a project

Yours truly is all about the compounding effect: If you are trying to multitask, and are unaware of your surroundings (heat exhaustion, for example), you will inevitably make a boneheaded move. This is relevant to driving, too, especially in wheel-to-wheel races.

I can’t tell you how many times I have bought parts from online vendors, psyched myself up for a big project, gotten sidetracked by life, become overheated in the Houston summer, and wound up in a fog that keeps me from my intended accomplishment.

It’s all in your head?

Editor-at-large Aaron Robinson is a master of minimalist wordsmithing: “If it’s hard, you’re probably doing it wrong.”

Time value of money

While “the time value of money” is normally associated with financial investing, editor Kyle Smith wants you to consider the concept when investing effort into your vehicle.

Saving money means spending something else—time or frustration, for example. It is possible to do projects and tasks on the cheap, but in order to save money we forfeit other things that are potentially more valuable. As difficult as it is to convince myself to pay someone to fix something, extra time with family or less stress in my life can be worth the cost. It’s all about perspective.”

I am sure we could come up with even more nuggets of wisdom, had I given the team a bit more time to consider their accomplishments and failures. But since we usually shoot from the hip at Our Two Cents, the only thing that remains is to ask you about the matter at hand. So go ahead and tell us: What’s one truth you learned with your car?

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