Vipers and Marriage

[Wild Bill]

Guess it's time for my .02 worth. Marriage is a joint effort, both parties giving at times and both parties being aware of what makes the other happy. But the biggest key is communication!!! If you are concerned maybe you should ask her what she thinks the long term future is with your car instead of asking us?

My wife told me (and I quote) "why don't you sell some of those sh*tty stocks and buy something you have wanted for a long time. The last time I looked you couldn't take it with you"

I promised her the car of her choice within 2 years, at that time it was a Lexus, after she drove the Viper now it is a yellow Viper!

I was 34 when I got married, we have one child and I wouldn't trade my memories for all the Vipers in the world.

Congratulations and I wish you many years of happiness.

Bill

 

[snowmann]

Here is the bottom line, if you make six figures you can probably keep the Viper. Otherwise kiss it good-bye.

 

[Jeff Torrey]

"I gave her my heart, but she wanted my soul...". If you think she will have a problem with the car further down the road, you better have a conversation. Many young women have an idealistic view the perfect man, spend years trying to change their man for the better. Instead of appreciating you for who you are. Be carefull

 

[FranciscoR.]

Does that really happen "more often then not"...?

 

[Gerald Levin]

Here is the bottom line, if you make six figures you can probably keep the Viper. Otherwise kiss it good-bye.

And don't forget to kiss that sex life behind also. Women can only pretend for so long, so don't expect much after the honeymoon ends!

 

[Torquemonster]

My my this has been a very interesting thread!!!!

I've laughed,

I've been inspired,

I've been shocked

I've got big eyes like that kid who crapped himself at some of the comments - that post by Big Medicine was amazing!!! Man I can relate some of that to my past!!!

I'm glad I'm not the only one to finally find a decent woman - I'm onto my 3rd - but finally found a keeper!!! She's wonderful, and as far as the Viper goes - she's right behind my upcoming twin turbo project - all she wants is a really good 69.


Mustang that is! what were you perverts thinking?!

The last one was a predator - one of those that wins your heart then rips it out, drops it in a blender and hits full power - only with tears instead of malice - she put her own heart in the blender too - self destructive stuff I'll never understand.

The first was ...well she just loved me as much as she loved herself....

yeah - she hated me! 20 years of eating wet cardboard - well, that was about the excitement level. Sex would have been more engaging with a blow up doll.... not that'd I'd know of course

Ok - we've heard from the men - but....

Women do need constant reassurance of love - and guys being macho find that hard to deliver - they think a slap on the butt and not farting under the covers while holding their girls head under there is all the evidence a girl could need of their undying love.

If a guy is willing to humble themselves and forget the macho bullsh!t on a regular basis - look her in the eye and listen to her, and talk to her about the deeper things and your relationship - a good woman will give you everything she 's got - a woman is a giver - and men need to learn not to take that for granted... that's the other side of the story!!!

I love my wife and I love my kids - all 5!

Best wishes Gary!

 

[REMIX]

If it was between my girl and my toys...well, I'm sure gonna miss her!

REMIX

 

[HOGDEALER]

One of lifes observations:

"Men marry women hoping that they will never change - Women marry men hoping the will."

Doomed from the get go!!

 

[Scorch]

Hey Garo, don't let them scare you. I've been married twenty five years and it couldn't be better. Yes, it has to be the right woman. Yes, it's a lot of work at times. If you marry someone you truly love, putting in the extra effort to get through the hard times won’t be that tough. She has to accept you for who you are and visa versa. Marriage is two people living as one. You should have individual interests and common interests. Hopefully the Viper will be a common interest. I meet some of the happiest couples I've ever known at car shows.

As someone else said, communication is the key to a successful marriage. I couldn’t agree more. This is a hard one for most men. Trust me, learn to communicate with your fiance (and I don't mean talking about the weather). It will pay dividends you didn't know existed.

Another statement I absolutely agree with, if you have kids, remember who the parents are. You and your wife run the house, not them.

As for the sex, it only gets better (if you’re doing it right).

If you feel that she is the right one, go for it. If not, get out now!

As for me; Married at 21, bought first Viper at 45. Already talking about the second.

 

[snakebitdave]

My four kids, 19,26,30,33 have been and are one of the greatest joys of my life. Second only to my wife of 36 years who doesn't give a hoot about cars but loves me to death and never complains about my cars. My faimily is a treasure, my cars will rust and fade away. Anyway, a plug for marriage!

 

[OutThere]

Wild Bill has a good one.

"My wife told me (and I quote) "why don't you sell some of those sh*tty stocks and buy something you have wanted for a long time. The last time I looked you couldn't take it with you"

I credit my Viper with saving me 1000s & 1000s of $$$. I sold the better part of my then portfolio to buy it. And everyone, everyone told me I was crazy. That was NASDAQ about 4,200. They are all driving Ford Focus class now....

They are also mostly married... brrrrrr. Say it ain't so!!

 

[jimandela]

garolittle,
My yellow brother.. Congrats!! Get married but #3 is a big issue.
it will change everything!!!

I purchased my dream car (yellow viper) when my son was very young, and now he is 4yrs my
daughter 2. And nothing (viper included) means more to me than them. At the end of the day
there smiling little faces make it all worthwild.

The wifey likes that the car made me happy, i did try to sell it (the car) last year, she said keep it at least
another year, the sale of the car was my idea not hers, and someday i will probably own one
again, after college is paid for of the kiddies of course.

why sell the car, for the kids and yes the wife. So, that they can have everything i didn't have as a kid.
a huge house, a huge parklike yard and a Dad that loves them more that life it self.

So enjoy your bride, enjoy your car (my yellow brother) but "if" the time comes to let it go.. you will be okay with it
if for the right reasons...
best wishes
Jim

 

[garolittle]

Special thanks go to "Torquemonster" and "jimandela". That was down right inspiring. Thanks to everyone else for the advice and well wishes. I am very lucky to have such a great girl and I am sure that I would regret not marrying her. Vipers will come and go, but true love only happens once. I will not miss the opportunity to "Seize the Day".

 

[96 GTS]

I'm a lucky guy. My wife loves cars almost as much as I do. She's got a 2002 Z06 and a 2003 T-bird. I've got my GTS and a few others. She never kept me from initially buying the GTS, then upgrade,upgrade,upgrade, ad infinitum. When we got married almost 20 years ago, we both knew that cars would be a fun part of our life together. Life is good, especially with 1000 horses under the hood. Hey, that rhymes.

 

[OutThere]

Jim..... I was going to type more but your post got me all misty.

Think I will go call my Mother.

 

[Jay Herbert]

Congrats!

My wife turned out to be a Gem. She encouraged me to buy my first Viper. When I sold it and got started on a project Viper that had/has extended to a seemingly silly time frame she pushed me to buy the one now in my garage.. She really does not like Vipers that much, but has no issues with us having two! The lesson: Marrying the right woman is a pretty important thing. She wants me to do the things I enjoy and I want the same for her.....

Oh, we also have a mini van (and a diesel Ram, and a Little Red Express Truck, and a Sunbeam Tiger, and a Porsche 924 (don't ask), and a car trailer)

A tip for a long and happy marriage.... remember these words (they will come in handy when you ocasionally goof up... happens even to the best of us :

"I'm sorry, I made a mistake, I'll never do it again"

Another tip..... she will remember EVERY THING you say.... even things you said ten years ago. I am told this is a trait all wifes have. Don't know how they do it, but based on my experience, it's true (you are now warned). We finally agreed on a three year "statute of limitations" on, "You said ......" (at least that's how I remember it). You may want to start out with a limit if you can talk her into it

 

[Hissses]

I let my son influece my decision on the last car I bought. Other than that, I don't normally let them talk out loud.

Carl

I have had Fords all my life and my daughter talked me into a 97 GTS! Is this a good kid or a bad kid? I now think she should get a raise in her allowance! The only problem is she (age 21) now wants to drive it and her sister (age16) loves to go out in the Viper and watch peoples reactions!

 

[jimandela]

OutThere,

Jim..... I was going to type more but your post got me all misty.

Think I will go call my Mother.

Thanks I try

 

[joe117]

About those kids,
I suggested that a good plan would be to never have any kids.

People have commented that they wouldn't trade their kids for anything.
Well, that's nice. I didn't really expect to hear from the guy who's son decided to get multiple face piercings or date the boy next door.
Testimonials from people who love their kids and love the way they turned out are like the testimonials a stock adviser might show prospective clients.
This guy is happy. When are we going to hear from the other guys? Not in this commercial.

I didn't expect to hear from the guy who's ex wife was using the kids to beat the guy over the head in child support.

And of course, and this isn't lighthearted, there's always a chance that there could be serious problems, medical or emotional.

I'm really not saying "never have any kids". What I'm really saying is this,
Finding and staying with the right girl is difficult.

Having children makes it more difficult.

What are the statistics for divorce in the U.S.? 50%?

If the whole thing falls apart, the children will often be used against you.

Children are expensive. If you don't have lot's of money, you won't be getting as many toys.

Think your son or daughter will like the things you like? Well, perhaps.

Look, even if you only take my advice for five years you will be way ahead. This is even more important for very young people. You can always change your mind later.

You must think long and hard about this decision.
It is by far the most important decision you will ever make.
It is irrevokable and your very freedom hangs in the balance.
And if you don't believe me, then you haven't really thought it through.

Do what I say, everything will be just fine. ;-)

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

I can't be bothered reading all the posts, but here is my 2 cents. Marriage and Vipers can co-exist very easily, especially if your wife hates the car as much as my wife does.

You see, I got it made. I do what I want, when I want, with the car, because my wife is very happy to have that time to herself. The car is to loud for her, to rough riding, and God forbid if the top was off (not her's) the wind might whip her hair around and annoy her. Lord knows we wouldn't want her to be annoyed.

Don't make the mistake and sell the car for any reason! Simply base all purchases, be it a home, or whatever, on keeping the car. I went and sold a 67 GT Stang I rebuilt in order to buyu my first house. BIG MISTAKE! I soon afterwards found out that I could have kept the car and still swung the house.

As far as the up and coming kids are concerned, you will be the coolest dad on the block.

Go for a 3 car garage, but DON'T GET RID OF THE CAR.

Everything has a way of working out. Look at it this way. If you keep the car you will be happy. A happy husband/father to be = a healthy person who can function better for the family. Get rid of the car now, and you won't get anything else for a VERY long time! Life is to short.

Andrew

 

[Miles B]

No man should get married before he's 40. Good luck.

Gotcha. Would 45 or an even bigger number be better?

23????!!!! ARE YOU CRAZY????!!!! My Gawd, how can I stop all this insanity?! Are you young bucks not having any fun anymore or what?

I'm 25 and I'm doin' my best
Hopefully have a red RT10 on the road by 26 and I should be doin' other people's best too

3. Never have any children.

I'd already worked this one out myself, but positive reinforcement is always a good thing

 

[Cop Magnet]

There are many keys to a successful transition from the life you lead to the one you hope for. Too many points to list here, and I won't pretend to have all the answers. I think so many people above have made good points, but the cynicism in some of the posts is noteworthy. Let's face it, marriage is about compromises, and with compromise there is the potential for resentment and all kinds of "territory" issues.

Specific to the Viper, the key is to be into this kind of thing from the get-go. I never owned a Viper until after 14 years of marriage, but I was always a total "car guy", and this was a relatively natural transition for me. I can shrug off midlife crisis comments because I feel comfortable with the truth. You've already got a Viper, and your getting married to a great woman who is happy you love your car. There is no foreseeable reason she would make you get rid of it later, save you cannot afford it or the second car you WILL need (Viper + kids or snow = second vehicle).

Other issues related to a happy marriage are maybe the bigger topic here, and the reason for so many posts. Bottom line, you've got to work on it every single day and keep the energy from your dating years alive. The posts above about sex falling off, women wanting to change men and men wanting women who never change, and all the other negatives, CAN be true. Don't ask me how I know.

Or, as Norm said on Cheers: "Women, can't live with 'em."

 

[OutThere]

Marriage = The Death of All Hope

 

[Dave's Big Brakes]

YES DEAR

 

[malcoll]

Well let's see. My wife of 12.5 years has seen me buy and sell easily 10 cars (yes that is an average of almost one per year).

Right now we have one child...we were married 7 years before we had David (her parents have been married for 41 years... mine divorced for 22 years...so two sides of the divorce issue)...... she does work... but WE own a 1969 Mach I, a Harley and the Viper.... and her Expedition.....

I go to Bike Week and ... Biketoberfest (which always falls on the weekend of her birthday)every year.

So see.... marriage can work and KEEP your toys AND have fun! Children and marriage work..... heck it all works.... just make informed decisions and be certain that you are "where" you want to be!

Good Luck!

Lance

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

No man should get married before he's 40. Good luck.

Gotcha. Would 45 or an even bigger number be better?

Actually 50 sounds like a good age to get married. But I might change my mind in 7 years. I'll letcha know.

 

[Torquemonster]

I agree about waiting to have kids. I waited 10 years - maybe that was too long - but you gotta have sometime just for you and your bride. Once kids arrive they dominate every aspect of your life.

There will come a time when that is great - to a point - but you still need to take time out just for you two or you will drift apart.

By having kids too early you will risk losing your wife to find she's turned into a mother of your kids....someone you sleep with - but she is too tired, and there's no energy left for you as a couple.

But if you have built a great foundation by then - you can work thru all the transitions and it'll still be great. She'll appreciate everything you do to lighten her load and that'll make it easier to "make time" for just you two and the kids will have to learn to get used to it.

Plan on years together first. Shotgun weddings **** - marry in haste, repent at lesuire. Kids do not hold marriages together - the marriage has to be strong by itself - then kids add to the treasure. The kids will be what you put into them - and I mean love and guidance not material things. Show me kids that show disrespect and I'll guarantee you their parents showed them a lack of either love, discipline or respect - or a combo of any of those.

Love without discipline is soppy BS - it means the parent is too gutless to train for the long haul - it means they do not really love - because true love has to be tough at times. It is not love to indulge kids every whim - it is weakness. Nor is it love to squash everything they want to do or love - that is selfishness. You need a balance and to be a role model.

Put a microphone into any home and listen to the tone of voice on how parents typically talk to their kids - esp. when they disapprove of something - then you'll know why they have problems later. It's a good lesson to learn now - kids can be your best friends when they get older if you learn that before you have them.

Oh and re that microphone thing - most couples would fail the same test - they talk to their friends or even strangers nicer than they do to the one they pledged their lives to - it's called taking each other for granted after the honeymoon is over and real life sets in and the feelings aren't the same.

True love is not until the wave of feelings have done their course - then you see what you are both made of. True love does the right thing - it doesn't FEEL anything. Feelings follow actions. Learn that and you can have a marriage made in heaven. It isn't for everyone - especially those that see a conquest in every girl that will flirt with them - those should NEVER marry - they have nothing lasting to give because when it gets old they'll move on - because that is what they've always done and a vow won't change it.

 

[garolittle]

You guys are great. I appreciate all of the great advice and kind wishes. Thanks for your support. Vipers and cool guys .... until death do they part!

 

[JimT 99RT]

There is one good thing to marriage, the wife has a perfect driving record and gets a better insurance rate, so of course she is listed as the primary driver. Heck I have even promised to let her actually drive the car one day...

 

[ohiodoc]

I told my wife no kids until the viper is in the garage. Well I got my viper last week and the wife is asking for the kids now! lol At least the viper came first.