Jul 14, 2015

ADVICE

Can you accept advice? Can you give it tactfully? This hobby of drag racing and modifying hot rods is full of information. Some true, some false. The internet has allowed the average back yard hotrodder to hide behind his screen and toss advice unto the web as if he were a seasoned veteran. I like posting on forums. Forums are a great way to learn but BE CAREFULL!! The dude telling you to get a bigger cam or grind down your pistons might be a seventeen year old kid who's high performance knowledge was gained by bagging his mom's car around the block. I've noticed that when I give some advice to a newbie on say, facebook, that there are usually ten others giving the wrong advice and giving it more adamantly than I. Which advice do you think the original poster is going to take? Why the one that is cheapest and easiest of course!! There is so much mis-information on the internet that its impossible to tell truth from lies if you are young and inexperienced. Hands on, years of experience is rare. The people who have it aren't always eager to teach it. When someone asks for advice from a more experienced hotrodder, then ignores it all, the advice giver feels mocked. Then the advice giver is more reluctant to help out next time. Even worse is to ask for help or recomendations on parts then go buy other parts just because they are cheaper or worse yet , Chinese knock-offs! This past week I was the advice taker and the advice giver. Both positions taught me some strong lessons. Asking for advice is a good idea if you are asking the right person. When you finally find the right person, Shut your MOUTH and open your EARS. Giving advice is more difficult. I like to help people out especially if I see them making poor choices. In hotrodding poor choices are exspensive. Some people seem locked into a cycle of poor choices and can't or are not willing to get out. The lesson i learned here is this: Good parts are exspensive, Bad parts are even more exspensive! I recently built a new 540 cubic inch big block chevy. I was able to part out my old 489 and cover half the cost of the new motor. I used that 489 for 5 years and was able to get good money out of it because it was all good quality parts. This made building the new motor much easier on the wallet. Giving advice is tough because it takes tact and kindness. I may not want to accept advice from someone just because they are so arrogant in giving it that i am made to feel dumb. Nobody wants to be humiliated. One way to tell if someone is locked into a cycle of poor choices it to look at their car.Does it have a bunch of useless junk on it? Like chinese speed parts that came from Ebay? Does it never seem to get any faster? The car is locked in the 13's and so is the owner's brain. He can't mentally go any faster. If he had a blown alcohol dragster it would still only run 13's. Its as fast as his brain will let him go. When he buys parts he tells the engine builder he wants to make 600 horsepower but at every decision along the way he reasons that the cheaper choice will still work for him. He ends up with 350 horsepower and running 13's and telling everybody that he really didn't want a car that was hard on gas and he just intended to build a "CRUISER". This guy won't race you because he knows he will lose, he prefers to talk big and maybe even mock your car as not being a "STREET CAR". Is what i'm saying sinking in? Racing for 20 years and selling speed parts teaches you this stuff. Also making bad choices and wasting money should be a good teacher. I learnt both ways.
   My next topic is about life choices. As i see guys making bad choices with cars, I also have lately seen some really messed up people. From one bad choice to another. Locked in a cycle that is in their brain. God allows this to happen but he sends warning signs all along the way. Are you listening to God's warnings? You will reap what you sow. God will not be mocked. Sin leads to death. These are tough things to hear but are eternal truths from God's word. Will you finally listen to God when you are sitting on the edge of your grave? I've heard a catch phrase lately that is a total lie. Its this : It will happen sooner or later.... Referring to people learning bad habits or addictions. The truth is it doesn't need to be this way, the half truth is : go with LATER. In conclusion my simple advice is to refer you to God who is the giver of Truth. He knows infinitely more than I and will not steer you wrong!

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