What makes a petrol head?

[9designs]

A bit of discussion and people’s views.

I sat in ear shot of a marketing meeting the other day, where they were trying to define what a petrol head wanted in a car, what details were important and would attract buyers etc.

It was quite amazing (well to me) how they hadn’t a clue, but then when I looked at the attendees  I wasn’t surprised at all ;).

So what does define someone as a petrol head?   What does a petrol head want to on a new car?

I figure most here will qualify as PHs

---

Magnetic Grey with all the best bits

FPM375/COBB/MSD-  Quaife LSD,  DSC+Tractive  Suspension,  HJS200 cell sports cat and MT Cooler. Sync3 upgrade.

Was UK seller for DSC & Tractive  Active suspension !!!

    

[DaveRS3]

Petrol for a start. No EV’s or diesels!!.

Lots of go faster stripes and spoilers

Bold colours

As much carbon as possible inside and out

Sports seats

Big loud exhaust

As fast as possible

[mexicoian]

Fast wide and loud ??

[71-bda]

ha ha mexi ian !! so all petrol heads are fat boys !!

---

No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

 

[71-bda]

Its simple really, what differentiates a petrolhead from a non petrolhead is…. A petrolhead will just take his car out for a drive for no other reason than enjoying it and having fun, its something non heads cannot understand !

---

No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

 

[bobcat]

An addiction to fast cars (petrol of course) fantastic sleek noisy and they are not liked by many ?

---

Honorary Member

 

[9designs]

Come on BDA you got to have a view on this ?

 

okay you beat me to keyboard…. obviously ?

---

Magnetic Grey with all the best bits

FPM375/COBB/MSD-  Quaife LSD,  DSC+Tractive  Suspension,  HJS200 cell sports cat and MT Cooler. Sync3 upgrade.

Was UK seller for DSC & Tractive  Active suspension !!!

    

[brembo]

@71-bda

Morning mate!! You just summed me up in a nutshell (and it’s not the fat-boy thing, lol). I get home from Offshore today, hopefully, and I can already feel the petrol engine in my Head starting to rev up!! I’ve missed my baby terribly the last 3 weeks and can’t wait to see her!! Looking forward to seeing the wife too, haha… ??. Let the miles and miles of engine revving, tyre screeching, exhaust popping, Highland Blasting commence!! For no other reason than pure driving pleasure, and you’re right, not a lot of people understand that!! The feeling I get hurtling round the Highlands in the RS is epic!! Regardless of age, sex, background, etc etc…. A Petrol Head just loves being behind the wheel of a motor vehicle!! I think we can safely say that every member on here is a Petrol Head and we are indeed an awesome breed!! ??.

Cheers, Marc.

---

MY/17, F/White, Forged Black Wheels, Recaro Shell Seats, Diamas SiRamik Glasscoat, H&R Anti-Roll Bars/15mm Spacers, EBC Turbo Brake Discs all round/Yellowstuff Brake Pads, Mountune Air Intake/Recirc Valve/SSC/Blue Turbo Hose Kit and Hard Pipe/Uprated Springs/Short Shifter/Rear Motor Mount/Crank Breather Plate, ETS Intercooler, Milltek 100 Cell Cat, Remus Wolf Inside Exhaust, Litchfield Stage 2 map via Cobb Accessport V3, DSC unit.

[rsdom]

@Brembo

Summed up perfectly buddy

[bobcat]

To be fair my love for cars started when I was very young watching and helping my Father work on cars. And I’ve been a petrol head ever since…….. some ** years ago

---

Honorary Member

 

[coastliner]

I would sum being a petrol head up as an intense desire to own and drive and care for a premium model of almost and brand of motor vehicle, motor cycle.

---

Coastliner

[71-bda]

Bob.. I was a Ford GT petrol head back in 1964…

---

No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

 

[yorkirs]

The petrol head……..

Has more cans of lubricants in the garage than aftershave in the bathroom

Can identify an engine type by exhaust note…….  inline 4, V6, V8, bonus for flat plane crank identification.

Own both metric and imperial socket sets / spanners

Has a least 5 extra 10mm combination scanners, you can never have too many?

Has some of the following, Welding set(s), Ramps, Torque Wrench, Inspection lamp

Has multiple boxes of spare bits that may just come in useful.

Thinks “Castol R ” smells better than a Sunday roast

Can read a car tyre specification and understand what it all means.

Permanently has a bruised thumb or plaster on a finger.

Happy to drink cold tea or coffee as just finish this job first……

First thing in the morning looks out the bedroom window to check the cars ok, then checks on wife (or husband)

Some one who is happy to talk to other petrol heads, be it a 12 year old with a go kart or a HyperCar owner, just through a common interest.

A petrol heads car, this is a tough call

A car with prescence

Engaging to drive, very good handling and is consistent / predictable at all speeds

Has good feedback through, steering, seat, brakes, drive train and suspension

One you look over the shoulder at when walking away from.

Manufactured under influence of engineers not just finance people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

May the Ford be with you

 

 

[18stealth]

ten mil spanners, know the feeling! 

Looking out the window before looking at the old woman! 

Welder with replaced ambilicle and more wire and gas gone through it than you can ever imagine, that is more of a Fordite merchant through and through!  My old man used to send me to sleep (When I played up as a nipper) by putting me in his old mark 2 Cortina, and letting the sound of DCOE 40’s whisp me off into the land of nod!

Yes, and I can’t understand somebody who just wants to sit in a boozer, and watch football, shouting like a moron (sorry don’t mean to disrespect anybody who follows football of coarse).

I think it proves that people have a few more brain cells when they still show interest plus 30 years of age also.

[ada205]

Yorkirs quote….

”Has a least 5 extra 10mm combination scanners, you can never have too many”

Lol, never a truer statement said! Where the hell do they disappear to!?

BDA summed it up perfectly… My previous car, an Impreza defines my petrol headness very well….

I owned it for 5 years, did over 40k miles in it, never used it for work and very rarely for going out…. just used it for pure pleasure driving on pointless, no destination trips and loved every single minute and mile. I calculate the cost in petrol alone was minimum £11k. 11 grand in petrol to go nowhere… that’s a petrol head!

Ade.

 

---

2016 mk3 Focus RS, 2004 Impreza STI, Pug 205gti Dimma.

[Author]

Posts