what hobbies do you have besides cars..

we dont have a non car related section so I have to put it in here....could we get a non car related section please???

Thought I would start a thread to find out what hobbies people have besides cars...

after my back surgery I had alot of spare time on my hands so decided to do a Diploma in freelance cartooning and illustration from the Australian College of Journalism...I am actually qualified to be able to enter the Magistrates Court and Sketch offenders, but unfortunately there isnt a huge demand for this sort of stuff.

In the end I took up a very time consuming/relaxing and very rewarding hobby.....BONSAI....I bought books, read on the internet, and am totally self taught...the 1st pic is my prized posession ...a 21 year old Umbrella Tree..it is created in the Formal upright style, and for anyone who has seen one of these planted out, they can reach heights of 20-30 feet !!!...people have the misconception that bonsai are tiny trees, but they are not always tiny....20-30 feet tall in the wild after 21 years versus under a metre tall at the same age...it is bonsai ....the 2nd and 3rd pics are both Chinese Junipers, but in very different styles...the 1st one is a broom style and the second is a cascading juniper.....hope ya enjoy the pics...Andy

HI all i have a few hobbies one is i love mafia books and dvd's i have most mafia movies that i can think of and books that have come out also have alot of information bout the five families and the valchi papers of him in the senate hearing, also i have info of the longest running scillian mafia who was recently caught a few years ago also my other hobbies are pc building which im actually starting another one infact i need to teach myself how to put somethings in but im a big woos cause i dont want to brake a 1000 dolla bored or chipset and my other really big big hobbie is i love first person shooters online awesome awesome love being a sniper sitting laying waiting for the rite kill and the longest shot i have vegas 1 & 2 Bad company call of duty 2 4 and world at war also have modern warefare 2 on layby also new splintercell conviction also have ghost recon advanced warefighter so their just a few hobbies hope you enjoy as much as i do

Besides cars my only other hobby would be web and graphic design. One of my best websites yet would prolly be my own lol, www.kerrbrosracing.com.

But my most favorite hobby would be engine building. Haven't had a chance to do many yet mainly due to the costs involved, but there's nothing more I like then sitting out in the shed with the radio on, sinking a few beers while sitting around a motor on an engine stand putting it together. I know it's still car related, but still it's my favorite hobby!

Here's some examples.

First motor was my old 173.
Before.


After.


Spent the most on this motor. Blue 173, bored out to a 186, flat tops, crow cam, JP straight cuts, crow valve springs, JP oil pump, balanced bottom end (from balancer to clutch), lightened flywheel, rebuilt varajet carby, high compression head shaved....and that's roughly about it I rekon.

Then there's this motor. Pretty much just pulled it out of a car we bought, stripped it down and put new gaskets all through it, put it back 2gether and painted it up. Had a mild cam. Was a carby motor, then converted to EFI, then back to carby. Haven't got a pic of how it was to start with, was just ya everday dirty 202. First pic is when it was all cleaned up.


Here she is all done.


My first V8, a red 253.


The end result.....had already been bored out 30thou with flat tops. Still had the light hone marks so decided to re-use the pistons. Pulled this one right down, got the bores honed, new rings and bearings throughout, new gaskets throughout. Stage 4 dynotec cam, JP double row chain, Yella Terra heads, double valve springs, Yella Terra roller rockers, Edelbrock performer manifold and a 600 Holley.


And lucky last is our first 308. Bought it as a std bore complete block.


Bought it as seen in the pic above. Put it on the engine stand, cleaned it out (had been sitting for ages with nothing covering it), oiled it up and it turned over nicely, so put it together. Checked the bearings which weren't to bad, so put the bottom end back together, added the Yella Terra heads, LT1 Chev springs, Crow retainers, Crow collets, Dynotec Stage 2 cam, Rollmaster double row chain, Edelbrock manifold, 2" spacer and a 600 Holley.


Got my EFI 5.0L to build up soon....wanna buy another EFI block to build up, then swap it with the one in my VK when done. Also got my other bro's 308 to do. But the next thing on the list is the 308. Gotta pull it back out to extend the scatter plate around the bellhousing, so while it's out gonna chuck some new bearings in it, new rear main seal (I guess taking the main cap off with the seal in it when I put it together must have upset the seal, as it now leaks bad), and also picking up a 308 trimatic box (current one is a 253 box) and a 2700rpm stall converter....should be starting work on it this weekend.

The only thing better then building a motor, is hearing it start for the first time!

Have to say 1st Andy- Love the Bonsai! Been wanting to learn that for years. Bought my 20 year old son 1 for his 19th birthday and he still has it, yet still don't have any myself!
I don't have time for hobbies- I lead a boring life...

Nope

Not unless you are going to include drinking rum

Two of my favorite pastime's but not driving while on the rum Can sit at the bar in the shed and look at the Commy's and the GTS for hours on end drinking rum, looking for the next modification What better way to pass a few hours ????

Just wish the bike delivery would hurry itself up, then there is more to perv on

Steve

i enjoy whihc i havent done in ages is skateboarding have been doing it for years now but cuz i work full time i can hardly do no tricks n no time to practice whihc kinda sucks but saves me breaking bones lol other then that watching burnout videos n street commodore dvd's n stuff liek dat or on ebay lookin for more car parts lol can u count dat???