Over the past couple of years, I have been steadily drinking a good amount of "hater-aide" while enjoying my early morning perusing of the truck forums.  It seems as if everyday someone posts something new that either looks terrible or performs horribly.  I can’t even go to a show anymore without simply staring at all of the garbage and just trying to figure out what in the hell these guys were thinking.  It’s gotten so bad that I find myself spending more time staring at crap than quality work or even trying to find flaws in said “quality” work.

     Why do I do this?   I’m not really sure anymore.  Perhaps I am just too picky or expect too much from us truckers.  But honestly if that’s the case, I don’t find that being a bad thing.  I expect a lot from my fellow brethren because I expect a lot out of myself.  We should all be trying to push ourselves to that next level, to strive to make our ride as unique as possible.  Isn’t that the point?

     However, don’t construe my statement by thinking that I mean you can sacrifice quality in order to accomplish such lofty goals as uniqueness.  There are always a couple of trucks that look super nice or crazy from about 50 feet away or in a magazine.   But when you get to see them in person, a feeling of terrible comes over you as you see the booger welds on the notch or the monoleaf setup.  Garbage like that shouldn’t even be in a magazine, let alone be admired by anyone.  As much as I hate seeing 50 billion s10s at a show with their Suicidedoors.com three links, I at least take satisfaction in knowing that it is a quality piece of work with actual forethought and good welding. 

In honor of all of the excuses and failures that I have witnessed over the years,
here are my top 7 pet peeves in the automotive world:

1. Crappy Link Setups
   One of the truly important areas within the truck world is their suspension setup, whether it be for a 4x4 or a lowered vehicle.  All of these people using parts from Tractor Supply to build link setups or using mono-leaf setups just need to really give it up.  Even if you have just a standard four link setup  I was going to use a two link as my example but I just can’t condone their use ever) that’s  properly installed.  It may not be the fanciest setup ever, but at least it will be reliable.
   
   
2. “It’s Just Temporary"
   Really?  Why do you want to redo your work over and over again?  Believe me, I’ve redone plenty of things on my truck and it is much worse the second time around.  Even if you bring out crap work that has a big sign on it that says, “IT’S JUST TEMPORARY,” it’s still not enough.  Just leave it at home and do it right the first time.
   
   
3. “I just had this laying around”
   I don’t care how much all thread you had lying around your garage, you can’t just use that to mount a gas tank or anything else for that matter.  It may “save” you some money, but to just throw crap together just because it “works” is just dumb.
   
   
4. “I don’t have a lot of money, it’s all I could afford”
   I completely understand being poor.  For god sakes I am writer and a college student, the epitome of being poor.  However, it still isn’t an excuse for producing crap.  If you have to give up eating lunch, going to movies, books, or doing whatever in order to get the right materials to build your ride properly then do it.  If you can’t afford it right now, then wait till you can to do it.  Not only will you be happier with the final product, you will be a leading example of how people can fix this terrible economy we have.
   
   
5. “I was trying to get it done before a show”
   Please see number 2, and remember that we aren’t looking at your work, merely wondering if the owner was blind when he was welding it.
   
   
6. “I’m still learning or practicing”
   Here is a thought:  Learn on something that won’t endanger the lives of others.  If you have to take some practice learning to weld, how to properly setup an air suspension or anything else for that matter, then do it.  There is no excuse for crappy welding or design (although usually the two go hand-in-hand).
   
   
7. “Hater”
   Threads-Although these thread do not pop up very often, if you use the word “Hater” or some form of it in your title, such as “Here you go haters,” in reference to the fact that a lot of people “hate” on other people’s rides on a forum, 99% of the time your thread will then be full of fail as well.  Just stop it.

     I have had a plan for years of making a business card that says, “Just Stop It,” and placing it on those special vehicles who need a little bit of extra help.  It would even list my cell phone number for a quick response so that you could immediately begin changing the big ball of terrible you call your ride.

    I can be an asshole, I know.  But every once in awhile, someone has to step up and tell it like it is.  Quality runs supreme in my eyes no matter what genre the vehicle is in.  Want to earn my respect? Do it right the first time, every time.

Until next time, keep your heads held high and your rides low.

Justin Wynn