Wife jealous; advice?
08-07-2012, 05:02 PM
#1
Wife jealous; advice?
As someone else remarked elsewhere in passing, I think my wife is jealous of my Corvette. She has even called it my "other woman". I bought it a couple years ago at her urging--she knew it was a dream of mine--but now she regrets that and doesn't understand my interest in mods. I've likened it to her hobbies and interests, but she still doesn't get it. Many of you have had your Vettes for much longer than I. Have you encountered such reactions from your spouse? Do you have any advice?
08-07-2012, 05:14 PM
#2
As someone else remarked elsewhere in passing, I think my wife is jealous of my Corvette. She has even called it my "other woman". I bought it a couple years ago at her urging--she knew it was a dream of mine--but now she regrets that and doesn't understand my interest in mods. I've likened it to her hobbies and interests, but she still doesn't get it. Many of you have had your Vettes for much longer than I. Have you encountered such reactions from your spouse? Do you have any advice?
08-07-2012, 05:26 PM
#4
Safety Car
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show her that she is JUST as valuable if not MORE than the car. If you can spend money on the car, show her that you can spend it on her just as much.Just my .02, good luck
08-07-2012, 05:28 PM
#5
Burning Brakes
Sorry about the "jealous" Wife, mine was that way when I had my race car. I even heard her say "its just all about you and your little race car" so I told her that I would sell car and buy a vett so we could drive around " together " So thats what I did. Now days when the UPS guy shows up with a few car goodies I only get a little stink eye I tell her the parts are only to enhance our driving experience and that this stuff is a lot cheaper than parts for the race car so we are really saving money 
T he other day I had the car in the shop for some service, the service guy called, my daughter answered the phone she came outside where my wife & I were to give me the message, she said "my girlfried" was ready to be picked up
My wife didnt even flinch... she said lets go get her. I wasnt sure how to take that response I'm one lucky guy...at least for today....
Good luck
T he other day I had the car in the shop for some service, the service guy called, my daughter answered the phone she came outside where my wife & I were to give me the message, she said "my girlfried" was ready to be picked up My wife didnt even flinch... she said lets go get her. I wasnt sure how to take that response I'm one lucky guy...at least for today....
Good luck
08-07-2012, 05:28 PM
#6
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
I had a wife like that. She always supported me in the beginning of each endeavor, then she acted like it was always a burden.
Notice I said had a wife?
My current wife is supportive of me and my hobbies and joins me when she can. Not that she loves it, but she likes spending time with me as I do her! We use the vette for things she enjoys so we both win.
Dinner, visiting friends, mini vacations etc. It works for us. We also met as adults with our own money and careers. I don't ask her about her money and she doesn't ask me about mine and we trust each other to take care of our respective responsibilities, and we do.
Notice I said had a wife?
My current wife is supportive of me and my hobbies and joins me when she can. Not that she loves it, but she likes spending time with me as I do her! We use the vette for things she enjoys so we both win.
Dinner, visiting friends, mini vacations etc. It works for us. We also met as adults with our own money and careers. I don't ask her about her money and she doesn't ask me about mine and we trust each other to take care of our respective responsibilities, and we do.
Last edited by RetiredSFC 97; 08-07-2012 at 05:31 PM.
08-07-2012, 05:32 PM
#7
Pro
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Don't talk to her about mods and how much you are spending...just say you're tweaking things then take her out on romantic drives and she will love the car....if she doesn't get a new wife because the vette's staying put! 
08-07-2012, 05:40 PM
#10
8th Gear
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I agree. Bought her a used Z4 3.0si, now she has her own convertible to tear around in. It's fun to take them out for a drive at the same time. Different design philosophies but still fun.
08-07-2012, 05:40 PM
#11
Melting Slicks
You too, AGVETTE08!
DSTURBD
Edit: My first wife was raised around gear heads and could drive my fastest car even quicker than I could!!
Last edited by DSTURBD; 08-07-2012 at 05:43 PM.
08-07-2012, 05:43 PM
#12
There are many good suggestions here, and I thank you all for them. Unfortunately, some of them aren't feasible for me. Taking her for drives is problematic, and it has nothing to do with the Vette. She experiences tremendous anxiety when riding with others, no matter how tame the drive, but that's a whole other issue. I've tried not talking about mods with her, but she then thinks I'm "sneaking around." I do take her on pleasant, brief trips, dinners and the like, in my car, and I think that does help some, but there's only so much I can do there. For a brief time, she also considered getting herself her own Vette--I was beyond pleased!--but the low ground clearance and faulty window regulators (I had replace both regulators in the first year I owned it) convinced her it was too much trouble and expense for her.
As a matter of fact, this is true, and she knows it. I think it made her more jealous but less vocal about it.
Despite my challenges in taking all this advice, keep it coming. It's gold, and I'm still going to find ways to implement as much of it as I can.
Despite my challenges in taking all this advice, keep it coming. It's gold, and I'm still going to find ways to implement as much of it as I can.
08-07-2012, 05:52 PM
#13
Le Mans Master
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Just tell her that she is your wife, and the car is a material thing. Tell her you cannot replace her love with the car, but that the car is something similar to make up, purses, or something she really likes and that you enjoy as much as she does.
08-07-2012, 06:21 PM
#15
Give her a freakin set of KEYS man....and the opportunity to drive that thing !!
The first few days I had mine the wife asked to drive it....my response was its just as much mine as hers....drive all you want ! Trust me it works. The ladies will be reluctant to admit they like driving a mans toy....but they do.
The first few days I had mine the wife asked to drive it....my response was its just as much mine as hers....drive all you want ! Trust me it works. The ladies will be reluctant to admit they like driving a mans toy....but they do.
08-07-2012, 06:33 PM
#17
Frankly, I think a C6 convertible (with auto trans, auto top, and navigation) would meet her desires very well. I've been trying to get her to test drive one but haven't succeeded yet. Mine is less about cruising, if you will, and more about performance, and she has unfortunately used mine as a kind of archetype for Corvettes, missing the joys of driving the kind of Vette she'd like. If figure if I could just get her to try one, and if she knew it needn't be her only car--I've told her she can have two cars all to herself--I think she could be sold.
08-07-2012, 07:43 PM
#19
Race Director
Introduce your wife to your girlfriend that is not jealous of your Vette!
Seriously, spend some time asking her what she would do to the car, where she would like to go in it, ask her to help wash it in a T-shirt only, don't drive it for a couple of weeks and do her stuff instead,,,,,, don't give in though! It is a legitimate, honest pastime for her man!
Seriously, spend some time asking her what she would do to the car, where she would like to go in it, ask her to help wash it in a T-shirt only, don't drive it for a couple of weeks and do her stuff instead,,,,,, don't give in though! It is a legitimate, honest pastime for her man!
Last edited by Silverbullet00; 08-07-2012 at 07:59 PM.
08-07-2012, 07:45 PM
#20
Race Director
For every mod you buy, you need to buy your wife an equal $$ amount in Jewelry. That should smooth things over. Pretty soon, she'll be begging you to buy more car parts!