While drinking on Saturday with a friend he informed me that he and his wife were trading there SUV in for a minivan. I berated him about having to give up his man card and he starts into me for collecting stamps. He text all of his friends and I ask on face book which is less cool. The results were all over the place.

So I was wondering the opinion here in monster land Which would you like to do least?

This is for science so please answer honestly. (and by science I mean who buys next time)

You are correct.

Man card is gone.

Show me a woman who collects stamps, how many do?  Maybe 1 out of 10,000 collectors? 

There are plenty of manly things that do not involve motorsports: cigars, brandies and whiskys, shooting.

Stamp collecting is an interest in history and a cerebral pursuit. 

There are minivans I would be proud to own. I hate the toyota commercial and smug kid knocking them when you could buy a highlander (which is just a minivan for dumb people - I own one btw, a sienna wouldn't fit in the garage).

Stamps I did when I was like 9, but grew out of it for more manly hobbies like RC cars, biking, and guns.

I guess I can't answer it yet - need more information on what the van in question is and how many rug rats they have. 


mitt

The right stamps have better resale value...

The only minivan collections I ever saw

were on front lawns in the North Georgia Mountains

turning into kudzu topiary

when I was living up there

they didn't look much like they were appreciating

as well as the old Frigidaires and Maytags around then

Quote from: ducatiz on December 05, 2011, 09:28:19 AM
You are correct.

Man card is gone.

Show me a woman who collects stamps, how many do?  Maybe 1 out of 10,000 collectors? 

There are plenty of manly things that do not involve motorsports: cigars, brandies and whiskys, shooting.

Stamp collecting is an interest in history and a cerebral pursuit. 

What he said.

Comparing owning a minivan to collecting stamps is like asking would you rather be kicked in the nuts or punched in the face. One is slightly better than the other, but they both suck.

It's basically a TIE! 

You have to do some pretty manly things in order to get into a situation where a minivan is needed. Just sayin.

And often times if you ever want to do those things again, the wife had better be happy. For some reason that is not discernable to guys, that usually means buying a minivan.

Do what I did. Buy the stinkin minivan if you must. Pick a Chrysler. When she gets tired of constantly replacing all the Chrysler crap that breaks each month buy a manly van (SUV) and realize that is about the best you can hope for. Our Pathfinder isn't exactly cool, but hauls just as many kids as the van, tows 6,000 lbs, and gets better fuel mileage.

Minivans and pickup trucks are the 2 most preactical vehicles you may own. Tell him to get a pickup instead.

Wonder how difficult it would be to put a Paxton supercharger on a minivan...

Quote from: ManaloEA on December 05, 2011, 10:31:59 AM
Wonder how difficult it would be to put a Paxton supercharger on a minivan...

As I understand it, most of the typhoon/cyclone running gear came from the awd Astro...  Hard to find one of those in decent shape though.

Its easier to fit a turbo as you can put it various places rather then havibg a charger on top, then new accessory belts made for pullies..  shit some camaro owners have rear monted (by rear tires) turbos..  if then man card accepted over stamps..  otherwise not..

Stamps, well they dont fall under manly or not..  more of a still in moms basement feel to it, unless your collection is big enough to buy yourown house..

Quote from: cokey on December 05, 2011, 10:55:10 AM
Its easier to fit a turbo as you can put it various places rather then havibg a charger on top, then new accessory belts made for pullies..  shit some camaro owners have rear monted (by rear tires) turbos..  if then man card accepted over stamps..  otherwise not..

True, but the purpose of a supercharger on the minivan is to have a nasty and obnoxious blower draping over the front bumper for everyone to see. The guy's man card is at stake.

At least put some bull horns on it.   

Quote from: DW on December 05, 2011, 10:40:49 AM
As I understand it, most of the typhoon/cyclone running gear came from the awd Astro...  Hard to find one of those in decent shape though.

The Astro has good guts

4.3ltr V-6

AWD

but you are going to have to dump some serious money into it in order to make something interesting

Quote from: ducatiz on December 05, 2011, 09:28:19 AM
Show me a woman who collects stamps, how many do? 

My Grandma did. She kept them on the shelf below her Colt detective special .38, so she, perhaps, wasn't your normal lady.

What about a Honda Element? All the family truckin' capability of a mini van, less of the shame

I think after a certain point in life and after a certain amount of kids... minivans just happen.  They're just too efficient at what they were designed to do to avoid.  Plus, for a long distance trip, it's like driving a lazyboy.  Sure, you're not going to do anything that fun, but it'll be comfortable as hell while you're doing it.

And on the topic of stamps, a friend of mine just inherited a collection and had some of it appraised.  Several 3-4000 stamps in there so stamp collecting is a valid hobby too.  I do have to add in that it was his grandma that he inherited the stamps from

But yes... a bit of a tie in my book, but nothing to give up your man card over.  Man enough to get a minivan to take care of extra kids, and man enough to collect stamps which might be worth a lot of money in the future.