Hot Rods Goofy Comments From the General Public

I figured out a long time ago that there is no reason to be mean about it, unless they are being mean about it to you. I personally think that you can say anything to anyone if it is not spoken in malice.

Some people are just trying to start a conversation, I think that we owe those people the benefit of the doubt. granted that doesn't make their statements any less goofy and good for a chuckle.

I meet a lot of people over the Willys that I believe are just curious and don't know any better. I cannot count the times that I have said, "Oh like an Army jeep?" The next question is normally about the year and when I say '61 the common response is that it looks really old. That always gives me an inside chuckle, there are young men and women on here that are not as old as '61 who have acquired a vast knowledge of all things obsolete and are very skilled and accomplished builders. so yes '61 is really old.

Ok starting to feel soft here so fuck you guys I'm not Irish.

 

At the last car show I was at in my avatar, (3 window cab). A guy comes up and says you know I seen a kit they make to change that to a 5 window. I said why would I do that. He said then you would have a 5 window everyone wants one. I said I guess everyone but me.

 

When my Father in Law and I started building this we thought it would tweak the Chevy crowd but after reading this thread we may have open the Pandora's Box of stupid opinions.

Uninformed or ignorant questions are one thing. It's the arrogant blow hard know-nothing's that irritate the shit out of you!

 

Yesterday, while putting gas in the '40 Plymouth, I was asked what year the car was, then asked if it still ran??

 

Now that is goofy, I suppose they figure you pushed it to the station and were going to push it back where it came from once you filled it.

 

The stunned disbelief said it all. I have learned most comments do not need my response. It is like explaining red to a blind man.

 

You should have told him about the thread here on the HAMB were the guy in Italy has converted a 5-window to a 3-window...

 

You could explain red to me, I'm not blind but I am not absolutely sure what red looks like.

 

I had a '60 Ranchero that I put a Comet grill, headlights etc. on. When people asked if it came that way I would tell them that it was the Canadian version and since it is dark up there half the year it came with four headlights instead of two.

Does this mean that I am a bad man for misleading the uninformed?

 

I'm never mean about it. Smile even when I'm grinding my teeth. The attention most times is kinda fun. Gotta roll with it and be polite.

But you ever have those days, or nights, when you just want to go out in your ride for a cruise and unwind, take in the fresh air and that healthy motor sound and you just cannot get away from people wanting to ask you things about it or whatever and it bugs? The car is an attention whore but I didn't build it for attention. I built it because that's how I wanted it. Undesirable byproduct I guess.

 

I know that I am not the brightest tool in the shed and I ask a bunch of dumb questions. I am lucky to have a wealth of knowledge just a phone call away, but I know I have been on the wrong side of these conversations. I am still a young one in most eyes, all of 29 years old, so I am still learning. I read and almost study this hobby as much as I can and I still have a long way to go, so its hard for me to knock any one for asking questions as long as they aren't being rude about it. I am in a different boat than most of you on this sight I started with the "tuner" crowd and the bagged truck big billet wheel guys, and honestly I still like some of that stuff. I also look up to guys that alot of people on here don't care for the "high-tech street rod" guys like Steve Cook and Troy Trepanier. I love traditional hints why I am always on this site. My thought like most have expressed is I don't care, for the most part, what people ask or what they drive as long as there is true intrest in the car. It is a good for a chuckle, but to the person on the other side of the conversation I want to promote our hobby as much as possible, no matter what kinda car they want to drive or what they want.

Ok, with that part out of the way. I want to say what alot of people have said, the most iritating conversations are the ones you have where it is just a bash on your car. Did people never learn if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything ar all? I have sit at so many car shows and just listen people trash someones car no matter if it was a Ridler winner or a honda civic. Respect the work that went into the car even if its not your style just keep your mouth shut at least until you get away from the car show. I see having a difference in opinion but I dont care if you think I ruined a car because I wanted to chop a top, I think you have no vision because you restored a car.

OK RANT OVER THANKS

 

Just today my wife saw a Plymouth Prowler go by and said "nice old hot rod". Normally she would get the female exemption, however being my wife I had to harass her some. Got me curious though, I haven't read of any of you roadster guys hearing "nice Prowler". I'm afraid of what I might do..

 

The human mind never fails to amaze me. The general public can be expected to amuse us, and I have had brain farts & said some stupid things. I'm going to tell on a buddy. He is an artist, he makes his living making metal sculpture. He has always been into old cars, worked in a classic Chevy Restoration shop and has owned everything from a Mustang to a '57 Cad, to a couple of '36 Fords. He does all his own body & paint. The Cad was gorgeous. He is doing all the metal work on the 36 Roadster including re-skinning the deck lid. We are at the GNRS standing in front of the little green A with the Lincoln V-12. He says "Nice V-8". Look again. He counts the four exhaust and doesn't get it. Count the spark plugs. OOOh. We are looking at the front of a '34 Cabriolet and a '33 Vicky. He says,"What's the difference between a 33 &34. " I point out the grille, hood, a buddy chimes in "there about 54 different things". Last week he was in the shop looking at a beautiful '33 grille & he calls it a '34. He still can't tell the difference. His art work is amazing, he has control over his imagination and converts it into a vision you call hang on a wall. I can't draw! He can't visualize a '33 Grille. It is a constant joy to me to give him a bad time. Luv ya Donny!

 

What year is it?
Does it have a four cylinder engine?
Are you restoring it?

"Oh no", I reply, "I'll never restore it; I'm too busy vandalizing it."

 

Every time someone asks what model is that? its hard to resist the urge to say, "Pickup."

 

Then, there's the one's who argue with you about your ride. Had a guy come up to me at a show to admire my '59 Chevy Apache pickup. I tell him it's a '55 1st series Chevy pickup but he insists I'm wrong. The fun part of this situation was that there was a '59 Apache at the show about 300 feet away. I point out the truck to this fella and said "That guy thinks he has a '59 Apache. You better go over there and straighten him out too." Off he went but I didn't follow to see how it all came out.

 

When I take my ot 1970 AMX to the shows I usually try to answer the questions nicely
who made it AMC - American Motors Corp
No it is not a Mustang
explain what AMX means
nope AMC made a 360
or it could be an early mopar 2 seater prototype, see how the hood looks like a shaker scoop?

 

Back in the 70s and 80s, riding one of those evil Harley choppers, I said I wanted the reaction from the public to be mothers hiding their children under their skirts when I rode by. Not much different from what I'd like to see if, and when, my current car project gets done. When I drove a 39 Ford beater back in those days, the only problem I had with civilians was finding them standing on the running boards, or trying to open the door. Guess they didn't know that old cars had doors that could be locked. Never got pissed at the questions, most of them don't know any better, or mean any harm. Didn't want to appear too sensitive to stupidity from the public. Easier to smile, wave, and then mutter "dumbass" under my breath. Try it, it works.

 

had a '65 nova wagon (try explaining what it is to a state trooper at 1:30 am), and this guy comes up to me in the Walmart parking lot and says "I had one just like that, except it was a brown four door, and I beleive it was a Buick". wait,what?.....

 

I have some guys at work that ask me all the time when I'm going to have my "rat rod" done, mind you I work at a hot rod shop where they should know something about hot rods. It's hard not to hit people sometimes

 

I've heard that too Those idiots have no clue what a traditional hotrod is. They probably believe International trucks were hotrods.

 

I also get customers that come into our shop and say "Cool '32" when referring to a Model A. I also had a guy on the phone the other day tell me that he used to have a '33 T Bucket. I was thinking "No you didn't."

 

In my '63 Galaxy 500, had a guy ask "still got the 500 in it?"

 

The best yet was in my '65 fairlane, when a thug ask "hey, is dat da ca Kennedy was killed in?" and he was serious!

 

Went to a Home Depot in my '55 1st Series Chevy pickup one day. Some guy coming out looks at the truck, then at me and sez "Where's Lassie?"

 

Sitting at the light one day with an older couple next to me in a Lexus and their grandkids in the back seat. Guy yells to me across his wife "What year is that?" I say "A '37". He points at his wife "She's a '37 too but I like yours better!" The light changed and I hit the gas before I started laughin'

 

I was talking about my Model A truck project at the company Christmas party.
The truck is going to be an east coast style with a 261 Chevrolet 6.
One of the office women asked "Why are you putting a Chevy engine in a Ford? Not many people do that do they?"

 

Well, I bet if we all went to Comic Con or a Star Trek convention we'd ask dumb questions and make dumb comments too!! LMAO

 

People ask me if my '40 is a kit. I tell 'em yes it came in a little box with a tube of glue. Sorry "Beaner, sometimes it's just too hard to be nice.

 

This one is from work as well-
Was talking about some of my parts and a friends N.O.S. early Harley Davidson parts.
One of the laborers asked "Are old auto parts and motorcycle parts valuable?"