What is the best reaction you have gotten from people?

That literally made me laugh quite loudly!

 

Great thread.. Just read through all of it! Sadly, all my stories involve my OT cop car or my '68 C10. Mainly people scrambling to get out of my way when I'm driving the cop car and thumbs up and approving nods whenever I drive the C10.

I'll share a coupe stories involving my cop car however.. It's a 2007 Ford Crown Vic. Now, at this point in the time I've owned it, I'm used to people gluing their faces to their windows trying to decide whether I'm a cop or not. This incident was different.. One day, I was driving on the highway in the fast lane, far left, and I just happened to look over to my right at the on-ramp and this guy was scrambling to get his seat belt on. It was pretty hilarious watching this guy swear up and down, wrestling to get the seat belt latched in then he looks over at me, sighs, and then realizes that I'm not an official, he gets real upset.

I can't wait until I finish my A roadster however, so I can share the good stuff on here. Some of the stories on here are making me anxious to finish it and get it driving.

 

Bumping because I'm bored.

 

Don't you have a story?

 

Post #1...

 

One day I was at a cruise in with a Buddy/Military Co-worker who speaks spanish as well as english, and I see this Mexican couple in they're 60's walk up to my 57 Dodge truck (that has Dodge Emblems all over it, at least 8 on the outside), and he says something to his wife in spanish...then she says something back in spanish and smacks him in the back of the head and says "idiota" rolling her eyes, I asked my buddy if he heard what the man said? and he replied "yes, the husband said I used to have a chevy just like this, same year too." and the wife said "Cant you read? its a Dodge..(SMACK!)...Idiot!" I thought it was more hilarious than normal cause it was in spanish...

 

my old 56 chevy 2 door was a garage find and it still had the old paint from the 70s which looked ok but had its flaws and it still had an old black tucknroll job from probably the late 60s. The PO installed a 500hp 383 stroker in it with a Muncie and hurst shifter. I just basically added a few odds and ends like a 3 hole steering wheel, an old Mallory tach I had, a moon gas pedal and converted the centerbolt valve covers to perimeter bolt with finned aluminum covers. It had no front bumper, the chrome was old and pitted in places, one of the side windows was cracked and it had a hole in the top of the right front fender for an antenna.
Anyways the first time out I took it to a local cruise in. Now in my area most cruise ins consist of 80s style street rods with 15k paint jobs, tweed interiors, power everything, efi motors and all the usual billet accessories, OR restored nut and bolt musclecars AND some late models like Camaros and mustangs.
Two little old ladies were going over my 56 with a fine tooth comb, almost like they were buying it. And I watched from a distance as they pointed out all its flaws. Then I was standing near it and two old guys one was in a shirt and tie kinda executive looking, and the other had the old guy street rodder uniform on, boyd hawiian shirt, khaki shorts and socks with sandals. The executive looked at the boyd wanna be and said (looking at my 56) "this must be a work in progress" Then another time I went to a cruise in again, not too many cars showed up. They were giving out trophies by people choice. My 56 had supposedly won the best traditional or something like that (told to me by a buddy who was there with his vette and seen the results) last minute a local in a restored 69 chevelle ss 396 (10k paint job, all factory interior and wheels etc.)wheeled in and the guy giving the awards crossed my name out and gave it to the chevelle guy. then another time I heard some of the older street rodder guys call my 56 a "rat rod". One of them made a crack about rats being invasive species...

 

Sounds like you need to find some better shows

 

I was driving my '40 Ford Deluxe Coupe resto-rod down the interstate highway on my way to attend a NSRA Street Rod National event. I was in the right lane going just at the speed limit when a brand new metalic gold and pearl white Rolls Royce sedan with all blacked-out windows comes rolling by in the left lane. I say to my buddy riding in the front seat, "Holy cow!!! Look at that!!" as we gawk and stare. The Rolls Royce slows and sudennly the passenger side power window slides down. There are two GORGEOUS blonde ladies in the front seat and both of them give me the BIG THUMBS-UP and beautiful SMILES!!!

 

RE: Are you a plumber? Great question IMHO!! I love it!! NEAT BOAT!!!

 

I have a couple... sorry

I was running the Scout at the Thunderjam event in 2012. Launched and pulled a 60ft wheelstand off the bumper. Our track photo guy later showed me the video and if you watch closly, a guy on the fence throws his hands in the air cries "Holy Sh*%!" and actually falls down.

Same event. We were in the staging lanes directly across from the Gravedigger display. The Gravedigger driver Randy Bown walks over and gives the Scout a once over. Then looks at me and says "I thought I was crazy" came over and shook my hand. He thought the wheel stand I pulled earlier was great.

After the above incident, I pulled another big wheelstand and damn near put it on the gaurdrail. Back in the pits the Gravedigger golfcart with 3 crew guys came motoring up a high rate of speed. All three guys jumped out and started looking in under and around the Scout. Each guy came over and shook my hand and talked asked about the Scout. I gave one a guy a chance to sit in it. Seriously... he looked like one the 12year old kids that got a chance to sit in the Gravedigger truck.

 

Here is a good one that relates to the 55 in my Avatar!

I love when old guys come up and look it the inside of the 55 and say.

"Yup that is how we drove them! "No Interior"

Here is the other side of the coin.

Chainer comment to his son.They didn't know I owned the car and I was standing close to hear...

"Looks like this guy ran out of money he has no interior in the car"

Some people don't understand.

Jay

 

at a fuel stop, I was told cool dune buggy. other time a mom asks can we take pics, so I say yes thinkin her kid would sit in it. when i was done loading the cooler, she was in my coupe and her young boy was taking pics...wtf?

 

I've lived in the same house for 18 years with the same neighbors around me. they all know that I'm always working on project cars and have never payed any attention to them. then my wife bought the 57 metro from my friend. as we were rolling it's ratty, rusty , dirty carcass into my garage the neighbors began to flock around to see it and all wanted to talk about it. now anytime I'm out in the shop with the door open someone will stop to check it out, some are just people who see it when they are driving past. I never got that reaction from any other cars I've owned.

 

From Kent Fuller "Well at least you have the right axle."

From Pat Ganahl when he noticed the Cadillac engine I just had installed. "Didn't this used to have a Mustang engine? I approve."

Norm Graboski wrote on my dash "Good Job Norm Graboski"

But the remark I like best and I've heard it a few times is "I don't really like T buckets but I like yours."

 

I had a guy at a local cruise in ask me if my obvious stock '30 coupe had a SBC in it. That one made me scratch my head. Maybe he was being a smartass?

 

I believe this story sums up my best reaction to date,,I cut and pasted my post from October 2007.

Until we see it in someone elses eyes!

I struck up a conversation with an ol' gent last night waiting to be seated at the local diner and he was really excited to see my 32 pickup in the parking lot,,,,,

He relayed the tale of his first car,,,,a 1930 Ford pickup,,,we were seated next to each other so the conversation continued.

After we had finished eating I ask him if he would like to take a ride,,,,Man,,he lit up with a big grin and said YES SIR.

I'm no spring chicken but this guy has got to be in his late 70's or early 80's and I haven't seen anybody that excited since my kids were little and woke up Christmas morning!

I took him for a short ride while my wife and his had coffee and awaited our return,,,,he told tales of riding the dirt roads as a young lad and how he wished he could relive his youth,,,,

When we returned to the diner we bid our goodbyes,,,he told me that was a great feeling to look thru a flat windshield again,,and that my truck had a little more get up and go than his Model A.

He and his wife left in a late model Buick,,,but he still had that same grin on his face,,,and ya know what,,,so did I. HRP

 

Hotrod primer - that made my day -not as good as the old guys tho-nice truck

 

Good seeing this one back up. Back in 02 I did the Hot Rod Power Tour. I stopped in Columbus Oh. It was my great nephews graduation & he had enlisted in the Marines, so I wasnt missing that. His grandfather was there with his new loaded ride. He checks out my 34 coupe in primer etc & says "You didn't drive that thing here,did you?"

 

Gassing up one day and had a lady come up to me to tell me that her son wanted me to know that my car is even cooler than a Mustang.

Then there was the guy, super stereotype Jersey guy, driving a new rice eating SUV, who I almost hit with a lug wrench who felt the need to tell me that back in the day they used to spit on cars like this.

I'm naturally a bit on the paranoid side but have had flashy cars for years. It makes it a bit hard on me because I can let myself get a bit freaked out when people keep staring, lol.

 

back around 90 i was with bob barkoff in his old shop we had just done the last things to put his chop 51 merc to get on the road we pull out and were on the ave. looking in store windows on the ave to see how it look well this old man (well in his 80,s) stops looks at the merc and moves his cane from his one hand to the other and grives us the thumbs up i turn to bob and said go back to the shop can,t get any better then that

 

Had taken out an old fire truck to a annual local show. I want the kids to get into the hobby so instead of having the 'Don't Touch' signs on the truck I put 'Kids, if mom and dad say it's OK, climb all over it' signs on it.
One high energy little guy is all over it and mom is yelling at him to get down.
I tell her 'It's OK'
She looks at me and asks 'Is this yours?"
'Yes, it's mine' I reply
'Thanks a lot, now he wants to be a friggin Fireman' she replies in disgust'

Gee, sorry I didn't bring the pimpmobile......

LJ

 

crazy old bum " that's a sweet truck. looks like my old truck. It must be my old truck. GIVE ME THAT TRUCK!! That's sweet truck....." then pisses himself and laughs like a mad scientist...

 

lmao!

 

But that brings me to this. At one cruise in a young couple in their early 20s were looking over the 56 and the guy asked if he could take some pics with his girlfriend with my car, she was brunette, long hair, slender hiphugger jeans and tank top, really cute and they made pinup like pics of my car with her posing, and they were really surprised when I told them she could sit in it behind the wheel. (I mean most of the old guys have do not touch signs all over their cars). I used to get a lot of comments from younger people about it, one cute little blond told me mine was "more real". And the kids loved the sound of a hot cam idling. Got thumbs up smiles, nods all the time from kids. I think there is kind of an attitude from some of the street rodders (not all but some) because we get more attention from the younger set. its like the younger ones "get it" more than some of the old guys do. I always used to love it when some old guy would ask me why my 56 did not have a front bumper

I really miss my 56 and this thread kinda brought back memeories. But when I finish my 40 coupe (thinking maybe a gasser style look) I know some of the street rodders will piss themselves. I plan on making pics of the strange looks from them and posting them here LOL

 

This thread makes me want to finish mine.

 

Still Very Funny !
When they had The Rod Run at Gatlinburg Tn., I was walking back to my Chopped '49 Merc, and stopped to watch this "Joe"
walking 'round and 'round my ride. He looks up an asked "is this your Merc ? Yes.....He rubbed the top and sez, "It can't be
done ! I said, "Your looking at it, must be a way to do it !"
"Joe" sez, "I worked on one for 10 yrs !!!!!, finally took an Axe to it and hauled IT off to the junk yard."
He walked away, still shaking his head.

 

Sure, I'll toss in another.

I'm a middle school math teacher, and I love to show my '55 to my 7th and 8th graders. Hell, I even try to base lessons around hot rodding if at all possible. My favorite and most common reaction when I show a picture of my truck is, "Man! All you gotta do is throw a sweet paint job on it!"

Man, if that was all I had to do...



I was talking to a 3rd grader about it one time a few years ago; he started telling me how he wants to build a car some day. "...and I know it will take a long time to build. It might even take a whole week!"

Kids are great.

 

Still loving all the stories by the way. Thanks to all that have posted; I don't think I've missed one yet!

 

built this back in the early 80's, heard some old guy walking behind it with his wife say, "Yep, had one just like it, a 34 Dodge."