Hot Rods Goofy Comments From the General Public

I have a 1914 Olds roadster, and everyone asks me "Is that a Ford?"....even though I have "Oldsmobile'' painted in white script on the exterior gas tank.....most I've noticed, are not quite sure just 'what' to think about my car...it's kind of interesting to watch.

 

Not goofy but interesting ---

Really old gent looking over my T bucket says "I drove a lot of T models when I was young". After yakking a while he asked how much horsepower it had. I said about 350 and he said "guess you don't have much trouble on hills then, huh?"

His "T model" experiences were obviously a bit different than mine.

 

Driving my Studebaker truck and guy asks me "Who made Studebaker Ford or Chevrolet?" Another time I was at a show and a attractive older lady walks up out of the blue and proceeds to tell me how she remembers the big back seats in the 57 Chevy and how fun she remembers at the Drive Inns. Another time a younger lady ask me "how much fun can a person have in the back seat of a 57?" Too bad her "Pimp" was a few feet behind her.

 

Absolutely!!!!!

 

That's why mine doesn't have door handles. Bill

 

My avatar 48 sits kinda low---old boy (my age) says he likes the old truck, but how come it sits so low? i just say "aww the suspension is shot" Ohh, too bad, nice truck anyway. RINALDI

 

I was sitting at Canadian Customs, importing an all original 35 Chevy, the girl behind the counter looks out the window, and asks why would you want an old Volkswagen like that? She then proceeds to tell me it can't be worth much and charges me $76. import fees, and says have a great day! Well she sure made mine................

 

Leaving the grocery store , I see this guy and girl (maybe in their 30's) looking at my XK- 140.I walk up and he says"This yours?" "Yup" "I had one of these in college -MGA, right?" (He was struttin' his stuff, and she was all mooney-eyed listening to his BS) "Boy, you sure know your cars!" I said ( looking at his cute girlfriend and thinking "God, don't marry this DORK!")............great thread

 

I live in Canada, but came from France.
I was once asked if my car comes from France too.
It was a 1966 American Motor made in Ontario

 

We drove the Caddy to the BarBQ King drive-in last night. One of the carhops there has been a classic car man his entire life, and was old enough to know the 55 by its front grill, Dagmars, and rear trim. Five or six different carhops and other drive-in customers invariably asked "What year is it?" but the one gentleman said "Nice 55." He won an immediate gracious smile and "Thank you!" from me.

 

Not quite general public comment but still goofy. I was at a show and standing by a friends 454 dual quad t bucket a model a restorer that you know quite well walks up and we start talking about the car then he makes the typical restorer comment that he sure ruined a nice t to make that car! Well I love ignorance so I went through the motor body and corvette rear end and let him know that there wasn't one part on the car built by ford, his reply was that he must have ruined the cars those parts came out of. You can't win now I just play alongbto whatever ignorant comment they have.

 

a kid at autozone says to me,cool truck,it sits so low, is it bagged ? i said no its stuck there.

 

I'm still working on my Ford, some people at work know about it and of course family. I've been asked by about 4 people, "are you going to sell it when it's done?". My answer, why the hell would I be selling something I have a ton of bucks and time invested in? They watch too many of those "reality" car shows.

 

a number of years back, Beulah & I were in People Magazine

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20137782,00.html

littl gal reporter who was here for a day and took 7 pages of notes for the story apologized to me for the "REwriter" back in New York who shortened her story down to *this* and added *his* own descriptive of my "JUNKER" that "RATTLES down the highway"
[ she wanted me to KNOW she'd NOT writtin those words bout my Beulah!

JA that wrote em probably thinks anythin less then an MB is a "junker"

Anyways, she [ Beulah ] mighta been built from a wreck all right, and a lot of her parts and her WHOLE front clip *came* from a "junkyard" ------------- BUT ------------- She DON'T RATTLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY" THEM'S FIGHTING WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I WISH it still just cost me $250.00 a month for fuel! -- bout 3 times that or more now -------------

 

While helping my Dad Set-up his 31 Ford Roadster inside the Local Mall for a weekend event, an Old Lady who looked to be in her late 90's quietly watched for the longest time and my Dad asked if it brought back memories?, She Grinned and said "Oh Boy, If that Rumble seat could Talk ! "

 

Yep, some people make some goofy comments, but the thing we all should do is be patient with them and try to educate them about this wonderful hobby, save the snide remarks for jokes with your buddies, don't use them to push the public away and make them believe hot rodders are just a bunch of smartasses. JMO, my rant is over, carry on.

 

A few years ago I was watching Motor Week and the question was ask what was the advantage of dual overhead cans vs single and Pat Goss answered " they run at half the speed."

 

I don't mean to be political, but you just can't legislate stupid away. It really pisses me when some hotrod wannabee asks about my '31 coupe. It is a freaking '32 Highboy.

 

I pulled in to a show and parked my 53 Chevrolet.
A guy comes up and says "Sounds like you still have the stovepipe six."
I asked "Do you mean the stovebolt six?"
"No!, I mean the stovepipe six!" he replied.

 

Ignorance is not knowing.
Stupidity is refusing to learn.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

I'll bite........ What's the correct answer?


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Thanks chevy57 dude.I am not usally like I sit and tell people about it but like I said it was a bad day.lol.Bruce.

 

NOW THATS FUNNY!!!!!! LOL.Bruce.

 

Women, of course, get huge latitude.
"Is that a Deuce? I've always wanted a ride in one."
"Why yes it is (while tossing Model A jacket behind seat), very astute, hop in!"

 

I had just finished my 36 ford pickup, 17 years ago now, it was in my front yard, garage sale happening across the street. Guy and his wife pull up to said sale, she jumps out goes to the sale, he makes his way over to my pickup, says "nice 36, for sale?" No I say, he admires it, goes to garage sale, comes back after, tells me everything is for sale, I say no.....he hands me his card, on the back is written $40,000?
I took the card inside, looked hard at it, showed the boss, who said "it's your truck", trembled a bit, tore up the card and never regretted it since. Still have my not for sale truck.

 

I always get a chuckle at "What color are you going to paint it?"

 

I had pretty much that same comment from an Austin tire shop guy when I took the Caddy in for a leaky valve stem. He said I needed "reeums". I told him I had rims. He said "no, I mean reeums". I then said if I'd put 20" ers on my Caddy I'd get skinned alive. He wasn't convinced, but he did replace the stem. Vic and I got a big laugh at that one.

 

ok i have a few
an older gentleman comes up and has a puzzled look on his face looking my truck up and down and says son where did you get your paint done because all your clear coat has fallen off... i have a very nice satin blue paint job

a guy walks up and is complimenting up and down about my truck and then asks about my cross ram and how it works. i proceed to tell him that one carb feeds the left and the other feed the right half. He then proceeds to tell me that if i wanted to get better gas mileage i could just block off one carb...

best one yet happened when I went to get my truck registered at California dmv, it was a non hamb unfriendly rat rod at that point. I had all the right paper work but knowing the horror stories of California dmv and registering an old car for the first time I was expecting a nightmare. I get to the visual inspection, and the lady takes one look and says im not even going to bother looking at it because there is no way that thing is going to make it very long so here is your plates and registration have a nice day

 

I have a 1953 Chevrolet 150 with a strong 261 Blumeflame six.
I was stopped for gas and a woman in her late sixties or early seventies tells me "Oh I love your car. My late husband and I had a 55 Chevrolet just like this when we were first married."
I just nodded and smiled I couldn't tell her it was a 53.

 

that reminded me of a car show i attended, back in the 80s i think. the big album at the time was zz topp's "eliminator," with the 33 ford coupe. as a really nice 32 3-window pulled into the show, i heard a young guy shout, "look! it's a zz topp car!" close, but no cigar.