Art & Inspiration "is that a real car?"

No, for the reasons I listed-

Firetrucks have been highly sought after as projects for those reasons.

 

My old friend Stan would fill out the LARS id tag and always state that his car was a '32 Henry. It was hysterical how many people would want to know what a Henry was and where was it made.
Really like your Diamond T and the trailer, great rig!!!

 

How many threads have there been about older guys worrying that the hobby/love of old cars, hot rodding and customs is fading away? "The younger generation just doesn't get it." So you're gonna get cranky when someone mislabels your car, or says or asks something goofy? No wonder kids don't get into it when there are grumpy, old farts getting pissy about someone asking about their cars.
I just read about Deuced Up! taking a kid for a ride in the Drag Snake. I recommend you go read it: Post #3826 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/drag-snake-vintage-terror.1081919/page-128#post-14909157

 

[QUOTE="



I had an old lady one time come up and told me she lost her virginity in an old Dodge like mine. She had a big a smile on her face. That one shocked me a bit too.[/QUOTE]
Perhaps she was interested in bookending her sexlife, maybe you were being obtuse? wink wink, nudge nudge, ya know what I mean

 

My wife is quick to point out fake boobs, like the fact that they are not "factory equipment" somehow diminishes their aesthetic quality and how they make my pants fit. The hot rod world, while the majority love a good set of jugs (whether God made or manmade), is quick to judge a car based on whether it was manufactured or a reproduction. However, we praise a custom no matter how much plastic, bondo, glass and lead transformed it from the mundane to the insane. Hypocrisy, it is not lost on us.

 

I have to weigh in on this. A custom needs serious body modifications to be a custom. And is a one off. Not just add-ons like skirts and lights.
But there are things out there that are plastic copies of actual customs: The Scrape knock-offs and the Willys that people ooo and ahed over in Australia for two examples. Like them?, hey I've got ten more out the back.
Yet, a lot of people treat them as customs, but they are not. The builder did zero custom work to a plastic duplicate of work that had already been done to an original car and no bodywork beyond painting it.
A custom requires the act of customising!

 

Much better the occasional thoughtless, innocent comment; than the all-knowing expert, that needs to attempt to dazzle you with tales of his "sensational" cars and infinite wisdom of all things "hot rod'...

 

Yep, period CORRECT, except for===, and , and, .

Ben

 

That’s the fun of owning an out of the mainstream car, not many know what it is. I love hearing people ask, just what is it? The look of surprise is worth it!

 

Had this one at a show a couple years ago and there was this gentleman and his wife kinda frowning as I let kid after kid get in so their folks could snap photos. Until I let the last couple of kids jump in for some pics. Then he smiled. Turned out they were his grandkids and reason for earlier frowns was he wanted to buy the car and didn’t want any extra footprints or ice cream finger smears to clean up.
He did let me drive the 200 miles home in the car and then the 200 miles back a few days later to deliver the car once I had all the cash in my hand.
Always promote the hobby with kids/families/enthusiasts that come out to our show and shines.
.

 

A woman asked if my avatar was a kit car. I did not have a response so I asked her, "What is a kit car?" (I know what a kit car is but it shut her up)

 

At a car show when a kid shows interest in my A roadster I always ask if they would like to sit in it. Their parents are always shocked by that. That I would let someone get into my car. Usually they take a bunch of pictures and are pretty thankful. I figure the next generation car guys have to come from somewhere and if we don't give them a chance to enjoy it early then there isn't much hope. Besides what harm can it do? I gave up a long time ago trying to explain hot rod versus rat rod and so on...

 

About 20 years ago I met a celebrity without knowing who he was. As a result I just treated him like a regular person. We had good conversations and even later, became friends. He said the stupid and inane shit people say to him is ridiculous. Most of it is very repetitive and completely unoriginal.
I think it's the same thing that leads people to try and start a conversation about your "cool car" but they don't know WTF to say and spit out something stupid.
Many moons ago I had an OT car, lowered, daisy mags, BFGs, shaved emblems, nice body work and repainted. A dude at the convenience store said, "Nice ride dude" which I appreciate to this day. A simple compliment goes a long way.
Good on all of you who welcome the attention, let kids sit or ride in your car. Fantastic approach.

 

Thats a quote from Gene's character in the movie "Blazing saddles".

 

I love the Sparton Manor. Vintage camper rallies usually draw folks with a "respect" of things from days gone by. Just your everyday campground, draws folks from everywhere, with all kinds of backgrounds. I get it, that not everybody gives a $%@& about educating themselves on my cars and stuff. I think there are some things left better unsaid. It is a form of respect lost in time to a generation that lacks a whole lot of understanding. To share, on my way to the Tri five nats a few years ago, I stopped the 55 and Scotty to fill up. A lot of people will chat and check it out with each stop. This older guy came out of the store as I was going in to pay and just politely said to me, "It's a shame, you gotta drive someting that old"
I just smiled and went on. To this day, that is by far the best compliment, I have ever got.

 

I knew an "old timer" years ago who once said : "some folks should have never been born" about folks who had no idea what they are talking about. I thought that was a bit harsh.....now I'm an old timer, and I totally understand...........

 

Without the bad there is no good .

 

reminded me of the time someone asked if they didn’t pay me enough to afford a modern car…….
Was driving this …..……

 

Standing by a Center Door T, someone at least 10yrs my senior, AT HERSHEY NO LESS, had 2 friends with him. In a bit of a snarky tone, "Why the hell is this called a center door?" while his 2 friends observe. I stuck my rt finger sorta in my nose, took the left one and pointed at the door and said in a dopey voice, "Uh, cuz da door is in da center? I think." His buddy gave him a slap as they walked away, as in what a dumb question. I kept asking our crew all day, "Hey, why is that called a center door?"

32 Packard 12 was called a Twin Six (again), and discussing it with someone else a bystander had to correct me, "That's a 12 not a Twin Six, they dropped that name in the early 20s." "Thanks, yeah this is a 32." "So it's not a Twin Six!" "Ok, but actually, nah nevermind." As he walked away he was grumbling about some folks just won't listen. 32 Packard Twin Six trunk rack emblem


I find it best to let em be most times. Had he been someone much younger, say 20s, I'd have shared the whole story of how Packard made a marketing mistake calling this new V-12 a Twin Six again, and designated all those after from 33 to 39 "Packard Twelve" to distinguish from the old. But some ppl just won't listen so

 

I must admit, I am guilty
when I approach a Willys gasser or a model A highboy
my first thought,
“is that steel or fiberglass”

I never ask
Simply because if I can’t tell by just looking at it
It really doesn’t matter.

With regards to boobs (which really cracked me up) I never have to ask

 

A few years ago I was stopped with my buddy at a convenience store, I was driving my '47 club coupe and he had his '41 business coupe. A guy looked at his car and asked if it was one of those replicas. I just smiled and said yeah, mine is too. He goes, well they still look good, and walked away.

 

So, I'm the dick because some old fart asks me a rude question? Sheesh...

 

I do the same thing. FOR KIDS. Not rude adults. There is such a thing as manners, although many people don't have any.
Regarding kids and cars, I had driven my '36 to work one day (as I often did). From our ICU we had a view of the hospital parking lot, I loved seeing my car setting out there. On that particular day I looked out and saw 2 adult men with 2 kids standing by my car. One of the kids, a boy maybe 12, was leaning over the door, yanking on the banjo wheel, watching the tires move. I went down three flights of stairs, through the ER, out to the parking lot, where the kid was still using my car as an amusement park ride. I said to the adult something to the effect of "Tell your kid to let go of that wheel, and you all stay away from the car. You don't touch other peoples cars. Teach your kid something."
Not all kids deserve seat time or a ride, either...

 

I hear ya Brian. When I see kids that do that kind of stuff I pretty much assume their parents are idiots too!

 

Seems to me that the best way to kill a hobby is to take offense when someone less knowledgeable asks a "stupid" question. I ask a lot of "stupid" questions, but I will try not to do it anymore....

 

In my 46 Willys jeep the most common thing I hear is either "My Father had one of those!" or "I learned to drive in one of those!"

 

I came out of the store yesterday to find a guy crawling all over my car. Nice enough guy, but said some pretty chuckle-worthy things. My favorite was that he “thought it was so cool that I left the Flathead in it.” As he slapped the top of the valve cover on my Red Ram Hemi.

ironandsteele.com
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A reproduction body is a reproduction body. Steel, fiberglass, carbon fiber, paper mache or whatever. Whether it bothers someone looking at the car or not, or the owner has a chip on their shoulder about it, is all their problem. I prefer as much original steel as I can get for my own cars but it doesn’t always work out that way and I try not to let it bother me. There are fiberglass cars older than many Brookvilles so you tell me, which one is more legit?

 

Something of note , its common to read someone bashing someone for putting a Chevy engine in a ford , but you hear nary a peep about an olds Buick , Pontiac , caddy , . Chrysler , etc. ! Another of those following the crowd things , I guess ?

 

The other day I was doing some errands so I took my 62 Bel Air. Had an interested fellow at the gas station, first question was "what year". He was staring at the 1962 license plate when he asked. As I was pulling out of my parking stall at a hardware store, a guy rushes over, motions to me to stop, walks in front of the car and motions to roll my window down. He tells me how cool he thinks it is, then says "Is this an old caddy?!?" I said "no, it's a Chevy" in a monotone voice and drove away.

I've heard a lot of things "my dad had one just like this, but it was a blue Ford convertible", but the Caddy comment was about as dumb as I could handle that day.