Gender gap on car comments?

I have a similar story. I was working at a shop and we took a '55 t-bird to taco bell for lunch. We had to check the brakes and steering anyway. So we're there and we overhear these two guys at the table next to us discussing the merits and condition of the '65 mustang outside. We looked everywhere.. no mustang. We played along for a while, asking what engine they thought it had etc etc and finally we corrected them. It was a good laugh all the way back to the shop in the mustang.

 

My mom told Me "Don't talk to strangers!" And I do so.

 

mytlo,
To most folks I probably count as white trash. Face it I drive a beater, live in an edward scissor hands neighborhood, still dress in blue jeans and T shirts most of the time, and until recently I was a blue collar worker. I don't really care about those folks, they just don't live in my world.

I think the people that I really like are the ones who don't know and want to. They always ask a lame question, but when you talk to them a bit you find out its legit.

The ones that really rub me the wrong way are the ones who don't know, and don't know that they don't know.

I'm liable to ask the words dummest question, but I expect to know the answer when I leave. That's because if I don't know, I usually know that I don't know.

 

Ha Ha Ha...that's the way it is everywhere...and even I've been guilty!

(I walked up to Enginejo at Denise's gig last year and inquired about his Marlin by asking "What year is this?"...he very calmly took my arm and said "It's 2003...and you're in Livonia Michigan!"!!!)

All my neighbors yelled out "What year is that thing?" when I brought the Chevy home!

When I used to drive around in a huge 4x4, the universal greeting was "How do ya get IN that thing?"

Non-car people just need to know these things, I guess!

 

I get the "nice Roadster" comment in my coupe, happens all the time. I've given up trying to explain the difference, I usally just say thanks. It appears most people think any old car is a roadster, kinda generic term. When I'm in my '54 Ranch Wagon everyone says "my Dad had one just like that.......". Ford musta built an awful lot of those, wonder where they all went ?

 

All the responses that tell of people being stupid don't really surprise me. I'm stupid about a lot of things too and there is nothing wrong with not knowing too much about cars- its probably a blessing. What I want to know is why can't guys at least be cool about it.

When I see a car I like I always compliment it. . never feel the need to demonstrate my knowledge about the other guys car, I just want to express my excitement about seeing a cool car out in the world. It's a surprise when I seem them on the street and it usually brightens my day.

 

I always get asked, "What year is your panel?"
Once I at a show sitting in a chair behind my delivery and this little girl walks up to me and says "Hey, dont you know that its bad luck to ride around in a hearse?" !!!!!!!

That was good! One dude called it a hearse for midgits.......

 

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We can always try this one on a chainer.... Since most have Glass bodies on them, tell them its a nice looking kit car.. Boy did I piss off this one fella in Branson, MO a couple years back...

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Really want to see somebody's face turn red? Next time you see a Plymouth Prowler, ask the guy if it's a kit car

On the other hand, a gas station chat did once lead me to an increadable deal on a parts car. It even came with a tow bar that was worth more than the asking price of $50.

-Bugman Jeff

 

Praisethelowered,
I guess what it all comes down to is that no one really wants to admit that they don't know. Not knowing in a world of information is not cool. Hell, look how they treat us on the job, if you don't know your unemployed, or at the very least passed over for someone who does know.

Next I think Jim kinda hit the mark. Not everyone is good at starting a conversation, but we all feel that we oughta say something.

Basically I think that it all falls back on we're all people, we all want to fit in and we don't all know how.

Take it from the king misfit, that last point hits us all at one time or another.

BTW 1lowdelivery COOL VAN

 

Interest in cars......is interest in cars. So what if people asked a less than knowledge questions. It certainly is no reason to be a****hole to someone. For Christ's sake man, if you don't like the attention drive an SUV or new Toyondabishi car. I always get lots of attention and am asked lots of questions when I take my pickup out. That is one of the really cool things about having a hot rod. I really like when the young guys show an interest in my old truck. What would you rather have them pay attention to....a rice burner?! My truck is 69 years old, in 1979 when I graduated from high school it qualified for horseless carriage license plated in Washington State. I would not expect Joe Shmo or Jane Q. Public to know what the hell an antique Flathead V8 is, or what year or make my truck is. I can hardly tell the difference between late forties & early fifties GM cars w/o looking for a badge and I'm a car guy. Quite a few of the seniors that come up to my pickup just know it is a 30's or 40's era vintage truck like their Granddad had. Hell, quite a few of my good friends don't know what kind of truck I have........they just like it. That's good enough for me. Cars are good....assholes are not!

 

Yeah if the people seem cool or really interested I'll give 'em the info and chat with em for a while. I cant go anywhere in my buick wagon without getting stopped by someone wanting to talk about it. I guess its cuz most people have never seen one! But I like to***** with people too, so if they seem dumb, then they get a dumb answer.

I love it when kids see ya go by and just stop what theyre doing and stare till yer out of sight. Thats priceless. I will let any kid sit it the car if they want to.

And you're right, homeless guys love the hell outta my cars too...

I hate driving to the store or something when you just got out of bed or your sick, cuz everyone stares and you look like*****, so ya try to hunker down a bit more....haha -J.

 

All the way back to the top and the subject of this thread -- the gender gap . . .

What are you telling us, PTL, that the old guys are*****ed or maybe more directly, only the young guys understand?

I think it's a shame -- and low-class -- that it's okay to put down and dismiss folks who express a bit of interest in your ride and what you're doing but don't know your secret handshake. Good and smart folks attend events that are outside their area of interest simply because they're curious. Cut 'em some slack, fer chrissake!

For those of you with a casual interest in vintage military aircraft -- airborn hot rods -- imagine going to a local or National airshow and being treated as though you were an idiot because you could not distinguuish between one fighter aircraft and another that was quite similar in appearance (Thunderbolt vs. Corsair -- Ford vs. Dodge). Instead of being laughed at or dismissed as some sort of idiot, you would like as not be given a bit of careful and sincere schooling on the subject at hand and encouraged to remain interested and involved.

Sad to say that's not the spirit here, on the HAMB. Being cool and especially being more cool than just honestly answering questions, instead adopting a cool pose has become the standard. Gotta tell ya, folks, it's not very attractive and really makes the movement look hoodlum and short lived.

The movement is and always has been bigger than pomps or cuffs or tatts or any of the other trappings that folks promoted to make it more than the cars. It's always been about the cars, and if you don't get that you'd probably do better moving on to another scene.

 

I was at the bank one day driving my 34 pu and i was on the way out and there was an elderly lady behind me so i held the door for her then started walking towards my truck, she says "thanks, oh is that your jalopy?" i was astonished, so she came over and started looking at it and then said "nice tuck and roll!, my dad use to have a Model A pickup and i use to drive it everywhere, it was fun, when i was at a gas station some guy pulled up and offered to trade me his new car for it. i told him no cause it was my dads p/u.", make you wonder if her dads p/u was a rod? she then smiled and told me to have fun. I thought it was neat that she called it a jalopy but thats what they called back in her days.

 

Av8, The secret is to tell them the wrong info, but do it in a way that makes them feel like your being real with them. They only feel like an idiot if they KNOW your making fun of them. If they dont then there is no harm done, and you can tell the stories to your buddies on the hamb, and nobody feelings got hurt. Its all in the delivery of your answers! -J.

 

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We can always try this one on a chainer.... Since most have Glass bodies on them, tell them its a nice looking kit car.. Boy did I piss off this one fella in Branson, MO a couple years back...

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Just don't get pissed when they complement you on your fake patina . I don't rag on any else's car, no matter what, because it's a matter of choice - the same as a wife, clothes, or anything else that makes us different. Live and let live.

 

I don't mind someone asking what year it is. I do when they guess and are completely off. I had one guy ask me if my '71 Ford was a 1985. I felt kinda insulted, I didn't think it was THAT ugly!

I had the same car for sale when some pea brained kid asked me how much I was asking... I replied "Five" and he goes, five hundred, that's a bad price.... Jeez, so now it's a piece of junk too!

I was at the local car hop when my one buddy goes, "check it out, that's all you," to me... It was a '50 Ford tastefully done in pearl white with Caddy Sombereros... A kid who was with us, who I will admit is good with a wrench, exclaimed - Studebakers are gay!"..... I politely reply that's a '50 Ford... Of course, I am wrong - he is right since he's a super mechanic. I offered to make a wager and he shut up.
I don't know much but I can identify cars and pieces of them with very good acuracy and as a Ford guy I don't confuse them with anything else.
I had one guy tell me that my Ford Torino was copied off the GTO. Mr. GM Goodwrench****hole was informed by me that it was designed by the same guy who created the Coke bottle.

 

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I get the "nice Roadster" comment in my coupe, happens all the time. I've given up trying to explain the difference, I usally just say thanks. It appears most people think any old car is a roadster, kinda generic term. When I'm in my '54 Ranch Wagon everyone says "my Dad had one just like that.......". Ford musta built an awful lot of those, wonder where they all went ?

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Yeah Ric, I get the same thing......except they say "nice coupe" when I'm in the roadster........same holds true with the 54 Ranch Wagon I'm buildin'..HRP

 

I have a 56 Dodge that has been accused of being a 57 chevy..as far as the ladies commenting i think its the lack of shiny paint that drives them away or could be the glare from the wife.

 

Seems like in todays world people in general are just not friendly. Anything that gets people to stop & take the time to interact with a stranger is good, in my opinion. Old cliche no such thing as a stupid question only stupid answer. Guy started conversation with me couple weeks ago telling me about his uncle who has a cool old car, turns out he has a nice 48 Merc that an old friend of mine built for him a few years ago plus his wife has a nice 50 Ford. Haven't gone by yet but I look forward to seeing a couple of nice cars that are 6 miles from me that I never knew were there. I have had random acts of kindness directed toward some "dumbass" turn into leads for cool cars & parts. Never hurts to take a few minutes to be nice to someone. Cool cars are a definite icebreaker, whether it is a male or female making the comments.

 

I've had several people ask what year Impala my '60 tbird is!? I also had some goth kids outside of Wal-Mart say "hey cool car man, is that one of the old Batmobiles?" They might have been serious, it is all black with mags, but I disabled the rocket launchers and parachute. Guys do act differently, though, like they are supposed to know engine sizes and options 'cause they watched*****Rod TV on the speed channel. I once saw a guy chat up a deuce three-window owner at a car show, commenting on how his dressed flathead was "one nice sounding big block chevy".

 

Hey, it doesn't just happen with cars, either! I've been asked NUMEROUS times "Hey, what year is that Knucklehead" or "Hey, is that an old Flathead" about my Triumph bobber, that has a Triumph tank, with Triumph badges on it... just comes with the territory. All you can do is try to edumacate'em...

 

My 52 chevy, has been reffered to as a FORD-ALOT. But I really love when people "SAY" they are "into" cars, & call mine a MERC.

 

In the sixties, I cruised with a friend in his parents Comet....1967 427 dual quad 4 speed.....he's still got it and drives it like was meant to be driven.....More than once some expert will approach him, ask about the car, then tell him "Mercury never made a car like that"... doesn't seem to matter when he shows them the original window sticker....just plain********es

 

Here's a good 'un. I went to the swap meet on Sunday and did a blatantly illegal U-turn in front of a cop because I saw a garage sale on the side of the road. My pals said that was pretty wrong of me and I told 'em no one busts anyone in an old car. I was in my '60 Chevy wagon.
Anyway I'm in the swap meet checking out stuff when sure enough the cop pulls up behind the wagon. I was acting like I didn't see him coming up to me.

He says, 'Hey you, can I see you for a second?'
At this point I'm thinking,***** I'm busted.
As he's*******ing me to the car I tell him, 'Officer I know shouldn't have done that.' He says, 'Yeah that's a civil infraction, but I just wanted to ask you about your car. Is that a Ghostbuster's car?'
I tell him, 'No sir, that was a '59 Caddy Ambulance, this is a '60 Chevy wagon.'
We had a nice conversation.
And yeah av8, I'm willing to talk to anybody about my car, but some folks are ignorant and really and truly want to stay that way.
There was a day when I knew tons about airplanes, stamps and birds even, but now that I don't I don't pretend to.
And the truth is a lot of people who are caught up in their hobby, be it Star Trek, Jazz or whatever are just as cold to non afficianados.

I do have to agree with you that the 'pomperiffic' people can be the worst.

Having said that, I think the times that I see young 'uns staring at the '60, laughing and screaming 'Ghostbuster' at me aren't doing it just in fun.

 

One time I was sitting in my '52 Saratoga four door,

and this chick came over and climbed right in!

she said she was an autobuff!

'made the mistake of telling my wife,

uh, ex-wife..

 

When people ask me what my car is, I say it's a '40 Ford. They then usually ask a '44 what?

 

i never get any compliments down here from the ladies about my car. the question i get the most is " are you putting your gas in your tailight?" and then they ask " how did you make that?" i do get alot of little kids jumping up and down and cheering as i drive by. and i also get the older gentlemen that dont need to say anything, they just give you the thumbs up and nod.

 

Fab32..... I'm gonna carry around a little ol lady for ya!

My panel gets the same "Hearse" treatment. One day about 4 years ago 2 little kids called me the "Milkman" How do little kids know about the milkman??

After 22 years of owning my panel I was in the drivethru at Mac and Don's supper club(TM) and the 50ish gal says "nice panel truck!" I had to go home and change my depends that was the first time a non truck person actually called my truck what it is!!!

 

I get a lot of 'what year is that'. And when I say that my GMC Suburban is a 1955, they often respond that it must be the first one. Unless I'm rushed I tell them the first one was 1935.

I don't usually explain the 1st series part or that as a 1st series '55 its the last year of a design that was introduced in 1947. I do try to smile.

One time a lady replied: "but you were in the fast lane!" Well duh... I was driving 70 in a 60 where did I belong?

My wife drives a contemporary import. She has a friend who drives one that looks identical from the outside, and I've seen the day when the only open parking spot was next to another one the same color.

When I'm tired of being noticed or questioned I drive her car.

 

I enjoy the questions, and will talk to anyone about it that shows interest. What pisses me off is when someone starts picking at your car, then goes and climbs in his******* or ranger and drives off. Most have no idea how much work is involved in building one of these cars, especiaaly if it is built from scrounged parts....To