If you think I'm stuck up - then don't ask my opinion

WARNING - LOng winded, but I needed to tell some people who can understand:

Just got back from Pennsylvania yesterday after moving my fiance's mother up here. The morning before we left we parked the truck at her sister's new house. They were all excited to show me what was still in their garage because the previous owner hadn't moved it yet. They had been telling me all day how amazing the car was in the garage, how perfect, how stunning, how I would **** in my pants ... so needless to say I got all worked up to see just WHAT was parked in the garage - since they didn't know enough about old cars to even tell me the make.
So, with fanfare and held breath, the door slowly rolls up and there sits a pretty little trailer queen 49 Merc Coupe. I quickly deduced that this was a very nice car, but was "Street Rodded" which offended the hell out of my traditional values. I got closer and took in the "$15,000 flame paint job", and the "m***ive big block" (which was a new vortec small block, covered with billet and chrome), the billet steering wheel, the late model corvette side mirrors,the 70 or so Caddy taillights frenched into the rear ... and just kinda stopped.
It wasn't that I didn't like the car (it sure beats the hell out of my bucket of bolts sitting in pieces),but it was the chrome badge of the company that rebuilt it riveted to the inner fender, the spotless tiled floor you could eat off of, and most of all the lack of a single tool (other than a trickle charger) in the entire garage.
Everyone was waiting expectantly for me to wig out and jump up and down, but it just ended up depressing the **** out of me. Here was a car that the "owner" never turned a wrench on, or bled on, or cussed at, mush less drove. The poor old girl just looked sad - like she was all dressed up for prom with no one to ****** her. It was like looking at a dog at a shelter that you know you can't take home and give a better life.
I respect that the guy could drop 35-50 grand into the car, but to just let it sit there, hood up, with a trickle charger, until he decides he cares to come get it just really kills me. He doesn't get it, and he obviously doesn't love her, since he left 3 months ago and "hasn't gotten around to picking "it" up".

Everyone was disappointed with my lack of enthusiasm and couldn't understand what the problem was or why I was so bummed out.
I just thought you guys and gals might understand, or at the very least tell me I'm being a sentimental *****, but well. Call me a snob.

 

very well put.

 

Be There.... It Does ****. Feel For The Ol Girl. At Least Someone Cares About Her.

 

Sometimes snobbery is a good thing, case in point.

I have a cousin, not a car guy, who is an insurance saleman. Once in a while he shows me a photo of one of his customers "Platinum Card rides", when I'm not very impressed, he says,"Do you realize how much he paid for that car?" I reply,"That's exactly the problem, not only is it not my style, he didn't build it." His retort,"You're just jealous!" Some things you just can't explain.

 

Well Sambone, I can feel for you as well. I got my Model from my mother in law. BUT!!! my wifes oldest brother and his wife, know nothing about vehicles period, if it looks good its gold. They could careless if it ran worth a **** etc. anyhow to make along story short. I have been in similar shoes. They get a new ride and I Imeediatley am supposed to jump for joy, and tell them its the best ride on the market. I say oh yes its nice, but it doesnt have a blue oval on the front of it, or tell them did you knwo that has the worst or 2nd worst crash rating in the world. haha I always have to bust their bubble one way or another. They just don't get it, and they will never ask my opinion on anoher vehicle. I have looked at tons of vehicles for them, and told them exactly waht was goign to happen to it, and within a couple of months it's falling apart. Oh well foook it, I told them it was a pile of ****, and they wanted to waste their money anyway. Like the 750il beemer, the old *** suzuki samarai, the 2nd beemer, the expediton(nice but driven to hell) the oldsmobile, the probe etc etc. I just got tired of it, and well now after my last explosion where I told them to never ask me again what I thought, They never have, (THANK GOD) I don't even work on their **** anymore, and life is so much better

Although you should tell them to make up a storage note for that thing and file a lein on its *** lol then you could buy cheap off them hopefully and fix it up the right way Get rid of all that billet **** and GM motor and swap in an old flatty thats been blown, or a y block etc.

Don't feel left out i would say 90% of here would have reacted teh same way you did. I know I would have.

 

I suppose we each have our own way of having fun with these old cars. I prefer to wear them out, but some take extraordinary effort to keep them unsullied. To each his own.

 

Jealous? of what? a POS that some poor ******* now owes more on than his house is worth? or that when he gets divorced his ex will sell off for about $500?

 

OK, you're a snob.
I would love to have a car like that offend my sensibilities.
Someone here doesn't "get it", it a matter of opinion who that is.
I would have walked around the car, and probably said, "wow, that's awesome", and everybody would have felt good, including me.

 

Not stuck up, maybe a jerk. Why piss on the people close to you cause they don't "understand".I feel sad for them. they thought they were doing something nice.

 

Im so tired of making up excuses so I don't offend people...I'm just lettin it all out these days. IT's YOUR opinion...

 

Don't ever doubt gut instinct!!! Reading your post made me feel like I was standing next to you in disgust as well. Some people will never understand.

Billet, Whoopty ****in Doooo!

 

It sounds to me like they wanted to share something with you that they thought you would like. It's cool in one way, and ****s in another- they don't understand your taste in old cars very much. The thread ***le and what you wrote don't seem to match. Maybe you could splain to them what you didn't like, and what you do like.

Thanks,
Kurt

 

It was better than a Mercury Milan in the garage.

 

You're being a sentimental *****, you snob.

And I agree with you 100 %.

You can call me by the same names if you like.

 

All right - clarification is in order. I did say, "WOW, that's awesome..." , and, "Wish I had it in my garage", but when someone asked me if I thought it was the most perfect, incredible car I had ever seen ... well, I've not been called a liar often. I gave them the truth. It started out with, "Well, it's close, but I'd make a few changes..."

I didn't piss on anybody's parade. If anything, they couldn't figure out why I didn't go crazy and try to hump the grille. I didn't even bother telling them how I had no respect for a guy who didn't even build his own car or get his hands dirty, cuz they just would not understand. It was really nice to see the car all fixed up, just not neglected.

They did ask, and I was very conservative with my response, I figured you'd all understand where I was coming from, that's all.

 

I understand where you are coming from. The other weekend We went out to this guys house to pick up a '62 galaxie for my sister. The guy is into cars, but high-dollar stuff. He showed me his '64 vette that had been completely re-done in '06 vette atomic orange, 468 etc. etc. Then he precedes to tell us about his next project in the giant shop out back.. he says "this one is gonna be awesome", "you've never seen anything like this before". He then tells us it's a '35 ford sedan........and then tells us it will be 350/350 with tangerine paint and antifreeze green flames... I'm thinking I think I've seen that horrid combination a couple times before. But I just smiled and nodded.

 

It's sad to say that the only people you probably offended was those who wanted to do something nice for you, even though they don't 'understand it'.
Think diplomaticly. They care enough for you to make a point to show you the car, even though they don't 'get it'.
Yeah, so the car was a billet queen. They saw an old car and thought you would enjoy seeing it, even though they don't 'see what you see'.
Maybe the proper way to handle a similar situation would be to walk arounds the car, see it's potential and thank them for allowing you to see it. Underneath it all it's still a '49 Merc coupe. They don't make them anymore.
It seems that they used this as a way to show some sort of comradere with you as a future family-member and you reacted in a way that will surely be detrimental to the future relationship.
Sometimes keeping your opinions to yourself is the better part of valour.
r


P.S. Take my comments with a grain of salt since you wrote an appropriate clarification while I was writing my respnse.
No offense intended.
r

 

I like your explanation...it helped me appreciate your first post better.

 

I get that response all the time about cars and music. **** it, we're all en***led to our opinion and. if someone's not ready for it, they shouldn't ask. I'd rather look at a beat rusty piece-of-**** car than a billetmobile anyday...

 

OK, now that we have "the rest of the story", you did what you could with what they gave you to work with.

 

You've never met the guy yet you feel you can make a statemnet of fact like this??? The dude moved out of his house, lock stock and barrel with the exception of one car. Perhaps he has a few others and this was just the last piece he needed to move, or he's outta space at the new place and is looking for storage, and trusted your future sister in law when she said he could leave it there for a few days(?) after closing.

As far as there being no tools or other signs that he works/worked on his own car is irrelevant. Would you leave your precious tools in your garage if you were moving?? I know I wouldn't. They would be one of the FIRST things I moved to the new place cuz I'm sure I'd need something in that tool box while moving into the new place OR I'd be afraid they would get ripped off by someone who's gained access to the garage.

Some of my closest car pals who actually build and work on thier own cars are **** about neatness and cleanliess and their garages are so spotless that if I dropped a slice of pizza upside down on the floor I would have no qualms about picking it up and eating it.

I hope your future sister in law is thrilled about how nice, neat and tidy he left the garage for her. Sure beats cleaning someone elses **** out of the garage once they've moved and if the garage is that spotless I'm sure the house is as well. Your sister in law is very lucky.

Billet or no billet, I'm sure it's a killer car that the owner loves and if I were in the process of moving from one house to another at the end of April/begining of May, Big Olds would still be on a trickle charger from a long winters nap because I'd have so much other moving stuff going on.

 

I realyl pissed my friend off once when he was all jazzed about a '66 Chevelle SS clone (seller was up front that it was not real - I didn't know this at first) his Father got. My buddy went on and on about how great this car was.

I went over to his parent's house one night and we looked it over. It wasn't great but was a nice driver. Needed some things (trim, a little paint work, etc..) and when my buddy asked I told him my thoughts. I also noted the numbers and looked them up online. It was a six cylinder car with a 396. So it was a fake big block car. a few days later we were chating about cars and I said what did your dad say he paid for this car if you don't mind my asking? He told me, then asked what I thought. He thought it was a great deal. I said he paid too much. A real big block car in the same condition is only booked at maybe $2000 more. He paid too much for a fake he could have bought a real one in slightly worse condition for the saem money and fixed it up (what his Dad wanted to do anyway..something to redo and refurbish) and had a more valuable car when he was done.

My buddy didn't talk to me for like 3 weeks. When I saw him I said what's your issue dude? He told me and I said get over it...you asked my opinion.

So now when I'm asked by friends about cars I say nice car I'm sure you really enjoy it.

 

It could not have been said any better Raven61

 

I have to agree. You don't know that the guy didn't do the work himself, just because a car has modern parts on it doesn't mean it's not homebuilt. And even if it's not, you don't have to **** on the guy for it.

I've got some friends who have late model customized stuff, cars with big inch rims and big stereos and **** like that. Really not my style, but I still appreciate the work that went into building them (whether it was built by the owner or whoever) and I don't expect my friends to know exactly what my personal preferences are. I don't see where the big issue is here.

 

Good grief - I'm sorry I brought it up, since my ability as a storyteller is lacking today it seems.
Denise - please hear me out - I'm not usually one to point fingers, but there's a reason this guy's got my hackles up.
My future sister and law and her husband to be work for this gentleman, who is selling them this home, fully furnished, everything included, except the car. He and his wife picked up and left and purchased some milliondollar dreamhome and get all their matching designer gizmos there and leave all the "old stuff" behind (should have been a stock broker I guess).
I know he didn't build it because my future brother in law bragged about the how the guy, his boss/surrogate father paid to have it done, how it never gets driven, and how he can "afford to have others do the dirty work."
I'm not jealous of the guy's money, I pity him that he'll never get to know his car on a deep personal level.
I'm sorry I opened this can o worms.

 

I agree with you 100%. I too would have tried to please my family-friends with showing some pleasure in seeing it. But if they would have continually question my enthusiasm. I would have had a hard time trying to cover up my disgust. Its hard when someone tries so hard to please you and falls short. Especially when they know you so well you cant hide it.
I remember when I was 11 years old and went to the hardware to buy my dad a fishing sane I knew he needed.
I was so excited to get him something on my own...
His answer was... that it was a piece of junk. Not reallizing it hurt me.
That remark has carried with me for 42 years.

 

As a former magazine guy I had to smile at a lot of "ugly babies" the owners were POSITIVE I would love once they pointed them out and DEFINITELY need to put them in my magazine. Funny thing is NOT ONCE did anyone ever point out a *****in' car. It was always the multi-colored **** mobile with the 16 stuffed monkeys on top. It could NOT be more obvious if they poured gas on it and lit it on fire- but still they feel compelled to let you know "you just walked past the NICEST car here!"
Thanks!
My dad used to try and get me to look at those kind of Mercs and I was alway polite in showing him how some of the mods would be really costly to undo. He's now MUCH happier with the 100% stock '51 Merc I spotted for him and told him to buy under no uncertain terms. It's now his favorite car- no ****py billet customs for me- EVER! I'd rather have a BONE STOCKER than a really bad custom (or street rod). At least that way I can screw it up the way I like

 

You just gotta smile and go along. Some good friends of mine are putting lipstick on pigs in their garages, and sometimes I help hold the pig or pick the color lipstick. That's just how it goes, as long as their beer is cold, it's all good. Hopefully someday one of them will be able to rub 2 pennies together and build something worthwhile. How do you tell a guy "you can't afford what you're doing and that's why it's going so slow and turning out so badly"??????

 

Three words, Gift Card. It is almost impossible to "find" a gift for someone if you don't know specifically what they want(myself included). I went out of my way to buy my dad one of those remote control boats that also flies and goes on land. It was faily expensive(a few hundred bucks), but I don't think he ever used it besides the first time. He plays with his $50 cheapo all the time, so I thought I would get him something nice. It was actually way over priced and not of very good quality. I didn't make the damn thing and shouldn't have taken it personally, but it still hurt my feelings. So I try, when someone shows me something they are obviously impressed with, to just say something non-commital, like, "That's really somthing,"

 

Your showing your age
Gift cards didnt exist in 1964.
Its much more rewarding to try to find the gift they really enjoy.