I was out cruising in the Essex today and stopped into my favorite local diner. Was sitting there chatting with the various other customers when an elderly lady looked at the hotrod, then at me, and asked "do you actually DRIVE that old jalopy on the road?" First time I've ever had it referred to as a jalopy. Made my day!
When I get comments like that from folks who were actually around in the 40s and early 50s it always make my day.
An old man thumped the front fender on my 40 tudor once and said, "they don't make um out of that kind of metal anymore". I thought the same thing about HIM! Old people are cool, the only toruble is, I'm almost there! Turned 63 last week.......
did you ask if she wanted to go for a ride? probley would have made her day,and stired some old memories.
Naw, she wasn't interested in riding in it. In fact, she really doesn't like old cars at all. I think she was trying to be nasty, but I took it as a joke. She was pretty cool to chat with after that.
When my build hits the street I'll be tickled pink if anyone refers to it as a jalopy. That's the best compliment I can think of!
Told my grandfather that I was going to the HAMB drags and he asked me if there was going to be any old cars there. I said yes and he didn't say anything. Well I got back and the first thing he said was, "Ya see any old cars." I told him that I'd show him some pictures and he said that would be cool. He is a man of few words.
On my flight back home last night I was next to an old lady. We didn't talk or anything for the first half of the trip, but when I started flipping through some magazines that I had with me she said "ooh, that's a pretty car". Then she started telling me stories of her husband's cars in the 50's & 60's and how her son would get in trouble racing his Torino in the 70's.
The Jalopy Journal
