RANT TIME! RE: the classic car community

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by snucks, Aug 9, 2017.

  1. 64 skylark mike

    64 skylark mike Well-Known Member

    I don't have a problem with the folks that buy cars already built, because not everybody is mechanically inclined. Met an older gentleman last weekend at a show that had recently purchased a '70 Camaro. First time he had taken a car to a show. Having the time of his life. Proud of the car, but not being rude or a butt. Another friend of mine had his '66 GTO parked next to him, and they were talking about him learning how much work went into detailing it. So here's a guy that bought his car built, but was putting the work into getting it ready to show. He was a joy to visit with.

    I imagine that a good share of the guys on this board have to farm out at least some of the work on their cars. I do as much as I can. Partly because it feels good to accomplish another step towards getting the car in nice shape. Partly because I am pretty picky about how things are done. Also partly because I can't afford to pay somebody else to do it all. But there is a limit to what I can handle, so I hire out what I need to or have to.

    In saying that, we all have different limits. Some of the "checkbook hot rodders" have no clue how to work on cars, but still love them. I build houses etc. for a living. Some people have no clue how to build or remodel so they write a check for that too. I can't see much difference. I'm sure a lot of car guys live in homes they didn't build.

    Of course there are bad eggs in every group, we all just need to try to NOT be one of them.
     
  2. sailbrd

    sailbrd Well-Known Member

    Everyone knows my dog at the car shows in the Flint area. Never had a problem. Some people just suck.
     
  3. Golden Oldie 65

    Golden Oldie 65 Well-Known Member

    As for the crybaby dolls, I was never a fan of them but a friend of mine had one that would fart by remote control. As you can imagine, we had a ton of fun with that thing. One couple was looking at his car when Tom hit the button and the lady slapped her husband across the chest because she thought he did it :D

    For the most part, we go to cruise nights with friends because that's what it's all about for us. Most of the local cruise nights around here are at or near restaurants so we all go eat dinner together, afterwards which we are guilty of pulling out our chairs and sitting around just enjoying the evening. Much of the time we're not even near our cars but the real point is we're spending time with friends. With my wife now being in a wheelchair we can't go canoeing anymore, but cruise nights and the occasional car shows are still something we can participate in. Life is short. We're 63 now and have seen so many close friends come down with serious health issues, my wife included, that you never know how much time you have left so enjoy it while you can, anyway you can, and don't worry if a stranger at a cruise night doesn't like it. Be nice to folks and most of the time they'll be nice to you. It's a great stress reliever.
     
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  4. rmstg2

    rmstg2 Gold Level Contributor

    Maybe I'm getting to old to care what other people do to show their cars, if they want cry baby dolls let em what does it hurt? If someone has the coin to buy a finished car, so be it, but I hate to see them get an award over someone who skinned there knuckles or whatever it took to get their car finished. If I wanted to see dogs I would go to a dog show, and I have, I love dogs. My main reason for not wanting to see them at a car show is concern for the dog. It is usually summer time when car shows are in full swing and you see some so called dog lover walking their poor dog around on hot asphalt, the dogs tongue is hanging out and you don't see the owner giving it any water. I have stopped people to give there dogs water, if they loved their dogs they would leave them home. How do we know the stupid guy with the 2 door wagon wasn't a rocket scientist?:D


    Bob H.
     
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  5. 66electrafied

    66electrafied Just tossing in my nickel's worth

    I stopped doing shows years ago. Got tired of the "experts" and their entourages spreading falsehoods and BS, and got tired of people calling down my choice of cars because "Buicks aren't cool". Had my very original 46 Super at the last show I went to, this guy comes up;

    Him; "When you going to paint it?"
    Me; "Probably never, as long as it still shines."
    Him: (To his entourage) "Yeah, but all these scuffs and worn through areas look like s--t, I'd be embarrassed to bring a car to a show that looks like this. He should really get it painted. It's dragging down the rest of the show. And those bumpers, all dented and rusty...I saw this car a couple of years ago and it still looks the same, this guy calls himself a Buick collector and he runs around in this piece of crap?"
    Me; "What about "original" did you not understand?"
    Him; "Original don't mean squat. It's the restored cars that people like looking at, like that one. (Points to a plum crazy purple 37 Ford Coupe with a blower sticking out of it) This thing thing looks like the kind of crap my grandma used to ride in..boring!"
    Me; "Uh huh..."
    Him: "What's the motor? The original flathead V-8? (leans and looks under the hood, hubcap for a belt buckle is now grinding into the fender) Hell, that's the wrong engine in here! (to entourage) What's this, a diesel? Looks like a Cummins...Oh, those are sparkplugs... someone modified a Packard! Buick only bought flatheads from Ford! So much for original... he almost had me there..."
    Me: "So do you have a car in the show?"
    Him; "Nope; I got an '08 Sonata, but it's the rare one though, bought it special order"...
    Me; "The defense rests..."

    Between morons like that and idiot owners who believe that their car is an extension of their obviously non-existent manhood, I'd had enough. I now just drive my convertibles everywhere, have the trunks loaded with tools and parts, and enjoy the cars. I don't care if anyoine likes them or hates them, it's irrelevant. The odd time you get a thumbs-up or a positive comment from someone who likes the car. That's far more rewarding than sitting at a show, listening to idiots telling how they did Suzy Rottencrotch in the back seat of their dad's convertible at a drive-in when this sappy doo-wop song was playing on the FM radio...sheesh...
     
  6. 300sbb_overkill

    300sbb_overkill WWG1WGA. MAGA

    "Suzy Rottencrotch"

    Now that's some funny sh!7 right there!!! LOL:D:D
     
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  7. Smokey15

    Smokey15 So old that I use AARP bolts.

    Only IF you didn't date her. I had to shampoo the entire interior including the headliner. [​IMG]No second date...............
     
  8. Mike B in SC

    Mike B in SC Well-Known Member

    When I was at Parris Island for boot camp, our Drill Instructors referred to all of our girlfriends back in "the world" as Suzy Rottencrotch...
     
  9. rmstg2

    rmstg2 Gold Level Contributor

    She must of had a sister named Rosie, lol


    Bob H.
     
  10. Taulbee2277

    Taulbee2277 Silver Level contributor

    And Jody back home was taking care of her.
     
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  11. Mike B in SC

    Mike B in SC Well-Known Member

    Yep! Good ol' Jody...
     
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  12. 300sbb_overkill

    300sbb_overkill WWG1WGA. MAGA

    And her cousins Lisa, Kim and Tracey! LOL

    Sorry this has turned into sluty brauds names, funny though. My apologies to anyone with a daughter with one of those names.


    Derek
     
  13. Donuts & Peelouts

    Donuts & Peelouts Life's 2 Short. Live like it.

    I think it's time people start confronting these so called "car guys" and start putting them in there place one by one. But we need these jackasses too, if it weren't for them who would we sell cars too after we fix them. How would some of make money? A sucker is born everyday. This is fact, so let's use it to our advantage. Don't let them walk over you, remember your the real car guys, remained them. But not to harsly because like I said we need them even if we don't think so. Next time don't let them get u mad, next time just knock um down a peg


    The car scene will never die.
     
  14. Mister T

    Mister T Just truckin' around

    To return this thread to its original purpose, I'll add a couple of my stories.

    1 - About 6-7 years ago at a local cruise this "car guy" rolled in with a decent looking 69 Torino. Being a closet Ford guy, I wandered over to check it out. Conversation went something like this:
    Me - What engine does it have?
    Him - I swapped a 429 SCJ engine for the stock 351.
    Me - Cool, can I see how you managed to pull that off?
    Him - With hood still closed, um, no as I'm waiting for somebody.
    Me - OK, so how did you deal with the shock towers?
    Him - Didn't do anything, the 429 just bolts right in.
    Me - Uh, no that's not true, the shock towers are too narrow to accommodate the 429 engine as its about 3 inches wider than the 428 which barely fit from the factory.
    Him - (Now looking away uncomfortably) My dad and I made it fit.
    Me - How do you change spark plugs? BTW, I used to own a 71 Mach 1 with a factory installed 429 and know how Ford had to widen the engine bay.
    Him - Walks away, probably knowing he'd just been called out for a BS tale.
    Me - See you around eh....

    2 - About 3-4 years ago at the same cruise in location, I spotted a 62 or 63 Suicide door Lincoln with literally nobody checking it out. Made a beeline past all the cookie cutter cars to speak with the youngish couple who owned it. Spent an enjoyable 15 minutes with them telling me about the car. They were impressed that I knew about the MEL engine. They said many people try telling them it cannot be original. I was more impressed with them caring for such an unusual car.

    Bonus story: When I still had my Bamboo Cream 65 GS I stopped at a local convenience store for a cold drink. Young guy parks next to me and says "nice 65 Gran Sport. Does it still have the nail head engine?" Spent a few minutes talking cars with him as he was quite knowledgeable about classics. Must be a Winnipeg thing! :D
     
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  15. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    Now y'all got 'Whole Lotta Rosie!' stuck in my head. Probably the best place for her.
    About two years ago at our local show was a guy with a Citroen S/M (or very similar) and I talked to him and looked it over, under, in and out. What a refreshing departure from the usual. It was fascinating, and I think I (and my son) were the only folks who looked at it.
    I enjoy driving mine and meeting people.
    Patrick
     
  16. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    i find car shows and cruise nights much more enjoyable if i don't talk to anyone.
     
  17. TimR

    TimR Nutcase at large

    +1.

    You ever get down to Calgary let me know we can take the vert out.
     
  18. LandYacht

    LandYacht Well-Known Member

    Takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. Plenty of jerks out there, but plenty of nice folks too - don't let the jerks get under your skin. If anything, they make for good stories here!
    The demographics at car shows and the whole classics/collectibles world is changing. There is a lot more money chasing cars, but even among the check-writing mechanics there are some cool people. A lot of those check writers feed a lot of nice folks who are mechanics and body guys that restore and maintain cars - nothing wrong with that.
     
  19. rmstg2

    rmstg2 Gold Level Contributor

    Just for kicks I reread a lot of the posts in this thread, since I'm an old guy ( No oxygen tank yet) and have a lawn chair and use diapers to polish my 50s car and wear cargo shorts, I could be offended by a lot of the remarks made in these posts. But I'm not, don't care, some people paint with a very broad brush. If you believed what they said you would believe every old guy with a nice car that fits the rest of the their description bought their car and knows nothing about it. I have already expressed how I feel about dogs at car shows, not fair to the dog, the only worse place for a dog is the drags, dogs ears are a lot more sensitive than ours, it is just cruel to take them there. Like the old saying goes "It takes all kinds to make the world go round"


    Bob H.
     
  20. Smokey15

    Smokey15 So old that I use AARP bolts.

    I can identify, Bob. You're only old when the diapers you use are the ones you wear.
     

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