Folks Of Interest Does The General Public Hate Old Cars?

Most people love my coupe, the people that do not are afraid of it!

 

Its not about how many people get it, its who gets it.

 

I think most people see cars as just transportation. People drive like idiots whatever car i drive. I think the older folks who remember what the older cars are like are the ones that have stopped me and asked questions. When I was bringing my 48 home on the trailer I had several people ask about it.

 

Absolutely. I always thought it is/was an age thing. Most people have a story about a 50's car. Few had stories about a deuce roadster, but when they did...............

 

No one has said they hate my truck. The opposite is true

 

Just went to check my email and saw this as a top headline.
https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/why-teens-shouldnt-drive-old-cars-105630111042.html

 

The "ASS-HATS" that write those articles shouldn't be allowed anywhere near ANY driver's seat as they have NO CONCEPT of learning/teaching defensive driving : If you feel at least a little vulnerable, you WILL pay more attention to your surroundings than if you feel "those safety devices will protect me from any danger, so I don't need to pay attention"!! I started driving in a Crosley, & I don't think anything could make me feel more vulnerable!! LOL! (& YES, I did pay CLOSE attention!!)

 

I wish more people disliked old cars, I'm pretty sick of talking to everyone about mine.

 

I have owned and worked on vintage cars the majority of my adult life. I have never had a person make a negative comment to me about an old car i own or drive. I have heard some liberal battery car driving haters comment on the importance of being sensative about the enviornment. My response is that restoring an automobile involves recycling things that weigh in excess of a ton at a time. Put that idea in your bong and smoke it.

 

Who's General Public?
Was he elected or inherited his position?

 

In the D.C. metropolitan area most of the people on the roads don't care what you drive as long as you get the hell out of their way 'cause they're in a big hurry to get nowhere!

 

In New York people in general drive like a-holes. Sometimes I can't even go 3 miles to the post office and back without someone trying to cause an accident because they don't understand what Yield means or just have to get to that next red light a second or so before I do. A while back I watched a guy turn left on a red light just so he could do 50 in a 55 in front of me for about five miles - and then not even come close to a stop making a right turn at the next red light. Once a lady abruptly made a right turn into a parking lot from the left lane of a two lane road, right across in front of me like I wasn't even there. I damn near parked my van on top of her mother in the passenger seat on that one.

Parking lots are espeically nuts, those lines they paint don't mean a damn thing to most people; I make a point of following them just to be a dick to those clowns.

I've gotten to where I can drive most of the way across the state without the Thruway just so I can get on rural roads that have almost no traffic on them just to avoid that crap. Or at least when I get up behind the turkey doing 10 under I stand a chance of passing them.

What I've been driving really makes no difference, whether it was my '60 Pontiac, any of my beater trucks, my current van; same thing, people driving like idiots. All they care about is getting to where they're going and everyone else can go to hell.

 

My car is a 1953 Chevrolet 150 late 50'2 early 60's style tropical turquoise body polo white roof 14" steel wheels (red) 2 1/2" white walls, with a strong 261 cid Blueflame 6.

 

In my area people always wave, take pics, thumbs up and ask guestions wherever I park. Only gripe I have is tailgaters(usually females), and at night cowboys in their jacked up 4x4s and if y'all ever owned a model A ya know the reflection of lights in a Model A is almost scary.

 

......................Not exactly a picture.

 

My take is the general public (the masses) really don't give a shit one way or the other. Everyone has their own interests/hobbies/obsessions. Ours happens to be old cars. I don't do a back flip if someone wants to show me their coin or stamp collection. Though I will acknowledge that it's cool. Cars are just transportation to 90% of the people on the road. If your old car doesn't draw a crowd or a comment at the gas station, don't lose sleep over it. They're probably just normal citizens...

 

I honestly get tired of trying to explain things to some people. One nice lady asked me if my '32 Roadster was an early Indy car. WTF??

 

I find that the majority of non car people love our old cars. When my Sons turned 16 and got their first old cars on the road I told them to allow a lot of extra time when they stop for gas or groceries because they will always be bombarded with people looking at them and wanting to talk about them.

I usually get the older people who remember having one "just like mine, except it was a Dodge, and a four door !"

The funniest one I ever had was an old man who walked up behind my 23 and looked at the slicks. He said "Boy, you sure do get the mileage out of your tires, don't you?" I said, "Those aren't bald, they are racing slicks and made that way." but he didn't seem to want to understand and just kept mumbling to himself as he walked away.

Gotta love people if you drive an old car.

Don

 

I get lots of smiles when I run around in the A pickup. At least down here south of Motown I do. A rather pleasant rural area, lots of barns and car folk, lots of old stuff everywhere at times. What seems to be the base of this topic isn't just old cars it's the fuckin morons that surround us. Spoon fed by whomever they feel is some version of authority they follow creeds that have an undisclosed motive. This epidemic of stupidity has generated laws on the books about texting. How come we don't have a law that says you can't read a newspaper while driving? The population is overrun with stupid people lately, like within the last 8-10 yrs. It's as if the new fashion statement is stupid and I'm not talking about the latest generations. It transcends all ages. When I drive our O/T vehicle, one that has been met with how slow and fuel consuming they are, people will dangerously speed up and pass me. Usually they cut in front way too close for my comfort level. I've had hard looks and even a couple single finger salutes in the past. I do entertain myself in it by driving well over the speed limit and hoping Johnny Law is ahead to ticket those fuckin cidrules. Driving defensive has never been more important than it's become now. Years ago I had one of those mouth breathers in another O/T car that had a "transmission performance" switch on the console. I demonstrated it when he asked me about it and showed him how much longer it stayed in gear and how hard the trans shifted when selected. Like a little girl, "Eew, why would you want that?" Yes, I'm serious, that was the response. Just embrace how unique you are and "...watch out for the other guy..." just like in the old commercials.

I do have to ask, what's not to like about this, right?

 

Worst comment from the public I ever got was when I had my '33 5W with a gear drive in it (hey, c'mon it was the 80s). Pulled into the local parts store and a very elderly man at the counter being waited on turned to me and said "sonny, your water pump is going bad"! Otherwise my wife and I have great conversations with folks about the car. Kids think it looks like a hotwheels car they have and the older folks, like me, what to reminisce about riding in one when they were young. Of course NH is a car friendly state, NASCAR track, NHRA drag strip, many small oval tracks and of course our famous "Live Free or Die" motto.

 

Your starting to change my mind that people don't care. However I still feel that a lot do hate old cars.
My father "steals" my car for errands, runs into the same things.
The last time I did have people talk to me about my car, it was an older women (70). She said "Oh I love your car! My husband and I had a 57 Chevy that looked just like this when we got married" I kept talking to her however my car is a 53 Chevy!
I like to answer questions about my car on the very rare times I get them.
I was coming home form a hot rod show in Conn. when got to Hudson N.Y. I saw a 50 Ford stopped in a convenience store. The driver standing next to the car I turn around to see if he needed help. He did he had stop to get a snack and the starter quit. I helped him push start it. The man told me in the 45 mins. he had been stopped I was the only person who offered help!
As for as others hobbies if someone starts talking or telling me about them I listen I try and engage them.

 

You're probably one of the few people who would understand why I installed an aircraft landing light in the back window of my '50 Olds when I was in high school. No there weren't any jacked up 4X4s then, just lots of assholes.
And yes, my previous car had been a 1930 A tudor.

 

Don,I think I can top that one.. I had a lady pull up beside me at a stop light and looked over at me in my 32 roadster, she smiled and said " nice dune buggy". HRP

 

Decades of studies show that DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) prevent this kind of accident.
Civilians are generally distracted &/or just plain stupid drivers, so I ALWAYS drive with my lights on!

 

I've never seen hate, but lots of ignorance/indifference and some love.
The coolest thing was when a woman ahead of me at a drive thru window paid for my lunch.

 

You should, they VOTE! Be an ambassador

 

Today's drivers are much different than when I was a kid,at that time even my dad would get a little excited and point out a hot rod or a classic like a Packard or some other exotic car as we traveled the highways.

There are so many distractions in peoples lives and for the general motoring population cars are just transportation,nothing more,nothing less.

In the 70's I had a 40 Ford sedan and a lady backed into the drivers side rear fender,I was upset and she couldn't understand why..."It's just a old car" was her simple comment..

I explained I had poured my heart and soul into that car and had just managed to scrape up the money to pant the car withing the last few weeks.

We have a passion for old cars and the people beside us in the clapped out honda with bald tires don't and we take a chance drive with them but we refuse to let them sit and become static art.

So to answer the question,they don't hate old cars,,the don't see them as anything but another car to pass. HRP

 

I can't get my pictures to post. I have someone to help me with that.

 

What's not to love?

 

Back in the day most people looked at us like this.

Today the world is so screwed up no one cares that much about hot rodders. They have lots more to worry about and the hot rodders in most cases are old harmless guys! I said in most cases!