Hot Rods "The Expert"

It's a bit of a long shot, but the August 1977 street rodder magazine had a cartoon called "the expert". It was about 6 panels and showed some guy picking everyone's car apart and then rides away on a moped. It was perfect then and still is today. Can anyone scan that? I can't find my old copy.

 

Had a similar experience about 1980. Small parking lot car show in Sierra Vista, AZ. 2 young guys (maybe 25 years old), walking around picking apart all the cars. I watched them climb in a battered, sun faded, Mercury Comet. It eventually started and sputtered off, the last view was large chunks of headliner fluttering in the breeze.

 

Experts are everywhere !

 

I seem to recall a wonderfully drawn Fred Boatman multi-panel cartoon in Car Craft or maybe R&C in the 1960s based on that very thing. Very vocal Car show "critics" that in the last panl are driving off in their ragged **s beater.

 

"The untrained mind keeps up a running commentary, labeling everything, judging everything. Best to ignore that commentary. Don’t argue or resist, just ignore. Deprived of attention and interest, this voice gets quieter and quieter and eventually just shuts up.” -- Plato

 

What B.S.

EVERYONE...has an opinion..! Whether they speak it or stay silent, THAT's what matters.

Mike

 

You know, I’m not trying to debate right to opinions, I was just looking for a copy of a cartoon

 

You started it now....HAHAHAHAHA
It's going to be fun thread.

 

Ex is a has been and a spirt is a drip under pressure.

 

44 years ago is a long time and I probably have it stashed away in the spare bed room buried in a box, we recently had one of the girls moved back home with our granddaughter. all the magazines are stacked in boxes and there is no order.

I'm not promising anything but I'll check and see what I can come up with.

 

Maybe one of the sellers on eBay would be gracious enough to send you a pic of the cartoon? I'd love to see it, too.

 

Back about 25 years ago when I took my 48 to the Vintiques show in Yakima every year there were two guys who had the Greasy Jim look with grease and dirt covered shirts and pants who would walk around and nit pick every rig in the place and usually spent extra time finding fault with the 48. I don't think that they had many good words for any rig in the place.
I've found over the past 50 years that guys who nit pick the cars are almost always spectators at paid spectator events. It may be that they feel that paying for a ticket gives them the privilege of nitpicking. If you talk to them they don't own hot rods or custom cars though.
The most vocal are the guys who think that you are not supposed to modify anything though. Go to a hot rod and custom car show and bad mouth a guys ride because it is lowered and has a perfectly chopped top and a 10 K paint job claiming that they destroyed the car. They never have a car in the show unless it is a roached out 4 door sedan though.

 

Thank you; it said “special Merc issue” on the cover with a burgundy Merc and a 1970’s young lady

 

The "expert"...It's envy, as old as time.

 

This was a Tom Medley/Stroker McGurk style thing, wasn't it? I know I've read that same comic strip and I'm too young to remember it from when it was new, so it's gotta be on the internet somewhere.

 

I work with a couple 'experts'. Just ask them, they'll tell ya.

 

Ummm ... heh heh. Didn't YOU just pick apart their Comet with your 'battered, sun faded, eventually started and sputtered off, large chunks of headliner fluttering in the breeze" comment?

Pot ... meet Kettle

 

When my 63 Galaxie 427 was new I was working in a gas station. I let my friend take it to get lunch or something. As he was sitting there idling waiting to take off some young expert walked up and said" that's supposed to be some kind of hot car. Listen to it, sounds like its missing or something".

 

Fred Boatman posted on the HAMB a few times over the years. Always one of the best "car" toonists out there, IMHO. Sadly, it seems he died in 2018 at the age of 83.


https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/search/312514813/

 

Ok, now for my serious response ... There are very few cars out there that are just perfect in my mind. Almost every car out there would need some form of alteration before it was "just right for me". For example, many years ago, local to me was a chopped, full-fendered 1934 Ford Coupe with a SOHC 427 and a Nash 5-gear. Sounds cool right? Well, it wasn't perfect in my mind and here's why ... the car was painted bright pink, it ran a spool (not my choice for a street car), had multi-color stripped leather interior, digital gauges, and Strange drag struts (before Strange released their street version). It was tubbed and was definitely one hell of a car, and I would have loved to own it BUT, as mentioned, there was a LOT of stuff I would change if I did own it or wouldn't have done if I built it. With me, it isn't a matter of hate, anger, envy, or my being an 'expert', it is nothing more than my personal opinion. Hemi Cuda with a shaker and a four-gear .... AWESOME. If that same Hemi Cuda had a vinyl roof and trunk spoiler ... BARF. Am I vocal about the changes I'd make? Only to the wife but that doesn't mean someone hasn't overheard me say "ugh ... why would anyone put fender skirts on a 30's pick up" or "that 36 Ford 5-window is gorgeous, no idea why they painted it white though".

The cartoon isn't ringing any bells.

 

I remember a similar one in CARtoons Magazine, where he rides off on a moped saying, "It's a good thing I don't charge for my advice".

Had that happen to me at a show, where some guy looked over my car, told me that I really screwed it up, and listed off everything that was "wrong" with it, concluding, "If you fix all that, next year I will vote for your car".

 

Was that the episode where Pa gets busted for growing weed on the lower 40? I remember the follow up, “Madam Kettle.” Ma opens a Bordello to try and raise bail money for Pa.

 

Working with the public all my life, I have 2 expressions that fit many circumstances.

The world is full of experts.

and

the world is full of assholes.
Coincidence? I think not.

 

WTF. ”Pot…meet kettle II” This time their on a mission. Playing at local theaters near you.

 

If all else fails....look on the HAMB....2008. Damn Photobucket tho......

 

Well; I tried to help. I Googled "August 1977 Streetrodder cartoon." I spent about an hour reading cartoons on my screen (yes, you can pity me now). Sorry, but I never came up with what you're looking for but had a hella good time trying to help.

edit: Joe posted a minute before me. Too bad I "wasted" all that time.

 

That's it! thank you!

 

Credit to Joe Blow, that's the one I remember for sure. I tried multiple searches but not the right ones apparently.

 

It's pretty simple...everybody's car sucks...except mine.

 

Doesn't take long to figure out the guys who flap their jaws the most, know the least. They should keep quiet so nobody knows how little they know!