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Does the general public react when they see you out driving?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Johnny1290, May 27, 2008.

  1. Cruiser
    Joined: May 29, 2006
    Posts: 2,241

    Cruiser
    Member

    :) Any old car will attract the Loki Lu's painted or primered, it's something different or it brings back memories for them. Lots on non car people ask what kind old car is that well it's 1949 Cadillac Oh! Most outsides can't tell one old car from another they just used cars to go places and never thought about what they mean to some people.

    CRUISER :cool:
     
  2. I hear you on them "furrin" cars. Many next genners will be doing what others have done with old Big 3 stuff. Honestly if I had to choose between a '86 accord and a '86 excort... THAT's a no brainer!:) I have old American iron but my daily is a USA-built Toyoter pickup. When Ford (drove new ones 25+ years) couldn't (or wouldn't!) fix my still-under-warranty F150 I got a Tundra, went back to Ford guy & rubbed my "fix" in his nose. Getting a bit OT, but fun cars & hotrods are whatever we want them to be, I've seen a lot of MGs, Vdubs, Anglias, etc. that are way cool rides.
     
  3. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

    I got a big thumbs up last week from a guy in an absolutely mint '55-'57 T-Bird, that kind of surprised me


    I work with a guy that builds cars, trucks and bikes on the side. He had an old '70 Chevy 1/2 Ton beater truck and we never knew what color it would be when we came in to work on Monday morning. One week it was two tone blue with flames and scraping the pavement, we came back after a 3 day weekend and it was Fruehauf Yellow and sitting on 35" rubber all the way around like a Baby Bigfoot. A month later it was back in the weeds........... and it was DEFINITELY the same truck.
     
  4. Lstude
    Joined: Sep 27, 2008
    Posts: 173

    Lstude
    Member

    Listening to it run!

    [​IMG]
     
  5. willowbilly3
    Joined: Jun 18, 2004
    Posts: 4,356

    willowbilly3
    Member Emeritus
    from Sturgis

    My daily is a 69 Ford crew cab, don't seem to get many gawkers in traffic but a lot of people come up and ask me about it at gas stations and stuff.
     
  6. temper_mental
    Joined: Oct 22, 2006
    Posts: 2,718

    temper_mental
    Member
    from Texas

    I run a BBC blown 871 in a 5 window coupe people are always wanting to know my gas mileage ?I tell them less that 3 miles but I'm smiling the hole time I drive the thing .My 2 cents
     
  7. Kerry67
    Joined: Apr 11, 2005
    Posts: 2,606

    Kerry67
    Member

    Even though my car is not very pretty yet, it gets a ton of people checking it out and compliments. I guess it comes with driving an old car.
     
  8. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    My shiney '32 won "Best in Show" but girls want to pose with my patina'd '31, go figure.
     
  9. Pontiac35
    Joined: Aug 27, 2005
    Posts: 54

    Pontiac35
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    Actually had a guy in Memphis driving a brand new Lexus offer to trade even up. The other thing we get regularly are the ones that get along side the car on the highway and get closer and closer as they look and sometimes take pictures, ya gotta pay attention but still be an ambassador/ambassadress of the hobby.
     
  10. jjsound
    Joined: May 27, 2008
    Posts: 424

    jjsound
    Member

    this summer i got this a couple of times when i was wandering around downtown..."where's your gasser?"
     

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  11. hotrodhenry
    Joined: Aug 18, 2006
    Posts: 44

    hotrodhenry
    Member
    from elmonte,ca

    i love when the guy next to me at the light rolls up his window because my car is just too loud and the girl that gives that special smile because she knows you are a hands on kind of guy.
     
  12. LAROKE
    Joined: Sep 5, 2007
    Posts: 2,079

    LAROKE
    Member

    Had a guy and his wife with their grandchildren in the back seat roll up next to me at a stoplight. In broken english, he asks "What year?"

    '37 chevy truck, I sez.

    He points at his wife and replys "She's a '37 too but yours looks better!"

    I hit the gas.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  13. lostforawhile
    Joined: Mar 23, 2008
    Posts: 4,160

    lostforawhile
    Member

    not really too off topic,the thread is about peoples reactions, and if you work hard on a car no matter what it is,it's the same when you are crusing and don't really have to go anywhere. I see a lot of the sedan versions of my car that are just beat all to hell,so people also react when they see one that isn't junk. I like this one way better then my wifes 98,which is a POS, these old ones were built like a brick shithouse and just keep going. I hope when I get it all done,that I can maby show some of these young guys with the horrible riced out civics and shit, that they can build a car that isn't a catalog of cheesy parts. If I inspire a "ricer" to use his brain and build something unique,thats the best reaction I could ask for.
     
  14. My '38 Ford pickup averages 40+ smiles per gallon;-) Especially when it's parked and somebody reads that little sign on the windshield that says "Feel free to touch. It's just an old work truck, not a show car."
     
  15. synchro7
    Joined: Jul 17, 2006
    Posts: 349

    synchro7
    Member

    I get a lot of thumbs up and neat car from people. The kicker was, last week I went to the Post Office. When I came out there was an elderly lady standing by my A coupe. Her comment was " 30 A coupe,early 289,original deuce grill and shell, nice." I was floored, and asked her how she knew all this. She said her late husband had sold a 30 roadster set up the same way. And that she had helped build it. Of course I offered her a ride, which she accepted. When I dropped her off about 30 min later it would have taken a body grinder with 24 grit paper to get the smile off her face.
     
  16. lostforawhile
    Joined: Mar 23, 2008
    Posts: 4,160

    lostforawhile
    Member

    very cool, just think,every time one of us with with " these old cars" is nice to someone or talks to someone about our car,it may end up changing a lot of different peoples perceptions down the road. it's just like small aircraft, some people hate em, but if you can talk them into a ride, it often changes the entire way they think of them.
     
  17. When we first got our 51 caddy coupe deville it looked like it had sat in a barn for the past 40 years. We fixed her up but didnt touch paint (well surface rust) we were going to a muscle car cruze and took her out for a drive and we were driving in and a little boy turned to his dad and said dad look all the kool cars are coming that brought the biggest smile to my face people love them no matter what paint or lack of paint is on people love them they wave, take picture give you the thumbs up it nice to see the effect they have on people and they way they bring people together.
     
  18. Dynaflash_8
    Joined: Sep 24, 2008
    Posts: 3,038

    Dynaflash_8
    Member
    from Auburn WA

    I love driving my ol Flatbed Dodge around. Flathead 6 with straight pipes, 4 speed non sycro, and a john deere flat black paintjob. Theres always folks that look at it, but theres always someone that gets intimidated when i come haulin ass behind em.
    Best looks are when i go to tht grocery store, or go to the drive in movies.
     
  19. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    In my experience it brings out the best reality and truth in all people. Even when they’re negative toward me, the way I see it, it’s still their troubled projected best in life when I pull up next to them (think about it).<o></o>​
    <o>
    </o>​
    It's like I'm wearing superx-raydecoder glasses. As long as I have them on I can see the world as it really is. :cool: You can’t hide from me in that x-ray drivers seat, for better or for worse your naked self is showing.. You know? To the nice people, the best way I can describe their reactions is, it’s like you're giving them something for free. It’s like, to their surprise, their winning a prize! :eek: And in a way, maybe you are? Who says daily experience isn't tangibly valuable?<o></o>​

    Great architecture, cars, clothes etc make my day – make my life. All of these things, whether you “own” them or I “own” them, they’re still personal valuables to me. Your things are really in a sense mine too. I think you’re sharing that car and giving it away when you’re out and about. <o></o>​
    <o>
    </o>​
    People are always talking about what the world needs, well I think the world could use a few more artists. Performing artists (the VAVAOOM women, rockabillies, beatniks etc etc etc), visual artists like us and all the rest. I’m just happy to do my part with these cars.

    Face it, in a profit driven world we’re broken. We waste labor power to give something wonderful away for free and people love it, and why shouldn’t they? Just because they’re our cars doesn’t mean that in some way the car doesn’t belong to them too. <o></o>​
    <o>
    </o>​
    The point of this rambling is, I think that’s why people get so happy and excited. It’s a personal investment for them, because in a way it’s their car too. You just made their life experience better and that belongs to them. It’s like someone building an amazing house on my way to work, I don’t own it, but if it deeply affects me every damn day don’t I in some way? I think that’s why people get so emotional over these cars, they have a personal investment in them too. <o></o>​
    <o>
    </o>​
    Anyway that crazy rambling confusion is the conclusion I’ve come to after years of cruising around and thinking about it.<o></o>​
     
  20. jalopy junkie
    Joined: Feb 19, 2008
    Posts: 4,702

    jalopy junkie
    Member

    Its weird,a while back I was cruising around on a country road in my 59 impala,and came up to a 4-way stop,on the other 3 sides was a Model A original sedan,a mid 60's corvette and a honda,we all hit the 4-way at the same time,nobody gave each other a thumbs up or a wave,we just kind of sat there for about 6 or 8 seconds and stared at each other waiting to see who would go first,then we all went thru and that was that...there was no local car show,just Sunday drivers,whats the chances of that happening again??Like I said...weird
     
  21. Kripfink
    Joined: Sep 30, 2008
    Posts: 2,040

    Kripfink
    Member Emeritus

    We don't have too many '54 panels over here, so obviously the Kripple kart does get a lot of attention. What I get a real kick out of, is the reaction she gets from little kids. Seems to me little kids have cool car radar because thay ALWAYS point and grin. I like to think that maybe in the future some of these kids will look back and remember, and just maybe think to themselves 'I wanna drive a cool old car like that, ' instead of the usual soulless piece of shit Joe Graysuit does.
     
  22. Back in 84, we used my 73 El Camino to pick up a 39 chevy for my friend(its now a very fast street rod), on the way home we stopped for gas. And heart comments about how it was the yun g people who had all the money for the fun things. I mean it took him a year of welding, almost 40 hours a week, before it was done.
    A few years later i drove the same 39, with a 350/350 combo, to a meeting. It was pearl white, with steelies, on the highway a family came by, and the father wanted to show his kids the old car. We where going about 60 mph, when they where done looking, he did speed up and we just followed him, The look in their faces was so good, people didnt know rods in Denmark then.
    And a few months ago, i was driving my al original 32 tudor, i got a lot of thumbs ups, from the kids, in thiernew cars, with all the extra fiberglass, but they still likedmy old car. I think they use to watch the Boyd Coddington-show on tv
    Lars
     
  23. quandel_garage
    Joined: Feb 17, 2008
    Posts: 380

    quandel_garage
    Member

    I love it when people say " I have never seen a truck like that" and then you tell them what it is and they say "No" "Can't be, I used to have one of those"
     
  24. quandel_garage
    Joined: Feb 17, 2008
    Posts: 380

    quandel_garage
    Member

    i love this thread
     
  25. not exactly a thumbs up , but more of your number one!:D
     

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  26. BangerMatt
    Joined: Mar 3, 2008
    Posts: 465

    BangerMatt
    Member

    My Model A speedster burns a bit of oil.

    Had a cop pull up next to me at a stoplight, roll down his window and say "Man, your car stinks!", then pull away.
     
  27. Strange Agent
    Joined: Sep 29, 2008
    Posts: 2,879

    Strange Agent
    Member
    from Ponder, TX

    Well, I haven't really driven my car all that much on the street because it hasn't passed inspection yet due to some electrical hiccups, so I don't really know yet, but when my dad and I were trailering it home we were getting a lot of thumbs up, and when we stopped to get gas people were coming up to see it and asking questions.

    We stopped to pick up some metal piping for my dad's friend on the way back, and a guy that worked their wanted to buy it right off the trailer!

    I can imagine stuff like the above will happen more often when it's actually ON the road. It makes me feel good, though. It makes it worth paying the little bit more for gas, I think. It's just a really good feeling when people appreciate something you've put a lot of work into.
     
  28. It's been about 12 years since I drove an old car, the last one before I got the 46 was a 65 Corvair Conv.... My GF and I are going through a Checkers/Rally burger drive through and a toothless couple are eating thier hamburgers on the picnic table about 10 feet away... the male toothless says "Nice car" (it was fairly shiny red paint, FL smoothies and narrow whitewalls)... then his toothless female companion says... "Iffit were blue, it'd be gooder!"

    I think I'm going to paint line on the lower right corner of the decklid of the '46... It cracks me up everytime.
    [​IMG]
     
  29. Hot Rodz R Us
    Joined: Oct 19, 2006
    Posts: 920

    Hot Rodz R Us
    Member Emeritus

    I've been real lucky with the Law in my roadster, I've passed several different cops in different states with my Lake Pipes wide open, no baffles, and never got anything but a thumbs up......Just lucky I guess
     
  30. 38plymouth
    Joined: Apr 11, 2008
    Posts: 419

    38plymouth
    Member

    Most everybody has kind words to say about old cars in general. Kids & older folk seem to love them the most.

    Had a guy in his early 60's walk up to me today and said his father had bought a brand new 38 Plymouth and he remembered it well. Sold it 10 yrs later and he had always wondered where it ended up. I think he was hoping this might be it, not really but he was getting a bit sentimental.

    We chatted for a couple of minutes and before he left he said thanks for the memories. I said thanks for appreciating old cars, they have personality. They sure do, and he walked away .

    I like sitting in my car waiting for my wife to do some shopping almost as much as I do driving the darn thing. It's entertaining, although some days its like a zoo. Not as many exotic animals in this neck of the woods.
     

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