What is the best reaction you have gotten from people?

First time taking my Fury to a car show, some kid asked what it was so I told him. Then he said "Oh look a distraction" pointed to the ground and then walked away. I think the kid was around 12, made me laugh. mostly because I was dumb enough to look!

 

back in the early 70s i built a 55 chevy 4x4 p/u ,drove it daily,always come out of the store etc. someone laying under it ,trying to figure it out.lots of questions.it had 350 hp 327,ps pb,tilt wheel,power seats.all on orig.frame.when it went to the mts.everyone says you ain,t gonna go thru the brush are you,sure i say they make paint every day. now for Normbc9 when you take your trip to montana,if you have trouble,or just need a break,pm me i'm in ontario or,son is in winnemuca,got room and shop,and lots of cars.this goes for all of you guys.56premiere

 

I've been driving my old cars all over for a very long time, so I've got a few good ones!

First, in my hot rodded 57 Chevy convertible. Hanging out in Keansburg, NJ, back in 74 or 75, with a big group of friends, all in 55-57 Chevies. Bruce Springsteen came up and started talking to us. We didn't know who he was til a couple months later, when Born to Run came out. Anyway, he really like my car, as he also had a 57 Chevy convert!

Next, again in my 57 'vert, a few years later, after I really did her up nice. We stopped at the side of the road to fix my buddies 57 hartop, that was overheating. Some older 'hippie type' guy comes running out of his house, to give use a hand, and some water for the radiator. When we were ready to leave, he actually came up to my car, and KISSED it on the hoodscoop! Said it was the coolest Chevy he's ever seen!

Driving my chopped radical 55 Olds, with a young guy who wanted to get into building customs, kind of shy, perhaps naive. Driving though a pretty bad part of town, in traffic. A group of black guys in the car next to us start yelling, wanting me to roll down the windows. My friend was pretty frightened, telling me to get the hell out of here.
So I roll down the window, and one of the guys yells out " How much you want fo dat car?" I just shrugged, and he goes " Man, I don't care how much you want, I wanna buy dat car, I gots to have dat car, how much you want? Man, I gotta have it....I'd buy dat car......if I hadda job!"
I laughed my ass off, while my buddy was still shaking in his boots!

While driving donw the highway in Ohio, going to a car show in Iowa, I heard a trucker talking about the Olds. He and his buddy could not decide what kind of car it was, due to all the different parts on it. In the end they decided to just call it a "three car put-together".

Another long road trip, I think we were in Missouri, in a gas station, a guy came up and asked about the Olds, and if I drove it. I told him I did, and he didn't believe me, I couldn't really be driving a show car, this low to the ground. I pointed out my NJ plates, and told him I certainly didn't trailer it, you don't see a trailer here, do you?
He just walked away shaking his head.

 

You know you have skills when you manage to get a girl off with an 02 Escort. Yay for broken engine mounts I guess. I'am just wondering how she would've reacted if she was sitting in a proper car with a lopey cam.

 

Driving down the interstate or just around town people quite often taking pictures with their cell phones. Love it!

 

Reminds of the time I rode in a new challenger. I was giggling like and little girl, and crying from happiness. I might just have a heart attack the first time I ride in a Deuce Coupe.

 

Another great reaction was when I just hooked up my kick down switch and went on my normal test run road loop. Came up to a stop light and a kid in a S-10 rolls his window down asks the normal stuff what year?? and whats in it ?? So I tell him 53 Cadillac and 454. my car has a nice deep exhaust note but smooth idle . The light turns green, he dumps his clutch and spins his tires and starts to go.So I, of course floor it to make sure the kick down is working properly with the 4 barrel. My car hooks hard and walks away from him and I didnt even make second yet, bangs in to second then nice and easy in to third. he catches up to me and goes on bye he has a big grin on his face and shaking his head in approval. Of course I was grinning too.

 

at another cruise in a nice teenage girl politly waits until the conversation between our little group slows down, then meekly asks if that car really runs on beer?

 

The first time actually driving my car was on the way to a show. On the way I threw the fan belt, overheated, and drained my battery. Upon entering the show someone pointed out that I had a serious fuel leak, so I spent atleast an hour of the show underneath my car up to my armpits in grease. A kid walked up (about 10 or so) and was asking me tons of questions while I was fixing it. I took the time to answer his questions as descriptivly as possible, and explain what does what. His mother was there telling him not to bother me, but I told her that I didn't mind. He was actually learning AND enjoying it. I think that made his day, and I hope someday he will have an old car of his own. That right there made it all worth while to me.

 

Older couple pulls up on my left at a stoplight with their grandkids in the back seat of the Lexus they are in. The wife sez "My husband wants to know what year your truck is". I reply 1937. The husband points at his wife and yells "She's a '37 too but I like yours better!". The light turned green at that point and I hit it.

 

Driving my OT car, a Cobra replica I stop at the light on an overpass and the homeless guy standing there says, "Got a 427 in it?" I shake my head and say, "Nope, a 302." Then he shakes his head and says, "Aww man!" like it's the most disappointing thing he's heard all day.

 

Same exact thing happened to me when I got a load of dirt in my 1939 Ford truck

 

I used to have a run-of-the-mill '53 Chevy four door sedan. Nothing special, shaved trim/trunk/hood with a 235. One day I was sitting outside my buddies shop waiting for him to come out so we can head for lunch.

An elderly couple park beside me, and the husband walks over to talk. He asks me a few questions, "Still a 235, three speed?" and the like. We talk for a bit, says when he was stationed in Germany in the late 50's early 60's with the airforce him and his new (then) wife (motions towards his current wife, one and the same I imagine) and says this was the same car they had over there. He stands up from my window and says "Yup, concieved our first son in the back of one of these!"

I swear if looks could kill his wife would have watched him die on the spot, she was red in the face haha. He winked and strolled away.

 

GREAT thread! I'm enjoying the hell out of this!!!

Let me apologize in advance for all of the stories generated by my "off topic" cars, but my 49 Dodge truck isn't on the road yet!! Hopefully since we're all just "car guys" at heart, you'll still enjoy them...

(I'm STILL amazed at the reaction that my "sh!tbox Dodge" Bluesmobile gets wherever it goes!)

* I had my 440 powered (OT, sorry) 71 Road Runner at a show and a young couple that we hang out with asks if I’ll take their 5 year old son for a ride at the end of the day since they don’t have a cool old car to play with just yet. I give the kid a RIDE and he returns with a great big grin on his face. A few weeks later when I see them at another show, his mom asks “Do you like his car?” and he says “YEAH!” She asks why and he replies “It makes lines!!!”

* I’m getting gas in the Bluesmobile in a not-so-nice part of town on the way back from the office. (Keep in mind that I look a lot like the whitest of the white guys. I sport “high & tight” blonde hair, Topsiders, a polo shirt & khakis…) I notice this “middle of the ghetto” kid with the gold teeth and gold chains, a ball cap turned sideways, and pants around his a** walking down the sidewalk past the gas station trying to act as gangsta as he could… until he sees my car. He lights up like a Christmas tree and smiles from ear to ear and says “Man, I LOVE this car! That is SO cool!!!” and he can’t stop smiling and laughing. We actually had a great conversation about the movie, blues music, and the Blues Brothers for about ten minutes before he shook my hand and walked away smiling the whole time. <O></O>

* Went to see Joe Bonamassa in concert over in Norfolk a few years ago. I took a friend of mine who wanted to get his guitar signed by Joe, and after the concert we moved the Bluesmobile up to the back of the building and waited by the tour bus. Joe signed my friend’s guitar and posed for some photos and then I asked Joe if he’d mind one more autograph and he said “Sure, no problem!”. I asked if he had ever signed a CAR and he said “No...” with a puzzled look on his face. I pointed at the Bluesmobile behind him and as he spun around he said “This car is AWESOME!”. <O></O>

* Of course I get all kinds of smiles & waves for the Bluesmobile at traffic lights and going down the road, and have people hanging out of their cars taking photos, etc. especially when we’re dressed like Jake & Elwood. But by FAR the most memorable reaction was one that I got after doing a little local parade. We had parked the cars near the carnival area and walked around for a while. As we were walking back towards the cars, I noticed a young couple taking photos of their son standing next to the Bluesmobile, so I said “Hello” as we walked up. They apologized for standing so close to the car and asked if I minded them taking photos. “No, of course not! Help yourselves!” They tell me that the boy is autistic but for some reason he LOVES the Blues Brothers movie and he is always happy and is singing & dancing when the movie is on. I ask them if they’d like for him to sit in the car so that they could take his picture, they say “Sure!”. I hand the kid a pair of the cheapie Oriental Traders “Ray Ban” looking sunglasses that we give away and a cheapie fedora that we keep in the car for situations like this. For the parade I had made up a big wooden frame and a big fake “loudspeaker” like the one that they had on the movie car, but forgot that I had tied a rope through the car to secure it to the roof just like they had done in the movie. Since it’s a 4 door SEDAN you can’t open the doors while you have a rope tied around the roof! No problem… I pick the kid up by his armpits intending to slide him in through the window Dukes of Hazzard style. He instinctively “walks” up the door with his shoes on, and his parents gasp and start apologizing profusely for him putting his shoes on my car. I set the kid in the car as I’m telling them “Really, it’s ok! The car is all beat up and has dull paint on it on purpose! I honestly don’t care as long as people are enjoying it and having fun!” The kid is smiling from ear to ear with his hat & glasses on, and as I turn to the parents to continue my assurance that it really IS ok that the kid might have scratched my car they’re BOTH standing there with tears in their eyes….

 

Yellowrr, what a fantastic thing you did for the autistic kid. Car people rock!

 

1976, three of us on our way to Tulsa from Seattle-my 37 pickup, a 39 Chev sedan and a 38 Buick sedan. We pulled off the highway south of Salina, KS for gas and the road immediatly narrowed up about 10' as we entered a really small town. There was a store with gas pumps, so we pulled in and went inside. Suddenly there are about 50 people outside, swarming around our cars. Kids going home and bringing mom and dad, people stopping in the street and getting out of their cars, everyone looking at 3 old cars in one place. It took about a half hour to get out of there, and everyone was great. There are probably 100 pictures of my truck somewhere in Kansas.

 

I pulled out into traffic one evening in my wagon and had to jump on it to get outta the way of a brand new Carrera GT3 coming in hotter than I expected. When I got up to the light the old guy in the Carrera rolls down his window and tells me "that sounds incredible" My car is a straight 6 250 with 4bbl, headers and 2.5" duals through cherry bombs. The guy driving the Carrera is known around town as he owns several european exotic cars. I appreciated that comment from him.....my buddies tell me it sounds like a bunch of pissed off bees.

 

At the EyesOn Design show one of the judges looking at my
chopped 57 Buick said that it looks like it was PHOTOSHOPPED

 

Kind of a double sided reaction here....My buddy and I were out in my 63 galaxie 500. We were at a stop sign and two kids in a honda civic came up the the road and flipped us off. So I gun it and get sideways around the corner. When I straightened the car out I looked in my rearview mirror, rollin lights. Pull over and the cop asked me " where the hell you goin in such a hurry?" I say "to go beat those kids' ass that just flipped me off." cop says "what color was the honda?" gave me my licence registration and insurance back. He didnt say another word, just hopped back in his cruiser and screamed out of there.....

 

At the pump old guy eyen off my old valiant sitting on the bumpstops says, A bit low isn't it ? I reply nah it's just afraid of heights. old guy shakes his head ,poor old car.
Another time i pulled up at the traffic lights next to learner straight pipe no muffler .mother in the passenger seat covers her ears and rolls up her window. Love it...

 

I am enjoying the hell out of this thread! THANK YOU all for the stories!!!

 

Since getting it back, I drove my '51 Merc twice, it's sitting while I redo some of the fuel lines.

I've been driving modded OT and muscle cars since 1992, and I've never experienced anything like the constant attention the Merc go driving around on the Chicago North side. I saw some older folks, like 70-80, smile when I drove by, one guy said "50 or 51..." He was very happy. That's the reaction I remember the most.

 

You gotta be one happy mofo to be able to drive that car finally!

 

this is a good thread. Best reaction so far (probably the one I'll always remember) - I had just put plates on my coupe and I took it out for it's first legitimate drive. The first vehicle I got behind happened to be a school bus full of elementary school kids. A followed them for about 5 minutes and at the first stop this little kid probably 8-10 years old gets off. As I follow the bus away from the stop, he hears my car, halts dead, spins around, drops his backpack and his jaw just about hits the street. He stood there with that look on his face as I drove by and out of sight. As silly and seemingly insignificant as it seems, it was definitely a watershed moment in my life. As I cruised away I reflected on the fact that reactions like that are a part of the reason we build these cars. They make the endless hours of frustration, bloody knuckles and impatience soooo worth it. That little kid reminded me so much of myself at that age. You see a hot rod go by and it's instant tunnel vision. Like time stands still. You go run home as fast as you can and tell everyone who will listen about this crazy car you just saw. Probably exaggerating a lot things about it as the story evolves. LOL The kids dad was probably in to cars just like my dad. What fun!

 

I think the best reactions I get are when other racers want to look at my car to see how to fix something on their right.

 

In 1988 we were on our way to the Nats in Columbus. We had stoped for lunch and were leaving. Two older ladies were checking out my 32 Ford Hiboy.We said hi to them and one of the ladies asked if it had a rumble seat. I said yes and opened it up so she could check it out. She got quite a smile on her face, turned to her friend and said " Boy I sure had some fun in one of these".
That was some time ago and I don't think I will ever forget the twinkle in her eyes.

 

When one friend of mine said to another friend of mine, "Have you had a ride in that thing? That sonofabitch is fast".

 

When my old college room mate saw my 64 Ford Country Sedan wagon for the first time, he laughed and exclaimed. " What planet is that from?"

At a traffic light in Berkley Springs, West Virginia in my Barracuda, an elderly gentleman in his Sunday suit and bow tie standing nearby at a gas station called out, " Ouncha burn some rub op dem tars!"

Arriving at a cruise in with my black 68 Charger in Manassas, Virginia, I heard someone say, " Hey Cleatus, lookit! It one dem Duke boys!"

At an antique car show in Rockville, Maryland with my Barracuda, my friends busted out laughing when an older guy studied my Barracuda carefully and then said, " I had a Pinto just like this."

 

One day, I was riding my motorcycle down the 405 frwy. The motorcycle was nothing to speak of but when I was passing a late model suburban with a gaggle of girls, I heard honking. I looked over and the girls were waving and holding up a sign that said "10". The first thing I thought of was, "Thank God, I'm wearing a helmet! Otherwise the sign would be a 1 or a 2".

 

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