Also consider this: everyone knows what an ex con is, and unfortunately some know what an ex spouse. So what is a pert so that later we get experts?
I get people that feel the need to tell me everything that is wrong on my rides (not very hard, my stuff is always a bit rough, I know where it came from). Some must think I can't find that stuff myself. When they get all done picking it apart, I ask them "Is that all you found? Man, you better look again, there is more wrong then that! I did a bunch of stuff wrong, just so assholes could have something to find." They usually mumble to them selves as they walk away. I usually find the whole experience funny.
i have always followed the saying, "it is better to appear stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"
One of the reasons I got tired of shows and quit going after the first year into rodding. Got so tired of paying money to sit in the heat in a lawn chair and hearing how I should have built my car. had more fun driving to work and the grocery store in it
He who knows the most, judges the least! A true builder will find the best in a build, whereas a poser will ridicule what he doesn’t understand.
Nope, not in my case (specifically speaking about my latest car). I hated the rear gears I had. I hated the fact that I should have gone with power steering. I hated the fact that I didn't install a front sway bar. I swapped from TH350 to T5 (with the S10 tail), hated the T5 and swapped back to the TH350. I hated the wheels I used (even though they were dead straight, absolutely zero run out). I hated the fact that I could only unlock the car from the passenger side. I never liked the grille or the length of the hood or the factory location of the tail lights. The color of the car was NOT a color I would have picked had I had the choice (I left it the same color it was when I bought it as a stocker). I started with this particular car (38 Olds coupe) because it was available, complete, and driving, and close to me, unfortunately that meant I started with a car I never really desired in the first place. Sure, I could have changed everything I didn't like but then I'd still have a car I never really wanted, not a car I couldn't live without. After swapping the front and rear suspension, rewiring the car, swapping in a SBC and trans etc, I tired of it after several years of daily driving it and sold it. I am definitely NOT in the category of "everybody's car sucks except mine". I like what I like ... that doesn't mean I like what I own. It also means I may not like yours or that I don't feel changes to your car would benefit it IN MY EYES if I was the owner I can guarantee you this, there are very few people, if any, who would have truly loved my car the way it was when I sold it ... I am fine with that. If you feel like telling me or others what I should have done differently ... that's cool too. Once you buy it, feel free to perform those modifications Let me be clear, I don't walk up to the owner (or anyone else) and loudly proclaim what they need to change to suit my tastes but I am certainly guilty of conversing with my wife about what changes it would take to make a car perfect in my eyes Ever wonder why a new car has so many available options? It's so people can pick and choose what they like ... the car manufacturers have yet to make a car that suits everyone perfectly, we certainly can't expect that much out of a home builder then, can we I am NOT an expert, I am a self proclaimed "Super Genius" Don't let my opinion affect your day, I am just not that important.
I have met/dealt with MANY Experts in my time, The car hobby is blessed with it's share, definitely no shortage here on the HAMB. LOL. I'm not a tavern guy, no bar stool attached to my butt and have learned that I can get expert advice on Any subject just by stopping in any local watering hole, for the price of 1 beer, most times free, that Expert is only a bar stool or two away. I enjoyed the cartoons in the car magazines, like many things, a thing of the past, also miss the magazines, Thankful for the HAMB.
It happens here all the time, yes, right here on the beloved H.A.M.B. How many posts do we see how some “moron” ruined a car….or do different people just have different taste? Hmmmm…..
Oh and if you are in your car driving it instead of in your lawn chair beside it you can’t hear the “experts” you so love to complain about because they are complaining about you….
I was going to post basically the same thing. It happened just this week to me by a true hot rodder, an expert. Wasn't the first time, probably won't be the last.
I try to go by the motto, "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they all stink", haha, or as my son would say, ".. and nobody wants to hear them!" Do I always succeed? Oh, not at all.
I love it when they ask "you drove it here?" food is for eating, clothes are for wearing, cars are for driving
I heard this one a long time ago and try to remember it in regards to experts, "You never learn anything with your mouth open!"
I tell my son, you have 2 eyes, 2 ears and one mouth,-for a reason do twice as much looking , twice as much listening and half as much talking. I'm not saying I've never looked at a car and wondered why the builder did X. But as mentioned previously its more what would I change so I could live with it.
In my line of work I could spot an expert every time, it's the guy frim out of town with a briefcase.
"You drove that all the way here?" I run into that question all the time. Seems most people would be afraid to "drive an old car" more then 5 or 10 miles from home. The easy answer is "Yes I did." Followed by "We are about xxx miles from home right now." because the next question is usually "How far from home are you?" Then there may be 20 more questions, or the car brings back a fond memory of a car "just like your car" even if it may not have been, that they want to share. I always answer their questions and listen to their conversations with a smile. Most people simply don't understand this old car hobby, but most really like to see the old cars and trucks on the road. When they leave out meeting with a big smile, both of our days were improved. Bringing joy is one of the main reasons I have these old vehicles, if I can share my joy with someone else, that is as good as life gets. The ability to share our joy with someone is also one of the reasons we tolerate the expert opinions and rude comments. Its easy to overlook the asses when we know there will be many smiles and thumbs up as the day goes by. Gene
When I was 13 I was one of those experts. I found 1 tiny spot on my uncles 67 Vette we restored that he missed sanding about 3/16” in size and I pointed it out to him at a show. It crushed him. I could see it on his face immediately. I have decided right then and there that I would keep my opinions to my self, and have.