I sometmes put a cassette recorder in the hood scoop on my 55 chevy you can imagine the things people say. 1.That blue tank in the trunk,... he must be a scuba diver. 2.I had one just like this ,... only mine was nice. 3.There must have been a sale on orange paint. 4.The switch on my carb linkage for the nitrous,... thats the kickdown for the automatic trans,...Its a five speed stick. 5. He painted the bumpers because it cost to much to chrome them...their fiberglass. 6. I once had a women at a car show, after looking at my old 67 corvette, tell me how nice my corvair was.
I always have people ask me if I have a small block or a big block. I say, "Pontiac only made one block." They ALWAYS respond, "So, is it a big block?" I just say, "Yes." When my oldest was about 4 years old we went to a car show. We walked past a coupe, about a 37, then the 2nd car was also a coupe. My son stopped, pointed, and said, "Deuce coupe!" And he was right! I couldn't believe it!
I forgot, just ran across this one today. Look at the caption on the right. http://community.webshots.com/photo/429814611/1442755507076545398elDDnw
I have a 1960 Lincoln Continental. I have gotten the "What year is that Merc (or Caddy)?" or the "Whoa... it looks like the Batmobile"... but the funniest one was when I finally took it to Paso (for the cruise) and a newer (mid 60's) Lincoln cruised up and the passenger said "Now someone told me this was a Mercury" I asked "who?" and he says.. "the driver" and points to the girl driving the Lincoln he was in... I told him "yeah it's a merc and pointed at the huge Lincoln sign on the back." He laughed and said... "I knew it!" Last year after we went to the cruise (in Paso) we went to SLO.. and parked my buddy's 66 Skylark in front of a bar. He lowered it (it has bags) and some guy walks up... "Dude that Impala is sick!" We all lauged and said thanks!
I remember being 12 years old and treated like a stupid kid when I knew more about the cars than their owners... I could spot a fake GTO by the time I was 8, and most guys didn't like that. The same went for car salesman. They would feed a line to my mom, she'd look over at me (at 10 or 11 years old), and I'd say, no this has a 302, etc...
Me and my pops went to the West St., Annapolis, Maryland PepBoys one fateful day trying to get a right rear shock for his '34 5-window. We have the bad shock in our hands, and ask the parts guy how we could go about getting a replacement: Us: "hey man, we're trying to pick up another one of these..." Him: "What kind of car is it off of?" Us: "Well, it's a Ford rear end bolted to a Ford frame, and we think..." Him: "What kind of car?" Us: "It's a 1934 Ford, but the rear..." Him: "Can't help you." Us: "But we took eye-to-eye measurements, it's 7" [or whatever the measurement was] and the original builder says it might be off a '74 Chevy..." Him: "Can't help you." This went on for like 5 minutes. We had every measurement in the world on the shock, we were freakin' holding it in front of him, but because PepBoys doesn't have "1934 Ford coupe with an 8-inch rear and some kind of probably Chevy shocks" in the computer, this dude just sat there parroting "can't help you." We were halfway between laughing in his face (my reaction) and beating the hell out of him (Pops' chosen course, I think). In the end, we just walked out. But, I moved to Annapolis like a year later, went there for like washer fluid or something, and some tasty, trashy redhead - the best kind of redhead - was working the counter. I picked her up and we had about a dozen "sleepovers" before it was time to stop calling her, so I guess PepBoys has broken even with me. Dad still probably wants to burn the place down, though. Good times.
i was at a swap meet with my dad and we were looking at a late 40s ford then these people come walking out and they point at it and say hey that dodge is just like the one i use to have then they walk around it passing the ford emblems several times without noticing. but we didnt say anything
Last summer at work we had a car show and I had my '47 Ford coupe. I ended up listening to some shmuck with a roadrunner go on about how they were designed by voltswagen. WTF? But I got back at him, I kept asking him dumb questions about why he had a second gas tank (really a fuel cell) in his trunk. "Oh, you must take this car on long trips to have a second gas tank, but where do you put all your luggage?" Don't get me started on people who think every car ever painted yellow was a taxi Yea, they used roadsters and coupes as taxi's
driving my 59 el camino, always get ,(i know where there's a 58 el camino,)er trying to be nice i say well this is the first year for the elky and then its on ,"well you don't know what your talkin about ", my so and so's brothers best friend daddy had one he bought brand knew. just smile and say well if he's still got it i'll give him $50.000 for it. dumb look walk away mumbling
So I'm at Goodguys Rhinebeck in '05 with a car I built for a customer. The car has a Dodge NASCAR Nextel Cup dry sump engine. Some guy asks me, what kind of an engine is that and I tell him a NASCAR Nextel Cup engine, he then says to me; "No, I think it's a big block Chevy with custom valve covers."
we took 51ratts plymouth up to a nostalgic drag show at the grove. it had the caddy fins on it so from the abck you couldnt tell what ti was. this guy with a mullet(no suprise) and a kid about 7 yeards old walks up to the car and kneels down and says "check it out son, its a desoto. man, these things are rare." i felt bad for the kid. only 7 and hes already gonna be as dumb as his dad.
i jsut remembered at school last summer. i was in teh 53 and he pulled up next to me in a fox body mustang. he pops the hood and says yeah, i just put some new valve covers on my flathead. i laughed thinkings he was kidding. he wasnt. he then told me he was thinking about putting anohter carb onto it. too bad it was a fuel injected 302. i just said, that would look awsome, u da man keep it up.
Rolf, This really cracked me up. When I had a 1958 Belair twenty years ago, I was always asked, "Does it have a small block?" I'd pop the hood and proudly show off the 348. Everyone said, "Oh, too bad... it's got a truck motor!"
Next time someone looks at your T or A and says, "That's a cute dune buggy!", just pull out your copy of Rod & Custom, October 1954 and reply, "Yes it is. Very astute of you."
Hey, don't forget the immortal dune buggy of Arch Hall Jr., in the classic 1962 cinematic masterpiece EEGAH (a/k/a "Teenage Caveman")
I get the question "are you going to restore that?" all the time , at first I tried to tell them the difference between making a kustom/hot rod and a complete 1954 showroom stock concours thing and no one understood, so now I just say yes cause it makes people smile ha ha ha. But at least our cars make people open up and interact with each other, how many other things in todays society do that?
About twelve-thirteen years ago I popped into a local cruise night after work and there was a fellow about 40-45 years old there with a really nicely done 57 210 four door sedan. Super clean car that he obviously spent a few bucks on since he let everyone know about it. His $$$$ interior and his $$$$ paint job, and his $$$$ motor. I told him it was a nice car, and complimented him on the paint. He sort of brushed me off until I told him I had a 57 or two at home also. I get the "I suppose they are Nomads or two door hardtops!!" This guys true colors just showed. I calmly replied, "no, no Nomad, but I do have a 210 just like yours I am building into a race car, my hardtop runs high 13's, and my truck has been on the cover of a magazine." I get the brush-off again, so I leave. The very next weekend I was off to the lake with the hardtop and come up on the same guy in his 57, going about 50 mph. My hardtop at the time was black with silver flames, had radiused wheelwells, no front bumper and a 6 inch snorkel hood scoop. I pulled up beside the guy, he glanced over at the car, then me. When the look of recognition came over his face, I flipped him the bird and away I went......A year or so later he was bragging his car up again at another show, and I said loud enough him and his audience heard "Why would anyone spend all that money on a 4 door?" I can be a weenie too! And I did get the dune buggy line too in my T bucket..........
everyone thinks my truck is a big block chevy powered model a. The one that got me was a few days ago I was out front talking with my neighbor when this somewhat crazy woman started rumaging through some of my Hurricane Rita debris. She came over and looked at my truck asked a few questions. Then hit me with a statement that made her seem as sane as anyone. That thing looks cartoony. Almost hurt my feelings if it wasnt true... she didnt seem so crazy after that..
I had the hood up on my Plymouth, guy looks at the flattie six and says to his young son, "that's a big V8"..... I wish!!!
I've had a few of those "I had one of these (but mine was gold/blue/purple/black/convertabile/lowered/raised/older/newer/a broom)" conversations too (my only car was a '49 Plymouth for years), but my dad has the real topper. He walks out of a bodega, and theres a complete stranger and his kid BOTH SITTING INSIDE his '37 Cord. No shit. Guy has the audacity to tell his kid that he used to have a Studebaker just like this when he was young. While my dad was standing right there. In fact, that reminds me why I don't drive an old car anymore. I got burned out on complete strangers coming up and talking to me. Moral of the story: If you see a guy in a shitty looking blue '54 Dodge P/U (which won't be me for several more months!) in Mountlake Terrace, and he don't wave or talk to you... he's not an asshole; just shy. But don't climb in his truck, or he'll get the fuck over his shyness. Quick.
Not really all car stuff, but so what... Years ago, hauling in a barn fresh 1913 Indian twin. Stop for gas. Two guys come up, "Ya gonna chop that? Extend that fork about 12" and it'd make an awesome Harley!" 1929 Indian four, gassing up........"that's cool. I didn't know they still made new Indians". Or "My Dad had a 4 cylinder Harley just like that!" 1955 BMW with Steib sidecar, running R90S engine and trans......"That's a sweet Goldwing!" (fun ride, pulls the front wheel up a bit in two gears) Car ones.....'12 T touring, "Is that a Deuce coupe?" '32 Woodie, "That's a nice Model T!" '34 Chevy 2 dr sedan, mail slot chop, 292 six. "What'd you ruin that car for, it's worthless now!" Answer: I like cuttin' up old cars, I'v already cut the top off of a Duesenberg, it looks lots better now, putting the engine in a pulling tractor, and I tossed all the stock parts from the Chevy and the Deusy into my farm pond so the fish will have something to hide in." Thanks, public, I always 'preciate the chuckles!
Hated people calling my 27 roadster a TBucket a danm Tbucket is a pre 27 roadster PICKUP (to me) Funny story the guys (97 -forum name) was delivering my steel 30 Tudor body, (about a 700mile trip) the same weekend there was a large vintage car swapmeet on in my city, stopped at a small town on the outskirts and were approached by a guy asking " Are ya takin' it to the swapmeet?", for a laugh they said " No, we're taking it to the rubbish dump", and drove off, with the guy following close behind-he was obviously keen to see what "rubbish dump" the mint Model A body was going to get left at for him to claim it from. Its amazing how many dont know the difference between a 351C (esp with 4V heads) and a 460 BB Ford. Also had someone think 4V ment 4 valves per cylinder! I would love a 351 with 4 valves per cylinder! OT my daily driver is a Honda Civic coupe, continually gets mistaken for a Acura Integra, one person even thought it was a Toyota and a dumb cop wrote me a ticket for a Mazda-its has freakin' Honda H badges on it!
Driving down the Las Vegas strip a few years back in a 29 A roadster, A Prowler pulls up next to us with two yuppie kids; "What kind of car is that?" I was hard pressed not to jump out and pummel them both.
The only time I got really burned up at a comment was one time when some unemployed-looking losers pulled up next to my 58 Bonneville and yelled, "Nice daddy's car!" I was only about 21, and yes I had shiny paint, but the car is ALL MINE. I would have stayed mad longer, but I had five girls in the car with me at the time.
Sorry bout that. I was grouchy yesterday. People at work above me were asking for retarded things so I came here and seen sillyness too, had nothing good to say, yet like a retartd, said stuff anyway. Excuse me so I can go repent in Margaritaville and consider my sins!
Well i have had a few of these experiences with stupid people. My favorite has to be when i was out cruisin in my 53 Pontiac once and the most common thing heard while out for a cruise with the sled is "Hey buddy, Light em up?" Well i have always been the sort to enjoy cruising my 53 as it wasnt built to race or light em up on command (not that it cant, but i dont do it with that car), but as you can see by my Avatar, it can light em in other ways. So here i am sitting at this busy intersection on the main drag, about 1100pm at night and here the typical, "Heyyyyyy, Light em up??? So I cant turn down a reason to shoot fire, so I "lit em up" and this guy at the bus stop who was hollerin was totally slack jawed , and just before the light changed i heard him to his girlfriend, "Wow, that soooooo wasnt what i was meaning, but was waaaaaay kool anyways" That was a good laugh for me that night.
mostly while in my hudson hornet that if you think about it dont look like nothin else.. nice ford ...nice chevy .. nice dodge does it have a hemi motor .. must like the charlotte hornets ...my favorite..hudson who makes those.. but the best was with the hood up at a drive in him.. did you put those carbs on there... me... no they come that way.. him..but six cyl.dont come with two carbs .. me..right only the ones with two spare extra cyls.do..him .. oyeah I forgot thats that hemi six ... what else can you do ?
The Jalopy Journal
