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Does your car get attention and do you like it?

16K views 135 replies 44 participants last post by  Too Many Projects 
#1 ·
Like the title says, does your car get attention when you drive it? Does it ever get annoying?
My car doesn't even have paint on it and believe it or not i still get thumbs up, questions, and people taking pictures! I think it's pretty cool most of the time.
 
#2 ·
Good topic :)

Well with a car that's kinda rare in the uk, add the 420 mega blower sticking out the "hood", it takes me ages to get anywhere...But I don't mind one bit. If you want to stand out or just want "your perfect car" thats not a prius or new shape ford escort! Then you have to accept it I think. As long as the attention isn't I wan't your car....No "I WANT YOUR CAR"! that is. Or the inbread twit that comes up and says. I like them their the same as the one off Dukes of Hazzard INNIT!!! Hmm really A 70 Camaro?
Anyway the majority of people asking for pic's n chatting about her & cars in general have been great. :thumbup:

Bill
 
#3 ·
This is an interesting topic because I noticed very quickly when I first got my Gran Sport on the road that people look at me very different than in the Rambler. The Rambler puts smiles on peoples faces, the Gran Sport does but not quite the same smile, and it also puts scowls. People think a guy driving a bright red convertible has is nose in the air, at least that is the feeling I get from people, it is VERY different than the Rambler which is a commoners car, even if it isn't common these days, "normal" people drove them when they were new. The Gran Sport was always an extrovert, a hot shot, someone with bucks, and people still see it the same today, it's funny. I didn't make this up, it hit me out of no where the first few times I drove it after 13 years in the garage. And when I use to drive it the color was pale yellow so it is very different so it's all new to me after years not driving anything like this. It is gets a very different vibe from people than the Rambler.

Brian



 
#6 ·
I enjoy talking to Most people when there first question is not (how much do you have in it ) But i get a kick out of some ,while in Peigon Forge Tenn at a car show a young man was trying to impress his girl freind he looked at my 67 GTX and said i just got my income tax back, i will give you $2000 dollars for it .I just smiled and told him thanks ,but i would not have any way home so i could not sell it.:D
 

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#7 ·
For the most part I do enjoy it...it's the dumb comments I've gotten that in a way make me laugh and in a way they piss me off. Like the time about 6 years ago, I was at the gas station with my 69 AMX, just getting gas and a couple of younger guys , I'm thinking 16, 17 years old and you could just see who the leader of the pack was, the guy that according to his group was the car guru, I over heard him say "Oh that's the proto type for the new Challenger that's coming out. That made me laugh. The ones I don't care for are the comments such as "Oh I used to have one just like that, same color and everything, except mine was a 4 door". I answer back, "You must have had one of the rare ones".

I enjoy answering questions for the people that don't know what it is but are seriously interested and I also enjoy taking the time to talk to the people that do know what their talking about and realize the subtle differences between years, engine options and things like that.

Can you imagine if somebody thinks a 70 1/2 Camaro is a Dukes of hazard Charger what they come up for suggestions as to what a 69 AMX is? Hell, AMC borrowed so many things from the other big three they didn't even know what it was...LOL

Ray
 
#9 ·
What year was your's, my 69 is my pride and joy...I waited about 20 years to find one in the original condition that this one is in. When I was 16, I had my eye on a 68, 290, 4 speed car but the owner refused to sell it so when this one came up I jumped at the chance. I've had the car for almost 22 years now and I'm saving up for a burial plot right beside mine for the car...I was going to be buried in it but I didn't want to stink up the interior.

Ray
 
#14 ·
This is the first street rod I built right out of high school. It was a 1948 Austin of England and was well received for the most part.

I went into the shopping mall one day and came back to find someone had walked all the way around and spit chewing tobacco all over it. I was hopping mad!!!!! :spank:

 
#15 ·
I get thumbs-up on the road, which I like. Whenever I stop for gas I usually get at least one person that tells me they like my car, and love the color. I like that too. I don't know how many people have called it a 'Duece Coupe' - I used to try to tell people that it's a '33 and only '32s are 'dueces', and that it's a sedan. Now I just smile and say thanks.

I used to own a little red Miata convertible. Fun car, loved to autocross with it, handled beautifully. I got the most attention in that car from girls in their teens and twenties. More than once I've had girls hanging out of their cars yelling and waving "I love your car"! Car guys aren't impressed until they see it on an autocross course!
 
#16 ·
An American car gets a lot of attention here in Spain, not so many about.
I get pissed off though because most who ask think it´s the Knight Rider Firebird. :mad:
Some attention I can do without though, those who drive alongside and waiver about the road distracted.
Had it just last week, I had to brake and let the van full of gawkers go off into the distance.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I had a similar thing happen to me whilst I had my Camaro on the trailer (before I fitted the blower) going to a drag show. We was moving slow in the slow/filter lane, the fast lane was going a bit faster than ours, I looked to my right there was two men in a van, Both :thumbup: and taking pic's on their phones..Fair enough I wave back and :thumbup: myself...the big difference was, I looked forward strait after...they on the other hand kept on taking pic's and looking, Didn't see that the fast lane had come to a sudden halt, And slapped strait into the stopped car in front of them. I don't think I have laughed as much or felt as guilty at the same time in my life.
 

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#18 ·
well.. my answer is somewhat...lol
the 71 c-10 is in driveway as I'm working on it.. it gets the notes to "take the scrapemetal off my hand lol.. with the bed off and on sawhorses and the fresh painted frame and new parts in the rear.. I think they are nuts. but..
the 1984 indy fiero.. it gets the "I haven't seen one of those in years,don't they catch on fire.".lol ya they do thats why it's still on the road 28 years later..
best was a hybrid owner that got all huffy when I was at the post office going on and on ,on how I was hurting mother earth.. I laughed and asked them how long they keep their p.o.s. hybrids.. and then said my 28 YEAR OLD CAR still gets 35 city and 40 hyway.. and their p.o.s. will be tuna cans before it even gets to be half its age.. oh the look on face priceless..
the monte SS isn't on the road.. but they are not seen much now up here so when it does get used this summer.. I'll get the thumbs up.. and you wantaa sell it.
being a gm guy in a ford family brings new meaning of black sheep of the family.. :pimp:
 
#19 ·
i enjoy talking to people about the cars of days gone by classic or muscle it dont matter.so having one at a car show or crusing down the road brings like minded folks together .the attention i get is great when these people show respect for what you have done to your car and share their experance and wisdom with you .gear heads are great all over the world , we are preserving history.
 
#20 ·
My wife and I get different reactions to driving her 03 vette. Like Martin said, when I drive the vette, I get the "look at the pathetic gold chain dude compensating for his inadequacies" look. When she drives, she gets all kinds of compliments on the car, and lots of horn honks.

I on the other hand get lots of thumbs up and compliments when I drive my 32 highboy. So. . . .I don't drive the vette !!
 
#27 ·
I'm glad it's not just me, you do see a difference, isn't that wild! When some dude makes a snide comment about my Rambler I always say "You know how a guy who can't satisfy a woman drives a big four wheel drive to make up for that?, I drive a Rambler because I don't need anything to tell me I'm a man". :D LOL

Brian
 
#22 ·
My old Coupe is nuttin special, I dont have the bazillion dollar paint job or a blower or any of that. Justa warmed up small block and my old original tin. But it gets a crowd no matter where i go with it. I can be toolin around at nite, and folks will pass and slow down, next thing ya know, cell phone flash going off, lmao.....i dont see any big deal, but people show alot of interest. And i dont mind as long as they stay out of and off of the car.
 
#23 ·
Interesting question.

I recently sold a Camaro the I have owned for the past 13 years.

The car sounded like it was ready to jump off the ground with 500+ horsepower and it shook the ground.

The car looked like brand new even thought it was over 30 years old.

I found whenever I drove the car which was only once or twice a month people just seemed to stare and sometimes give you a thumps up.

It was a little uncomfortable sometimes driving it so I sold the car.

Not sure I would do that again. Jimbo
 
#24 ·
I think the attention is part of owning a hot rod. We knew as we were building and getting them ready for the road. that we would be noticed every time we are out in them. I get the the line once and awhile " i used to build them years ago" But they can not even tell you what it is! I Also have many stop light chats. light turns green and say see ya!!!
 
#28 ·
Isn't that funny, a common interest like that really works between us don't it?

I had a funny experience back a few months ago. I was making a left had turn at a four way stop sign. In the lane to my left that I was turning in front of was a late model Porsche Turbo Carrera and the guy almost went out of turn, moving ahead after I had started to go. I said "Hold on there Porsche dude, Rambler dude is going first". :D And as I drove past him, our drivers windows just feet part he smiled and gave me a thumbs up. LOL

So this morning I found myself in the exact same place and as I drove past him he gave me the "You the man" finger point. LOLOL This dude sitting in a Porsche with a suit on gives me the "You the man" sign, he helped my day start out on a high note, I had smile the rest of the way to work.:D

Brian
 
#25 ·
59 Elky-----that thing gets a lot of attention-----some people have never even seen one.
66 Elky----not so much, but that car is quite a bit more nimble driving about town
The little Ranchero (65) is currently an unrestored time capsule and really gets the most attention----dunno why----might be the Cal Custom steering wheel and the "BigFoot" gas pedal.

When traveling with both Elkys (I have a friend drive one of them to outta town events) it is amazing how many people are taking videos or pictures of both of the cars as we are cruising the interstates.
 
#29 ·
When I cruise in the 6banger the looks are ones of disbelief from most of the guys, allot of the time they cant believe how small these cars are, there are not many around. The gals tend to oggle more and smile, thumbs up, stare.

At least I can say I am not compensating for a size issue lol.

The tuner crowd are big smiles and pointing and puzzled all at the same time "hey man what the heck is that?,,,cool".

The C10, the guys are all thumbs up and the girls are wondering what the big deal is.

There is no place to hide in the roadster, I just naturally have a smile on my face when I am in this car, dont really care what anyone thinks, its me and the road. I will take the toneau cover off and give my daughters a spin, my youngest figures its the coolest thing going, good enough for me.
 

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#30 ·
Heck yeah it's cool! My dad managed a used car lot that specialized in European sports car for a while when I had just gotten my license and drove a LOT of those cars. :mwink: That was on of my favorites.

Brian
 
#32 · (Edited)
Yes - any of my "special" cars get attention. Sometimes a LOT of it. And NO, I do not like it. I drive them because I like them, not because of what they look like (I don't give a rat's bleep about appearance).

Sometimes the comments are along the lines of "why don't you fix that fender?" or "why don't you do the upholstery"? or "what happened to the bumper?", or whatever.

Answer - I have driven the '57 for 26 years now with el-cheapo seat covers hiding the rips and mismatched chunks of rubber mats on the floor, scratches in the paint,dings in the tin, etc. So what?
The '37 Dodge is "as was" and has its original upholstery - which mice have lived in.

The '28 A has wrinkled fenders and rust showing through the primer. (and I grenaded the LT-1 in it a few years ago, and maybe I will get around to doing something with it again soon. Although I think it will likely be a 1UZ-FE this time.

The '56 F100 will still have wrinkly fenders and no paint when it is done. I'm half-way through doing the 1970 Caddy 500 for it and I have a pair of mis-matched Jeep Grand Cherokee power seats for it

Bondo is falling outta front fenders on the '65 P1800

People see me driving 'em and assume that I am too poor to afford a newer/better car. Perfect by me!

If I cared about appearance I might do something about it, but I do not welcome attention, and I do not care what others think

(Hell, even my wife's 4-year old Lexus LS and my '06 Silverado 3500 have never even been washed since we got 'em)
 
#35 ·
Yes - any of my "special" cars get attention. Sometimes a LOT of it. And NO, I do not like it. I drive them because I like them, not because of what they look like (I don't give a rat's bleep about appearance).
I can understand how you feel and I don't care how people think about ME either. But I do get enjoyment out of THEIR enjoyment seeing my car. Seeing someone get a kick out of seeing something different, that is what I like about how other people think.

Brian
 
#33 ·
Sharp TR6 ,i was at a local car show last year called Hillbilliys & Hotrods it was mostly so called Rat Rods ,some of attention to detail was unbeliveable.most had newer engines ,but there were lots of Flatties inline 6s early hemis ,mexican blanket seat covers mail box for glove box ,sign boards for floors :D: ,etc etc,There were enjoying there self with there cars with out tons of money invested, most had upgreded brakes and fuel systems ,I dont know who enjoyed it the most Them or ME.:thumbup:
 
#36 ·
I lost interest in competing for trophies years ago but can not imagine how disappointed I would be if others did not like the car. Every once in a while someone will stop while you are buying gas or parked at a cruise in and ask to take a picture or compliment you on the car. That and the thumbs up Brian referred to are my trophies.

Many people say they don't care if anyone else likes their car but it would be a terrible disappointment to me if they didn't. :(

John L
 
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