I was at a Father's Day car show this weekend. The guy next to me had a black 71' Chevelle SS 454 with a for sale sign in the window. We talked for a bit when we got there he was a pretty good guy.

Later that morning this little weasel of a guy starts walking around his car and asking questions about it. Here are the questions and answers.

Q: How much are ya asking for her.
A: $28,000.00 obo.

Q: What is it?
A: 71' Chevelle SS 454.

Q: What kind of mileage does it get?
A: Not sure, it has a 4-speed and 4:11 gears.

Q: What's 4:11 gears?
A: It's the rear end gear ratio.

Q: Ohhhh...okay. So what kind of gas mileage do you think it gets?
A: Maybe 10 mpg.

Q: Isn't that pretty bad mileage?
A: I Suppose (he's gettin mad now) I drive it when it gets low on gas I fill it up.

Weasel says well if it got better mileage he would seriously consider it. He says it's very nice but he wanted an old muscle car that gets better mileage. After he left the guy goes in the trunk and breaks out the red solo cups.

That was the most fun I had in a long time. Anyone have anything similar?

 

Typical car show jak-off! Has no clue, or more importantly cash!

 

Guy shouldn't own an old car. He wouldn't know what to do with it.
I had two guys look at my engine, saw the rocket 400 decal and the one guy starts nodding his head approvingly and says "Pontiac motor".

 

After a guy asked me if my re-creation of the Rund car was real, I made up the magnetic based sign for the trunk lid "UFO" to match the original. It meant Unreal Flying Oldsmobile, so next time I can say, no, it is unreal, ya'know, like a hologram. You can put yer hand right thru it. . .

 

Downhill with a tailwind, maybe.

 

One of my many pet peeves are the people that have the money to buy or pay someone to restore a car like these that do not have a clue. I respect someone trying to learn these cars and doing what they can themselves, but have no respect for ones that just layout the cash so they can drive one and go to shows pretending to be a car guy. I know they put cash in the pockets of real car guys, but the ones that act like they built or restored a car done by someone else are scum of the earth. Anybody can have anything if their wallet is fat enough, but I will not live that way. I would never feel as if I earned it or deserved it if I didn't have some real sweat, blood and tears in a project vehicle.
Ok, my daily rant is done, and my wife is happy she didn't have to hear it today.

 

Soon as you start getting questions about mpg for a muscle car, the conversations over. These are built to drive, some to drive hard, and all to enjoy. Gas economy is not in the vernacular of most of these cars.

Someone asked me what kind of mileage my car gets. I told them it gets 'unbelievable' mileage. 'Really?' was the response. 'What's unbelievable?' they persisted.

"Well" I said, "if you are worried about the cost of gas, you can't afford to buy a car like this, I used almost a whole tank just getting here". And that was the end of it.

Car shows will have all kinds of tire kickers and tightwads around. Just have to learn to ignore them and have the cool ones already out.....

I laughed at 2 young 'kids' who 'knew everything' about every Olds as they strolled through the show, confirming their idiot lack of knowledge as they stopped and commented (incorrectly) on several cars. (Yeah EVERY 442 has a 454 with like 600 hp. 442 was made by Chevy apparently I felt soooo educated by them) I noticed they were still walking - not driving when they left.

 

I couldn't agree more. I love cars and have learned a lot over the past few years. Do I know enough to do a resto myself or rebuild an engine..Nope. But I can tell you every weld I wire wheeled, all the crud and rust I scraped and being a helper with the engine builder. That's the best way too learn is to hang out and help the guys who know what they're doing and what ever you can to help.

There was a guy there with an old Ford 56' I think. The thing is beautiful. He spent a ton of dough on it but can't even spin the tires with a four speed.....

 

I don't think its a big deal...basically, there are a lot of people in the world with nothing interesting to say, but desperate for someone else to listen. Often, they are not quite right in the head either. But that's OK, as long as they go away when they're done flapping their gums.

 

Holy smokes...That could be another thread...I call them the willnots..they will stand there and talk, talk, talk and willnot leave

 

Funny stuff. I cracked up when I read of the guy nodding in approval.. "Pontiac motor".

 

Man, I know I rarely have anything interesting to say, but you gotta know when to just not say anything I guess.

EDIT: Holy crap, 455-th post! I wont be saying much for a while, don't want my post count to change...

 

Too late!

 

I guess I don't know when to keep my mouth shut after all!

 

I have heard many great comments while displaying my car. The most interesting are the guys saying I bet your car is worth $30k and those that figure the restoration was a whopping $20-30k. Lee

 

Hmmmm, they thought that little of it did they? I'd love to see your car and just talk shop at a show.

I'm at a disadvantage not being able to see pics of it in your profile page. C'mon Lee, you know the drill - show us the pics!

 

Great line... The Willnots. Everyday, not just at car shows, but at my shop I have the Willnots coming in. If they stay for longer than 15min, I ask if they want to help......It is amazing how quickly the Willnots disappear, only to reappear the next day

 

Allan: My car is all over the place online. It is also worth at least $35k too: http://www.levelonerestoration.com/imageview.aspx?id=27

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbt...ble#Post450559

 

Thx for the links Lee. Gosh I sure hope you don't think I was suggesting it was overvalued. IMO your car is worth way more than that. Those resto pics are amazing proof of the full amount of detail taken on the car. I didn't realize you also have a real W27 axle! Very cool pics and thanks for sharing. Hope you don't mind, I put the link into my favorites.

 

One of my car show buddies likes to kibitz with people in general. We were standing around talking and some guy with a brand new "muscle" car weaseled his way into the conversation. Guy was a blowhard and supposedly worked for some auto magazine. He started going on and on and on about all the cars he's bought and restored, how his brand new car gets such great mileage because of the gear ratio it has, blah blah blah. I walked back to my beater that I built and sat down with a few good guys and we talked about actual cars. There's a difference between being a car guy and being a wannabe, and it doesn't have much to do with knowledge or accomplishments. Mainly you've gotta like cars for what they are, and not what you think they represent.

 

Mike, sounds like he thought he represented every car built? Sad....when you hear guys like that doesn't it remind you of this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hU...yer_detailpage

 

The only thing I've really come across was the guy that insisted that my Delta had a Big Block Chevy in it while looking at the motor.

The biggest issue with this guy, HE WAS THE ONE RUNNING THE SHOW

The thing that "car" guys don't realize, is that it's OK to not know everything about every car. I'm a car guy, not a "car" guy. If I like a car and I don't know that much about it, I will ask

 

I hate car shows for these very reasons. I just look around, and keep my mouth shut, unless I see easy money on a race wager.

 

Scum of the earth? Really? Jerry Sandusky is the scum of the earth.

Ive done one car, and against everything I said afterwards Im doing another. If I had the cash Id send it to Peter Klutt and say call me when its done.

 

Ive heard a lot of stuff at shows, on Sat I had a guy ask if a 455 would fit in his 64 Cutlass. After he had bought it. Yes, it was an odd question but I helped him out and he got the answer he needed.

Its not hard to be nice to people, not many can afford or know everything about these cars. At least those two kids that didnt know **** were looking at old cars and knew what a BBC was. Most today couldnt care less.

 

Whenever I'm asked how much petrol (we use it instead of gas over here) my car uses I just reply; "As much as it needs".

I did a stint of marshalling at a show this weekend, I was surprised at people rolling up at noon getting pissed because they can't park their car at the front of the field. Some of the cars were real nice, one was a very clean Edsel, another a '56 Imperial in equally good shape. I asked them how many shows they get to in a year and most went to plenty of shows, just this year they came at the last minute because the forecast rain didn't happen. I told them if they want to get a good place for their car they need to be early. The Edsel driver and a guy who turned up with a restoration project Plymouth Satellite for sale on a trailer expected us to move other cars to give theirs pride of place!. When I told them that wouldn't happen their responses were unprintable.

Roger.

 

We had that happen at our show in May. The Corvette Club came in. They had about 15 cars and they had the matching golf shirts and the beige shorts. They all wanted to park together. The show field was pretty packed. I told them they would have to stuff them where ever there was room. The had the brass tacks to aks peeps if they would move their cars so they could park together. Needless to say no one did.

I think they have to travel in packs...it's safer that way.

 

Let me guess, all newer Corvettes, right? Somewhere between 427 tri-powers and matching golf shirts, something went terribly wrong there.

 

Nailed it right on the head. There were a few really nice olders one's a 59' or 60' ragtop and a really nice 63 split window that was a real nice silver with the turbine wheels with the knockoffs. The others were newer models.

They have a Corvette only show in Downtown Windsor along the river. A couple of years ago my friend Bill and I went down in our 442's and tried to register for the show...They didn't seee the humor in it and they were not real impressed.

 

It's because you didn't have matching golf shirts and beige shorts.

 

Ya know that was probably what it was...I'm sure it wasn't because they were...well you know.

 

x2

I do what I can but I am not nearly as talented or experienced as a lot of guys on here. In addition, I have a 10'x20' one car garage, w full time job with a 3 he commute each day, ahouse to maintain, and a wife & two kids. I love my car but realize that some things it needs are beyond the scope of services I can provide and some jobs are too big for the time I have to put into it. There is nothing wrong with that.

 

I think we all know. And they've been that way since not too long after the Corvette was invented.

Weird how that works, isn't it?

- Eric

 

25 yrs ago I worked in an Auto aftermarket retailer. I wouldn't call it a speed shop because we didn't didn't have a machine shop but speed parts & 4WD stuff was our main lines. We had the term Bebacks. People would come in & price the same shyt over & over. When you'd ask if they'll take it the answer was always that they'll be back. Mickey Thompsons for the back of 5.0 Mustangs was always popular with them.

 

I like that...Bebacks. The other ones I love are the wannabuys. After the car was done my wife and I went for a ride. We went down to the riverfront to go for a walk. When we came back a guy was walking around the car. He asked if it was for sale. I said no. He said everything has a price. I said okay $35,000.00. He then got mad and said he would maybe pay $20,000.00 and not a penny more. I said nope. He got real pissy and said I was on crack wanting that much for the car. I reminded him that I said it was not for sale in the first place. After that my wife just shook her head and said why couldn't you just say it wasn't for sale at any price and walk away...

 

Tell her it wouldn't be as much fun Cutlassjoe, did the guy have enough solo cups for you too?

 

i get guys that walk up to my car and say "wow, nice buick!!" or "that's a beautiful GTO"....EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS CUTLASS RIGHT ON THE FENDER IN FRONT OF THEIR FACE!!!

i also tend to stay away from "car shows" and stick to only "cruise nights". shows are a joke, in my opinion. a bunch of critics who like to pick everything apart, tell you what "needs to be done next" or "what they would have done". my response to that....if you don't like what i've done, keep walking, i'm not interested. i like what i've done, and will continue to do more. like others have mentioned, i have other things in life that require time and money. my life doesn't revolve around my car....usually:-) but seriously, the guys that pick cars apart or tell you what they would have done or would do next are the ones who pull up in an 88 honda civic all rusted out blowing black smoke parked waaaaaaay in the corner so noone sees them pull up. my car can't compete with trailor queens, which is why i think car shows are a joke. trailor queens and drivers should be in seperate classes, IMO. where i'm from, 95% of the cars in the shows are drivers and they lose to the 5% trailor queens.

the last show i entered, i was in a class with a T-bird, 2 impalas, 3 corvettes, a regal, and a El camino. in my opinion, the El camino was the nicest of them all. i am not impressed by corvettes at all cuz they are basically a dime a dozen. my car was in better shape, had more done to it, and had lower production numbers then any of them (i checked on my iphone while i was sitting around doing nothing). the friggin' red impala with bubbling paint & ugly *** dirty engine compartment won the class. it was a joke, and i vowed to never enter a show again. now, i just go to cruise nights and talk with the real car guys who appreciate what they are looking at.

also, after the winners were announced, i saw the judge of my class and i asked "how many other pre-1970 cars had HID headlights, out of curiousity?" his response....."what are HID headlights?" story of my life and local car show idiot judges.....

 

I did tell her that. She just shakes her head and says she's married to a 12 year old. And, yes he did have extra cups and cold beverages of a malted nature. I only had one though..

 

When someone says you price is too much the answer is it might be too much for them but not the car.

 

I like the cruise nights and the shows. Yes there is a lot of cars that seem to get all the trophies. I don't go expecting a trophy. If I get a stinkin' door prize I'm happy. Most of the shows around me are pretty low keyed. You do get the trailer queens that seem to get all the looks and trophies etc. I just go to hang out and appreciate the good solid drivers and the guys who work on em' and build em'. Oldsmobiles are still way underated and misunderstood.

As you can see things are slow at the office today. Boss is out of town