My wife thinks I'm weird, but I'm trying to prove to her that people actually did this years ago (at least my family did).

We can't do this now because all cars look the same, but years ago when I used to out driving with my Dad at night or on long trips, we used to play a game of trying to identify a car's make/year and model just by looking at the oncoming headlights, or by the tail-lights of the cars in front of us. I got really good at this too. It passed the time on long trips and was fun (at least to a kid in the 1970's. Back when there were no no i-pods or in dash DVD players).

Did anyone else out there do this? Or were my Dad and I just strange?

 

Nope I use to do this and can still identify alot of car by their healdlights in the mirrors or tail from a distance.

 

I never did it as a game - I just did it.

And I wouldn't agree about modern cars. I can still pick out a Crown Vic by the lights without even trying.

- Eric

 

'58 Chebby coming at me!

 

I used to play that game too but stopped once I started driving and had to pay attention to other things.

 

We did & sometimes can still do it.

 

I think a lot of us did.

 

Especially the red and blue flashing ones?

 

Preferably BEFORE the flashing lights come on...

Crown Vics are fortunately easy (though the non-police Mercuries are nearly identical in the dark, and some Lincolns are close). Unfortunately, as police departments transition to new Chargers, Tauruses (Taurii?), Impalas, and Caprice PPVs (not to mention SUVs), this gets MUCH more difficult.

 

Yup, who'd have thought the crown Vic would die out like that? Sort of like the Checker cabs. So now the Police are operating in 'stealth mode' with all the various models the use. On unmarked cars usually the wheels give them away.

 

Yeah, even on the Tahoes around here. Of course, tough to see that in the dark when they're behind you. Also, Chevy only sells the Caprice PPV to police departments, so it's a little silly (to me anyway) when I see unmarked ones around here.

 

Not an " in the dark " observation but I also see the unmarked cars with privacy glass so you can't see the officer inside. That strikes me as hypocritical since it's an offense to have privacy glass on the drivers window up here. Not talking about partial privacy glass, it's the whole window and it's dark.

 

Used to be able to do that when cars had personality unlike today's cookie cutter copy cat crap designs. Also could use that other sensory input...my ears. Used to be able to listen to the cars coming down my side street. I could tell with a fair amount of accuracy what it was by engine and or exhaust note. Olds was easy because they have a distinct sound. Could also tell by the starter noise which neighbor was firing up their car. Who couldn't tell a Mopar was cranking with the coffee grinder starters. Ford and GM HAD a distinct starter noise as well.

 

Do as I say, not as I do...

Further off topic, but around here (northern VA/DC area), nearly every police car I see, the driver is talking on a hand-held cell phone. I nearly got hit by one who was talking and did a right-on-red without stopping first.

 

Well, since we're so far off topic on observed police issues. Ever notice how many police vehicles (not in pursuit mode) don't travel the speed limit, fail to stop at Stop signs or red light (right turn on red after full stop) or fail to signal lane changes or when cornering? They have no qualms though about citing John Q for doing those things. This is one of the reasons I believe more peeps are using dash cams to record their commutes.

Texting/cell phone use? You're right. The police are supposed to be role models. Up here we have 'Distracted Driving Legislation'. The Police seem frustrated that the message just isn't getting across. Want to guess why?? Because if they had to enforce everything properly they'd all be in the hoosgaw waiting on a traffic judge.

 

We recently had a sheriff deputy in an unmarked pickup truck doing 81 MPH in a 40 zone T-bone a car making a left turn. The car's driver died and the local County Attorney doesn't want to press charges against the deputy, even though the investigating city police department recommended manslaughter charges be filed. Deputy was on duty assisting with tailing a suspect - doing a parallel tail several streets over - no lights or siren, plus speeding, all totally against written department policy.

 

I was doing this on the regular as a kid in the 90's...used to show off at elementary school I knew every car's make and model and usually year

 

 

Haha I know "I'm too young to be into these cars" or so I've been told but I grew up around them so

 

No your not too young, someone has to carry the torch when us ol farts die off.

 

Heck...I'm just glad someone of the "younger generation" is actually interested in American muscle cars and not just in souped up rice rockets (as usually seen in the Fast and Furious movies)

 

I still do it

 

Been there done that ... no where near the fun it was years ago.

Did anyone ever play a similar game by the SOUND of a car ?.

I always seemed to know when an Olds was tearing around.

What was really funny about it, was as often as they were Oldsmobile's you knew were more than capable of terrorizing a neighborhood (friends) ... there were just as many Oldsmobile's responsible for such noise - you would have never expected.

A few examples :

A 1977-1979 CCSW.
A 1976/7 Cutlass
A 79 Toronado w/a roadster top.

All were stock to the best of my knowledge.

Still laugh my *** off about that CCSW to this day ... me & a buddy would have bet our lives on it being another buddy tearing around in his Cutlass - getting ready to pull up any minute - but nope wasn't him.

If that thing would have whipped around the corner sideways any faster ... without stopping - it would have been on (2) wheels.