Comical reactions to your car

[60FlatTop]

56 minutes ago, oldcarfudd said:

We were in Amish country, and visited an Amish establishment.

 

Quite a few years ago a friend of mine bought a horse drawn manure spreader from an old Amish farmer in the southern Tier of New York State. He was taking picture of the original owner next to it with a bunch of grandkids watching. Pretty soon "Go on Grandpa, get in it and have your picture taken". He happily obliged and they all knew he was right at home. I am sure the copies of the picture are family treasures today.

[Terry Bond]

We've had a lot of varied reactions to our cars over the years.  One I continue to laugh over is the man who was showing his wife how our Model T operated.  He told her the crank handle out front was so you could "wind it up." 

Another time we had one of our MGs at a show when someone came up and asked "what does MG stand for?"  I thought I'd have some fun and responded - "it stands for GM - General Motors, spelled backwards."  With a really puzzled look on his face I further added - "think about it - the drive on the opposite side of the road in Britain."  He then said "ahh, now I got it" and walked away pondering how things must have really looked "backwards" to oncoming traffic.

We still laugh about that!

Terry

[Robert G. Smits]

I drove my 34 Pontiac with rumble seat on the 34th Glidden tour.  At a morning coffee stop an elderly couple strolled by and stopped to gaze at the back of the car.  The wife nudged her husband with her elbow and uttered "Hon, do you remember when we did it in a rumble seat"  It was the highlight of the tour for my wife and I.

[rocketraider]

😳 Why did this come to mind?

 

 

 

My mind often makes a promise my body can't fill...

[JACK M]

2 hours ago, oldcarfudd said:

the noses are elevated to a higher degree.

 

That's a good one.

[Max4Me]

I'm a little late reading/replying to this thread, but I have two comments:

 

First, I have a 1925 Chrysler 4. The first thingg people say is how great it looks, and then ask' "What is it?" "It's a car," I reply matter-of-factly. After a second or two of their confused look, I tell them what it is.

 

Second, padgett: I almost know what you mean. I live in SoCal and summers get really hot here. I once parked my Harley and started to walk away when I suddenly noticed it was slowly leaning more and more. Turns out the heat had softened the asphalt so much that the kickstand was sinking into the roadbed. Fortunately I caught it just in time! Now in the summer I carry one of those little pads that distribute the weight to prevent that from happening again.

[lump]

13 hours ago, rocketraider said:

Did you have fun with it? Sounds like you did. In that case scrooum.

 

Truth be known you were pretty decent about it. Shoulda rode over to the cool kids and told 'em the carhop just got fired for laughing at your truck and since their jackass braying inspired her to do it, they needed to help the poor girl get her job back. There are ways to put the cute fuzzy bunnies in their place.😏

Rocket, what I actually DID do, when wifey and I had finished our coneys and rootbeer, was fire up my truck, drive slowly past those other hot rods while revving the engine. I challenged them with a nod of my head and hand gestures, to follow me out on the street to "run a pass or two." That 327 was pretty healthy, and it sounded that way too. The truck weighed very little, and it accelerated almost like a motorcycle. The laughter slowed, and no one returned my stare, or offered to follow me out onto the street. I felt a little better then. 😉

[Oldsmobile 83]

17 hours ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

I guess I have lead a sheltered life as I never saw that before. Had to go to Youtube to see how it works.  

The Hurst with the Lightning Rods is quite easy to drive.  Here is the way I tell people how it works:

 

The lever closest to the driver is a regular automatic (P – R – N – OD – D).  The two levers to the right allow for manual shifting (without a clutch) and are normally in the back position.  To upshift, the left lever is in Drive, and the one furthest to the right is pushed forward to shift from 1^st gear to 2^nd.  To shift from 2^nd gear to 3^rd, the center lever is pushed forward.  Lastly to shift from 3^rd gear to 4^th, the left lever is moved from Drive to Overdrive.  

This is a picture of the tag that was on the shifters when new:

Tim

[SC38dls]

When my older brother went to college I got to drive his 54 Chevy 6 cylinder 3 on the column. Skips drive inn on North avenue west of Chicago was the place to go for muscle cars to meet before races. They even blocked off North avenue ( 3 lanes each way )one night and were pulling out and dragging right down the road until the cops shut it down. I would take the 54 and pull into a space shut it off and order a coke and fries and just sit there. Eventually someone would come over and check out the car. The lot was full of 409’s, hemi’s and every variety of hot rod you can imagine. The guy checking out the 54 would eventually ask what was under the hood? My standard reply was it cost $5 or $10 to see. Some guys would just walk away but every once in a while one would ante up the dollars. I would open the hood and show him my 6 cylinder and just laugh. Luckily a lot of the other car guys around would laugh too so I didn’t have any problems with the guy that paid the $$. 
Skip’s was a well known place to go to set up street runs in the 60’s early 70’s. 

Edited March 2, 2021 by SC38DLS (see edit history)

[Mark Huston]

Yesterday, I had my garage door open while dealing with a technician working on my HVAC system.   A couple of young teenagers are riding down the street, on bicycles, and as they pass my house I hear one boy loudly call out to the other one “Look at that old car!  It must be from the 50s.”  My car is a 1929 Studebaker.   I never realized that while parked in the garage that the back end looked like a car from the 1950s.   

[Chris Bamford]

I use my oldies a lot and for everyday purposes, so they're often parked at our neighbourhood Safeway. A couple years ago a younger mom pushing a stroller walked by, stopped, and peered a moment at the running board luggage rack on my '26 Ford.

 

"Can I ask you a question?" says she. "Sure" was my reply, expecting the usual something about vintage, spare parts, etc.

 

"Why do you have a baby gate on the running board?"

 

In fairness to her, the suitcase was not in its usual spot behind the baby gate. And, had I had my wits about me I would have pointed out that the kids are much safer behind the gate because the car was too old to have seatbelts. Sadly, that answer came to me too late, but I've got it in reserve should the need arise in future.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Chris Bamford (see edit history)

[Tom Boehm]

My 1940 Lasalle woodie is not finished yet and rarely gets out of the workshop. I haven't made the doors yet and the front sheetmetal is not installed. I occasionally do small woodworking jobs for people and one such customer, a woman about 55, came into my workshop to pick up her table. She took one look at the Lasalle and said "what is that vehicle thingee ?"  The Lasalle is my favorite subject to talk about and I never pass up an opportunity to tell people its story. This time however I was taken aback and at a loss for words. This was a lost cause. I just said it was an old car I am restoring and left it at that. 

[TAKerry]

All great stories, not a car but old related. Most of the stuff I watch on tv is black and white. Lots of old movies. My 8 yo grandson said something in passing that took me a minute to digest, then it became quite comical. His thinking was that 'back in the old days' there was no colour. He just figured everything was black and white like the movies he saw me watching. 

[rocketraider]

When you think he can handle it, show him "Pleasantville"🙂

 

Not hard for a kid to imagine that, when old movies and photographs are almost exclusively in black and white.

[414TATA]

My favorite is when asked about the car and I go over that it's all original etc. and tell them it's  1941.   Then when they ask "are you the original owner?" 

My answer... "yes and  I'll be 122 this November "  at least I get a smile.

 

[Fossil]

10 minutes ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

And I'll bet you don't look a day over 90

He probably looks better than my 90 year old car. 

[Bryan G]

About a year ago I'd stopped at the local park in the 49 Packard I owned; 5-6 year old kid comes up and loves the car. "It must be from the NINETIES!"

[8E45E]

On 3/2/2021 at 1:01 PM, Oldsmobile 83 said:

The Hurst with the Lightning Rods is quite easy to drive.  Here is the way I tell people how it works:

 

The lever closest to the driver is a regular automatic (P – R – N – OD – D).  The two levers to the right allow for manual shifting (without a clutch) and are normally in the back position.  To upshift, the left lever is in Drive, and the one furthest to the right is pushed forward to shift from 1^st gear to 2^nd.  To shift from 2^nd gear to 3^rd, the center lever is pushed forward.  Lastly to shift from 3^rd gear to 4^th, the left lever is moved from Drive to Overdrive.  

This is a picture of the tag that was on the shifters when new:

Tim

Back in the day, they were known as the 'Slam Shift'.

 

Craig

[8E45E]

On 3/2/2021 at 8:13 AM, oldcarfudd said:

2.  I belong to a group called Cars and Croissants.  It's like a Cars and Coffee, but I live in a wealthy part of NJ and the noses are elevated to a higher degree.  Lots of Ferraris and such.  So I go in a brass car, and always have the oldest vehicle by several decades. 

What IS comical to watch from time to time is when a prewar car shows up, restored or unrestored, at a show and shine and parks next to a Ferrari.  The unusual prewar car ends up being the big 'crowd magnet', and the Ferrari owner loses his "Hey! Look At ME!!" aura.

 

Craig

[J.H.Boland]

7 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

What IS comical to watch from time to time is when a prewar car shows up, restored or unrestored, at a show and shine and parks next to a Ferrari.  The unusual prewar car ends up being the big 'crowd magnet', and the Ferrari owner loses his "Hey! Look At ME!!" aura.

 

Craig

 

I was at a regular (large) cruise night held at a fellow's private 9 hole golf course. A group of about six Ferraris came in together and parked away from the rest of us. They left after about 20 minutes because hardly anyone went over to check them out.

 

I've told this story before ,but it was funny. I was invited to a church centennial celebration with my '21 Chevy pickup. I parked next to a huge '20's Rolls Royce touring. A little later, a distinguished looking gent came up to me and asked if I would mind moving my car. I somewhat indignantly asked why. He replied "Because it's so damned cute ,no-one is looking at my Rolls ! ".  We had a great visit.

[Dandy Dave]

Driving my 1915 Buick I have been along side of newer Buick's at a stop light on occasion. I usually get the wow looks and I just say, "Bet my Buick is older then yours." That always gets some smiles from the folks. 

 

I sometimes lift the hood and start the car at a show so folks can see the open valve train dance. A remark I hear at shows sometimes is an uniformed parent telling they're children that those are the pistons going up and down.

 

On route to the Rhinebeck NY show one year on a windy secondary road a lady gets along side of me in a no-passing zone. She screamed at me that what I was doing was Illegal and I should not be on the highway. I just shrugged, then she passed me still in a no-passing zone. Where's a cop when you need one? 

 

Had some fun racing Larry Schramm's 1915 Buick truck while entering the Eyes on Design show at the Edsel Ford Estate a number of years ago. All of us were laughing. Dandy Dave! 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Dandy Dave (see edit history)

[Paul Dobbin]

Most comical remarks are just attempts to be better informed, or tp try to act informed.

 

I was at the local Walmart driving my 1957 Ford Ranchero.  As I exited, i saw a heavy set young woman with to kids

point at the car ans exclaim,  "Look, a 57 Ford".

I thought wow she's well informed.

As i waved and drove past, she said to her kids, "Oh, sombody made it into a pickup truck".

So much for well informed.

[JACK M]

3 hours ago, 8E45E said:

 car ends up being the big 'crowd magnet', and the Ferrari owner loses his "Hey! Look At ME!!" aura.

 

Craig

 

This happens to me just about everywhere I drive this.

 

 

[Mark Huston]

One of my friends has a 1929 Studebaker Dictator Cabriolet that he fully restored from the frame up.  Beautiful job.  When he has his Studebaker at a car show he puts out a full display of tools etc. in front of his car.   Occasionally, when he is in the right mood, he will include in the tool display this massively large wrench that he acquired when he previously worked for Southern Pacific railroad.  This is an old locomotive wrench.   The wrench is nearly as long as his car is wide.  Inevitably, someone will point to the massive wrench and ask what that is for.   My friend will reply "It is for adjusting the points."   The person will stare at the wrench for awhile and walk away confused and with a look of disbelief.     Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of his display that includes the locomotive wrench.   This is his Studebaker without his spectator trap.   

[rocketraider]

2 hours ago, Paul Dobbin said:

Most comical remarks are just attempts to be better informed, or tp try to act informed.

 

I was at the local Walmart driving my 1957 Ford Ranchero.  As I exited, i saw a heavy set young woman with to kids

point at the car ans exclaim,  "Look, a 57 Ford".

I thought wow she's well informed.

As i waved and drove past, she said to her kids, "Oh, sombody made it into a pickup truck".

So much for well informed.

😍

 

Reckon she'd ever seen a Ranch Wagon?

[8E45E]

36 minutes ago, Mark Huston said:

One of my friends has a 1929 Studebaker Dictator Cabriolet that he fully restored from the frame up.  Beautiful job.  When he has his Studebaker at a car show he puts out a full display of tools etc. in front of his car.   Occasionally, when he is in the right mood, he will include in the tool display this massively large wrench that he acquired when he previously worked for Southern Pacific railroad.  This is an old locomotive wrench.   The wrench is nearly as long as his car is wide.  Inevitably, someone will point to the massive wrench and ask what that is for.   My friend will reply "It is for adjusting the points."   The person will stare at the wrench for awhile and walk away confused and with a look of disbelief.     Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of his display that includes the locomotive wrench.   This is his Studebaker without his spectator trap.   

I wonder if he is aware of its double in MT:  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/94898-prewar-studebaker-prices-nosediving

 

Craig

[Mark Huston]

21 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

I wonder if he is aware of its double in MT:  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/94898-prewar-studebaker-prices-nosediving

 

Craig

The MT car is a 1928 Commander.  They share a similar color combination.   I would not mind having a Studebaker like that.  

[8E45E]

10 minutes ago, Mark Huston said:

The MT car is a 1928 Commander.  They share a similar color combination.   I would not mind having a Studebaker like that.  

I believe it is an early (1st of three major running changes for) '29:  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/85248-who-all-is-going-to-can-am-pacific-northwest-zone-meet-in-post-falls-idaho/page2

 

Craig

[wayne sheldon]

8 hours ago, Dandy Dave said:

On route to the Rhinebeck NY show one year on a windy secondary road a lady gets along side of me in a no-passing zone. She screamed at me that what I was doing was Illegal and I should not be on the highway. I just shrugged, then she passed me still in a no-passing zone. Where's a cop when you need one? 

 

A slight drift. In my much younger days, when I wasn't tinkering with or driving my 1929 Reo or model T, I usually rode a bicycle all over town. To school, to work, stopping at dozens of antique shops (I was a strange kid!), I rode and rode hard and FAST! (I was once clocked at 45 mph on my old single speed bicycle! And did that for miles.)

A long-time very good friend (then and now) often rode with me (he was also a strange kid). One day, we were headed somewhere way on the other side of town, riding fast and hard. Some older lady pulled alongside in her car and was shouting at the top of her voice out the passenger window "SLOW DOWN! YOU WILL BE KILLED! YOU MUST SLOW DOWN!!!!"

We were probably well over the local 35 mph speed limit. She dropped back behind us and we just kept going on. He and I still sometimes laugh about it when we get together at club events. Of course, riding the way I did is likely part of why my knees are so bad today?

[Fossil]

4 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

Of course, riding the way I did is likely part of why my knees are so bad today?

I'm guessing you weren't over weight. I had a cop pull up beside me one time and tell me if I was going to ride that fast to get off the sidewalk and onto the road. I was skinny and loved to ride fast. 

[wayne sheldon]

I was skinny as a rail in those days! 29 inch waist and 34 inch inseam. Didn't go over 30 inch waist until my mid 30s and still wear 34 inch jeans. However weight has gone up to 220.

 

TMI dude! (too much information for those not into the new lingos?)

 

To make people even more upset, at 68 still have a full head of hair and mostly still brown!

[nzcarnerd]

14 hours ago, 8E45E said:

I believe it is an early (1st of three major running changes for) '29:  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/85248-who-all-is-going-to-can-am-pacific-northwest-zone-meet-in-post-falls-idaho/page2

 

Craig

 

Another significant difference with those two Commander cabriolets is that top folds. On the Dictator it doesn't. The clue is the position of the bottom end of the top iron.

 

I understand that car is the only surviving one of that model in the US. I have the only known right hand drive one here in NZ.

 

 

[BobinVirginia]

Once upon a time, in the early 90’s I was a teenager. My first car which is a 78 Buick Regal (not was because I still have it) that had a tired 3.8 under the hood. I decided at 17 that I needed a 455 instead of the V6 of course. 
 

Shortly before the engine swap I wrecked it. I had done my first paint job on it at 15 with DuPont Centari 99A black, I put a replacement fender and glass nose on it that was white. Then I put a 70 Buick 455 in it while it was down. Later after getting it going I ran into a cocky smack talking school mate that had a sweet 79 corvette. My car was called Shamu by this point for a reason. 
I finally ran into the guy at a stoplight while he was on a date. He arrogantly called my car a GM generic motor old woman’s car and trash talked me. (Not having Daddy’s money I had a car I liked and could afford) I told him that your girl would rather ride with me after this light turns green. 
When the light changed I badly embarrassed him in a cloud of tire smoke from the 455 and T-type posi I’d put in the car. 
 

The comical part is, after we stopped at a store down the road, she gave me her number and said I seemed like I was more fun! 
 

[rocketraider]

7 minutes ago, BobinVirginia said:

...Not having Daddy’s money...

🤣

 

Bob, you are truly a son of the Commonwealth! "Living off Daddy's money"- one of the ultimate Virginia snubs and insults! 

[BobinVirginia]

@rocketraider

He deserved it! 
😂😂🤣

Edited March 6, 2021 by BobinVirginia (see edit history)

[BobinVirginia]

My other funny response, I drive my 62 Impala to Myrtle Beach from Virginia every March. I had an early twenties guy at work ask me if I seriously drove a carbureted car that far and how did it not quit? Then he stated that he would never do that out of fear of breaking down.
 

My response was, what would you have done as a pioneer and had no roads in a horse drawn wagon? His reply was an honest, I’m not that tough!! 

[8E45E]

On 3/4/2021 at 11:06 PM, wayne sheldon said:

I was skinny as a rail in those days! 29 inch waist and 34 inch inseam.

 

To make people even more upset, at 68 still have a full head of hair and mostly still brown!

I kept my 28 inch waist!  It upsets people when I can eat what I want and drink what I want and never gain a pound!!

 

Craig

[TAKerry]

17 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

I kept my 28 inch waist!  It upsets people when I can eat what I want and drink what I want and never gain a pound!!

 

Craig

I kept mine too, but I added another 20 to keep it company!

[rocketraider]

One of my lifelong friends is that way. We're both 6'3". He weighed 162 lbs with 30" waist when we graduated high school, as did I. 47 yrs later T still weighs 165, 30" waist while I have blossomed to 215, 36" waist. I do have more hair than he does😏.

 

Back then he had a 63 Galaxie (not 500) Club Sedan whose 2 barrel 260 3-speed soon became a 289 4 barrel 4-speed drivetrain. He often says he wishes he'd kept it.

 

 

[Paul Dobbin]

On 3/4/2021 at 1:39 PM, Mark Huston said:

One of my friends has a 1929 Studebaker Dictator Cabriolet that he fully restored from the frame up.  Beautiful job.  When he has his Studebaker at a car show he puts out a full display of tools etc. in front of his car.   Occasionally, when he is in the right mood, he will include in the tool display this massively large wrench that he acquired when he previously worked for Southern Pacific railroad.  This is an old locomotive wrench.   The wrench is nearly as long as his car is wide.  Inevitably, someone will point to the massive wrench and ask what that is for.   My friend will reply "It is for adjusting the points."   The person will stare at the wrench for awhile and walk away confused and with a look of disbelief.     Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of his display that includes the locomotive wrench.   This is his Studebaker without his spectator trap.   

I guess that wrench would be a BFW in mechanics terms.