Ya gotta have thick skin I guess!

[donsrods]

We've talked before about some of the comments and reactions we get when we drive our cars. Some are nice compliments, some are rude, and some are just nuts.

Yesterday I had to run to Home Depot to pick up some stuff for my Son Dan, who was working on his car. I parked under the overhang of the loading section because I was only going to be a moment and I felt safer leaving it there. When I came out a guy was laying on his back under the rear of my car, and when he saw me he gets out and says, " I noticed your aluminum fuel tank is sitting on the frame and has no rubber in between." I told him it does have rubberstripping between them. He says "I can't see it!" I told him that was the idea, I tucked it neatly so it wouldn't show. He stil looked puzzled, so I said "Well, it has been in there for 23 years, so I guess it's going to last!" To that he says "Oh, I wasn't trying to be a jerk, I just wondered."

Then he says, "I bet that guy over there that this was a kit car." I told him "It's NOT a kit car." Again he looked puzzled and said "What do you mean?" I told him "It's a fiberglass body, but on an original Model A frame, with a 34 front end, and a Mercury Montego rear end. I built it myself." He then said " But isn't that a kit?" I said " Ok, WHOSE kit is it then?" I finally got loose of him and drove away shaking my head.

I warned Dan last night to prepare himself for some really dumb comments from people and to not take any of them seriously. I think most people mean well, but they just are talking about a subject they know just enough about to be dangerous!

Don

 

[hotrod preacher]

I think most people mean well, but they just are talking about a subject they know just enough about to be dangerous!

Don

i think you nailed that one Don....they just wanna be smarter than they actually are & some of those tv shows don't help us out any!

my new motto is "those people who think they know everything only annoy those of us who do"

 

[Tripper]

I built it myself." He then said " But isn't that a kit?" I said " Ok, WHOSE kit is it then?" I finally got loose of him and drove away shaking my head.

Don,
Please lemme know when your 'kits' go on sale! Always wanted a kit from one of them famous West Coast designer/builder guys!!! [S[ddd

Talkin' about stupid... a buddy brought his friend over to see my truck a couple of weeks ago. His friend saw my Offenhauser valve covers & said... 'OMG... those Offenhauser engines are really rare these days... I bet that cost a pretty penny'!? Haha!

BoB

 

[cycledog]

A few years back was with my buddy in his 46 Ford sedan with a flathead, no hood. Pulled into a gas station and this guy comes over to check it out.

Asks how hard it was to put the Hemi in.

 

[izzy]

thick skin

i took my 30 model A to a cruise about 2 years ago and as i showed up fashionably late all the old guys were polishing there chrome with pictures of their cars on their shirts looking down their noses at my, so as i drove past them my 8 open headers kicked up a little dust and i just smiled, funny thing is more people were interested in my car than theirs.the thing to remember is just smile, they never know what you are thinking.

 

[Gastrick]

I can't even tell you how many times I've been through that "kit car" conversation......even with guys that should have known better.

 

[donsrods]

I can't even tell you how many times I've been through that "kit car" conversation......even with guys that should have known better.

For years I ran a vanity plate on my 27 and when someone would make that "kit car" comment I would take them behind my car and tell them to read the plate. It saved a lot of explaning. However, I parked the car for about 11 years and someone else was able to grab that plate as I had let it lapse. Wish I had it back.

Don

 

[Charley Davidson]

Every thing I own is a kit, you get it at the scrap yard, there are so many options to choose from it becomes bedazzling [S

I built my first spiral staircase years ago and had a very large color picture of it displayed at a local home improvement show. A competitor who would never hire me in his cabinet shop because he didn't think I had enough experience saw the picture and said "My son and I were gonna buy one of those kits once" me "Yeah well I built every piece of this in my shop", then after looking at my cabinets he then said "we build doors for little guys like you" My reply "So do I"

 

[51FordF1]

Don...When you saw him laying under your car, you should have hopped in and backed over his head.

 

[Tripper]

"Yeah well I built every piece of this in my shop", then after looking at my cabinets he then said "we build doors for little guys like you" My reply "So do I"

Hahaha... that's a good 'un!!!

BoB

 

[Sam_Fear]

Yesterday I had the garage door open and a couple walking past stopped and asked about my Olds. Said it was neat, etc. At one point I mentioned that I chopped it 4". The guy asks "Which direction?" I really didn't have a clue how to answer that.... [S

The box my kit car came in only contained cut off wheels and a MIG.

 

[Bonehead]

Those are some great comments, but you guys should here ones about art. Anything that confuses people will get them to say dumb things.

 

[Tripper]

Those are some great comments, but you guys should here ones about art. Anything that confuses people will get them to say dumb things.

Ummmm... Sir... I bet my friend you make that skull from a kit!!! [ddd[ddd[ddd

 

[Daman]

I have to laugh at all the responses.

My Boss (the know it all mechanic at work) stops by with his friend a couple weeks ago. His buddy was geeked out checking out the binder.
The Boss says "Yeah, it's OK but he's not going to paint it"
His friend (not my friend I just met the guy) says "why would he want to?" Boss " because it's ugly"
other guy "what do you know about cars"
Boss "a lot more than you"
other guy "What's the firing order on a small block Chevy?"
Boss "Don't need to know it's on the intake"
other guy "if it's stock"

I just went over to the fridge and cracked a beer. That went on for awhile.

Some people are just clueless or he's jealous because his wife likes riding in it

 

[chuckles]

I had a guy tell;"that ain't No 302"!
Ford never had a valve cover like That !
Me;No **** ! They're Keystones. on a '68,302 Ford eng.

 

[donsrods]

I always like the ones who start telling you stories about the Camaro (or other brand) they had that was bone stock and ran in the 10's and would carry the wheels half way down the track. I know we rodders all embellish our stories "slightly", but it is hard to keep a straight face when someone starts telling you some ridiculously impossible tale like that.

The one I heard most often when driving my 23 that had slicks on the back was "Boy, you really like to get your milage out of those rear tires, don't you? (No, they aren't bald, they are SLICKS!)

Don

 

[Dragfink]

A buddy and I were driving to a cruise night once in my '59 Ranchero...a couple of "experts" pulled up next to us at a light, and asked, "What kind of car is that?"...
...I replied, "It's a 1959 Ford Ranchero."...Mr. "I Know Everything", proceded to tell me it wasn't a Ford, because, "Ford never built anything like that, you must have custom built that yourself."
I thanked him for the "compliment", but told him I couldn't take the credit for it, Ford actually DID build it!
He was shaking his head, yelling at his buddy as we pulled away!

 

[BigIrish]

Recently I got several "are you gonna drive it to the Roundup?" which for me is 3 hours on the highway. I say no because its too far for me or I just don't want to go.

The response is usually something like "well hell I rode my hardtail shovelhead 1000 miles up to a show in xxxxx!" while they are glaring at me like I said something to offend them.

I don't get this one - people ask me if I'm taking to xxx car show and get ****ed when I say no. I'm not into car shows, I'm into driving it around, but somehow that offends people, as if is my duty to take it to all the car shows. [S

 

[donsrods]

Haha, I know. Just the other day a guy and gal on a motorcycle pulled up next to me at a light and asked if I was coming from a show. I said no, I was just running some errands. He looked at me like I was nuts and said "you drive that thing around?" Yeah, it's a CAR!

I am tempted to have the following lettered on the back of my rod. "Yes, I AM having more fun than you!"

Don

 

[oldmanb]

I have the odd customer dropping by looking for "small weld, should only take you a minute to do"...........except it'll take me an hour to get near where it needs to be welded. So easy, they could do it themselves.if they had a welder.
Then the million dollar question, how much will it cost?.................When i get people like this,I always say,not much ,less then a hundred bucks,that usually gets rid of them.