Deep Thoughts Number 4,567

[Bruzilla]

So I'm driving home from work in the roadrunner yesterday, after taking loads of grief from my co-workers wanting to know why I was in the bird on a Thursday when I had formerly said I was only going to drive the car on weekends (Thursday is close to being the weekend right?), and drive across the Buckman Bridge. As I'm going across, a '67 Mustang comes up next to me. He waves and honks his horn. I wave back and give him a beep-beep on my horn, and he falls in behind me and we cross the three-mile bridge in a lose-trail parade formation. A little mutual respect and admiration shown between brothers of the vintage black top.

Then, I get off the bridge and am driving down RT 17, and two youngsters in Hondas come up on me. Their cars are pretty much typical of the breed... fart can mufflers, rear spoiler, lowered suspension, and huge wheels. They rev up their little fart cans to say "Hi", since I guess they have no idea that's what the horn is for, and then I turn off onto my road without acknowledging their existence.

So here's my deep thought. Was I a dick for doing this? Granted, I have zero respect for import "racers", but the kids behind the wheel are in effect the same kid I was at their age. The difference is when I was a kid, the muscle and pony cars were the cool cars, and for these kids the imports are the cool cars. I'm thinking I should show these guys a little courtesy... not as much as the guy in the Mustang, but maybe a wave?

 

[YY1]

Newer cars get a nod from me if they initiate...older cars get at least a thumbs up.

I've also noticed that former foes are now more eager to show respect.

The day I broght my Sat home, a guy in a 68-72 Nova was behind me. When I tuned off on my street, we both waved, without any animosity over brand.

 

[Bruzilla]

LOL! I was thinking the same thing a couple of weeks ago when a guy in a beat-up but driveable 70's Monte Carlo came up beside me. His car was a POS, and in the old days I would have ridiculed him without mercy, but I gave him a toot of the horn and a thumbs up.

On the other hand, I haven't fully aged out of it. When I was getting parts for my car at the junkyard, I was talking to the yard owner and I could tell he was just happy to be discussing old school cars with someone. He took me back to his personal garage and he had two completely restored Chevelles and one that was going through restoration. It took quite a bit of willpower for me not to blurt out something like "why would you waste your money on bowtie crap like this?" but I figured if I wanted to get a better price on parts I better be nice and tell him how much I wish I had cars as wonderful as these. I lied through my teeth, but a guy's gotta do...

 

[djais1801]

i had the exact same thing happen on tuesday! a lil rice burner honda civic i think..trying to egg me on to a race..revving his go cart engine. i did not even look at him to acknowledge his existence

 

[Bruzilla]

I don't think the engine revving is asking for a race since they do it to me when we're in traffic. I think it's their way of saying "hey, nice car", much like we more civilized drivers learned decades ago to use a quick double-tap of the horn and a thumbs up. But I could be wrong. ;)

 

[YY1]

If the ricers seem like they want to run, I usually give them a glance with kind of a crazy half smile...then ignore them. Makes them wonder...

Then If I think I can cut a good rection when the light changes, I'll nail it and see how much distance I can get on them, then just go the speed limit. (hey, it's a 318-2, and a win is a win). I f I choose not to, they never know.

 

[Flys-Lo]

Sometimes these kids can't help what they are handed down. They are hot-rodders at heart and will modify and build whatever they have. I give anyone respect that shows initiative and is not asleep behind the wheel of the most brown paper bag average automobile. Be careful of the video game generation though. Many of them will spend thousands on high compression, or built-from-scratch turbo engines for these front drivers. I recall many times as a teenager racing big block muscle in my fwd Shelby turbo cars. Surprised many guys with those cars and (finally) earned some respect from the guys at the track.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Maybe a wave from the old fart in the cool old car might have been appropriate.

 

[YY1]

I think the Honda S2000 now holds the record for most HP per cubic inch...and it's in a really light car.

 

[sublimegtx]

It's the ones that bounce it off the rev limiter when you're at a light that get me. I usually openly laugh at those guys. The local tuners have a get together on wed nights around here, the son has taken the gtx rumblein' in there and they all have to check it out and they show it respect. As much as I hate their crap I'm sure some of them could smoke me. It's only common sense that a real light car with with a twin turbo 600 hp is gonna go like a raped ape. But not all of them have that.

 

[Pops1967GTX]

Driving my GTX (Classic) car is an experience unlike anything you’ll get in a modern vehicle.....It's a blast back to the past for me....Most of the time, Other drivers give me more time to make turns,& stay off my bumper.They seem to understand that this car is different, so they don’t get impatient if I'm going slow. When I see other classic vehicles I have admiration for them. I find it to be a brotherhood, I always wave as others go by. But my loyalty will always be to Mopar........The Modern muscle cars of today are interesting.... You have to give respect to demand respect Back..

 

[Bruzilla]

Maybe a wave from the old fart in the cool old car might have been appropriate.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

 

[bigredbird]

When the rice burners pull up next to me, I always turn and give them one of these: :grin:.

It looks like an acknowledgement of our mutual coolness, but it's actually me thinking, "What a stupid, pathetic fart-tooting import that is. Do you use that handle on the trunk to pick it up and put it away when you're done playing?"

 

[Bruzilla]

Driving my GTX (Classic) car is an experience unlike anything you’ll get in a modern vehicle.....It's a blast back to the past for me....Most of the time, Other drivers give me more time to make turns,& stay off my bumper.They seem to understand that this car is different, so they don’t get impatient if I'm going slow. When I see other classic vehicles I have admiration for them. I find it to be a brotherhood, I always wave as others go by. But my loyalty will always be to Mopar........The Modern muscle cars of today are interesting.... You have to give respect to demand respect Back..

I've started noticing that more and more. My daily driver is a 2004 Ford Police Interceptor and it still has the spot light and antennas on it, so most drivers see me and drop back for obvious reasons, but since I'm driving the roadrunner more and more I'm seeing the same actions taken when I'm in that car - and there's no way anyone's mistaking that car for a cop car. This is even more the case since I usually drive in the right-most travel lane in the roadrunner as I'm usually in no rush to get where I'm going in that car, so for people to slow down and lay back in the passing lanes, they're really wanting to slow down. ;)

 

[pabster]

I wave at most classic cars regardless of make these days. I've waved at old Jags, Ferraris, whatever is classic and beautiful out on the road. Of course I wave at all old Detroit steel, and I also wave at new Challengers. And if anyone toots their horn in appreciation of my ride, I give them a thumbs up. The best is when I get cops waving at me in the Charger. I think I've only had one or two people want to race me, and my stock 318 has no business attempting to beat anyone, so I ignore them.

It's a great feeling to see other classics out there, ones that have been cared for. No matter what the make, you know that the owner has that same pride as you, that happiness when they're behind the wheel. Oh man, I wish I'd driven Avocado Gold to work today...

 

[tpodwdog]

its true....more respect is given to old foes because i find myself doing exactly that , giving a thumbs up to an old ferd or a chebby or AMC ......i WONT do it to a Camaro (vomit)...i just hate those cars , HATE 'EM !

i also found that people are more courteous when im in one of the hot rods and one day it just hit me like a ton of bricks....ITS BECAUSE THEY WANT A FULL OVER ALL VIEW ! and let me pull out in front of them. then they're usually on my *** trying to read my license plate frame, and at that point, if allowable...i hit the "loud pedal' and leave 'em in the dust guessing !.

as far as your "being rude"...i dont think you were rude. kids today need to learn respect, and thats something not alot of them have or were taught. thats just the pecking order . the "BIG DOGS" eat first!

 

[Moparsmitty]

I will usually give a wave to a kid in a ricer if he is respectful and not driving like an idiot. I can also appreciate most classics no matter what they are, and I understand that they love their rides too.
There are a couple of serious biker bars in the little town close to my place and one of the things I enjoy is the attention and admiration my old Belvedere gets from these guys. It was a little disconcerting the first time I cane out of the store and my car was surrounded by these leather clad monsters, but they loved it when I fired it up and smoked 'em a little on the way out.

 

[kdtjb]

That was me in that rice rocket, except is was 40 some years ago and I was in a 63 Valiant /6 (coolest thing you ever seen) Yep the dick was in a spring green RR, but I got over it. Hell ya might even say I got even

 

[Jeremiah]

Be nice to the kids, d-bags in muscle cars are are not going to help the hobby.