Said to me at the car show...

[patrick66]

"Hey, Mister, is this your convertible?"
"Yes, it is!"
"My great-grandfather had a 1965 Imperial convertible he bought brand new, that was just like yours...color and all!" (guy was maybe 20 or so)
"You said your great-grandfather? Trying to make me feel old, Kid?"
"Sorry, Sir, I didn't think about that!"
"That's OK, no worries! Do you have a car here today?"
"My Dart is over there!" (points to a real nice '69 Swinger 340)
I replied "Cool! Same color and such as the '69 GTS I had back in 1987!"
We had a nice discussion over Mopars from there. Good kid.

Last Summer at another show...
Guy walks by and looks for a few minutes at my '66 Coronet 500..."Hey, what is a 361?" - I have the 361 callout painted on the fender above the factory "V-8" emblem
"A 383 with smaller slugs."
'What is a slug?"...I smiled and explained the meaning of a "slug".

And lastly...
I'm the legit second owner of the Coronet, as I've had the car since 1980, having bought the car from the original owner in Denver.
I'm at a small show with the Coronet, and mentioned to the guy I was discussing cars with that I had owned the car for 40 years...
"Did you buy this car new?"
I had to laugh..."Uh, no, I would've been in grade school then. I don't know who would sell a new car to a first-grader!"
Then I'm thinking "WTF? Do I look like I'm 80 all of a sudden?"

Just a few observations about owning old cars and such. If this weren't fun, I'd have given up on this long ago! LOL!

 

[GetX'd]

Not necessarily at car shows because I didn’t take the GTX to many - but at gas stations, parking lots, even people peeking in my garage etc, etc …. Hey, wow that’s a really sweet GTO….. And countless people never heard of a Plymouth. The first few hundred times it was funny but I had long since given up explaining…… What they don’t know won’t hurt them….

 

[XS22J8R]

The first time I got asked if I was an original owner of a car was a few years back at a cruise, a guy asked that about my Challenger convertible. I said, no when this car was new I was 7! The only new cars I had then were made by Matchbox, Hot Wheels and Corgi.
At work a few years ago I was eating lunch in the cafeteria with some colleagues, and one coworker who was in his late 20s pointed to another table where a group of college interns were sitting and said “those interns look so young!”.
I looked at him and over to the group and thought they all look like kids to me.
So my take on the matter is that anyone over maybe 20 years or more older than you looks real old, and anyone maybe 20 years or more younger than you looks real young and we tend to lump everyone in those groups together. So someone younger seeing a late 50s or 60s person in a vintage car just thinks there’s an older guy there who might have bought it new, not thinking he’d had probably need to be 70 or older for that to be the case.

 

[patrick66]

I figure the target market for the '66 Coronet 500 was probably 30 or so, heading up the ladder at work, married with a couple of kids. This would make me likely 80+ as an original owner.

The Imperial was of course, geared more for the Mr. Drysdale crowd - mid to late 40s or 50s, successful businessman, a pilot, or banker; and either self-employed or working for perhaps IBM, or NASA.
That would put me at what? 100 or so? LOL!

At the last two shows I had the Imperial at, I got a bunch of neat comments from kids from maybe six to twelve years of age. I asked the kids "Would you like to sit in the Imperial?" I'd let them sit in the driver's seat and their parents would take their picture. Made each kids' day, gotta say! And it's always fun to see the expression on their faces when you offer a chance to sit in an old car like that - ANY old car. The kids dig that, and the parents can see what respecting another mans' car results in. Maybe one of these future motorheads will help save the hobby from the evils that surround us.

 

[6PKRTSE]

I have had people call my car from everything from a Challenger to a Chevelle, Pontiac, Nova, Torino and I am sure others I can't think of. Oh, and I have been asked the question if I bought it new? Uh, no. The car is older than I am people....
Apparently, the car is aging better than I am.

 

[patrick66]

I always get "Nice Lincoln!" on the Imp, which is understandable; considering the chief designer for the '61 Lincoln jumped to Chrysler in early 1963, and was in charge of the '64 Imperial design.

The Coronet gets called a RoadRunner, a Chevelle, and a GTO every now and then. I also get "What's a Coronet?" I just smile and roll with it.

 

[69a100]

"Did you buy this car new?"
I had to laugh..."Uh, no, I would've been in grade school then. I don't know who would sell a new car to a first-grader!"
Then I'm thinking "WTF? Do I look like I'm 80 all of a sudden?"

Stupid people ask stupid questions because they're to stupid to think!

 

[6PKRTSE]

I always get "Nice Lincoln!" on the Imp, which is understandable; considering the chief designer for the '61 Lincoln jumped to Chrysler in early 1963, and was in charge of the '64 Imperial design.

The Coronet gets called a RoadRunner, a Chevelle, and a GTO every now and then. I also get "What's a Coronet?" I just smile and roll with it.

I get nice Lincoln and Mercury when in my New Yorker alot also. Which I can see. They did look alot alike back then.

 

[patrick66]

Stupid people ask stupid questions because they're to stupid to think!

In case of the cars, I attribute about 90% of the "dumb questions" to people who aren't car people to begin with. Education is the key to knowledge. Educate the folks, and they'll be one brain byte more informed on old cars and trucks than they were a minute ago. And then again, some people are too lazy to look at the factory callouts on the hood, decklid and fenders!

On the age thing, I agree 100%!

 

[Budnicks]

At least they showed interest...

 

[terrywalker]

I heard a guy at a car show many years ago telling his buddies my 71 Shaker 340 4speed Challenger convertible was a fake because they are too rare for him not to have known one was in Washington state. I was standing nearby as he was showing his buddies he was an authority on these cars. I stated I was the owner of the car and bought the car in June 1972. He gave me the once over and said no way could I afford a rare car like this and it had to be a fake. I reached in the glove box and pulled out the original window sticker and broadcast sheet. He turned red and told me it had to be a fake. I gave up.
Terry W.

 

[ACME A12]

some people are too lazy to look at the factory callouts on the hood, decklid and fenders!

Anymore when I am asked what's under the hood when I have the Road Runner out I will just flat out ask them how they could have possibly missed the giant callouts on the hood scoop? I'm over it - laziness, stupidity, whatever it is...

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

The biggest thing I get constantly asked or should I say proclaimed about my 69 Coronet 440 is when they see it they are always "man that's got a real 440 in it ? " because of the way the designers decided to make the emblem look like an engine call out instead of prior years and when I explain no that is the model of the car but it does have a 383 which is rare as they only made 3136 - 2 door hardtops with this engine they seem let down that its not a 440.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Not necessarily at car shows because I didn’t take the GTX to many - but at gas stations, parking lots, even people peeking in my garage etc, etc …. Hey, wow that’s a really sweet GTO….. And countless people never heard of a Plymouth. The first few hundred times it was funny but I had long since given up explaining…… What they don’t know won’t hurt them….

It’s a roadrunner with more options usually works for me when people ask

 

[6PKRTSE]

I get asked what's under the hood all the time. Okay, it's a lie (528") but it's right there.

 

[64BEL]

Once when I stopped in at O'Reilly's with my Satellite, the guy behind the counter asked me if it was a Galaxie. As Bud said, at least they're showing interest. If we can educate them a little, it reflects well on our hobby. The know it alls (see post #11) are a different story. I'll take ignorant over pompous any day.
Sometimes when I'm asked what's under the hood of my Satellite, I just answer V-8.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Once when I stopped in at O'Reilly's with my Satellite, the guy behind the counter asked me if it was a Galaxie. As Bud said, at least they're showing interest. If we can educate them a little, it reflects well on our hobby. The know it alls (see post #11) are a different story. I'll take ignorant over pompous any day.
Sometimes when I'm asked what's under the hood of my Satellite, I just answer V-8.

You and bud are absolutely correct. We are ambassadors of this hobby, if we go around acting like snobs, people will loose interest, or be disgusted with us. I know it’s annoying sometimes, but we must keep a level head.

Now if someone makes a completely ridiculous comment, like my uncles, cousins, brothers, nephew had a 78 mustang with a hemi, and could smoke your car. Then you tell them what they can do to themselves

 

[6PKRTSE]

On the other end of the spectrum. I let kids sit in my car at shows. I have started it with them in it and always answer everyone's questions politely as possible. No matter how ridiculous them may seem to us car guys.

 

[Budnicks]

As long as the people are polite, I will talk with them
especially the younger crowd

a lot of the younger generation didn't grow up with these cars
doesn't hurt to 'educate them a bit'
no harm no foul, unless they are ********

******** are everywhere today & not just car hobby

I don't go to many shows ever anymore,
I haven't for years now
last real show was probably 1997 Car Craft (?) in Cal Expo Sacramento
if it was even still called that...
Or the last 'real Oakland Roaster show', before it went south to LA

(I do still like seeing the threads & photos shared here thou,
I see the cool stuff & not all the stupid ****, or people)

my car/s usually really aren't what I'd call 'show cars' anyway
I use them, not built to show, built for me to have fun
no someone (knowitall) to critique it

Now, I'm just not into that stuff, or sitting in the sun for hrs
while people that don't even have a collector car, critique yours,
or the experts
the Vin & tag readers "experts" types etc.
I got burned out on it &
'some of the arrogance/attitudes in some of the people'
have a freaken' stick stuck so far up their asses, there to start ****
(we have a few on these forums too)
or the silk shirt, gold chains & big watches crowds,
in Birkenstocks with socks, that bought it
(& usually paid for someone else to build it, not all but some)
or the rows of new cars, right off the lot, with the hood propped up
gets old fast (don't get me wrong, some are cool)

but that should be in the parking lot outside

I like many makes of car/brands, MoPars are my 1st love, but not my only interests

I was & still am, more of a go-to an event where you use/drive your car
not sit by it & talk, I like drag races autocross poker-runs etc.

The lil' impromptu shows
& some smaller cars & coffees sometimes strike some interests still
I rarely go unless it's local (our local one shut down during the Plandemic)
met a few nicer people at them

most of the bigger events are full of people, I don't care to interact with

Dammit, now I'm turning into my father

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

On the other end of the spectrum. I let kids sit in my car at shows. I have started it with them in it and always answer everyone's questions politely as possible. No matter how ridiculous them may seem to us car guys.

That’s awesome! Those kids will always remember that, and hopefully become part of our community.