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After all the going on about "authenticity vs. modification", I figured it's time for a poll on the subject. The question is, would you treat someone personally, good or bad, based on their car and the modifications, if any done to it?



I'll go first: It seems some of the "older" people at shows tend to turn their noses up at modified Packards, but to me, as long as it has a Packard engine, it's ok by me. A modern V8 in ANY old car just screams lack of creativity to me, and a way to take the easy way out. Now, I wouldn't treat these people like they beat their kids, I would simply walk on by their car as soon as I seen the engine without making a derogatory comment about them or their car, because I know what kind of work is involved in it. I don't look at myself as better or worse than the next guy, but one who appreciates creativity in all it's forms.


NEXT???

I only recall one instance of me and my friends "hi hatting" anyone for their car and it was inadvertent.

One evening at the local cruise night I was talking with 3 or 4 friends when a stranger pulled in. He came over and said hello and basically asked how do you like my car?

He was obviously a nice friendly guy who was proud of his newly restored car but frankly it was a mess.

He was driving a 59 Pontiac that looked to have been painted with leftover house paint. The chrome was held on by sheet metal screws driven through the chrome at 6" intervals. The tires were wrong, the hubcaps were wrong, and of course it had fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror.

No one knew where to look or what to say. Someone mumbled a half hearted compliment. Soon he left in a huff cursing us for a stuck up clique.

I still feel bad about it but what are you supposed to do in a situation like that?

Rusty said it best in his first sentence above. Sometimes it occurs even from the best of us.

The problem here is much deeper than has ever been analyzed.
The automobile is a psycho/socio/sexual phenomenon UNparalleled by any and all other advancements of civilization.

Generaly, society judges a man by the cloths he wears, his mailing address AND THE CAR HE DRIVES.

OR

You can live in a car, but u can't drive a house.

Think about it.

Quote:

I must admit that on occasion I have made a derogatory comment about a modified car at our local cruise night but only on occasions when the modified car owner makes some comment like "If I want to drive my car to (fill in the blank)I want a reliable engine (e.g. SBC)." Other than this I am very sensitive about not hurting the feelings of other car owners who come to our cruise nights and if I can't make a positive comment I will make none at all (as my mother taught me).
My daily driver is a 1983 Volvo 240 that is beaten at the stop light drags by city transit buses so I can imagine that most other car owners must consider me in the lower strata of society. When I am in the Packard that is a different story however

I generally try to be civil. There is a fellow with a 56 Pontiac that he painted with rattle cans and the whole car looks amateurish, but he is one of the nicest friendliest guys at the cruise so everyone speaks to him politely. When I walk around and see all the modified stuff I just keep walking. I can still appreciate a fine paint job or custom interior. One fellow has a big V8 stuffed into a Mazda Miata - I'm amazed at how he shoehorned it in without cutting anything.
If it was a modified Packard I would probably keep on walking also.
If you can't say anything nice...

Jay Leno had an interesting slant on this issue. He said he was surprised when he first went to antique car shows, at how much bickering and feuding wwent on. He would say,

"I was just talking to -----, what a nice guy and what a beautiful Packard he has"

And the other guy would say "Oh yeah? Well the next time you talk to that chiseler ask him when he is going to give me back the screwdriver he borrowed in 1979?"

"It's great" said Leno. "Just like show business".

I had a hard time choosing between "No" and "If he's already a jerk"

It's hard for me to be nice to a guy that's a jerk. It doesn't matter if his car is original to the nines or a modified rice rocket.Sometimes my personality causes me to be overly confrontational.

I have had a hard time accepting the low rider concept with it's ups and downs but do respect the amount of time and money that went into a lot of them. I like to see a vintage 50's hot rod but have a hard time with a chevy under every hood. Old and original is for me.

I guess the overall answer to the question is "no".

This is a tough one. I like the cars to look original but not as much a purist as others are when it comes to hidden things so perhaps my take is biased. I would never discourage anyone to the point of quitting like it sounds like some in the offending car club did. Those type people I have little use for anyway because they usually have strong opinions on other things I might care about too. Am getting too old to get pissed off on a regular basis. If asked, I say as best I can what was original, suggest where they might find it, but also mention if there is an alternative if they haven't already found one. If they have I might learn something too if I need it.

As to modified bodies or Chevy engines--well, it's their car to do with as they wish. On one hand, you can't help but admire some peoples creativity, talent and determination to make something work-let alone the expense. Low riders--we have a lot here as well and some of their engineering skills are also tops.

One of the most incredible vehicles I ever saw was a Chevy S-10 getting gas next to me. To check the oil, he pushed a button on key fob and the front fenders and hood went up. Guess my mouth was open too long because he pushed another and the bed went up. I walked over to look. We talked, he pushed another button and the cab also went up leaving just a short bit with seats, floor and steering assy on a short piece of firewall. Needless to say, I was impressed because from 25' away, it appeared stock-regular doors and all. Had all been done at a local shop. The purist would have had a field day and if successful, some fantastic engineering and workmanship would never be seen.

Those cars at a cruise night, informal show or some such are one thing because owners are justifiably proud and want to show off their creation. When they enter a show with a visibly modified car in a marque class, then it becomes another matter. As to the jerk bit, some may come off as a jerk-- unintentionally doing so while trying to explain what they did with pride

Rattle can paint--at a cruise, I always look at it as a work in progress. There were times I could barely afford those and it was that or rust. At a formal car show, justifiably should be knocked down.

Randy's approach is probably the best and one I also try to stick to. Just walk around, look, say nothing, smile if the owner talks and be civil. If something really looks interesting, I ask and if the guy explains take it the way he probably meant it-as an accomplishment not that he was a genius for coming up with it--unless he really was, then stroke his ego.

I my old age I getting to prefer seeing cars that are restored to original form. What I get tired of seeing today at so many car shows and cruises are street rods they are dime a dozen. Having said they still are interesting to look at see the workmanship that goes into them.

Whay realy gets me mad when going to cruise or a show are often made comments about the Chevelle I own. I have owned a 1966 Chevelle Malibu for over 25 years. Plain four door with 230 six cylinder engine and less than 50,000 miles on it. I am only the second owner of the car and know its complete history. My Chevelle is what you have called a plain Jane grocery getter. Some person will always come up and say to me nice car but two bad it isn't a two door with a big block. The answer that I always give these kind of persons is that big block Chevelle's are a dime a dozen. Then tell them the production numbers of six cylinder Chevelle's produced compaired to the number of big block Chevelle's produced. In 1966 for every six cylinder model Chevelle produced there were ten small and big block Chevelles produced. After I tell them that, it kind of takes the wind of thier sails. It has gotten to point that I won't even enter certain car shows because I know I don't stand a chance against the muscle car Chevelle's.


John F. Shireman

They made four door Chevelles???