Car show observations and experiences....

[Kern Dog]

I enjoy car shows. My favorites are the shows with the swap meet on site. I try to make every Mopar show in my state but my favorite is the Spring Fling in Van Nuys CA. They hold the show in a nice city park. Plenty of grass, trees for shade, picnic tables for snack time.
This past weekend I was there for the 16th time in the Spring. They have a show in the Fall but I usually only make that show every other year.
The forecast of rain scared off lots of people. Their car count on Saturday was about half of their average. Sunday was much better, presumably because no rain was expected.
As I walked the show cars on Sunday, I was approached by a guy that I have never liked.
We all have these guys that we know. People that are annoying or just plain weird. This guy gives most people the creeps. You almost feel the need to take a shower after being near the guy. He used to live in Northern CA and was a member of our local Mopar club but moved south several years ago. I thought I was rid of him when he moved. Now, every time I go to the show in Van Nuys, I see this guy. Now, just talking to the guy I get the feeling that he must be into some odd ****. He is in his 50s, never married, works in politics as a lobbyist and stands too damn close. After watching several episodes of Criminal Minds over the years, I wonder if the guy has heads in his freezer or samples of womens hair he collected without them knowing.
This guy comes up to me while I'm looking at the cars. He wants me to look at his Road Runner to help with a "No-Start" problem. I tell him I'd head over after looking at the cars.
Oh, Okay, I'll just walk along with you. Oh GREAT!
This dork followed me like a lost puppy. I was civil to him but NOT trying to extend any conversation, making short responses to his various ramblings. Finally we make it through the cars and headed over to look at his car.
It wouldn't start yesterday so I bought a battery. This morning it was dead again and needed a jump start.
I looked at the battery cables. The NEG cable was so loose, an emphysema patient could BLOW and knock the terminal off the battery. I twisted it and told him to twist the key. It fired right up.
Did you check this battery terminal when you installed the battery?
Uhhh, I had my mechanic install it.
(I would feel like an idiot to have someone else install a battery or change my tire. How does a car guy let someone else do such basic stuff on their car?)
THEN I tried to duck out...."Okay, I'm going to check out the swap meet again."
Oh, maybe I'll tag along to see if there is anything I need.
Son of a bitch. This ****** is about the most clueless dork you can imagine. I keep trying to politely get away and he hangs on like dog **** on a work boot.
Hey..Why don't you get with some of the guys in the car club to walk you through some of the basics about these cars? Surely there are plenty of people that could help you out.
A, well... they like to razz me because they know I'm in politics.
Really? That would only be a problem if you were some jerkoff Liberal.
(Here it comes... the MONEY shot)
Well, I DID vote for Hillary Clinton.
Ever have a point in a situation where EVERYthing just instantly makes sense?
THIS was it.
I told the guy that I had to walk away. I couldn't bring myself to be polite to the guy anymore.

 

[Kern Dog]

I'd like to get a case of this stuff :

 

[Kern Dog]

This one makes sense too.

 

[747mopar]

You know it's funny how you never really pick your friends based on politics but I can honestly say I don't have any close friends who are Democrats. I know a few that are great people but you just seam to automatically migrate towards the like minded.

 

[moparedtn]

You know it's funny how you never really pick your friends based on politics but I can honestly say I don't have any close friends who are Democrats. I know a few that are great people but you just seam to automatically migrate towards the like minded.

Like minded meaning sane perhaps?
After all, liberalism is a mental disorder.

 

[BeeKool]

He probably goes through your garbage.

Are they any missing children after the show?

You should send this guy looking for a muffler belt.

 

[Bruzilla]

The guys I hate are the car-less know-it-alls, the guys who have no car of their own but want to tear down everyone else's cars for not being perfect.

I was at a show a few years back, and was parked next to a yellow Chevelle. This ahole comes by and starts giving the Chevelle owner crap about this and that not being right and I could tell the owner was getting ticked. Then the owner did something brilliant. When the guy started saying the yellow was the wrong shade, the owner looked at him like he was crazy and said the car was white! The guy was taken back and said it's yellow, and the owner kept saying it's white. Then the guy looks at me and says "tell this guy what color his car is!" and I said it was white. The guy looked at both of us like we were crazy and stormed off.

 

[cudak888]

He wants me to look at his Road Runner to help with a "No-Start" problem. I tell him I'd head over after looking at the cars.

By no means blaming you here for your magnanimity, Kern - but agreeing to help the creep was problem Numero Uno.

Remember the sign "Don't feed the birds?" Here, it's "Don't feed the birdbrain." Same concept.

Next time, don't help him. Good things can only come of that:

• You won't be his friend anymore (yippee!)
• He'll irritate others and wear their patience thin until they won't help him either.
• If you're lucky, he'll get sick of having problems with his Road Runner and sell it.
• Someone better equipped to steward that Road Runner will buy it.
• He won't be at the show anymore; will probably buy a lifted Chevy 3500 on loud chrome rims and go mall crawling with it instead.

-Kurt

 

[747mopar]

The guys I hate are the car-less know-it-alls, the guys who have no car of their own but want to tear down everyone else's cars for not being perfect.

I was at a show a few years back, and was parked next to a yellow Chevelle. This ahole comes by and starts giving the Chevelle owner crap about this and that not being right and I could tell the owner was getting ticked. Then the owner did something brilliant. When the guy started saying the yellow was the wrong shade, the owner looked at him like he was crazy and said the car was white! The guy was taken back and said it's yellow, and the owner kept saying it's white. Then the guy looks at me and says "tell this guy what color his car is!" and I said it was white. The guy looked at both of us like we were crazy and stormed off.

You mean the guys that actually think you might care what they think. If you don't like a car just keep walking, nothing more insulting than judging another man's car.

Good for you for playing along haha.

 

[Darius]

I know EXACTLY who you are talking about....sorry Greg. I too have had run ins with him at SF.

 

[Ghostrider 67]

I was attending a local show a few years ago and admiring a freshly finished 68 Charger, triple black, that was simply awesome. As i'm looking at the motor another dude walks up and after looking for like 3 seconds he loudly exclaims to everyone within earshot that the front license plate frame is missing one of the rubber tits that keep it from rattling against the bumper. WTF! He points at it and goes on and on about it to the guy standing next to him, shaking his head, saying how HE makes sure HIS car doesn't have any OBVIOUS mistakes like that before HE shows it. He asks the man he's talking to if he knows who owns the Charger. The man tells him, " I do." The idiot stops smiling and swallows hard. The owner then says, " and just where is YOUR 100% pristine 68 Charger located on the show grounds, i'd like to go have a long look at it." Uhhh.. I don't have a car here today." " Yeah, that's what I thought, piss off." says the owner. The dude left all in a huff. After the owner walked away to the rear of the car I went around front and looked down, the rubber tit was laying on the pavement below the bumper so I picked it up and walked around to where the owner was and got close to him and said quietly, " hold out your hand. he did and I put the tit in it and smiled, gave him an eye roll and left after telling him his car was bitchin.

 

[GetX'd]

I love these stories but they make me reticent about bringing my car to big shows. It's certainly not perfect and I would have a hard time listening to guys telling me all the stuff that's not oem about it.

 

[Darter6]

It's bad when they know you, or know of you.Then it's hard to get away.When at a show and asked a stupid question or a rag on question and you don't know them, I simply state,"Ahaa,I don't know,I bought it this way.."or "It's not mine". But that backfires sometimes.I will then play stupid that I don't know nothing,say nothing,never agree or disagree till they walk away.

 

[eldubb440]

trying for "post of the year" award, K Dog? .........good stuff

 

[747mopar]

Don't let it bother you, there's probably 50 good guys that dig the cars to every **** asshole. My reply is very simple and shuts them up everytime "I built it for myself exactly how I wanted or could afford to not for you or anyone else".

Can't let them bother you, 9 times out of 10 they don't even have a car.

 

[BeeKool]

I don't like the ******** who feel the need to overly critique somebody else's blood sweat and tears, and thousands of dollars and years of hard work.

Like anybody else cares what they think.

Some old man at a car show had a Daytona Tribute, Plum Crazy, beautiful car, professionally done. I Couldn't tell the difference without looking at the fender tag.

Some douchebag was giving the old man **** asking him how he could ruin a Charger that way.

I asked the asshole if he could tell me how many Charger Daytonas were made in '68? He was too ******* stupid to even know the trick question.

 

[Ghostrider 67]

I had to take my 65 Impala out of a local show once, back in the 90's, because some bonehead was ragging me about RBWYL on my Goodyear Eagles. I asked him if he was trying for fat lip. Smartass said yeah, I am. I gave him one.

 

[MarPar]

I had to take my 65 Impala out of a local show once, back in the 90's, because some bonehead was ragging me about RBWYL on my Goodyear Eagles. I asked him if he was trying for fat lip. Smartass said yeah, I am. I gave him one.

ask and ye shall receive!! lol

 

[Ghostrider 67]

ask and ye shall receive!! lol

Some other attendees grabbed both of us to prevent further mayem. He was still screaming about how I was a piece of **** and he was gonna kill my *** as they dragged him away. After speaking with the organizers for a few minutes so they could determine what exactly had happened they said to let the guy "clear the area" and then to go. I said F*ck that, i'm going right damn now and I hope his *** is waiting for me. never saw him again.

 

[Ghostrider 67]

Trying to find some pics of that Impala but so far this is the only one..this is me and my 7 year old daughter in 1999 getting our picture snapped before dropping her off at a neighbors house for a party. My house is the big gray one over my shoulder and you can see the *** end of the Impala parked in my side yard , over my shoulder.