Got My First "Compliment"

[GetX'd]

Went to my first Cars n' Coffee last weekend. Had my fair share of admirers hanging around taking pics and asking questions about the GTX. People were pretty nice and I was enjoying myself. There was a couple of guys there that were long time participants and seemed to be the guys in charge. I spoke to one of them and he gave me the history of this particular event. Nice guy . Then his friend comes up and makes some snide remarks about some of the others there. The first guy introduced me to him and asked him to check out my car ( the only Mopar there) The guy gives a sideways glance at the X and says "Yeah - I saw a RAV4 that was painted that color the other day." Then he struts off without so much as looking me in the eye and jumps into his vintage cobra and drives off. I have to ask is this the way it is at car shows? Do the ford and GM guys treat you like ****? Cause if that's the way it is that will be my first and last time going to one of those shows. I don't need that kind of a downer......

 

[mmissile]

Probably a kit cobra, and little-dick syndrome.

 

[monaco66coupe]

I once saw two Ford Guys get in a fist fight over who had the nicer Mustang, and the one who started the fight had come in second place for the trophy. I quit going to Ford shows, as they were really mouthy if a Mopar showed up. They can't stand that Mopar values are generally much higher than the comparable Ford.

 

[khryslerkid]

You'll find people owning a Mopar to do the same thing. Just being a butthead. If you're the only Mopar there, you might get razzed a bit but talking with the other car owners you'll make a friend or two. If they all seem like buttheads at that particular meet, don't go anymore. It's sad that there has to be at least one in every crowd.

 

[conv67bdere]

Probably a kit cobra, and little-dick syndrome.

LMAO . . . I think MM nailed it on the head . . . there's always one jerk in every crowd . . . good thing he drove off . . . enjoy the show and the compliments from the "normal" people . . . and have fun.

 

[gdrill]

Simple jealousy. Probably wasn't enough people drooling over his car and he was in a cry baby mood. Besides, as limited as the Cobra may be, they don't make a GTX kit car yet! So he knew for a fact yours is real. His, well............

 

[4mulas]

Don't let it bother you. Mean folks no matter where you go, cars or not.

 

[Bladecutter]

Went to my first Cars n' Coffee last weekend. Had my fair share of admirers hanging around taking pics and asking questions about the GTX. People were pretty nice and I was enjoying myself. There was a couple of guys there that were long time participants and seemed to be the guys in charge. I spoke to one of them and he gave me the history of this particular event. Nice guy . Then his friend comes up and makes some snide remarks about some of the others there. The first guy introduced me to him and asked him to check out my car ( the only Mopar there) The guy gives a sideways glance at the X and says "Yeah - I saw a RAV4 that was painted that color the other day." Then he struts off without so much as looking me in the eye and jumps into his vintage cobra and drives off. I have to ask is this the way it is at car shows? Do the ford and GM guys treat you like ****? Cause if that's the way it is that will be my first and last time going to one of those shows. I don't need that kind of a downer......

Keep going to the shows K Man. There's rotten apples in every bunch who always want to turn **** into a pissing match, but there's more Friendlies who enjoy the varied expressions of all involved. Muscle era Mopars are a third the production numbers of gm & ford, so they are screwed out the gate in terms of exclusivity & that will never change & some of them can never live with it.
Maybe You can make Wings & Wheels @ Hemet Ryan Field here @ the end of air show season. Steve Hinton always sends over some Warbirds from Chino's Planes of Fame.

 

[Cornpatch MO]

Personally , I would much rather go to a car show that has little to no entry fee ( donations to charity is good) and no trophies. You don't get those egotistical asses who whine if they didn't win a trophy. Funny, there are some who don't get their cars out of the garage if there is no trophies. Who needs them around anyhow?...........................MO

 

[polywideblock]

its like life in general there's a dick in every crowd

keep going don't let him ruin it for you , you'll end up meeting some alright people .normally the mouthy guy is driving a MR2 or RX7 or somesuch shitbox . next time you see him ask him if he got his car off bill cosby

 

[Bill Monk]

I don't take a car to a show to show off to the other car guys or for trophies. I take it for me and the people who like to look at the old cars and have a good time. There will always be some idiot with the my dog's better than your dog syndrome and the guy driving a cavalier that wants to rip your car apart for an incorrect wiper motor nut. Enjoy your car and talking to the GOOD people!

 

[VANDAN]

There's really only two kinds of people at these shows, the One's that own MOPARS, and the others that WISH THEY DID...

 

[Bruzilla]

Went to my first Cars n' Coffee last weekend. Had my fair share of admirers hanging around taking pics and asking questions about the GTX. People were pretty nice and I was enjoying myself. There was a couple of guys there that were long time participants and seemed to be the guys in charge. I spoke to one of them and he gave me the history of this particular event. Nice guy . Then his friend comes up and makes some snide remarks about some of the others there. The first guy introduced me to him and asked him to check out my car ( the only Mopar there) The guy gives a sideways glance at the X and says "Yeah - I saw a RAV4 that was painted that color the other day." Then he struts off without so much as looking me in the eye and jumps into his vintage cobra and drives off. I have to ask is this the way it is at car shows? Do the ford and GM guys treat you like ****? Cause if that's the way it is that will be my first and last time going to one of those shows. I don't need that kind of a downer......

You ask a rather odd question. You start by saying how you had a fair share of admirers checking out your car, and then you want to get steamed over one guy's comment and use that as justification for not going back? If all it takes is one jagoff insulting your car to make you avoid events... you ain't gonna be going to many events.

As I tell people at shows I go to who comment on my car, "it only has to please one person, and that's the guy who looks back at me from the mirror." I have purists who hate my car, I have non-purists who love it, and Steelers fans who beg to buy it. I found it kinda funny that when I took my car to a Mopar club meeting a few weeks ago, I didn't get much comments on the paint, or engine, or interior, but I got a lot of comments about all the sponsor decals on the quarter windows and the Plymouth Beat Goes On heart decals on the rear. These folks see lots of 440s and paint jobs, but those were things that were different and got the most attention.

 

[Bruzilla]

Probably a kit cobra, and little-dick syndrome.

LOL, that was my first thought. The best thing to do would have been to ask to see his car and then start asking about how hard it is to build one of these kit cars. Hopefully the car is the real deal and the guy will get all defensive about the car, and then you play the "expert" and start pointing out obvious details that make the car a fake. Then walk away. That guy will spend time and money desperately trying to prove to everyone his car is real, and you can laugh while he does it.

 

[65hemi]

Like so much else in the world today, people feel entitled to express their negative opinions to your face. There are lots of great car folks out there who do like to look at the cars and appreciate the effort it takes to build one. Don't let a goof ball trap your car in the garage. Get the X out and enjoy it.

 

[PRND21]

Like VANDAN says, there are basically two types of people at car shows, people that like just about anything as long as it's done right, and people that only like what they own.

 

[mosquito13]

Most car shows suck. I got kicked out our big one(Sarasota) for revving the engine (30 seconds) for a group of kids that were egging me on. They loved it some near by Model Ter's didn't.
Everybody should demand shows that encourage rev offs, have a designated burnout pit, bounce competitions, stereo sound offs, and screw the lawn chair racers and their fat wifes... fords that compared...? My rant is over.

 

[HT413]

Won't be the last douche you meet at a show. If you're that thin skinned, shows aren't for you.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Went to my first Cars n' Coffee last weekend. Had my fair share of admirers hanging around taking pics and asking questions about the GTX. People were pretty nice and I was enjoying myself. There was a couple of guys there that were long time participants and seemed to be the guys in charge. I spoke to one of them and he gave me the history of this particular event. Nice guy . Then his friend comes up and makes some snide remarks about some of the others there. The first guy introduced me to him and asked him to check out my car ( the only Mopar there) The guy gives a sideways glance at the X and says "Yeah - I saw a RAV4 that was painted that color the other day." Then he struts off without so much as looking me in the eye and jumps into his vintage cobra and drives off. I have to ask is this the way it is at car shows? Do the ford and GM guys treat you like ****? Cause if that's the way it is that will be my first and last time going to one of those shows. I don't need that kind of a downer......

Gee GetX'd
same thing happened to me Saturday 03 June
was told to bring one of my cars to a local Foster's Freeze Saturday 6 to 8 for BBQ/Car Show and Band
I show up, it's nothing but a huge Click!
I was all alone
Screw Car shows

 

[funknut]

The Cars and Coffee nearest to me is a good group. It's no car show, more like a stop-and-go cruise-in where most people show up for a while to chat and shoot the breeze, grab a coffee, and walk around and see the cars for a while before moving along. The event is 4 hours but I'd guess most people are there for less than an hour, with fewer than 1/4 of the crowd staying most/all of the time.

We get a mix of everything, from older pre-50s vintage iron, to modern exotics to some muscle cars. There are very few trailer queens that make it there, though I'm sure a handful of the cars see fewer than a couple hundred miles a year. Muscle cars are not the norm, and vintage muscle cars are few and far between.

I park, leave the hood up and windows down and take a stroll. I don't spend a lot of time by my car, though I do walk past it often to see who's having a look, answer some questions, etc. Everyone I've seen and talked to has been kind and respectful. I get quite a few complements, which always feel nice. I've also had a few honest comments that someone particularly sensitive about that kind of thing might take offense to, but none of them were wrong. The paint isn't amazing and it has some imperfections that need to be addressed, but I know and am comfortable with that, so I don't let any of that bother me.

If you go a few more times you'll fall in with a good group of like-minded folks that are there for the same reasons you are. People there are going to know the jerks and you'll all collectively roll your eyes at them.

It's a fun time, don't let one bad experience keep you from enjoying that part of the hobby. As others have said, when people criticize something you've done, it's because they have issues, not you.