Peoples' reactions to my 02 in LA traffic

[Jimmy]

I certainly have had my fair share of dumb conversations with strangers about the various cars I own.

 

After I got the 2002 and observed that every time I shut it off I had a conversation with a stranger about the car, I remarked to a friend that I wasn't sure whether I was extroverted enough to own it. 

 

As much as I dislike small talk and people in general, I try to be magnanimous. I've yet to come across someone who wasn't striking up a conversation out of genuine interest or admiration. It's pretty hard to have a bad attitude when you're lucky enough to be driving a 2002. ?

[NYNick]

12 hours ago, maharaja said:

Slavs, All good and love the dialog

I feel your pain when I take my Speedster out and get "How long did it take to put the kit together" or " Is that a Karmann Ghia?" or "What is the top speed?"

Keeps you grounded

A Speedster? Holy iconic grail!

[tzei]

15 hours ago, Vicleonardo1 said:

"No, it's not the year....It's the model number."

Heh

This happend to me at dealers parts desk when asking parts. Was kinda funny lol.

[g_force]

13 hours ago, maharaja said:

when I take my Speedster out and get "How long did it take to put the kit together" . . .

 

1 hour ago, NYNick said:

A Speedster? Holy iconic grail!

 

To be fair, like Cobras, 1 in 100 Speedsters are real. I struggle with how to ask Speedster and Cobra owners about their cars, because I'm interested in the car whether it's a kit or the real thing. But, whether it's a kit or the real thing (and if it's a kit, how it deviates from the real thing and why) is part of my interest. Asking if it's a kit seems an afront to both real and kit owners. Perhaps, like asking a woman "Are those real?"

Edited November 10, 2018 by g_force

[NYNick]

With the cars, just touch them to see if their fiberglass or steel. Easy.
With the other, well, I'll leave that up to you to figure out. [emoji2956]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Jimmy]

6 minutes ago, NYNick said:

With the cars, just touch them to see if their fiberglass or steel. Easy.
With the other, well, I'll leave that up to you to figure out.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 

 

Great advice. People really appreciate random strangers monkeying with their car more than answering their questions. Why do people think that's ok? I was at an Italian car show once and a guy walked up to a Countach, pinched the rear spoiler hard enough to leave a thumbprint and said "Wow, what a piece of s--t!" and walked away. That was the last year for that show, for that and other reasons.

[Teelinger]

I can't think of a negative attention instance driving my 02, only positive and enthusiastic ones. Which is one of the things I love most about owning one of these little gems. 

 

But the funniest thing that has happened to me more than a few times is what I call "picture phone tree". This is when a random person takes a picture of me driving without me knowing it, sends the pic to a friend who also owns an 02, that person happens to know me, and then they forward said picture to me.

 

Totally makes me smile. 

[tomphot]

22 hours ago, dasfrogger said:

I've gotten "isn't that the car that James Bond drove" more than any other comment - at least a dozen times.

 

These people are either not car people, not James Bond fans, or both. Either way it brought them an emmense amount of joy to see it on the road, which is pretty neat.

 

I get that all the time with my 356

[theNomad]

I had a rear tire blowout on the way back from the Ireland Engineering open house. I got towed to the tire shop (no jack and 44 yr old spare).

 

The 18 year old tire changers all came out and were so excited over how cool it was and when the first guy saw the interior stripped and only a driver seat with fire extinguisher he lost his mind! (just replacing rusty pans)

Ah, the exuberance of youth! 

They wanted to know what I was going to do next and all I could think of was fairly pedestrian... uhh, continue to rewrap/fix the wiring harness?

 

All the little things we wrench on and maybe get annoyed with... 
It was a reminder that we are blessed to have this extra "hobby" and not to forget to take joy in these little projects or having to learn new things.

 

We can be an inspiration and a mentor to a whole generation who've been taught to just pay for someone else to do work and to throw away old things.

 

 

I have had a 10 year old kid taking a picture of me on the freeway, a few BMWs honking or waving and a few modified imports slowing down and wondering what it is (while still trying to look tough and cool).

 

In the sea of toasters I try to give a wave to those who, like me, enjoy cars and modifying them. It probably makes their day (even if some can't bring themselves to smile in public).

[irdave]

"Is that a tii?"  "Yep, '72." "Oh."

 

My total experience driving 2002's has been the past year or so with the golf '72 tii.  Everyone loves it.  I, too, feel not extroverted enough most of the time.

 

Today I drove the new car (might need a name for this one).  Not quite as becoming as the tii.  Almost no one looked at it and no personal acknowledgements.  To be fair, it looks like a POS.  It was funny to see the difference.
 

[OriginalOwner]

 

[NYNick]

This reminded me...

 

I've had my car out on the road exactly once, illegally. Almost 3 years ago I took a set of plates off one of my other cars, put them on the 02 and risked driving it 30 miles (and back!) to the auto body shop for an estimate. I hadn't gotten 6 miles before I was honked at and flagged down in a gas station and accosted by an interested and excited onlooker eager to talk about the car. And this was when it looked like crap!

 

I'm looking forward to all the waves and thumbs up in the near future when I get the restored version on the road!

[NYTransplant]

The first time I took mine out, I hadn't been out more than two miles, and a lowered VW pulled up behind me on a four-lane.  He followed me pretty closely, then turned off into a parking lot a few hundred yards later.  As I looked in my rear view, I saw him give a thumbs-up out his window.  I had such a smile on my face, wondering what I just got myself into ?❤️ 

[KFunk]

I get way more conversations with strangers with my Datsun L320.  The most common question is “what year is it?”  The previous owner of the truck got so tired of the question that he painted “65” on the tailgate.  Still, almost everyone that clearly sees the “65” on the back still have to ask me “what year isn’t it?”

They just want to make conversation, whether it’s pure friendliness or to just demonstrate their own knowledge or stories.  They go for the first question that comes to mind just to get the ball rolling.  It’s only annoying if I’m in a rush to get things done, and I have to cut the conversation short.

Edited November 11, 2018 by KFunk

[ray_]

I've answered "it's 2018 of course" to that question before.

 

That wasn't very nice of me, was it?