Ever have a stranger comment on your car?

I've always built or owned cars that get comments and people talking to me about them. But then again, for many years, I built cars for shows and cruise nithgts, where getting peopel to talk about cars was the point.

THis car:

got me more dates than anything, with girls randomly coming up and asking for rides in it, and one girl pulling up next to me on the interstate and asking me to dinner. But it always started conversations, espcially about how long it took to build it.

The dozens of custom Bugs did similar things, but this one got more positive comments than any other car for it's price I've ever owned:

Hell, valets would leave it parked up front with the exotics. Felt like a rock star pulling up in front of a restaurant in it.

When I had my brown 1984 911, I used to get,

"how much did you pay for that?"

I hated that question, so I started telling people I won it in a raffle.

I never get that kind of question with the Boxster. But I have gotten,

"Nice Miata!"

and

"Is that the new Toyota sports car?"

I told that guy it was a Pontiac.

My 91 Jetta usually brings out the expert in people.

"Dude, those are the last ones built in Germany!"

Not true. VIN starts with a 3. Hecho en Mexico.

My girlfriend is not a car person. The first time she got in my car, it was dark out. She assumed it was a BMW, I guess because of the rather nice interior. She now refers to my car as a "BMW Mustang."

Dropped my truck off for an Inspection. Standing in the bay door with the [redneckish] owner when Trish pulled in driving the 914.

Owner mumbles for me to hear: "I don't know what it is but get it the berkeley out of my yard".

Nice.

I get loads of thumbs up etc. when I drive Tom Celica.

When I drive the GT6 - yep - lots of comments.

The convertible MINI used to get some.

Comments on the E30 would require it to leave my driveway...

Comments on the TDI are rare and usually involve where I get it worked on, followed by confusion when I tell them nobody touches the car but me.

I ran into a guy in a parking lot the other day who was driving a very clean and original 3rd gen Firebird Formula 350. I commented to him I thought it was nice. Reminded me of how much I like that era of Firebird - nice clean lines.

Everybody seems to love the Corrados (lots of head nodding and smiles), but very few bother to speak up. The ones that do seem to be other C owners/former owners.

I haven't had the GTI out much lately, but when it was my DD I'd get about three people a week who wanted to buy it. Best ever comment, I was putting gas in it about two years ago and a guy in a minivan started singing "Kliner GTI" from the old commercial. Turned out he'd had one in college and really missed it. Mk.2 FTW!

The 2002 gets a fair number of comments. People like it, but frequently think it's a Volvo (because it's boxy?), and also seem to not only think it's front wheel drive, but a disproportionate number of people who I wouldn't think would know or care about which wheels were driven randomly make that particular comment...

Saw one of these at the gas station, and I was the one walking over saying what is that?

Turns out it is a wheelchair accessible vehicle, made in the USA

http://www.mv1ofindianapolis.com/

imirk wrote: Saw one of these at the gas station, and I was the one walking over saying what is that? Turns out it is a wheelchair accessible vehicle, made in the USA http://www.mv1ofindianapolis.com/

PANTHER PLATFORM LIVES ON!

My 99 Civic Si still gets compliments--usually at gas stations and usually about the color (electron blue pearl).

mndsm wrote: PANTHER PLATFORM LIVES ON!

The last of the V8 Interceptors?

My TR4 has traveled more on trailers than off since I've owned it (broke-ass highschool/college kid up until about a year ago). Just cleared up enough garage space to trailer it up from my folks house. Stopped to get gas in the truck on the way, two older fellows were real interested in the car, and one asked me the question that I've come to dread: "What are you going to do with it?".

It had been several years since I'd had the car out in public, so I hadn't heard this question in a while, and responded before I recalled my strict lying policy when asked. Blurted out "I'm going to go through the whole car and prepare it for racing". Inward facepalm as soon as it was out of my mouth.

In the rural area I grew up in, "racing" means either dirt ovals or drags. The response from older fellows is almost always the same. "Really? That's a shame. [obvious disappointment, walks away]" Nevermind that by "racing" I mean autocrossing on the weekends, that the car won't change much visually and will be street-driven between races.

I’m still surprised at the number of comments my C30 gets even 4 years down the line. It’s not that rare a car, but I still get asked “what it is”, “who makes it” which amazes me as it’s got Volvo badges all over and has the same nose as the S40/V50. I also get “they don’t sell those here, how did you import it?” as I did European delivery and picked it up in Sweden and still have my English accent that really confuses them when I try to explain. When I first got it they were very rare over here, and as I was getting a vanity plate for it I was still running on the Swedish plates with a paper tag in the back window. I then drove it to the Woodward dream cruise in 08, I got so many questions about what, where, how, that by the end of the cruise I’d given up trying to explain and when they asked where I was from I just shouted back ‘Svedon’ in my best (worst) Swedish accent and left to many thumbs up 

I’m also amazed at the number of people who comment on the Mustang, it’s just one of thousands of red late model ‘Stang convertibles around, but people love it and often call comments, especially when my cute blond wife is driving. Last week while camping up North someone told me ‘you can’t go camping in a car like that’ Damn, who’s tent is it I was sleeping in then?

My good friend and neighbor has a 55 Porsche 356, no one knows what that is and one day some kids call out ‘Nice Karman Ghia’ to him. I loved that and still call it his Karman Ghia just to wind him up.

I get comments constantly.

Over the past couple of years "Is that a Factory Five?" has pushed "Is it real?" into second place as the most frequently asked question. Judging by how many people allegedly owned an original or have a relative who did/does Ol' Shel must have produced a million of em'!

Jeff

JKleiner wrote: Judging by how many people allegedly owned an original or have a relative who did/does Ol' Shel must have produced a million of em'!

I've seen one original one in my life as far as I know. I suppose it's possible that ones I've seen in passing and assumed were kits were not.

Bonus: It was competing in an autocross

Double Bonus: In the rain

My Miata alternates between people attempting to insult my manhood (usually from a young guy being driven around in his girlfriend's POS), or random dudes (usually in beat pickups) giving me compliments and asking me if I've turbo'd it.

Taking care of my dad's Fiat X1/9 while he was out of the country for a while had a guy ask me if it was a 240z. Also had a girl shout "Cool car! Let me give you my phone number!"

The M Coupe got lots of looks, but not too many people coming up to comment.

JKleiner wrote: I get comments constantly. Over the past couple of years "Is that a Factory Five?" has pushed "Is it real?" into second place as the most frequently asked question. Judging by how many people allegedly owned an original or have a relative who did/does Ol' Shel must have produced a million of em'! Jeff

That's a damn good lookin' car man. Love the color combo.

When I had the '67 Le mans ragtop on the road, I used to get stranger comments and thumbs up every time I drove it, and usually an offer to buy it every couple trips. Occasionally somebody at a gas station would ask how many miles on it and then shake their heads when I said 270,000.

In the Manic Miata I get a lot of looks because it is kinda shabby but sounds the business, sits fairly aggressively, and looks pretty hardcore with the HDHCHTDD roll bar and bright blue 5-points. Kids in schoolbuses go nuts when I stay in a lower gear and blip along next to them for a while. I had a nice interplay with an older guy in a newer Mustang GT. I goosed it to catch a hole in traffic and I guess he heard the blower, because at the next traffic light he gave me a big thumbs up from behind and then did a huge burnout. When we got on the freeway, I didn't realize he was still behind me and I opened it up a little. He caught me about a mile later, laughing and smiling and giving lots of thumbs. Glad to have made him happy.

ransom wrote: The 2002 gets a fair number of comments. People like it, but frequently think it's a Volvo (because it's boxy?)

Until reading this, it never would have occurred to me. Now that I've "heard" it, I see it too. Boxy is definitely part of it, but there's more somehow.

When I still had this the comments were never ending. Pulling into a gas station was guaranteed to take forever. Everyone loved it. It almost got to the point I would pull into the stations and pop the hood because someone was going to ask to look. Way cool car, too bad it drove like a school bus.

The RX-7 got the occasional comment. Mostly from people that knew what it was.

The Chevelle got the most "want to sell it" comments. They started about 5 minutes after I loaded it on the trailer to bring it home and were pretty constant for ten years, until one of them asked at the right time and I sold it to him.

The Abomination garners comments every time it's seen in public. Even more so now that I'm hauling it on an open trailer rather than the enclosed. Leave the hood up at an autocross and someone is guaranteed to ask what engine is in it (12A). It's given more rides than the whores in downtown Charleston. Seems like everyone want's a turn. This gets a laugh as they are buckling in. It's on the dash in front of the passenger seat.

Usually the last comment as they are fumbling for the belts to get out is something like, "HOLY CRAP"

Surprisingly they have already started on the T-Bird SC and I haven't even had it a week. Mostly from old guys that had one "back then" or wanted one.

M030 wrote: When I had my brown 1984 911, I used to get, "how much did you pay for that?"

When I'm asked that I answer "About 15 bucks a pound."

Conquest351 wrote: That's a damn good lookin' car man. Love the color combo.

Thanx!

Jeff

Out of everything we have the gold 78 Trans Am gets the most positive comments. Lots of people love Trans Ams even if they don't want to admit it lol.

Chris_V wrote:

Hot damn! You nailed the ride height on that one.

DrBoost wrote: When I drive my mini I actually have to budget time in for comments. "Is that a real car?" "What is that?" "How do you drive on THAT side of the car?" The list goes on and on.

Yes. Filling the mini up at the gas station rarely goes by without a conversation of some sort.