I think I have become a Mopar snob

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I go to a lot of shows and have met all types... I'm proud of my busted knuckles but don't hold buying cool against anyone. I do get a little irked with bullshitters of any stripe. A guy told once that my 64 couldn't have been a V8 car... It's not worth the energy to argue about unless they truly seem interested. And maybe it's just me but this past year I have seen more trailers at shows than ever before. Meecum guys I guess.
 
I don't take my cars to car shows. I feel these shows are controlled by the so called big guys in the club sponsoring the show. Then, You are either tripping past 20-30 new Challengers at the gate, which I can see at any dealership, or are faced by multiple trailers full of cars looking for trophies. I saw two mustang guys at a ford show once get into a fist fight over the number one trophy.
I am happy parking in the driveway and admiring it, or simply driving it. Good enough!
 
I love reading these types of threads. The opinions of each and every one of you are so different because so many come from different backgrounds and mind sets. I am the same. Different that is!
My opinion is this: if the person that owns that car is happy with what they have, how they got it, and what it means to them, then I am happy with that! I don't judge the person for what he or she has, but just glad I get to look at their ride.
I think when we start judging the person and how they came about having their car done is when we become "snobs". And "snobs" are not just mopar, chevy or ford people. I'm very fortunate as I have a chevy (vette) which has some of the biggest "snobs" in the car hobby and also I own a mopar (dart) which again has some of the biggest "snobs" in the hobby so I hear it from both sides. How lucky is that!
I'll soon be 60 years old, I've never been able to enjoy a car show (and I only do 1 or 2 shows a year) because of the "snobs" that frequent them and walk around downing everyone or ones car that they don't approve of. You can pick them out as they walk around pointing and whispering to their friend.
However I love when a family, a couple or just a single person wonders around your car and you can see they aren't car people but their eyes light up as they look your car over. They have never been fortunate enough to have one and probably will never be able to have one. You've made their day! I let so many young kids sit in my car so they can dream and maybe some day they can fulfill a dream to buy their own Mopar, Ford or Chevy. I don't care which one. Just hope they save an older car from becoming junked and enjoy whatever time they invest into it.

OK I can get off my soap box now. My rant is over and I can go back into hiding.
Rod
 
gtgto said:
I'm at a big show this past weekend and the car that caught my eye was a R4 Red 69 Dart Swinger. 340 car and a stick. The car was beautiful inside and out. It was misting and I guess since it was the rain date from it being cancelled the week before. the show must go on. I must have stopped and checked out the car 3 separate times and the last time I went by it the owner who was probably in his 50's like me was drying the car off and someone close to me is talking to the guy. The owner says the car went through a complete frame off restoration. Since it is not even possible to take the body off of the frame in my head I know this guy has money to pay to have his car completely redone and he knows nothing about it. In a way I would probably love to be that guy and just cruise around in a car that is sweet but my love of cars and learning about them and doing as much of the work myself is priceless in my opinion.

If I am a snob so be it.

P.S. How many friggin Chevelle SS's and Camaro's did they make?
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Mopar snob is ok. Nothin wrong with that. Just don't become a Mopar asshole.

Oh and keep this in mind too, don't prejudge people too badly. Plenty of people use the term "frame off restoration" to simply describe an in depth restoration and know very well what they are talking about. You saw that guy for how long? In his 50s? Trust me buddy, stupid he's not.
 
Are you serious?? Frame off is a VERY common term used even for Unibody cars. Pretty much everyone is guilty of using that phrase. I find it hard to believe that you would assume he knows nothing about his car just because of that. I did ALL the work on my car's COMPLETE restoration, and I often say "Frame Off" at a car show. And I dare anyone to say I know nothing about my car.
 
Let's put the definition to rest.

If you removed the K-member when you did your restoration, then it's a frame off restoration.
 
I did a modification on my K- frame while it was off for oil pan fitment so does that mean I did a modified frame off!
 
I have always lived out in the country, so I always had a compressor and roof to work under, usually just a dirt floor. but I o my own work, mainly because I am just happy with "driver quality" and I will not put $5-6000 in body work in a car that will never give me that back when I sell. no doubt the average surburban-ite has a 2 car garage, his wife takes half of that, no compressor, no way to do a body work if he could. so I do not judge anyone that buys a car that someone did the work on. and lets face it, body work in time consuming, and requires skill that takes time to develop.
 
I was at a mopar show couples years back. I don't enter my cars in shows, period. just me. at this show I saw some nice examples, met some great people. and a few not so great, like this guy. he had a very nice 69 383 roadrunner. I have seen a 1000 like his, over the last 3 decades, just as nice and nicer. had a few nice ones myself. well, he is busy yapping to all that would lister as to how he spent X $ on the body, and X $ one the engine, and X $ one the interior. and then he yells at his wife to go to the tent and demand some cleaning stuff he donated as door prizes. his bottle was out..... his attitude is what turned me off, not the car or how he come by it.
then I meet a young guy maybe 25 there with his dad, and his slant 65 cuda that he had found, got it road worthy, drove it the show, not expecting to get a prize, bt to enjoy it all.... yes the body was original 45 years old! rust and dents and all. interior was there but again 45 years old! but the kid was so happy with the car, and proud of what he had accomplished. I enjoyed talking with him for quite a while. true moparite.
then there was the old fart my age, that drove a real nice C body there from Ok, couple hundred miles. great guy. NO it was not a "real" muscle car like the first guys runner, (ha) but it was all cooler!!! the owner and the C body!!
just me...
 
I'm just happy to see these old cars being fixed up and saved, whether they are done by the owner or by a shop that the owner paid to do it.
I've done all my own work and it is very satisfying, for sure!
But I am also thankful when a person who SHOULDN"T be trying to fix up a car has enough money and sense to pay someone else to do it properly (hopefully) rather than making a worse mess.
 
And, just because you buy a Mopar, doesn't mean you don't know how to wrench on them, even a "frame off resto"
 
gtgto said:
I'm at a big show this past weekend and the car that caught my eye was a R4 Red 69 Dart Swinger. 340 car and a stick. The car was beautiful inside and out. It was misting and I guess since it was the rain date from it being cancelled the week before. the show must go on. I must have stopped and checked out the car 3 separate times and the last time I went by it the owner who was probably in his 50's like me was drying the car off and someone close to me is talking to the guy. The owner says the car went through a complete frame off restoration. Since it is not even possible to take the body off of the frame in my head I know this guy has money to pay to have his car completely redone and he knows nothing about it. In a way I would probably love to be that guy and just cruise around in a car that is sweet but my love of cars and learning about them and doing as much of the work myself is priceless in my opinion.

If I am a snob so be it.

P.S. How many friggin Chevelle SS's and Camaro's did they make?
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Frame off is just a term used liberally now. I'm glad you walked away though because I wouldn't have cared to talk to you.
 
stroked340 said:
Thats right..there isn't ONE thing I don't know about what is in my car..and any that I bought in the past I wanted to see ALL the paperwork..geez.I think I'll buy a $30k car and not know anything/everything about it AIN'T never happening...
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doogievig,what do you disagree with???..explain!!
 
stroked340 said:
doogievig,what do you disagree with???..explain!!
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I just dont see a problem with owning a car and enjoying it for what it is. I mean I really enjoy getting home and turning on a movie on a rainy day but I don't know everything there is to know about the tv or the movie industry. I just enjoy them for what they are.
 
Well I go to shows often and I have talked the ears off of many of the car owners of cars I liked. If I see a nice car with something I do not like about it. I keep those comments to myself. I know people build cars for there own pleasure and not mine. That guys Dart was in my eyes the nicest car I saw, that and a 66 Impala 427 4 speed with dog dish hubcaps. To me a frame off Resto is one done on a car with a frame in my opinion.
 
gtgto said:
Well I go to shows often and I have talked the ears off of many of the car owners of cars I liked. If I see a nice car with something I do not like about it. I keep those comments to myself. I know people build cars for there own pleasure and not mine. That guys Dart was in my eyes the nicest car I saw, that and a 66 Impala 427 4 speed with dog dish hubcaps. To me a frame off Resto is one done on a car with a frame in my opinion.
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That would make since but in today's world a frame off restoration simply means stripping the body down to absolutely nothing and starting from there. That's what it means to me on unibody cars at least.
 
in this old mopar world, there are and has always been words that spell GM: frame off, posi, double hump, black engine bays.....etc.....such just tends to signal NON mopar! but hey, live and let live... just tell the neighbor dog don't pee on my dog caps!!!!!
 
i've had lots of comments about my cars and some have told me what they like ..don't like or what they thought i should change.It has never bothered me in the least.
... and i have leaned a few things too!
 
Being jealous of a person with money is never a good thing, being proud of your own accomplishments while still being humble is. Don't like car show people anymore.
 
66jim said:
Being jealous of a person with money is never a good thing, being proud of your own accomplishments while still being humble is. Don't like car show people anymore.
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Bingo. I used to love going to all the big shows and now I realize it's a bunch of grown men crying about other people in the same hobby. You can find me at a bracket race.
 
barbee6043 said:
in this old mopar world, there are and has always been words that spell GM: frame off, posi, double hump, black engine bays.....etc.....such just tends to signal NON mopar! but hey, live and let live... just tell the neighbor dog don't pee on my dog caps!!!!!
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hey, they all got to start somewhere
perhaps the funniest encounter i had was in a macdonalds parking lot

i pulled in (71 duster) and this guy walks over to me
"hey dude, nice nova"

thanks, but it is actually a plymouth duster

"oh, all right...cool. what's it got under the hood?"

a 408

"yeah, i could tell it was a big block when you can rolling in"

lol, yeah, she scoots along allright
 
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