I have noticed this summer that there sure are a lot of people out there that are experts on cars. Meaning they are there to pick apart the car versus just saying nice car, or I had one like it.

a few weeks back I had a guy try to argue with me that the on my Demon the wrong emblems were used. I said I know that's how my dad bought the car and that's how he wanted it kept, but the guys just insisted he was right, and I should change them. then he wanted to see the vin number to authenticate it's a true demon. I had to ask the guy to please leave before things got out of hand. mind you I paid to display my car while he was able to walk around for free!!

if they Aren't happy with how the numbers on the car are now wait until I do a hell crate to it!! it will be death and despair all around my car at a show. people need to lighten up and just respect others property and accomplishments.

oh, and before I asked him to keep walking, I questioned him, he has no classic car, nor does he even have a race car!! what a piece of work.

what is wrong with people today? As i get older I get why guys and gals never take their cars anywhere for other to enjoy seeing them. it's a great hobby and a privilege to be able to share and show older cars to spark memories, it should not be a hassle.

if you one of these people please don't stop by my car I would rather you don't!!

I had a few people come up to me Sunday at a local show and asked how much I paid for my 69 Dart GTS...

Guys with hot rod cars and pickups are much more carefree than the musclecar guys are I've noticed. Those guys don't have a 'fender tag' group trying to apply pressure on what they can or can't do to their cars.

Our local Mopars Unlimited club would have shows in the park every year and I noticed as the values of the cars crept higher people started nitpicking others cars a lot more,. It was a different time before that when people did not care if you repainted your beige car plum crazy, or converted a column shift car to a 4 speed. People were just happy to see all the cars all in one place again.

Posts like this amuse me. You are just now starting to notice this? This has been going on EASILY for the last 2 decades, im sure many will chime in and say double that. But I really noticed it getting out of hand when these cars suddenly all became investment pieces. I personally feel that is what ruined the hobby. Everyone became an armchair expert with the rise of the internet. Even when I owned numbers matching vehicles, people would still scrutinize everything. "Uhhhhppp! Those are not factory wheels and tires! That was a one year only trim piece, it shouldn't be on your car! I bought one of these new in this color, thats not a factory color!" And so on....

Easy fix. Stop going to car shows where you're putting your car/investment/pride & joy whatever you call it, on display for other people to scan. Know where folks don't criticize my cars? When I'm driving it, when it's in my work parking lot, or at the drag strip. Car shows are like going to the beach and being upset why folks are staring at your love handles.

good points guys,

sorry to bother everyone.

nope been seeing it for years now just as i get older it tends to piss me off more.

that is all thanks for the comments

My response has ALWAYS been the same: "For $XX,000, It can be yours, and you can do whatever you want to it. Until then, it's mine, and it'll be however I want it." Yes, I'm an a$$%*#!, but it usually gets them to move along before they waste much of my time. And I'm only a jerk with the experts; my favorite thing at car shows is to put as many people as possible in the driver's seat to get a picture, especially kids. My '72 Mini Cooper draws kids like a magnet...

Just one of many reasons I quit taking performance era Mopars to Mopar shows. Many of those guys were even Azzholes in the Modified Classes.

My wife and I (and my son with his family and my daughter with her friend) only attend one Mopar show a year and there are at least 4 in the area. The one we attend seems to have more mellow participants.

I am the guy in one of the modified classes that brings a vehicle that probably isn't really show worthy, but it is all Mopar and probably the only one like it there. It is $20 to enter the show, but to spectate the gate fee is #5/person. For that extra $10, we get a place to park on the grounds, have chairs to sit in, and we bring in our own water. We get a chance to talk with people, and its generally a fun day. I don't ever expect to win a trophy, but have occasionally in the past.

I'm not too concerned about what others think about my ride, I sure like it the way it is. If they think it should be different, they can build their own version, or buy mine after I'm tired of it and change to into anything that makes them happy.

I enter my original owner 92 D150 in a few shows a year... being a truck most people don't care if its numbers matching ( it is and has most of its original paint ) being a drag racer first and show / cruise night guy second .. showing isn't my first priority although I have Won a few show trophies . I have learned to have thick skin when it comes to peoples comments . I will gladly answer any questions people ask , I am not really to " outgoing " and just attend shows and enjoy showing my truck . One question a lot of people ask is " What year is it ? " since a 92 style grille was only used a few years and mine is a custom model of the original most don't know . I gladly answer.

Most of them, after p'ing you off get in their geo metro running on 2 of its 3 cylinders and drive away, ignore their jealous commentary and walk away.

Never really bothered me. I just tell them I built the car as I wanted to and it pleases me.

I have covered my vin for at least 20 years and the fender tag is in the glove box. When they ask about originality I laugh and dare them to find an original part on the car. It's just a pile of unrestored old various year and model parts with some after market stuff thrown in, not a collectible over restored trailer queen show car that i'd be afraid to actually drive.

I have replied to a number of threads about this. I quit going to Mopar only shows years ago. There is always the vin/paint dab checkers that feel they need to tell you what's not right with your car.Those are the same folks that will [censored] about the lousy attendance at shows(usually while their numbers matching perfect car sits at home) I take my toy to all makes/models show and enjoy talking to other folks who just want to have fun with their toys....zero craps given about vins/stampings/colors, etc......just folks and their toys.

My non-numbers matching anything toy...470" low deck, 4 spd, 3:73 8 1/4 rear, pistol grip, non-mopar color toy. Don't look underneath.....you might see the 73-up disc conversion and the Hellwig front and rear sway bars.It also sports a Clarion head unit with a Rockford-Fosgate amp and Infinity 6x9s w/built in crossovers. At Mopar only shows guys just take a quick look and walk away because it's not "right"

What I noticed after taking a few years off of having a car is how many people want to come up and talk money with me, something I don’t mind a bit…if you know me. I find it pretty absurd that a total stranger will do that, especially since it didn’t used to be this way. I blame all the auctions for putting attention on the $$$$$. Thing most of these people are missing is what a poor investment a car is. It simply doesn’t keep up with the stock market and really struggles to match inflation, outside a handful of really and truly rare stuff. And no, you aren’t buying my car below market, now or ever.

I use the naysayer type stuff to my advantage. If joe blow sees something as being wrong, that means I can improve something I happen to over hear. I’m kinda puzzled by some of the comments here, seems guys are coming up to you all? Nobody outright says [censored] to me, but I have a “zero given” attitude at baseline. Maybe that screens them out? The people that talk to me have been friendly and interested in talking about the past. I welcome that because the present and future are no fun to ponder.

One show I found a group picking over my car, as I walked up I could see it was someone I had met once before. I pointed out I knew the part was incorrect and it’s in my long term plans to remedy. I came away with another idea from that meeting that I’ll use. Probably a good thing I listened, as that person won an award at the Nats this year. It’s all in what you make it I guess.

i made replies like this when i had my 72 Road Runner. it was a factory N96 air grabber hood, V21 hood and V25 deck lid stripe car. it also had the factory 15 rally wheel option that was rarer than the stripes. it was also a "NAD" paint car.
i installed a big ci hemi in it, lowered it and had 17" mustang wheels on it. it also had custom made 2 toned blue / black seat covers.
it was a really sharp looking car and people would seek it out due to the stripes that most people hadn't seen before.

people would look over the car. say it looks really good. then look at the fender tag and freak out because the options were original factory options.
i would constantly get comments about how i should have restored it back to stock because it was a really rare car.
or how i ruined my car extremely rare car by using a hemi instead of the correct 400 ci engine.
i would get a few about the interior also.
my usual response was i still have the factory original motor , trans, and interior. why don't you buy it for $$$$ and toss that crappy hemi motor away and install that awesome 400 motor and the rest of the original options..

It's been a long time since I've brought an old car to a cruise or a show because of working on my house but when I did I rarely stayed near my car. I'd park it & go wander around looking at everything else or end up talking to people I haven't seen for a long time. I never cared what was said about my cars & actually found it amusing. One time I was walking back to my car & saw two guys walking around it pointing to different things & scratching their heads. As I got closer I could hear them talking about it & trying to figure out what it was & what year is was.

It's a 1969 Satellite convertible but has a huge mix of other parts all over & inside it. One quarter panel is a 1968, the trunk lid is from a GTX & has a Sport Satellite insert, the entire nose is from a 1970 GTX, the front seats, arm rest & steering wheel are from a 1973 New Yorker & nothing matches.

If anyone were to start telling me how incorrect it was I'd simply say that I didn't care.

Try not to take it personally.

Sometime guys will point out stuff that is wrong on my car.
If it's something I already know about I just nod and smile and say "It's a work in progress!". Sometimes I actually do learn something from someone more knowledgeable than me and I file that info away. Other times the guy is simply mistaken.

Either way, I don't let it hurt my feelings. It's just a car.

I don't really do "car shows" but do go to a cruise in from time to time. I meet a lot of nice people and really enjoy answering kids questions. My car is a hot rod, nothing more, nothing less. The thing I get most of the time is "if it was mine I'd.........", my reply is usually it's not yours. LOL