Cruise night - welcome or not ?

[GraySS2011]

Have you ever pulled into a cruise night/car show only to feel you are not welcome? I have. unless a show specifically states what year cars are welcome, I feel my car is a special interest car and it should be accepted. unfortunatley, not everyone shares that concept. Many of my local cruises are frequented by'32 fords and '56 Mercs etc. I like looking at all years, makes and models , but I can see the not-so-happy looks I get from some hot rod owners when I pull in with my shinny 2011 warrantyed car ; no primer paint here guys . Anyway just wondering if anyone else experienced this?


Bob

[ZZZ]

I get this alot I pull in with a loaded 5th Gen SS and everyone around my age group are in modded out dumpy ricers you see a few really cool ones here and there but they are just ugly old cars that have more in mods than the actual car is worth and cant hang with you at 100 plus on the highway.

Also they get turned off that its an Auto...

Oh well Ill have the ZL1 next year get it Stage 3 and than well see how much they hate American Muscle

[pincoin]

I am wondering the same on the cruises, not even sure I want to try. I'd like to, though.

[angie7]

You will get that from a stock new car. Just a few cosmetic mods can make a difference. I frequent shows and my running buddies include my friends '12 SRT8 Charger, my dads '32 coupe, a '57 chevy belair & a '49 Mercury. Lots of variation, lol. New cars are harder to win here bc they prefer the old ones and mustangs rule here as well. Just keep going and just have fun. Heres a pic of everyone at a show about 2 mths ago

[ShowSStopper]

I don't feel welcome so I stopped bothering. The idea is cool, but the people ruin it.

[ShowSStopper]

Originally Posted by ZZZ

I get this alot I pull in with a loaded 5th Gen SS and everyone around my age group are in modded out dumpy ricers you see a few really cool ones here and there but they are just ugly old cars that have more in mods than the actual car is worth and cant hang with you at 100 plus on the highway.

Also they get turned off that its an Auto...

Oh well Ill have the ZL1 next year get it Stage 3 and than well see how much they hate American Muscle

So...why are you going 100+ on the highway?

I would be careful...some of those old, multicolor rice burners can put you to shame.

[ravensjeff]

I'd assume that most of those people just like older cars, which is what they have. You just need to hang with the cars that are your age!!

[lynxone]

"I would be careful...some of those old, multicolor rice burners can put you to shame."

No kidding! I've seen some ridiculously fast nissan 240's

[ShowSStopper]

Originally Posted by lynxone

"I would be careful...some of those old, multicolor rice burners can put you to shame."

No kidding! I've seen some ridiculously fast nissan 240's

[ChrisBlair]

Originally Posted by GraySS2011

Have you ever pulled into a cruise night/car show only to feel you are not welcome? I have. unless a show specifically states what year cars are welcome, I feel my car is a special interest car and it should be accepted. unfortunatley, not everyone shares that concept. Many of my local cruises are frequented by'32 fords and '56 Mercs etc. I like looking at all years, makes and models , but I can see the not-so-happy looks I get from some hot rod owners when I pull in with my shinny 2011 warrantyed car ; no primer paint here guys . Anyway just wondering if anyone else experienced this?


Bob

Very seriously and please don't take this the wrong way-

As a guy who entered an old car in shows and did cruises, and who did almost all the work himself literally totaling thousands of hours of work on the same car, it was common to see somebody in a new car trying to 'join the group' because they thought all they needed was a cool car. Please don't take offense, but writing a check every month isn't the same as being a gearhead- and at first glance, the Old Car Guys can only see you have a New Car, not that you're an actual gearhead

They probably do actually like your new car that you only have to keep clean, but they may be resentful if they feel that you are assuming you're "one of them"- just like the blues, there's dues to pay if you want to play.

Some of these guys lose out on 'people's choice awards' to cars that essentially just drove off the showroom floor, and the guys with the old car literally spent all their time after work, on weekends and days off working on their project car, only to see their car lose out on a trophy. I've seen it, and it is a pretty big bum-out to see a '57 Fairlane with factory dual quads that looks like the day it was made or an all original 1970 Cutlass SX lose to a brand new Corvette with an aftermarket exhaust or a new Mustang with ghost flames. Now sure, it was a popularity thing with the crowd and fair is fair, but the event wasn't put together (9 times out of 10) by a group of guys with new cars. It was organized by old car guys with old cars, at least around here, and this sort of thing breeds some resentment.

Show them you're enthusiastic about the old cars they spent thousands of hours working on. Become active in their organization. Help them set up or distribute flyers or clean up. Ask if they have shows with classes your car will fit into. Become "one of them" instead of showing up and acting like you deserve to be one of them, and that will help smooth any ruffled feathers

For my part, I'll go to a show or a cruise but I'm not entering it. Talking to me for five minutes about Delahayes or Kaiser-Fraziers or Pinninfarina or Lincoln race cars, wedge heads, semi-hemis, 429s that don't displace 429 cubic inches, detroit lockers, sure-grip, crossrams, etc would show an old car nut (and many are nuts. You have to be) that I at least used to be one of them but I have no desire to display a brand new car

[damneighborkid]

I've been to a couple of cruises where I'm the only C5 and maybe one of 5 cars made in the last 20 years. Yeah, I've felt like an outcast but its kinda cool to be snubbed by the older guys only to have their kids or grand kids drag them over to my car cus it's their favorite.

[Grey Ghost]

The old guys cars were new cars at one time. Every gear head starts somewhere.

[Rock-It Man]

Some cruise nights have plenty of new cars, others do not.

Just pick the right one for your car.

[lurker]

Originally Posted by GraySS2011

...I feel my car is a special interest car...

Your Camaro is one of about what... 679,000 now? People see them everywhere. I can stand in one place and look around the parking lot where I work and run out of fingers counting the Camaros. And then walk around the corner and start counting again. Not really special anymore... kinda like the Mustang.