How do you handle disrespect for you & your car?

[Karl Wolf]

I have never had anyone ask to buy my car, some are interested in what it's worth. I use this as an opportunity to do a character study... It's real easy for me to leave others with a good feeling about the whole thing.... Pointing out that 2,000 plus hours have gone into it puts it into a perspective.

A woman started such a conversation with me, and it turned out that she had an old hot rod 1932 5 window in her garage that she was trying to get a value on. She saw my eyes get big and skedadled on out of there in a hurry... I guess I handled that wrong...
Karl

[68HILLBILLY]

try and enjoy your car and the attention it brings even if people aren't very knowledgeable about your car. most people are very nice that I have encountered . To be honest I have had more bad experiences with rude or know it all CLASSIC CAR OWNERS than I have had with the average joe at the gas station or the grocery store. Its up to us to keep this hobby friendly and interesting .

[danliveshere]

This reminds me when I was younger , I was working on a fruit farm here in North Queensland, Australia. I finished work, walked around the corner to find a guy looking under the hood of my roadster. " what's going on ?" I asked him(politely). He turned and looked at me, a 20 year old, and said is this yours? Yep I replied. He said I'll give ya $3000 dollars. I said ok that buys the motor , what do you want to buy next? He was the farmers son, an arrogant SOB, So I got in and drove off with that 59A WITH OFFANHAUSERS TWIN CARBS AND DUAL EXHAUST SINGING a very pretty song. He never did talk to me for the next 2 weeks but I never caught him touching the car again either!!

[oldblue]

Originally Posted by 1932 V8

Just for the record , I am always polite to anyone asking about our cars . I would like to see this hobby around for a long time to come so I try to encourage the interest . But .............. there is a point when you know that the person asking questions is asking for all the wrong reasons . That is when my polite, but smart ass answers come out that I mentioned earlier. Until he/she crosses that line, I am happy talking to anyone about our cars . I have also learned that when someone is asking if it is for sale, if you tell them it was your Dad's and has been in the family forever, they will stop asking. 2 of our cars were my Dad's so it is not a lie for those 2, the other ones , not so much but they don't know that

I think we all enjoy talking to like minded people about our hobby .It's the ones that don't have minds that are tedious !

[whizzernick]

all answers are good ... my answer changes on my mood... mostly I say I have had the roadster since high school ( true 1958 ) its part of my family...and I don't sell my kids.

[BILL WZOREK]

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Maybe you have not had a big enough offer for the kids!!! LOL. LOL

[BlueSunoco]

I feel most guys that act like that, trying to 'buy' your car, are just trying to be the Big Shot and they're only running their mouths. And of course there are a certain number of people out there who are just plain nuts, they ain't right. Those are the ones I fear

I have had a lot of nice compliments on our new Mustang GT at the gas station, restaurant, etc. , and that was nice to hear!

[B-O-B]

Clem did you ever think about taking it out in trade??? Like let them wax & polish,! the car Clem the car.

[Old Redneck]

I usually thank them and say that the best offer I have had today. They usually smile and that works well. They are just kidding anyway.

[Yoyodyne]

When I'm not in the mood I just say It's not my car I'm just filling it with gas, I don't know anything about it. If they press I say give me your card I'll pass it along.

If someone's determined to be an ass and I feel like having fun I act hard of hearing and ask them to repeat everything a couple times, and repeat their words back with errors to make them correct me. I try to work up a stutter when I reply.

For someone who seems serious who wants something i don't want to sell, I take what I learned from a friend. He told a man who wanted his motorcycle "You have one chance to make an offer. I'll consider it and say yes or no. I won't make a counter offer. I'll either accept it or reject it, if I reject it it's no longer for sale." That cuts through the BS and ends the lowballing. And he did sell the cycle.

For the "Everything's for sale" guys I say "I need a kidney. How much for your kidney? Want to trade for the car?"

[TonyM]

Just about the time I got my 1937 Ford running (after it sat for about 23 years) I was messaged by a FordBarn Member with an unsolicited offer to buy my car. I told him $35,000. He replied that the car was not worth that much. My car was not for sale and I gave no indication that it was but he asked what I wanted for it. He went on his way. Nothing rude or anything.

The unsolicited offer to buy my car just really irritates me. It happened often when I had a collection of early 1970s Cadillacs. I could not drive my triple white 1973 Coupe de Ville without some one offering to buy it. Ninety-eight percent of the time it is just a conversation starter. I much prefer the question "What year is it?", usually asked while they are admiring the 1937 license plate.

I went from 1971 Cadillac Sedan to 1937 Ford Sedan. When I put a for sale sign on this Cadillac I got a response the same day. The car was sold within two days. My brother, who owns a beautiful 1941 Buick Series 90 Touring Sedan, replies with a question: "Do you see a For Sale Sign on this car?"

[Ross F-1]

Originally Posted by L78CHEVELLE

How do you handle disrespect for you and your car? I live in a small town on a major interstate highway with two exits. I drive one of my ’40 Fords almost daily. I enjoy talking to people that know about the cars or love them for some reason. Today while putting gas into my ’40 station wagon a man came up to the car and started looking at it. First thing he said to me, "how much". ....

Very interesting... In late Sept. I was returning from a meetup of guys with '48-'56 Ford trucks in eastern KY (near Whitesburg) on KY-15, just outside Hazard. I was in my '52, was having some problems with it, at the beginning of a 1500-mile trip home. In Hazard some guy pulls up alongside me, frantically honking his horn and waving me over. I thought, OMG, I'm dragging something, spewing oil, etc. so I pulled over. (This is on the shoulder of 15, which is a 4-lane busy highway at that point) This d-bag waddles up to me, walking in the traffic lane no less, and says, "What year is that? How much do you have into it?".... I almost hit him. May be the same guy?!

[LOU WELLS]

I always tell them that i just changed the oil and i need it to get to work and then drive off.

[deuce jack]

I've had a guy approach me at a gas station wanting to know if I would sell him my 32 three window. I told him that it's not for sale but after visiting awhile I got his phone number and told him that I would help him find an old car to play with if he was serious and buying it to keep. I later found him a 34 five window that he still drives today.
I made a buddy and got an opportunity to shop for old cars and help spend someone elses money.

[Automotive Stud]

I had an older gentleman ask me one morning at the doughnut shop how much it would cost to buy a car like mine because he was looking for one. I told him $20-25k could probably get him a decent driver if he was handy and kept an eye out without being picky. He said that's about what I figured, I guess you won't take $10k then? Now I just tell people it's not mine.

[37coop]

I pulled up at an American car show at knebworth on my 1942 Harley "45" newley restored and a lovely green and black all done by me ,, it was stonking hot and with my protective clothes and helmet on I was hot and bothered ,as I was pulling my leg over the saddle to get off 2 irritants approached me ,one had the opening line of ..."that bike,s ex army toshed up", my reply was ,"I,m finding you offensive , please foxtrot oscar," not another word was said and they did as I suggested ,

[push_rod]

Years ago I took my 1940 Coupe to the Picnic in The Park in Tracy, CA.
An older gentleman walked up and looked over my car. He then walked up to me and said that he has a 1940 Coupe like mine, but that his is nicer. Some guy offered him $60K for his car, so he was thinking of selling it and buying a 1940 Fordor instead, so he could take all his grand kids to car shows.
Later in the day I ran across that gentleman sitting next to his car.
He recognized me, and asked me if I agreed that his car is nicer than mine.
I told him that the judges at the 1991 Grand National Roadster Show awarded my car a trophy that is so big, I had to store it in my attic (His car is nice, but I like my car better than his!). As I was walking away, I turned to him and said, "If someone wants to give you $60K for this car, I'd take the money and run!" (I do have to admit that his idea of buying a Fordor to take all of his grand kids to car shows, sounds like a good investment.)

[al's28/33]

just goes to show you how ignorant some folks are, how stupid they can be and how unshameful they are to show it!!!

[ford38v8]

OK, I've read through every response and I haven't found a single confession. How many here have never hung a U turn to follow some old geezer, just to see if he would sell you his old car?

I particularly remember one old lady who asked me to sign her book of would~be~buyers. Now that was a good response!

[TonyM]

Okay Alan I am game.
I have never hung a U turn to follow some old geezer just to see if he would sell me his old car.