Steve O and Me at a Car Show, I think it is funny

[ProdigyCustoms]

Here is a funny car show scenario I get way to often.

To set the stage, We went to the Winter Nationals Chevy Show this past weekend in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The Winter Nationals is a 1000 point show and is largely populated by concourse original cars, and a lot of them are Tri Fives (55-57), Classics as they are referred to, Late great (58-64), and yes a good amount of Camaro's and Chevelle's. A lot of the Classic and Late Great owners might have owned their cars new, LOL! so they tend to be a little older then the normal PT crowd to say the least.

Now to set up the players you have here.

Me: I actually ran the Camaro and Chevelle judging at this very show for many years in the 90s. While I made my living with restored cars, I always had hot rod Camaro's / Chevelle's. And while I made my living building concourse original show cars, in my opinion the idea of having a perfect 450HP LS6 Chevelle or COPO Camaro that no one can drive is equal to marrying Playmate of the Year and not having sex with her. However, because this is my business I always find myself at this show with a car or two or three or four because the judging is second to none and it is always nice to get scores on your work. Bragging rights for the customer. But I am really bad at the sitting around the car show thing. I really like to drive and go places. So for me I usually cannot get out of the show fast enough after the judging is done. Don't get me wrong, these are a great bunch of nice guys, just not really my scene.

The other player is our own Steve O from Twist Machine: Now to say that static shows are "not really my thing" would be a HUGE understatement for Steve. Steve is the total opposite of a static car show guy. Steve would rather have dental work then wipe a car 30 times a day and talk to people about their friends neighbors car they used to know about. Steve is the guy that started the ACTION thread and prohibited static car show pics! Steve was vending for Twist Machine at the show, and I am not quite sure how he made it through the show without having a seizure, ROFLMAO! but he hide it well.

SO:

The wind was really bad and Steve decided to take his tent down before it flew across the parking lot and he ended up buying a 6Cyl restored moth colored Nomad with gangster white walls! Steve and I are pushing his car back in the booth. Now Steve's Car is the Gold 67 Camaro with the AAR Cuda stripe, carbon fiber wing, aluminum spoiler, probably one of THE Original Street Fighter Camaro's. VERY different then ANYTHING else at this show!

So Steve and I are rolling the car back a few feet and a old dude approaches, a nice old dude, but he has got some years on him, comes over and ask...............................

Old Dude: That a 67 or 68?

Me: 68

Old Dude: I had one just like it!

Me: Really, Sarcastically but he does not know, With this stripe and everything (as I point to the stripe)

Old Dude: no, not with the stripe, but just like it........... only green!

Me: Oh, OK!

Old Dude: Yup, this one still got a 327 in it?

Steve: Tries to speak but I interrupt...................

Me: Yup..327!

Steve looks at me like I lost my mind, Strolls over and opens the hood casually

Steve: (with pride) That sir is 406 CI small block right there!

Old Dude: Pulled out the 327 did ya!

Steve: (kinda looking at me with that WTF look), Yeah, 406 makes way more power

Old Dude: More power then a 327? I used to run 10s with mine!

Me: (Turning away covering my mouth containing laughter)

Steve: REALLY!

Old Dude: Yup........... No why they quite making the 327? (Old guy is going to teach us something)

Steve: Well, I think it has somethi .........(interrupted)

Old Dude: They quite making 327 cause they lasted to long!

That was it for me, I walked away at this point because I had to laugh out loud!

Don't you just love static car shows!

[6'9"Witha69]

Wow, a 10 second motor that lasts too long. Amazing!

Think the old guy was thinking 427?

[MrQuick]

Wow, a 10 second motor that lasts too long. Amazing!

Think the old guy was thinking 427?
or in the 1/8 mile.

I can't sit around my cars at car shows. Either that or I wear my giant 70's ear phones. The things you hear.
vince

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

oh wow...

well.. at least he came and talked to you.. usually when they see me by my camaro they are like "that guy shouldnt have one of those.."

ahahah

[Steve1968LS2]

I had a street rod guy that asked me this.

Dude: Where's the brake booster? Under the floor?

Me: No, it has manual brakes

Dude: Oh, not a street car then.

Me: Well you know power brakes were only invented so that women and guys with weak legs could make the brakes work, right?

Dude: gets red faced and walks away.

Me: :D

[JEFFTATE]

Dude , I hear ya ' !!
I've had almost the exact same conversation with several old goobers at the dealership.

They always ask what year it is , and then say they used to have one "just like it"..
Why don't they know what year it is if they used to have one ???

Also , I've had at least a dozen old guys come in and say " I heard they brought the 327 back . That was the best engine GM ever made . They discontinued 'em because they lasted too long. " ..
(What they are referring to is the new 5.3 truck engine .)
Which I explain , is a completely different engine that just happens to be a similar size.
They are usually disappointed and want to argue with me , that a friend or relative of theirs just bought a new truck with a
"327" in it..
We also argue that the new "327" is fuel injected and better , but they insist that their friend or relative has a new one with a carburetor , just like in 1965...

Oh well....
Dementia... we've all got it comin'

[ProdigyCustoms]

I love telling people completely off the wall **** when they ask completely stupid questions or make even more stupid statements.

My friend Rick and I went to Old Town for the cruise in his 67 427 Camaro Convertible. It's a retro rig with Weld Wheels and a rumpty 500 horse motor with Slowmasters making all kinds of racket.

Rick was running his dealer plate on it and back then dealer tags said restricted in bold print on the lower tag. As we were parking, trying to back in to a spot, in a crowd, A guy came up and asked what the restricted tag was for. He really could have picked any other time to as the question as Rick had his hands full trying to park in a tight area with quite a few people gathering around the car.

Before Rick could speak I told Mr question, the restricted tag was because "the car was over the legal horsepower limit."

The guy said, Really and perked up, obviously believing me, so I had more fun.

I went on to tell him we were restricted to only a couple hundred miles a year and like a over size permit vehicle we had to contact the DMV and let them know we would be taking it out and provide a routing of where we would be going! He was hanging on every word so I made up more **** as he listened just waiting for him not to believe me or call me out, but he just soaked it all in. Finally we said, hey we got go meet a buddy over there and walked away.

Rick and I were dying laughing and went and got some beers.

Hour later the cruise is getting ready to start and as we approach the car, this guy is holding a fricken seminar for a half dozen guys, we can hear him as we approach............................

*This car is over the legal horsepower limit..........................

*This car can only be driven..............................

I thought I would die as everyone was looking at this guy like he was completely full of ****, ROFLMAO!

We walked away and skipped the cruise, LOL!

[Ron S]

I had a guy tell me this year, he bought a Mustang new, exactly like mine with the body kit option. What can you say, you just have to walk away, I always look around to see if anyone else heard that. I'm sure it was a 10 sec Mustang LOL. Ron

[moreHP]

*sigh* I feel your pain. I have had several "old dudes" tell me how the 327 was the best engine ever made. :bsjerk:

[formula]

shooooooooooot steve's just tryin' ter pull a fast one on all of us. I looked at a picher of his moter and he's definitely got a 327 in that car--you can tell by the valve covers and the air cleaner! He musta swapped to a dual high plane rise intake though, that ain't factory fer shure.

[6'9"Witha69]

I had a guy tell me this year, he bought a Mustang new, exactly like mine with the body kit option. What can you say, you just have to walk away, I always look around to see if anyone else heard that. I'm sure it was a 10 sec Mustang LOL. Ron
My first car was a '66 Mustang. My grandpa's neighbor, same age as my grandpa, comes over and starts talking about how noce it looked and how he used to have on *just like it* except his was a 4 door. My gramps looked at him and called him out and they argued for an hour anda half about whether or not Ford ever built a 4 door mustang. Gramps finally walked away.

[Steve Chryssos]

I'm just so happy to be standing outdoors in February that I'll put up with anything. It was great to meet many of our existing Florida customers.

Cocoa Beach kicks ass. We spent hours and a small fortune in the Ron Jon store.

[796spdbu]

Looks like I came home from Florida a week to early. I was in Cocoa Beach the week before the show. Was thinking about staying,shoulda looked at an events calender...It was nice to be standing on the beach in January as well.

[Jim Nilsen]

You guy's were having way too much fun weren't you!

Poor old guy never stood a chance in the lap of 10 times the experience at both cars and pulling peoples chains. He might as well brought a plastic spork to a grenade fight !

I am going to have so much fun when I get to the first show with the Cormaro. I keep thinking I will keep the hood closed as long as possible and when the right guy comes along and asks " can I see under the hood? " I am going to give him the honor of opening it up. I will of coarse be watching with a concealed grin as he looks for the hood latch up front. By the time he says " where is the hood latch ?" I will be opening up the door to reach for the real hood latch. keeping my eyes on him I will pop the latch. I keep thinking when the poor guy sees it pop up by the cowl instead of the header he is going to think I just sprung my hood hinges.

Then the stories of how they had a car just like it are going to be even more hilarious than any I will have ever heard :)

When the hood opens from the rear like a Vette and the engine compartment is mostly Vette it is going to get interesting to say the least !

Now stop telling me about that warm weather or I am going to send you a snowball for that next battle of witts you have with that guy, then you won't stand a snowballs chance in Cocoa Beach against that spork as he scoops it up with and eats it.

[critter]

I have a 1974 Trans Am with a rare option for that year, the vinyl top. I've been in more discussions over the originality of that option than I can count. It reached the point that I started carrying the stupid Pontiac Historical Service papers on my car to shows just so I could shut people up. I finally found the solution. I don't take it to shows anymore. Racers don't give a rat's behind about vinyl tops. :) :) :)

At least you had some fun with him. Cheap entertainment. And color me jealous on the beach. We never have snow in Arkansas. We're supposed to get our second round of it today. Another inch on top of the 8 inches we got last week. Sheesh!

[Scott Parkhurst]

I used to have to ask where the party was. After knowing him for a few years, I've determined that the party is wherever Steve happens to be at the moment.

Saves me a lot of time at SEMA now...

[AintQik]

You know what's worse? Corvette Clubs. I'm in my early thirties, been wrenching all my life and I join a local club because they race or so I'm told. I have an 800hp Corvette and after the meeting, which was something like really old white dudes and tea and crumpets and a discussion of what lug nut should be on Tom's car, we walk out side and they come over to see the new guy's car. I start it and those that can move run and those that are frozen in shock and fear just shake like a chihuahua. The president says, "what did you to that beautiful Corvette?" Its an 05, they are a dime a dozen. Never went back but they to this day still send me emails looking for my yearly fees.

I used to have a Harley I chopped up and built and it won every show it was ever in but I can't stand still enough to go to shows. A few of my cars would have done well if I didn't get ticked off and leave smokey burnouts as I ran away from the places. Lately, its been the Honda and Scooby guys that push me over the edge.
"Is that a blower?"
"Yes, its a JT trim"
"Does it have NAWZ?"
"No"
"I can take you"
"ok"
"I have 350 horse in my 1900# car with NAWZ"
"ok"
"wanna run em?"
"you are about 400 horse short, if you can get that crap box to hook and assuming your tooona actually made 350 horse, he probably didn't tell you the bad news that you made 100ft/lbs of torque and your peak numbers are at 10k rpm. At 3k you make 47hp and 27tq and my stroker's already gone and at the WaWa eating a cheesesteak, so no I don't want to run em. Plus, if by some chance you are one of the few repectable import guys and are actually fast my 800horse Corvette will have just been beaten by a Honda so if I win I beat a Honda... oooo and if I lose I got beat by a Honda...ewwwww, so really its a no win situation for me"
"puss"

[69keith]

To add to the funny stories... I had a guy asked me how I got one of 2010 Camaros so early? Then he preceded to tell me the slight differences in my car and a TRUE 1969 Camaro and then he said he was retired from GM...

[Neil B]

What did it for me was when I'd take my '69 Z28 to a show and the so called 'experts' would tell me it wasn't a real Z because it had no X-code and no tach. Nothing like being called a liar by people who have no clue what they're talking about.

[Scott Parkhurst]

Plus, if by some chance you are one of the few repectable import guys and are actually fast my 800horse Corvette will have just been beaten by a Honda so if I win I beat a Honda... oooo and if I lose I got beat by a Honda...ewwwww, so really its a no win situation for me"
"puss"

This is one of the great reasons to build a station wagon. You can never lose a race because it's not like anyone is going to be bragging about how they beat a four-door wagon....