Do you guys ever get bad looks from people when driving your "old" truck. What do you do about it? Does it upset you?

I am becoming fed up with ppl looking at me like I am a loser or "hick" just because I drive an old truck.

My truck is in pretty good shape (you can see it in my galery). I just never cease to be amazed by people (usually ladies in mini-vans) that think they are better than me because I drive an old truck.

Just my rant for the day.

Have a nice weekend!
-Brents

 

Never ever worry what others think, it will drive you crazy.

Your truck looks like a well kept machine, a lot better than some of the rusty un kept yuppy, I mean mini vans I have seen.

 

I tend to laugh at their ignorance when they do that. You should see them when I'm driving my 54 and they think I am gonna be in their way! They think they will jump out ahead of me at the light, or like Wednesday night I was making a right turn onto a two-lane one-way access road and this guy in a Probe (sorry it WAS a Ford) behind me pulls over to the left so he can scoot around on the left side when I pull out. Boy did he look silly trying to pass me from 100 feet behind!


The only time I give a dirty look to a driver of an old truck (or car) is if it's one of those carb models with heavy gasoline smell from a half mile behind it. (Mostly old GM's). Seems some guys get an old truck or car and richen it up so it will run and go down the road emitting raw gasoline fumes. I grew up in the 50's and 60's and I NEVER remember that smell when a carb was the only fuel system going. Must be something they do to foul it up.


Winford

 

I've honestly never experienced that. I actually do get a lot of "thumbs up", people smiling and waving, or shouting "nice truck"! My '59 is not in perfect shape, but there aren't any others in my area.
They could just be jealous, or maybe they are ticked off about something else and just happened to glance your way? Or maybe they have never experienced the awesome feeling of driving around in an old Ford and don't understand what they are missing?
What ever the reason, don't let them get you down! I don't know if this will be any consolation, but you definately get the thumbs up from me. Nice truck!!

 

Yeah, I get funny looks. Just last night I went to the gas station to fill up my 78 F150. I had just finished working under the hood and was covered in dirt & grease. At the pump next to me, a guy pulls up in a newer car (like mid 80's). I say "hi" since it's a small town and I like to be polite. He looked at me, my truck, raised his eyebrows, and turned away. I just laughed.

On the other hand, my neighbor the farmer usually only sees me when I spread manure in my raggy old "farm work" clothes. He laughs at me and rolls his eyes when he sees me in my jacket & tie dressed for my real job.

I enjoy the fact that some days I get up at 6am to spread horse manure, shower, dress up in a suit & tie, spend 8 hours at my real jobn in an architectural firm, then go home and crawl under my truck and get all greasy. The best part is that I do it becaise I WANT to, not because I HAVE to.

So, I say let 'em look at me how they want to. I know who I am and what I am and I like it!

Kevin K.

 

i get that and the finger all the time. i just laugh. big deal. most of the people who pull that are driving ricers so it doesn't matter

 

I just laugh and say take a picture it last longer

 

hey Brents i look at it this way...its paid for..am i right?? and then you get some snobs driving new or newer stuff around town and they have to pay a life time for this vehicle. mine is a 92 ranger and i dont have a care in the world what anyone thinks...just ignore and drive happy

 

well.. in the Model A peope usually laugh or give thumbs up or somethin. in the F-150 i get every thing from hey man nice rig to F(udge) YOU, YOU REDNECK MOTHER F(udge)rs. doesnt really bother me when people do that though, i usually just laugh and give them a thumbs up and a dumb face.

 

Not so ancient wisdom: "Consider the Source"

Several interpretations of those sour looks -

"I have a lot more money than you to throw away on something I can't fix myself."

"If you were hip, slick, and cool - you'd buy the latest dork-mobile."

"Obviously not a Yuppie... (Doesn't spend ten times too much money on stuff that doesn't matter)"

"I talked my husband into buying a MUCH plainer looking vehicle than that."

"You're blocking my personal sunlight!"

"Oh yuck! The 'Practical' fad went out in - Umm, uhh..."

"Having so much room on long trips is indecent and bad for the environment! You should drive an overpriced leaking pile of junk that will burden the auto-recycling industry like I do..."

"I bet that guy nukes gay whales!"

"If my welfare check was bigger, I could have one of those..."




>=oD

 

The oldest vehicle I've ever driven was a rusted and extremely beaten '88 Cougar (with the tacky vinyl roof cover, even). Not a truck, but I understand where you're coming from! People disregarded and laughed at me then, but they all behave now when they see me driving the truck. Maybe they realize the physical advantage I now hold, or perhaps they simply can't see me through their cutesy little sunroofs and think it's just another pickup. Figure it this way- yours may be old, but it is still a truck. Your vehicle is heavier, more durable, looks better and is proven far more reputable than the $30,000 pile of unibody trash (your own example) which they are scowling at you from. Moral objections aside, a one-finger salute is the proper response in such instances, unless they're driving a SuperDuty or something like it that's bigger than yours
Largely, I say we're dealing with combined ignorance/disrespect/selfishness. It seems to be the way of the American society these days. I could rant for hours on my disgust for the American public, but instead I'll end this with some idealistic humor. I say get another, more disposable old F-series. Make it as banged-up and rusty as possible. Apply 16" total lift, give it 44x18.5" Super Swampers, and a 512. Straight duals, 60 gallon fuel tank. Build this rig, then go teach those pompous maggots a lesson. When the police are after you for felonious car crushing, head for the swamps or your nearest river.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 17-May-02 AT 08:40 PM (EST)]Oh, God, I LIVE for that! When I first bought my '53, it was a ragged out, heavily rusted, stone stock, /barely running hunk of scrap. I bought it to rebuild, but thought I'd drive it to work for a couple of days before I tore it all apart. I couldn't believe how pissed off some people would get because they got stuck behind me in traffic. Unbelievable. It wasn't pleasant. But I found a way to get even. After I had finished updating the chassis and suspension and bolted down the new powertrain, I thinks to myself, "Self, it's gonna take six months to get the body beat into shape and painted. Can you really wait that long to drive it?" The body went back on as-is. The only thing that rivals the satisfaction of cruising around in a vintage F-100 is the look on the face of a guy in a Camaro who whips in beside you at a redlight so he won't have to wait on your 50-year-old truck to get moving. Complete and utter disgust. Until the light goes green, that is. Then it turns to shock and disbelief as your wired-shut and lopsided tailgate disappears down the highway. I miss that truck. Eventually, I finished the bodywork, but it wasn't ever quite the same. Now she's been replaced by a '51. I may never paint that truck. "Beater is badder!"

 

If people give you a dirty look when you're driving an old vehicle just gun the gas and leave them in a cloud of blue smoke

JON
1989 F-150 XL- 4x4, 302, M50D
1995 Bronco Eddie Bauer- 351W, E40D
Finally got around to creating a gallery...check it out

 

About people with dirty looks,
my dad always used to say,
God gave 'em their dirty looks.

 

My '67 F-100 is the first vehicle I've had I actually have space for my long lanky frame complete with cowboy hat and not touch the headliner at all! I've had some looks, but too bad this is me. I prefer to be sedate and courteous while driving but what the hey I can afford to with a 351C 4bbl under the hood. heh, heh!
Gee what can I do with $15-$30k? It'd go a long way on my ol' truck!