Why can't we all just... get along?
That rhetorical question, asked by an anti-social miscreant a few years ago, doesn't need to be answered when it comes to car guys and their different tastes.
We don't have to get along.
The circles of classic, sports, rod, custom guys and sub sets of resto, grease, billet and whatever within our group.....will inevitably overlap. If you're a car guy, you will rub metaphorical shoulders with one of the others eventually and they may judge you; maybe you'll judge them.
There's a tabloid rift going on these days within an antique car club about whether or not historical hot rods should be allowed in their shows.
'Show' is the first problem.
Not enough 'who gives a fuck' is the second.
It's a hoot to hear the same ol' criticisms come from the restorers and their refined attitudes, and the same old defenses coming from us, after 30-40 years....and back then.....we were half-hippy hot rod daddies and they were greybeards and now both groups are greybeards!
We don't have money on any of it, but we will say that....when we are playing at another venue..when we slip away and do something with cars other than hot rods or customs? We can't help but show our hot rod colors. Break with tradition. Resist convention. Express personal opinion.......up to a certain point.
There are some things that are ordained to be left...original.
And as far as the 'other' people being wrong and thus being bad company? We'd rather be around a cool guy that restores Gremlins than some of the assholes you got out there who got identical taste to ours... in cars.
'Calls for smaller circles, Boys, like maybe one that has only 19 in it.
It's refinement.
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