Have you ever noticed something about classic car meets ...

This is a rant I had over at Motor Trend's forums, and I thought I'd also share and get some input from a forum I frequent about as often as I do a bar (that is to say, very infrequently). ?That way i can get your takes on it, as many of you don't really know me or my style, thus your having a more fresh perspective. ?Here' goes:

It bugs me that when all the old guys with their Americana classics like shiny El Camino's and Model A's (and those posing PT Cruisers with murals and neon lights underneath) have their get-togethers, and always ignore me. So what if I drive an import? Those PT Cruisers have Japanese based (Mitsubishi) engines and were made during the Daimler reign of Chrysler, making it semi-German. You wanna talk screwed up?

I'm taking interest in your old tales of nostalgia and appreciating the beauty of your cars, only to feel like an outcast because my Japanese car (which takes classic American cues like the beauty rings and white letters* of their era). Vehicular appreciation can be shared outside of cliques, and these guys always seem ready to be just as big of jerks as the youngin's that own up to their stereotype of ignorance and disrespect of the classics, and their seasoned drivers.

Everyone who is really honestly into cars has some sort of respect for the others. Every generation is different, but not too much. Back in the '50's and '60's, guess who invented street and drag racing. NASCAR was started through rum- and moonshine-running. So tell me again, why do they have this sense that their time was somehow more noble and respectful? I'm an old soul, and recognize that historically people are generally the same now as they were before, just with a few new toys.

So the main question here: What are the shows and get-togethers you see most often in your area? ?Do they ever meld the different tastes together in one show?

As Source Interlink-- Automobile's parent company-- would prove, there's a butt-load of different enthusiasts. ?And we all know that. ?But why can't local shows try and combine them a little more? ?I think some shows are a wider base and corporately backed (Pep Boys and SEMA come to mind), so they encompass more of these types in one area. ?I just wish it were more accepted that there are different types of enthusiasts. ?In my area we have festivals, and usually it's only classics and nothing more. ?I'm willing to bet those festivals would benefit from expanding what they have on display. ?The same might be said for many of your areas.

*Just some idea's of my car, and the subtle (somewhat redneck) tweaks she has.

If you can't spot a few of the changes, the B-pillars were shaved of the peeling accent stickers, the bottom plastic of the front bumper (and the rear valence) were painted black as opposed to stock gray, the Toyota badge under the rear drivers-side tail light was moved to the front grill, I have 14" beauty rings from our '87 Ranger mounted on the stock steelies (white letters were put on by hand), and the tail-light housings (not the lenses) were painted mostly black, with silver accents to give back some nice contrast and brightness back for safety. ?The difference can be seen next to the white Echo. ?So yeah, mostly just cheap personalizations, but it's my own. ?It's not likely to be shown at a car show as a beauty queen, but maybe as a quirky cult car that never gets love, and takes an owner who actually wants to show that anything, no matter what, has a few fans. ?Because that's what car shows should be about: the owners relationship with their car. ?Without the owner loving their car, the car has no personality-- no soul. ?
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When life throws you a curve, downshift and take it vigorously.

Pheobe's@433,000 miles and climbing.

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