Rare car, indifferent owner
 

I went to a local car show Saturday night. Driving into the show I spotted a 71 GTO vert. After I parked I made a bee line straight to the car and spotted 455 HO stickers on it. The car looked all original but was absolutely filthy. The owner said he owned the car for twenty years and it was untouched except it may have previously been repainted. To my amazement he didn't know about decoding the trim tag or that the 24267 stood for Pontiac division GTO convertible. He did however know it was one of 27 1971 455s HO made with an auto transmission. After conversing with him for about 5 minutes I left because he didn't seem interested. I guess its still bugging me this morning that someone could own a vehicle like that and could care less about it. Also I had to point out to him the vin on his window registration sticker was missing the 4 that was on the vin which is visible through the windshield.

By your description of the convo he may have taken your observations as to point out that he is stupid?

Lol, I run into people like that all the time. Why? Who knows? Some take offense to being told about their cars, especially if you are more knowledgeable than they are. Maybe, they are not really car enthusiasts.

And sometimes you run into a snob or someone who thinks it's your job to worship them because you're not worthy. I don't get much joy in car shows or cruises.

Show him the ad for the one for sale at RK motors for $248,000, see if he has more interest in his car.

If he drives it and enjoys it who cares? It's his car and he's enjoying it as it is. Not every car needs to be a be a points judged trailer queen

sounds like my kind of guy. what surprised me is that a guy like that would waste his time with a car show.

Ditto! "Familiarity Breeds Contempt"

How many rare cars do you see languishing in fields, behind houses, in garages, that the owners will never touch, but never sell? At least this guy is driving his.
Let it go!

Many years ago I was getting out of my rough looking 65 GTO convertible in restaurant parking lot and this guy came up to me. He starts giving me crap about the looks of the car and tells me how it should be fixed up because it's so rare. I shouldn't be driving it in that condition. It had been hit hard in the left rear, and the paint and top were rough.
He didn't know me, or ask any questions, he just yakked.
I didn't tell him that's exactly why I recently bought the car out of someone's back yard.
I think I said something sarcastic like "oh really?", "Okay, I'll fix it!"

My point is this, maybe the guy knows what he has. Maybe he can't afford to fix it, or he doesn't want to talk about it.

there's always at least one guy at a cruise that will tell me modifications I should make so that they like my car more. Everyone's got different opinions - a lot of those suggestions are really awful.

Boy you guys are taking everything I stated out of context. I said it was a rare car that was filthy, not that it had to be a "points judged trailer queen. I bet every one of you GTO owners have decoded the trim tag and also know the 42 in the vin stands for GTO. Also I didn't make any suggestions only pointed out that his window registration vin didn't match the car vin. Better me pointing that out than some cop when he's impounding what he may believe is a stolen vehicle. Also how many of you would own such a rare and valuable car and not bother to give it as much as a token cleaning?

I wasn't implying that you did what that guy did to me. Just saying he might be wiser than he let on.
What is the window registration? Is that state issued? Here they look at the factory installed V.I.N. stamping to determine if a car is stolen.

I rarely wash mine. It's got to be bad filthy before that happens. I DRIVE MINE, when I go to a show it's to see friends not to polish chrome.



Mike

Yes the window registration is state issued and has to be renewed every two years, for a fee of course. It basically is a renewal of your license plates. It contains your vin which should be the same as your vehicles. I imagine if that vin doesn't match it will create problems.

Do you own a rare and valuable car?

You got to see a rare car
 

You ran across a bonus at a car show.
That's great.
The rest is not necessary.



Jim

Car shows draw a variety of personalities of course. but, if you are going to a show, you should at least be friendly as people are bound to talk to you about your car.

With that said, I drive a beater '66 GTO and I tow with it a lot but, also own many rare GTOs too. You would surprised how many people ask me to sell my car. I think it is because it is in primer and they think they can buy it cheap. Others rag on me because I tow with it. I tell them, "what is wrong with that" Do you think my GTO is not powerful enough to pull my load?"

I also get comments on my car being dirty at times. Hey, I live on a dirt road.
Anyway, without being there, I may be able to see the owners peprspective but, he should have been more friendly

On another note- The first post almost sounded refreshing. Most people cannot stop yaking about their car, how special it is, worshipping it, etc. To me, it is a car and I do not worship it. yes, I like it a lot but, it is a car.

There could be lots of reasons, don't let me bug you, just move on.

So did you ask him if would ever consider selling it? Maybe he's tired of it.

I agree, I grew out of that years ago. too many know it alls, someones always telling someone what is wrong with their car or what bad taste they have in adding something to it, clueless judging, I could go on forever, but when I do go to a show nowdays I don't take a car and I do what mike said, go and hang out with friends.