I was changing the oil in the chevelle at the hobby shop yesterday and had the following conversation:

Guy: Nice car, 69?
Me: Thanks, its a 72.
Guy: (Looking at the 350 fender emblem) It can't be a 72, they stopped making the 350 in 1970.
Me: Actually, they still make them.
Guy: Is the motor original?
Me: No, its a Gen VI 454.
Guy: A 454 won't fit in a 72 chevelle.
Me: OK, I'll remember that.
Guy: So what size motor is really in there?
Me: Its a 454.
Guy: Are you sure?
Me: It was nice talking to you. I've got to get this oil changed.
Guy: Your tires aren't big enough.
Me: I'll look into that.
Guy: You know you have a hole rusted through your door?
Me: Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

I just had to smile and ignore him after that :)

You need to be like one of my friends who has a 67 Camaro with a 454. If somebody ask him what size motor, he tells them, "283 with a powerglide transmission". If the questions continue it gets even sillyer from there.

The second time he asked about the motor, I would have said its a rare early production 442 Hemi motor! :D

Dontcha hate people like that? I can somewhat tolerate the not knowledgable/ignorant people, but I once had one guy scream across the parking lot at a cruise, "Is that a 71?" I said, "Yup". He screamed, "Too bad, they killed them after 1970!" Can't stand people like that, and to top it off, he was talking all that and didn't even have a car of his own.

Chris

Try explaining how a "383" got into an El Camino ;) (if you want to have some fun with silly questions....)

You have a lot more patience than most people!! Some people just dont deserve an answer. Oh, and what is a 'Hobby Shop'? Maybe Im missing something? I mean, we have hobby shops up here, but if I used them to try and change my oil, I think the owner would throw me out.

My standard answer is when asked what's under the hood...
"It's just a 6 cyl and 3 speed column shift". ;)

You have a lot more patience than most people!! Some people just dont deserve an answer. Oh, and what is a 'Hobby Shop'? Maybe Im missing something? I mean, we have hobby shops up here, but if I used them to try and change my oil, I think the owner would throw me out.

Kevin is a retired Marine and has access to an automotive hobby shop/garage provided to servicemen at the Marine base at Paris Island SC.

Interesting. I refer to my own personal garage as my hobby shop. But I don't allow guys that ask too many questions in my hobby shop.

Why do people assume drivetrains can't be changed? That's like assuming every performance car is still stock...even when the exhaust open

Thanks James!
The guy wasn't being obnoxious but knew just enough to be dangerous, or at least thought he did. I was more amused than annoyed.

I'm waiting for the time someone comes up to me to talk about my Malibu with the 307 fender emblems and says "that's not a REAL SS"...

I've heard stories like that here but never experienced anything like that yet. It's probably a good thing, since I'm not known for my patience for people with ID-ten-T afflictions. I did have a discussion with a guy once regarding a Vortec 454. He said there was no such thing, that the Vortec was a V-6. then there was the guy who gave my convert a jump start once, and said if I got rid of that POS GM and got a Mopar I wouldn't have problems like dead batteries. The best part was he was driving a Celebrity....

My favorite reply to non knowledgables is this motor is big enough and strong enough to keep up with traffic AND once in a while I can even spin the back wheels

back in the day a guy (who had just witnessed my then new '70 chevelle do a violent burn out on a country road) follwed me into town and into a parking lot. pulls up next to my LS6 and says "what engine you got in that thang?" at this point he was no more than 3 feet away from the "454" emblem on my fender, the red, 454 emblem. i said "a 283". he says "that's amazing, i never seen a car fish tail like that from a roll" i said "well she IS tuned good" and quietly drove away.

I got the raised eyebrows look when I told a guy who asked what motor you got and I said "Its a 406 small block" He says "a ford ? Why did you do that?"
I explained its a 400 small block bored 30 over.He says "Oh I never knew chevy made a 400" Sometimes it just takes a little explenation then again some people just refuse to listen.

Almost every time I take my car somewhere, I get a history lesson either about Chevelle, or the 327 smallblock engine.
My favorite is...."Hey, nice Nova".

I like the ol', "It's a special, limited edition NASCAR version. They only made 11 of them" explanation.

I got the raised eyebrows look when I told a guy who asked what motor you got and I said "Its a 406 small block" He says "a ford ? Why did you do that?"
I explained its a 400 small block bored 30 over.He says "Oh I never knew chevy made a 400" Sometimes it just takes a little explenation then again some people just refuse to listen.

i get the same thing, John. what's amazing is that some people are savvy enuff to remember an obscure engine like a f@#d 406 but never heard of a small block 400 Chevy. go figure :)

I got the raised eyebrows look when I told a guy who asked what motor you got and I said "Its a 406 small block" He says "a ford ? Why did you do that?"
I explained its a 400 small block bored 30 over.He says "Oh I never knew chevy made a 400" Sometimes it just takes a little explenation then again some people just refuse to listen.

I just usually say my car has a "black & decker aquarium pump" for a motor.
After that their usually too confused to ask anything else!!

I havent really gotten any people like that, but when people ask what size motor I have, I love telling them "straight six." Usually they laugh because they know Im full of it. Not to get racial here, but its always the Mexicans that go "Nova?" and then I say "No, its a Chevelle"....maybe thats just a concidence, I dont know.

When I built my SS 454 RED sta. wgn. Chuck H. said you will have people tell you that thier Aunt-Uncle-Cousin or a friend had an SS wagon but was green or blue and they will go on and on about a friends SS wagon. one guy said his uncles sta. wgn. had a tach why dont I have one in the dash. AND the best part these people are dead serious. Sometimes I just dont know what to say to people. Bob ACES2825

when asked what size "motor" my 66 has in it i usually respond "which one , the windshield wiper motor or the heater blower motor ?" ...........oh you mean ENGINE...thats a 355

I used to baffle the guys at the hobby shop. Drove in there one morning with a 327 in the bed of the El Camino, drove out that evening with the old one in the bed. Everybody kept walking by, asking me if I needed a hand, but I always just thanked them, and declined. The guys that ran the place never questioned my judgement after that, they said they'd never seen anyone do that before. ;) Went into another one once, to look at a '68 GTO convertible that had a new ignition switch, starter, battery, etc., and still wouldn't start. Sat down inside, looked down at the console, saw a 2 wire connector hanging down out of the bottom, next to the shifter. Pulled the top plate, hooked up the neutral safety switch, and fired up the car. The guy thanks me profusely for not spending any more of his money, then points to a '69 Camaro in another bay. "That's the guy who was helping me before you. He can't get his car started. Do you want me to ask him if he'd like you to help him?" "Nah, let him figure it out, he spent enough of your money." :D Guy had some big money parts in the motor, brand new, and he's got a can of starting fluid on the fender. :sad: :D

Gotta love it.

Here's my recent exchange:

Dude: Does that thing have Nitrous?
Me: No
Dude: Why not?
Me: 'cuz there's more than enough HP already
Dude: Bro, you gotta get NOS
Me: Why?
Dude: 'cuz the bottle looks cool in the trunk
Me: Right.

Ya had to see this dude. Priceless.

I had a guy explain to me once that my 67 didn't have the right radiator because the the tanks where top/bottom configuration; that it should have side tanks like a 68 because the 67 and 68 shared similar body styles. What was funny was the guy's 68 was parked right next to me -- the village idiot could tell these were different cars but not the self proclaimed expert.

BAD415 -- I've had the Nova comment too, always though it was because my car is a 2 door post sedan.

I love it when they gaze under the hood at the engine, and then look at you and ask if it has headers.

And I thought I was the only one to here "nice Nova" all the time.


I drive a 72 Chevelle!!!!

Sometimes it is hard to judge where the line of inquiry is leading, so I give non-specific answers if the questioner seems a little dopey.

Q: what do you have going on there (after hearing the car drive up and park)
A: nothing much, just a little old El Camino

Q: is that a 350
Q: is that a (fill in anything)
A: yes (what ever they ask if it is is exactly what it is)

Q: is that a 427 (there are 427 emblems on the car)
A: yes, with a 1/2" stroker crank and a 60 thousands overbore

Most people just want to hear that it is a big block. For those who ask more purposeful questions I'll spill the beans on the complete setup - especially if they mention anything about their own hot rod.

Thomas

Id rather be mistaken for a nova than a "starsky & hutch" car. I got that a couple of months ago. I just gave them the nod

Id rather be mistaken for a nova than a "starsky & hutch" car. I got that a couple of months ago. I just gave them the nod

Sooo... Can I take it you've painted a big white "swooooosh" on the side of your Chevelle? :D

Id rather be mistaken for a nova than a "starsky & hutch" car. I got that a couple of months ago. I just gave them the nod

Sooo... Can I take it you've painted a big white "swooooosh" on the side of your Chevelle? :D

We use to blow everyone's mind with my Brother in laws 72 chevelle that we put a 330 Olds motor in from his rusted out 66 Cutlass, this was in 1979 we were just kids and his Chevelle had a 6 in it, one weekend we did the swap and everything bolted right in, I realize now how lucky we were that they were built on the same frame, at the time I had no idea, it just looked the same. Ignorance is bliss !!!! We used to get some crazy looks and questions on cruise night !!!!!!!!!!!! those were the days

I like the look on a know-it-alls face when I tell them its a 377 small block:D
Try asking the parts guy for spark plugs for that motor??

Brian

Sooo... Can I take it you've painted a big white "swooooosh" on the side of your Chevelle? :D

some people... its bad enough they dont know what a "s&h" car looks like but not knowing a chevelle???? c' mon

Almost every time I take my car somewhere, I get a history lesson either about Chevelle, or the 327 smallblock engine.
My favorite is...."Hey, nice Nova".
At least they get the make correct. I get "nice Ranchero" all the time.

always the Mexicans that go "Nova?" and then I say "No, its a Chevelle"....maybe thats just a concidence, I dont know.
I"m not quite sure how to break this to you .... but NO VA in spanish means it doesn't run ......(might be why chevy had such a hard time selling em in Mexico ) ;)

Thanks James!
The guy wasn't being obnoxious but knew just enough to be dangerous, or at least thought he did. I was more amused than annoyed.

..I know the feeling.
If you are in the right mood,it can be entertainment

My favorite response...

If you know so much, why don't you TELL ME what I did? Why ask?

I like the look on a know-it-alls face when I tell them its a 377 small block:D
Try asking the parts guy for spark plugs for that motor??

Brian


Sometimes those parts people can really get on my nerves. I called up yesterday to buy a new trans mount for my truck. Here's how the conversation went.

ME- Hi, I need a transmission mount for a 700r4 overdrive transmission in my 1992 1500 pick-up.
Auto Guy- Alright, give me one second.
Me-Alright, take your time.
Auto Guy- (5-6 minutes later)You said 1994?
Me- No sir, 1992.
Auto guy- Alright, is that a chevy, ford, dodge?
Me- Chevy, 1500....700r4 4 speed auto with overdrive.
Auto guy- okay we have 2 of them in stock at $18.xx
Me- perfect, hold on to one of them for me please and I'll be there in 15 minutes to pick it up
Auto Guy- Alright, You want the manual transmission mount of the automatic transmission mount?
Me- "haha" Automatic please.

Like you guys said it can be hard sometimes, but there IS amusement in it for us.


-JP-