Week 14
Nothing new to report....but a observation. lol
Like the title says it's 14 weeks of daily driving with no problems at all, lots of people ask or look at the truck which is a nice feature of driving the '62 if nothing else it's a conversation starter if the person is even remotely interested in older vehicles or custom cars and trucks.
In a broad generalization of the population I classify people into two categories which are people who I consider "Car People" and people who just own and drive a vehicle out of necessity. There are lots of sub-categories of both classifications or varying degrees or levels, all of us on this forum I classify as the highest level of car people because we actually build and work to rebuild our stuff.
Having explained that and putting it somewhat into context I have to say that some people that talk the talk of being a "car person" by my definition have surprised me in the last few months by their comments or lack of comments about the '62. I have to say again that I'm not the type of person that is looking for acknowledgement, praise, or really just a pat on the back for a job well done, I'm confident enough to know when I do something I like and care little about what others think as I've explained before.
So with that in mind I find it really odd that people who I thought were "car people" seem to be a little put off by the '62, they won't acknowledge it even is sitting in the parking lot, they walk right past it hoping no one see's them looking at it out of the corner of their eye but never bring it up in conversations which seems really weird to me....or do comment and it's normally about it being a uni which means they did look at it a little bit to notice but never go much beyond that statement. I never push the issue (again don't care) but just answer with yes it is a unibody truck and the conversation rarely goes any further.
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A good example of this odd behavior happen yesterday, a guy I do work for here at work and I use to race with (against) asked about who owned the old Ford truck, when I told him it was mine the look on his face was one of surprise (maybe because it's a Ford and if I bleed it'll probably be bowties that comes out...lol), he acted really interested right up to the point where I opened the hood and he saw what it looked like under the hood, he walked around to look in the driver's window spent maybe 10 seconds looking and said I got to go...lol
I guess the fact that this guy owns a body shop and probably looks at a vehicle like the '62 with patina and thinks it's somehow keeping him from making money on paint jobs (wouldn't have him paint it anyway, I'd do it myself), not real sure but could understand how it might be a insult to someone who makes a living making vehicles look slick....but body shops don't make money or really do restorations of old vehicles, around here I haven't seen or heard of a body shop doing a resto project for a very long time and of the ones I have heard about it took years to get the vehicle done. Most won't even quote a project like that and would rather send workers home for lack of work then to take on a project vehicle just to stay busy.
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If this was the reaction of just one person I wouldn't find it that odd, but this is probably the 4th or 5th time something very similar has happen while someone is looking at the truck, my wife says it's jealousy, could be, I just find it very odd behavior from people who will talk cars for hours as long as it's about their build or car.
Maybe they are just being polite, trying not to pry by asking too many questions, I have always considered myself a "friendly" guy, my job at work is to extract money from customers by providing them a service and if anything most customers would say I'm too honest and never sugar coat stuff no matter how difficult it's going to be for the customer to swallow. ( I don't create problems, I fix them) so I'm sure none of them are trying to spare my feelings.
Like I said don't care, just find it odd..... on the flip side in 14 weeks I've had a half dozen people ask question after question about the build and some also had what I consider constructive criticism of different aspects of the truck which to me are welcomed comments.
Another thing I've found kinda' interesting is the number of thumbs up I get going down the street, the street I live on is a busy 4 lane city street, it has been under construction for months with crews replacing a water main that runs right down the center of the street, going home they are still working most days and the number of smiles, nods and thumbs up I get going by the workers is just phenomenal.
I don't think the '62 is anything special that deserves positive comments, I understand that it's not what most people would drive and could in fact be ashamed to drive, again I really don't care I built it to look like a rolling junkyard refugee on purpose, I guess I'm starting to figure out that some people who I thought were in that category of "car people" might like cars and trucks but have a very narrow window or field of view in what turns their crank.
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(the pic above reminds me of where I'm at with the '65 right now and just how far the '62 has come in a short time...lol)
Have a great weekend!
Jon