what should I do?(cruise night idiot)

Hey guys,

I will start this off by saying my 74 REPU isn't in concourse shape,but the paint does shine,and there is no rott on it. The past two springs/summers I have been going to a local cruise night at a local Wal-Mart(Yuck!),and the guy at the gate has given me a rash of crap for entering the cruise. Last year was the first time I brought it,and the guy at the gate told me "I don't know? This is for old cars,and trucks" I said"Excuse me" to which he said " you didn't hear me,this is for old cars,and trucks" I said" No I heard you,and asked him if 74 was old enough?"

This jack ass stepped back with the look of a cocker spanial,scratched his head,and said" This is a 74?"

I said "Yes!!!",and drove in pissed off.

The very next week,and other weeks that I brough the truck instead of my car he was always giving me the same looks,and sneers.

Well fast forward to Friday,and the same shiney happy person is at the gate,and gives me crap about the truck again. The thing that kills me is that when the truck is there I get people asking me about it,and talking about a lot if I hang around it with my son eating his hot dog,or whatever. Even more than when I have my RX-7 which is way nicer,and cooler in my opinion than the REPU.

This guy is such an idiot I want to kick him in the nuts,but that isn't the right thing to do. What do you guys think I should do if I bring the truck again,and he says something? Again I know my truck needs a restoration,but they allow ricers in,and any swingin dick with a new 'vette can come in without a second look. The truck may not be a beauty,but it is probably one of the rarest vehicle there. I love a variety of cars at a cruise night/carshow,and it isn't like we are competing for a trophy.DO you think it is a knock against japanese stuff? If it was a Ford Courier would he have a beef you think?

some people are dumb.

the quaker steak cruise here has a kid letting people in and he was turning away newer cars because someone explained it to him wrong.

i can slide in anywhere with my vette and sometimes i have to explain why my grand prix is worthy.

There is very little that is cooler than a rotary pickup.

Hang some fuzzy dice from the mirror, instant classic.

Why don't they think its from the 70's?

If anything, rather than being pissed, you should carry information around to prove and educate people about the coolness that is the Rotary Pickup.

I can't wait to see your truck when your finished.

Our local cruise night place has a 20 year rule, with exceptions to heavily modified later stuff. Your '74 REPU would be more than welcome there, without question (other than curiosity) or sneers.

Must find 88 Honda Civic and bring to RealMiniDriver's cruise place.

Mwahah!

Maybe it's 25, I can't remember. Mine's 48 years old, so it's never been questioned.

Plus, it's waaaay cooler than a Civic.

I like PHeller's suggestion. Make a sign explaining what it is and how rare it is. I'd be overjoyed to see somebody bring a rotary to our local cruise events.

Here is a link to pics of my truck.

http://web.mac.com/cdirado/iWeb/Diradosite/74%20REPU.html

Chris

Not seeing the pics-bad link. BTW the guy at the gate is an idiot. A REPU is a great cruise truck.

http://web.mac.com/cdirado/iWeb/Diradosite/74%20REPU.html

Ah that scares up some ghosts for me. I used to crew for a guy that used one of those to haul a Kawasaki GPZ to the races. You CAN fit 3 drunk racers in the front of that thing.

Good gawd man, that thing looks nicer than half the stuff that shows up at our cruise nights around here. I'd say it's in 'survivor' condition. Patina is in. The gate guy is a dork who should have parrots and be in the local paper.

Seriously, I think the suggestion of educating the man is probably the best. "I realize this may look like just another old Ranger, but it's actually one of the few remaining Mazda rotary engined pickups. They only made them from 1970 whatever to whenever and people here really seem to dig it and ask lots of questions, which is why I bring it out." It may or may not work if the guy is some domestic hot rod loyalist who can't believe anything that doesn't have a small block Chevy under the hood is worthy. Let us know how you make out.

I have a love/loathe feeling about the local "cruise" events. I like it that pretty much anything can show up, but it's also not so great that pretty much anything can show up. The general public has far different tastes than the 'real' car people. Car people look at my F100 and wonder what that old rat is doing there, yet the regular folks just dig it endlessly and don't mind the dents and scrapes. I really like irritating the checkbook rodders, though, with the Mini. It always gets far more attention than their chromed, blowered behemoth they spent tens of thousands on. Maybe that's part of the problem with the REPU...it's just too cool and approachable for the common man and detracts from the woundrousness that is the typical rodder.

that little green truck is cool, i've never seen one around here.

aside: i drove through the local spot saturday night and saw a green nova wagon with a big 8-71 blower stacked on top of another big 8-71 blower. engine was a good 6" higher than the roofline. 'twas quite disgusting, i hate it when people do stupid things that prove no value for performance or looks just to get attention. at least this guy didnt have an undrivable car with a 2,000+rpm idle surge like the moron in the GTO in the vids on youtube.

I do hate those "gate guards". A long time ago, when my Camaro still resembled a car and was able to move unit its own power, I went to once of those cruise nights. I pulled up to the gate and the guy looked at me and asked "what year?". I gladly told him '81, and he told me the car wasn't old enough. I then pointed to the third gen Camaro sitting inside the gate to which he said "oh, that's newer than 78? I guess it's okay, that's John's car".

I came back the next week, same guy at the gate.

"What year?"

"1978."

"Come on in."

Moron.

what should I do regarding cruise nights?

Stop going?

My local cruise nights don't have anyone at the entrance and pretty much anything is welcome if its the right age, 80's on back. I took my beater 80' zephyr with three tone paint over there one night and no one complained about it.

I see from your pictures that you do not have a front plate. What seems to be popular with the hot rod crowd is to get a custom plate for the front that answers the question of, "What year is that?" I suggest something that reads "1974 Mazda Rotary"

If this guy does not know, I suspect many other do not as well. Nothing wrong with a little self promotion and some people need things clearly spelled out.

I

Don't. Change. Anything.

Gorgeous!

He is an idiot. Our local cruise is '74 and older, no 4x4's. Other than that, bring it on.

We get cars and trucks in all sorts of shape. Most are very nice, but some are in the process of being restored and that's cool too.

Enjoy your ride and don't worry about the idiots.

Jack

You've just run into another idiot car guy. Basically any car guy you meet off the track (or outside the bounds of any other event that has a jackass-filter effect) in meatspace, or outside of GRM/the few other more technical/motorsports-related car boards on teh intarwebz, is 99% likely to be a complete jackass with a wheeled penis extension.

And add that thing to reader rides, either here or on Classic, either will do. You'll get my vote.

(I'd say add it on both, but then it appears on your profile that you own it twice)

DILYSI Dave wrote:

what should I do regarding cruise nights?

Stop going?

Seconded?

Nashco wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote:

what should I do regarding cruise nights?

Stop going?

Seconded?

Yep. Life's too short to hang out with @$$holes. There's bound to be a more welcoming experience for you out there somewhere.