I’ve had thousands of conversations with car guys, so I’ve become an expert on how they think—mostly because I think the same way on most of these topics.
This is a list of things that bug car guys.
Jerry Sutherland
The first one (not in any defined order) is paint. The color you pick defines the car when you go off the program.
If you’re building a street rod, you get more leeway than you’ll get with a classic Mustang, so green pearl looks fine on a ’28 Model A custom. But this shade is jarring on a 1st gen Mustang fastback (to most car guys),because they know the Ford paint codes better than they know the date of their wedding anniversaries.
The second one is wheels, and this trend follows a generational gap. Older car guys aren’t enthusiastic about 20” wheels with rubber band tires on a vintage Lincoln.
Younger car guys don’t see the problem because, to them, the old Lincoln looks much cooler with the new wheels–but to older car guys, they are a travesty. There won’t be a truce on this war, but the younger guys will win through the war of attrition.
SUV experts at car shows really bug car guys. An SUV expert is a guy who rolls up to a show in a Hyundai Tucson, but knows more about old iron than anyone on the planet.
That list includes the owner who doesn’t dig being interrogated about his car by a guy with minimal knowledge about a classic car. For the SUV guy, the world is merely full of people who should listen to his vast bank of automotive knowledge. These guys have no self-awareness or shame.
Car guys really hate stacked deck car shows. Stacked deck means the local guys dominate the awards.
This bias can kill a car show because car guys don’t like to pay for a road trip to a show that’s less open than North Korea—and the word gets out to other car guys.
Crappy loud music at car shows really irks car guys, whether it’s live or recorded because the laid-back vibe evaporates when a wall of music dominates the area.
I’ve tried to interview guys next to the speakers and it’s a lot like being in a 70s disco nightclub, without a massive supply of beer to dull the pain. This is the kind of thing that can make or break an event for car guys.
Mixed engine choices are things the bug car guys and it extends even within a corporation. Just ask any car guy who plunked a big block Chevy into a Pontiac Firebird.
The first time I saw this was years ago when a ’36 Ford wasn’t welcome at a Ford-only show because it had a small-block Chevy under its hood. I thought that was a hardline stance at the time but since then I’ve seen swapping engine brands as a big irritant to car guys…and it reflects this trend at the auction.
Another thing that really bugs car guys are brand-new vehicles at car shows.
That’s a big no-win for the people who go to these shows because they like old Ford trucks—not new ones. Pandering to these new entries is toxic to car guys.
There are many other things that belong on this list, but the last thing that lights up car guys is a dirty engine bay.
I’ve had many debates with owners over opening the hood because they think the engine is “too dirty” but to me it tells the world you drive the car.
That’s one thing that doesn’t bug this car guy.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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