[myfirstcar66]

Believe me, you are a LOT more likely to run into "weirdo car guys" when you are a youngish chick driving a hot rod... a LOT

Fortunately, I really only seem to run into those problems outside of Austin. In town, everyone is real cool and I tend to get the normal thumbs-up or "nice car" comments. But boy, anywhere else I've gone... **** gets so weird sometimes. I do think that people have gotten worse about it since the start of the pandemic, probably because everyone collectively lost some social skills, so I try to keep that in mind. I consider the "oh I have/had a Mustang just like that!!" comments to be totally innocuous - people just get excited about that stuff. But even before 2020, I have had some very bizarre interactions. Mostly related to people reacting to my gender in combination with the car I'm driving. I guess marriage proposals and dudes twice my age propositioning me still bothers me less than dudes who feel the need to tell me (mostly incorrect) facts about my own car, though.

Honorable mention goes to the time that I was at a local hot rod hangout sitting at a picnic table eating dinner, and some random guy sat down to start a conversation with me (which was fine, happens all the time). The weird part was when some OTHER guy sat down at the same table, and ALSO started a conversation with me... while completely ignoring the first guy. Then they both attempted to hold a conversation with me, AT THE SAME TIME, while ignoring each other. Eventually I decided that was too weird for me and I got up and walked away.

Some days I have no idea why I picked this hobby 😂 Fortunately most people I meet are lovely!

I'd say 24 years ago (before meeting my wonderful wife), I'd have been pleased to have met your acquaintance, thrilled that a young lady enjoys cars -especially Mustangs- as much as I, and would absolutely have been curious if common interests could tender a friendship, and perhaps a cruising date with a Southern gentleman. Alas, 24 years ago, you'd have been much too young, states away, and Mustangs weren't likely on your mind.
I do, however, have a son...

I've been challenged to races, seen smiling faces, gotten thumbs-up and waves, offers to buy or for trades, a wiper arm with a note left on it, someone called my work to ask who owned it...

The best part is the people, that remember what I get to enjoy every day, and the great times they had in and with these cars. Old folks that ran to the dealers to get a look or maybe buy one of their own, middle-agers like me that are hanging on to our youth or finally owning a car that is as close to our dreams as we can get, and young ones that realize these are the cars that started it all and are still running the race, or little children that marvel at manual window cranks, metal knobs, tinny radio, or that amazing rumble from the engine and exhaust. These were, and still are, an icon of Americana, coveted the world over as a symbol of freedom...the open road is calling us...

 

[myfirstcar66]

I guess while at the gas pump, you seem more approachable. I had a guy in his 20’s approach and ask me if the car was “all metal”. I had to ask for clarification. He said that he was into conspiracy theories and went on to explain that when all of the computer chips in modern cars suddenly (an inexplicably) fail simultaneously, that only old all metal cars (pre computer chip) would still be able to be driven. You know? I had never thought about that apocalyptic scenario. Lucky us with these fine old “all metal” cars.

When the Y2K computer failure craze or conspiracy was afoot years ago, I was still daily-driving my Mustang to work and everyone joked that if all the computers failed and even the cars died, there was one guy that could still crank up and go home at the end of the day!
I was in a restaurant drive-thru in my Mustang this last week, and the employees were all crowding around the window to listen and look. The manager grins a little behind them and says, "I can only see that Turquoise top. Is it a Camaro?"
Another employee says, "PSSHH!! Woman, that's a MUSTANG !!"
They gave me my drink for free! 😃