How do you deal with idiot "car guys"?

[RedLS1GTO]

It seems like no matter where I go, I always have somebody coming up and bragging about how fast their {INSERT CAR HERE} is. It just happened to me again at work today completely out of the blue. I have a few random Corvette things hanging in my office including a picture of the track car. The guy (who I have never met before today) asks if I race and when I told him that I did, he went on a 15 minute rampage about how fast his f'n Mitsu EVO was... how he could beat me at the track, how he beats Corvettes all the time, etc. Keep in mind that this guy knows nothing about me, my cars, or anything. Just blanket "I'm faster" bragging.

After a while I got tired of listening and interrupted him. I simply said that if he ever felt like doing rather than talking that he should feel free to bring it to the track. I got the exact answer I expected:

"I still need to get some things dialed in..."

I am not at all the type that brags about things like that. I have never in my life gone up to somebody and felt the need to tell them that my car was faster (other than joking with friends). It happens at gas stations, at grocery stores, and apparently now it happens at work. WTF is with these people? Does this happen to anybody else?



OK... deep breath.

[Taurus]

I start threads on their websites

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by Taurus

I start threads on their websites

I thought Hokie did that

[WW7]

I don't know how old you are, but if your fairly young all I can say is ( get use to it) There have alway been, and probably always will be guys that feel they have to go up to someone with a nice or fast car and tell that person how fast or nice there own car is..Don't ask me why, but it has been going on since I can remember and Im close to 60 years old..I have actually had guys at stop lights run up to my car and tell me what a nice car I have, and then go into there routine about how fast there car is..I believe these people have a monster sized inferiority complex and just have to brag to someone with a nice car about how nice and fast there's is..The older you get the more you will be amazed at some of the people that inhabit this planet,Trust Me!!!..How do you deal with them???...I still haven't figured it out yet, maybe in another 20 years I will have an answer for you.....WW

[Vette Jockey]

Originally Posted by WW7

I don't know how old you are, but if your fairly young all I can say is ( get use to it) There have alway been, and probably always will be guys that feel they have to go up to someone with a nice or fast car and tell that person how fast or nice there car is..Don't ask me why, but it has been going on since I can remember and Im close to 60 years old..I have actually had guys at stop lights run up to my car and tell me what a nice car I have, and then go into there routine about how fast there car is..I believe these people have a monster inferiority complex and just have to brag to someone with a nice car about how nice and fast there's is..The older you get the more you will be amazed at some of the people that inhabit this planet,Trust Me!!!..How do you deal with them???...I still haven't figured it out yet, maybe in another 20 years I will have an answer for you.....WW

When I was young, crazy and used to race motorcycles, I would just tell them when the next road race was and invite them down. I never did have one show up

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by WW7

I don't know how old you are, but if your fairly young all I can say is ( get use to it)...

I'm 30 now. Bought my first Corvette, an '87 coupe with about a gazillion miles on it, when I was 19 and you are right... it hasn't stopped since.

Originally Posted by Vette Jockey

When I was young, crazy and used to race motorcycles, I would just tell them when the next road race was and invite them down. I never did have one show up

I've thrown out quite a few invites and have yet to have anybody show up. Funny how that works.

[Midnight85]

Yep, I'm 62 and I have raced stock cars, drag cars, and owned an 800 horse Pro Street Chevelle and I always manage to run into that clown that, "has a friend who knows a guy" story to tell. I usually say nothing and walk away. I agree with WW7, I have no idea what to say to them. One guy who sticks in my memory was telling me all about a wicked fast Vette like mine but he said he had never seen a Vette like mine with the backwards opening hood. 'Nuff said?

[Munch]

I haven't really had anyone come up to me and start to tell me how awesome their car is yet but... There is this guy at work with a beater Z28 always talking about how fast it is and the big fat tires on the back, blah, blah, blah and I just let him go on and on and tell him that's cool. One day I had to drop my time sheet off at the office, I had the Vette and the Z28 guy was coming out of the building as I pulled up. He went bonkers and I had to pop the hood and everything for him. He doesn't tell me stories about his Z anymore, I kinda miss it.

[nypearson]

You did the right thing or just ignore them, they usually get the message. It's not just cars some people feel the need to BS to build themselves up. Insecure is my guess.






Your story reminded me of a guy I know, he is a probowler an mma fighter gets any girl he wants and is a master carpenter to boot. For some reason though he is always getting laid off. funny how that works.

[drmrman]

A guy I work with (fellow mechanic) STILL!!! TO THIS VERY DAY! Thinks that his BONE stock 1987 140,000 mile buick Grand National, that has seen better days, is faster then mine. I dont even ENTERTAIN the thought or ever respond to his comments because I know the truth. Ive seen 2 time slips. Mine and his. Even though the facts are printed on a sheet of paper. He still believes his car is faster.

With some people you just cant win. I pick and choose my battles. With the car thing, its better to just take it to the track and leave the proof in the pudding...

Ill leave you with a vid and some short history. My buddy in his 2007 mustang with some minnor boltons was SURE that his car was faster then mine... We took em to the track. I gave him approx 1.5 sec head start and a disgusting 60'. I had him by a fender at the traps.

YouTube - C4 Corvette vs Mustang

[PLRX]

I'm 19 and I race anybody. One thing for sure will happen, one will win and one will loose.

Mitsubishi Evolution Forums: Mitsubishi Lancer Forum

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by drmrman

I gave him approx 1.5 sec head start...

Holy crap. Did you fall asleep when you were staging??

[hooked073]

Conversations like that go now where. I usaly just respond to thats cool or something like that. It is the same as the HP conversations. I have 500 HP, or I changed cams added headers and it gave me 200 more horses. Why try to impress?? I would quess most of the people who talk this stuff have never been near a dyno or a track.

[socalman]

Kick em in the gonads, then offer them a donut. Glazed or Jelly?

[PLRX]

[Wathen1955]

Originally Posted by PLRX

[TabuIsMe]

I usually just let my eyes glaze over them and check my phone or watch. works like a charm

[SQUIRMIN VERMIN 84]

Originally Posted by WW7

I don't know how old you are, but if your fairly young all I can say is ( get use to it) There have alway been, and probably always will be guys that feel they have to go up to someone with a nice or fast car and tell that person how fast or nice there own car is..Don't ask me why, but it has been going on since I can remember and Im close to 60 years old..I have actually had guys at stop lights run up to my car and tell me what a nice car I have, and then go into there routine about how fast there car is..I believe these people have a monster sized inferiority complex and just have to brag to someone with a nice car about how nice and fast there's is..The older you get the more you will be amazed at some of the people that inhabit this planet,Trust Me!!!..How do you deal with them???...I still haven't figured it out yet, maybe in another 20 years I will have an answer for you.....WW

I'm constantly amazed at what people come up with. And it's not just cars. On the gun range, there's always the "expert shot/gunsmith/special ops/champion-in-waiting/idiot who would rather brag than shoot and reveal he's a zero, not a hero...the older I get the more I wonder how little I know about people.

[drmrman]

Originally Posted by RedLS1GTO

Holy crap. Did you fall asleep when you were staging??

Something like that! It was my FIRST ever pass and I was making sure traction control was off, I was at the right rpm and so on...

[allthrottleandsomebottle]

1st I say "The easy parts is over........talking about it..........now show me.
Time slip. youtube, facebook etc then its factual fun time