That don't impress me much!
You're one of those guys that likes to shine his machine
You'll make me take my shoes off before you let me get in
I can't believe that you kiss your car goodnight
Now c'mon, baby, tell me- you must be joking, right?
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something special
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else
Okay, ...so you've got a car.
That don't impress me much!
So sang Shania Twain back in the Nineties.
She wasn't impressed because some guy had a Ferrari. Ladies are used to having every guy try to impress them, so many of them build up a sensible immunity to that. That's one situation. However, I don't think that anyone is actively trying to impress- me!
Is being hard to impress, is that just a part of getting older? Is it just that things just don't seem to make that much of an impression anymore? Have I just become jaded?
It does have to do with the breadth of a person's experience.
Where I live, I see a lot of very interesting and cool cars on the highways and streets. Just in the last couple of weeks I've seen a Pantera, an Avanti, and an '80 Trans Am, and a Lexus LC500.
Not to mention a Ford Raptor, several Porsche Taycans, and so many others.
Then there are immaculate Lowriders and muscle cars.
So many expensive high end production models of Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Cadillac, Land Rover and Lincoln.
Are those cars still supposed to function as a status symbol?
Am I supposed to be impressed by someone's display of wealth?
I've read articles over the years that claim that older people report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction than younger folks. There are probably a lot of reasons for that, but one factor is that old folks are more accepting of reality. They've made peace with their situation in life. They can be grateful for the good things that they have in their lives, their relationships and achievements.
Of course it just may be that we old folks just don't give a crap about anything, anymore!
I have long ago accepted the fact that others have a larger income than I do, so they spend it accordingly. They will be able to enjoy a level of material consumption higher than mine. Does that make them a better person than me? No, of course not. All it means is that they can afford more expensive things.
Living in Silicon Valley there are quite a lot of people that make an awful lot of money working in the high tech industries.
My Mother taught me that it wasn't polite to discuss how much something cost, bragging about how expensive something was, is a sign of bad taste and poor upbringing. I used to have a neighbor that used to do that, he even had to have two BMWs, to make his point!
I do not begrudge anyone spending their own money to purchase whatever it is that they want, it is their money after all.
I have lived in my neighborhood for over thirty years. It's a pretty good assumption that anyone that has moved in since, has a higher income than I do, since the prices have just kept getting higher and higher!
Sometimes people choose a car to make a statement about their status as an enthusiast. This is something that I generally approve of.
These are the guys that drive a restored vintage car, an older sports car or a modified older vehicle.
You are what you drive, so the old saying goes. Did you ever buy into that line?
Although the choice of your car can be a big part of your image management.
Dress for success. Looking good for the ladies. That's what every guy is trying to convey, thinking that it will help impress members of the opposite sex. We think that our choice of car contributes to that. Well, we all hoped that it was true, at least when when we were younger! We usually learned that it wasn't the case... Exactly.
Although it was never a good idea to look too poor, too slovenly, or too "peculiar."
Actually you drive what you need, can afford, and like.
When I needed a minivan, I drove a minivan. I remember what The Oak Ridge Boys said! I now need a truck, so I drive a truck.
So as a car guy, what should I be driving? To establish my cred as a car enthusiast?
There's a house that I frequently drive past in town that has a very clean '67 Chevy Impala Lowrider parked in front. If one Lowrider isn't enough, there's an '81 Cadillac and '80's Buick Regal included in the line up also. I like low cars, and have driven a couple that I've lowered, though I wouldn't say that I was ever a real Lowrider.
Should it be something mean and nasty like a souped up 60's or 70's musclecar? I've mentioned that my older brother drove several Camaros and a Trans Am back in the day. I loved those cars and even got to borrow them on occasion. They were great for the times. Last week I saw a '79 Trans Am in traffic and truthfully wasn't very impressed.
Or should it be just an interesting old car, something quirky and different? I don't mind being thought of as different, but different can easily segue into weird.
Should it be something mainstream like a '57 Chevy?
Should it be something that is clearly expensive, either old or new? Though I don't know if I could get my Wife on board with that idea.
Should I just be driving something late model and sensible, like showing up to the West Coast Kustoms show in my Flex? Would that make me look like a poser?
I gave up on having a classic hot rod years ago. I even tried to build one once. I think that they belong to a period of automotive culture that has had it's time. It's passed me by, at least.
I'm also pretty much done with anything from the '50's '60's and 70's. I've had several cars from that time period.
I like to tell my Wife that one the good things about being an old man is that you don't have to care what you look like. On the other hand, the bad thing about being an old man is that you don't care what you look like!
I'm now at the age where I have little interest in establishing status through vehicles. The truth is that I never really did. Though I didn't mind driving something that I thought was "appropriate." At least for me.
My factors in consideration of status now are residence, occupation, and accomplishments.
If you live in an exclusive area it's safe to say that you've got enough income to live there.
Occupation can tell a lot about a person. Their education and training. How interesting and challenging their vocation is.
Finally there are accomplishments. These can range from military service, raising a family, starting a business, charity and community work.
It's best of these facets of a person's life are revealed gradually, not boastfully pronounced.
This entire discussion might seem kind of silly to a lot of people, but my car is important to me, even if I don't kiss it goodnight.
Like most people I've spent my entire life taking care of business, fulfilling the responsibilities that I took on.
If I can't have something that I like, and that means something to me, than I feel kind of cheated, especially at my age. Like all my work has been... for what? I guess that sounds kind of superficial, but we've all got our priorities.
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