Charger Attention

[jefferson]

Okay, so finally got my 68 RT charger on the road. Driven a few times now and man has it been the most fun ive had in a longggggggggggggggg time. I cant get enough, only been very short drives less than 15-20minutes at a time ATM but now i understand from the other thread the attention they bring.

First time. Every single person walking on the sidewalk as i drove past stood and stared.
Going thru the mall parking lot, seemed as tho everyone had crooked neck syndrome and just stared as i drove past, One bloke looked like he was orgasming and muttered WOAH under his lips
another bloke crossing the crossings kid said, wow dad whats that, he said, shes beautiful and smiled at me as i drove past. Second time, had my mum in the car and stopped at the lights, bloke walking his dog gave the biggest G-force grin ive ever seen and gave me the thumbs up and kept nodding his head multiple times hahaha. Mum just burst out laughing and smiled back, Today had my miissus in the car, stopped at the lights with the windows down, turn my head and some bloke and his wife yelled out HEY mate, i turned and said gday, he then said the following, did yaa import her from the states? i said yep sure did mate, he said wow mate shes gorgeous, how long did it take to get here, i said over 6 months in total mate, he said are they hard to get ? I said, good luck finiding and getting one here mate hahaha, he laughed also and smiled and said, enjoy her mate shes a beaut as the lights turned green i said yea cheers mate and drove off.

thats all in less than id say, 20 minutes drive time total.

What is yet to come? More light talks? Servo people coming up to me as i fill up?

My problem is i have anger issues and i flick angrily. But been told when im driving to remain calm and polite because dont want anyone getting out and damaging the car. I am on meds when i feel the need to control my anger, but i just would not cope well if anyone was to touch my car or try and get to personal with it or whatever. Its a part of me now and feels like a second girlfriend haha.

What do you all do? Whats your stories? Im aware there is another thread about this, but anymore recent stories of the attention your classic chargers have bought would be interesting to read.

[challenger70]

I go for drives at night a lot and have a good stereo.   I don't like the attention, it's my time to decompress, not educate the world on my car. 

[HANDM]

Put on a baseball cap, pull it down real low and act like you're blind and deaf. If you don't your short drives will turn into looong talks.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Dont make it a general lee then. Lol. I come out of stores to random people sitting in it and sliding across the hood....

[NCMopar]

Every time, everywhere, regardless of the situation, constantly people are walking up to me or talking to/at me while sitting at a red light. I do not like the attention, but I love my Charger. I have sold other cars, because the brought a lot of attention, but I'll never sell this one. People often ask, because they know I don't like to bring attention to myself, why I drive the cars I do. I tell them that I love cars (regardless of make or time period) and the hassle is worth it for those early mornings, when it's just me and girls (wife and daughter) out on a two lane, looking for a greasy spoon joint to stop for breakfast.

Most predictable encounter goes something like "Hey man, what year is it? Oh, a '68, thought so...I had one just like it, a blue (my car is grey) '71 Chevelle. Man, I miss that car, should never have sold it. Is yours for sale?"

Or some such...

Regards,
John

[Kern Dog]

THis is going to sound strange to some but make total sense to others:
The point where I REALLY began to enjoy driving my car was when I quit worrying about damaging it. I used to be paranoid to park it out of my view. I would not leave it outside overnight, I would not park anywhere near other people either.
Nowadays, I am not afraid of a few rock chips in the paint. I don't drive it down cobblestone or gravel roads but I am done with being worried or scared to drive it hard!

[JR]

The attention is part of the driving experience, for better or worse. I imagine it's 100 times worse if you drive one outside the U.S.

I don't mind the attention, but I try to avoid it when possible. Chargers just seem to resonate with people for various reasons, and I keep that in mind.

You have to carry yourself as a celebrity when you drive one, because almost everyone is watching your every move. You can't road rage in one because youre driving a neon sign that people won't forget if you piss them off. And id prefer not to have my car keyed one day later on.

It's just part of the experience. You can't separate the car from the attention. If you show up with the best looking girl in the bar, you're gonna have to get use to guys hitting on her right in front of you.

[Mike DC]

   
The thing about always being watched is definitely true, especially when you are near your home & regular haunts.  If you act like a dick to somebody on the road, they might come across the car in a parking lot 3 years later and kick the fender.  Or they might turn out to be your boss's son-in-law.  Etc.  Don't ever think you are anonymous while you are using that car in public. 

[doctor4766]

Same here Jefferson.
The Charger stands out even in a field of other Mopars when we have a club cruise or show.
I'm personally not one for drawing attention to myself either, but that "phobia" soon stops when all you're getting is good attention.
We have plenty of Aussie Chargers here but not so many Dodges and whilst I do love the locally built versions I doubt I'd take one over my 69

[XH29N0G]

I get all sorts of questions and some extend to conversations when I'm in the Charger. People don't run over to touch the car, but they like to ask about it, reminisce about the old times, and cars they had (or have). Some comments make me smile, like the time one woman unrolled her window and yelled across three lanes "Hey beautiful!" then after a pause, followed it with "I'm talking about the car!"  Another asked about the paint. Others about its history.  But most conversations let me know the car beside me has friendly interested people.  The light turns green and we are on our way. I'm in a white minority county with considerable ethnic diversity; I'm not free of bias; and driving this car has helped me see through some of it and give me a window into humanity we all have.

[Chad L. Magee]

Get used to the "Is it for sale?" question, as you will be hearing it over and over and over again....

[Kern Dog]

I don't think that anyone has ever asked me that since the car was painted. Not once.

[JR]

I don't think that anyone has ever asked me that since the car was painted. Not once.

Same here. Tons of interest when the paint is tired and needing redone.

Not one single attempt when the paint is new and shiny.

Not that I'm trying to sell, just something I've noticed.

[NCMopar]

If I could install a cloaking device on mine, I would. I do everything possible to get gas at odd hours, etc... The sheer amount of mental illness that exists today, with people walking up and boldfaced lying about things and/or asking moronic questions and comments is really insane. How can a grown man walk up and say some of this stuff?

Was out in the car this weekend with my wife and daughter. A couple of clowns come rolling up beside me, screaming "f*** yeah!" over and over again. Man, I have my family with me, absolutely no need for that. My issues with this probably have more to do with the way society is heading, than it does with the car...


Regards,
John

[Mike DC]

  
shiny paint = you've spent money on it = you won't sell it to them for some absurdly cheap price

[Midnight_Rider]

The car's the star. We're just part of the entourage.

At least that's the way I felt when the 69 Mach 1 was out & about. And the way I anticpate it being when the Road Runner's done.

[hemi-hampton]

I used to hate when people would low ball offers just because my original paint had some door dings & scratches & they thought it needed a paint job.

[HeavyFuel]

The attention is part of the driving experience, for better or worse. I imagine it's 100 times worse if you drive one outside the U.S.

I don't mind the attention, but I try to avoid it when possible. Chargers just seem to resonate with people for various reasons, and I keep that in mind.

You have to carry yourself as a celebrity when you drive one, because almost everyone is watching your every move. You can't road rage in one because youre driving a neon sign that people won't forget if you piss them off. And id prefer not to have my car keyed one day later on.

It's just part of the experience. You can't separate the car from the attention. If you show up with the best looking girl in the bar, you're gonna have to get use to guys hitting on her right in front of you.

This.   I keep it in mind every time somebody goes full retard around me when I'm in the car.  My town is only about 80K people strong and in the middle of nowhere, so yeah, and it would be remembered.

[BDF]

I went on a 10 day road trip not long ago & heard/saw all of the above. The thing that stands out in my mind was only 1 big-rig tooted the whole @ 1700 miles. Usually get a few blasts from the air horns on the highway. Once I was backing out of a spot after taking a picture so as not to attract a bunch of attention by driving in front of people  around a table & suffered a flat around the corner. It took about 10-15 minutes to unpack the trunk & change tire but was there about an hour talking with the admiring well wishers 
I made up my mind to just relax & enjoy the encounters, unless it's a bunch of gang bangers at a rest stop  . Fortunately they just wanted to talk about the car & not steal it that day
I just wave & smile a lot.
The car is like a celebrity, always attracting  attention and I have mostly gotten used to it now.
& I drive politely, there is NO anonymity in the Charger.

[bull]

Try to remember it's all about the car, not you. You're the Charger's spokesman and PR manager. Not to be harsh but honestly, they don't care about you one bit. If the car could talk you'd be completely ignored. I've had people I haven't seen in a year or two come up to me and, once they make sure I have a pulse and don't have a terminal illness, ask me about the car like it's in college now or dating someone. They rarely want to hear about my goals, my kids, my wife, etc. "How's the Charger?"

If you don't want to get hassled fill your tank during off hours and try to plan your driving routes where you can just keep moving as much as possible. Fewer traffic lights, smaller population areas, weekdays, etc. I don't try to avoid people but more often than not I find myself traveling at times and in places where there just aren't that many gawkers. And remember also that the people freaking out only get to see the car for seconds at a time and realize you'd probably do the same thing if you were standing on the sidewalk. You get to enjoy it 24/7 but those poor folks don't. It's probably worse in Australia though (assuming that's where you're from) because here in the states there's always something cruising around in fair weather be it a classic Mustang, Camaro, or any number of cars from the 1940s and 1950s.

[Kern Dog]

People that complain about being noticed....What the hell, man?
Women wear a low cut top and get pissed when a man approaches them? Well cover it up! If something catches a persons attention, they are going to look.
Yeah, some people have no class or tact when they get excited. They may cuss, touch the car, tell you bullshit stories that never happened but guess what? THAT is life.
I'll bet nobody here is a woman, a really good looking woman. If you were, you may understand that beauty has a way of making admirers lose their minds. As a man that appreciates beautiful women, I have often become tong tied when talking to them. When you are temporarily overcome with any type of emotion, your common sense takes a few steps back. You say silly things. You do stupid things. It happens when a man sees a beautiful woman, a celebrity or a car that looks as if it were designed by God himself.
If a person wishes for anonymity, they can always drive a late model silver Toyota. Those shitboxes get ignored by everyone.

[jefferson]

Awsome replies guys thanks a lot.

Well today i drove her again, this time only to the gas station as i was pressed for time before work, got about 20 minutes in, to fill her up then lock her back up.

Once again, halfway thru filling her up, Tradie in a ute pulls up next to me, looks a few times, then walks over and starts talking to me about her, asking is it normal for the seats to be the same colour as the car, how long ive had it for blah blah blah then told me about an upcoming car show about an hour from where i live and how i should take my charger there etc etc, not sure why he would even care if i bought it there or why even tell me, i could Fn care less, dont really think im going to take it to car shows, already not liking people being near it, starting to get agitating. , honestly just wanted him to F off but just spoke politely and then he went up to the window and looked in, didnt touch it thank god, just looked inside thru the glass, annoyed me a fair bit but just remained calm and smiled.

I think im going to start wearing earphones whenever i drive or go fill her up. Maybe that will deter people from speaking to me, Does when im shopping, and when im in the gym. Will it work when im with the charger?

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


yes im from australia lol.

[440]

Australia has a very deep car culture. I drive a 70's Fairlane daily and no matter where you go you always get attention, the Charger is just the same, on steroids.

In my Fairlane which isn't exactly rare or highly sought after people are always signaling to bag up the tires. Just trying to fill up you get, Nice car, My parents used to have one of these, I learned to drive in one of these, you don't see these every day yada yada yada

Even had someone yell from another car asking where I got my Eager tires from (an Australian advertising thing - "Real men smoke Eagers")

[jefferson]

Australia has a very deep car culture. I drive a 70's Fairlane daily and no matter where you go you always get attention, the Charger is just the same, on steroids.

In my Fairlane which isn't exactly rare or highly sought after people are always signaling to bag up the tires. Just trying to fill up you get, Nice car, My parents used to have one of these, I learned to drive in one of these, you don't see these every day yada yada yada

Even had someone yell from another car asking where I got my Eager tires from (an Australian advertising thing - "Real men smoke Eagers")

Yea, ive come to realise The car culture in AUs now

Especially Imports, hell even when i see an old import driving around, NO MATTER what, if its old,and a classic, i always admire. Now owning a charger i see how the owners now feel with the constant attention

I think its just because, its the PAST in the FUTURE and its just so out of place. I guess the next one ill get, Possibly tomorrow? is the is it for sale or are you willing to sell it? im just waiting for that one hahahaha.

Im going to get the biggest satisfaction when i say, nope no chance mate sorry. And see there reaction. haha.

[JR]

I'm envious of Aussie car culture in general.

You guys seem to be a few years ahead of us in terms of modifiying technology. You can import cars from anywhere in the world if you have the cash. You guys actually seem to drive the nuts off your car's instead of sitting in front of them in lawn chairs like people do here. There are plenty of straight 6's there, (Barra's are really impressive.) and people seem upbeat and positive about other people's rides.

The strict rules about visual modifications seem to be a downside, but that doesn't seem to stop you guys.

I really want to visit someday.

Here's a recent 1320 video of some wicked Australian car builds if anyone is curious.

https://youtu.be/kRQf7Bcu5P8