GTP Cool Wall: 1969 AMC AMX 390 "Go Pack"

[Slash]

As I just stated, '06-'08 Focuses are the same generation and '97-'99 Mondeos are the same generation...

So I'll repeat the question and bear that in mind this time.And if they don't you just gave them no option but a barrage of meaningless drivel...Yes. I'd noticed.

I don't care if certain cars are the same generation, it was more so to be across the board of all cars in general.

So what if I gave them some stuff that's meaningless to them. Not my problem. They asked.

 

[Bopop4]

As I just stated, '06-'08 Focuses are the same generation and '97-'99 Mondeos are the same generation...

And?

A 1999 and a 2012 Focus are completely different.

If I just bought a brand new car, I wouldn't want someone thinking I was driving a 15 year old beater wagon.

 

[Famine]

And?

A 1999 and a 2012 Focus are completely different.

If I just bought a brand new car, I wouldn't want someone thinking I was driving a 15 year old beater wagon.

Ah, so now you're giving them too much information and sounding vain about "an econobox"...

A '99 Focus may be different to a '12 one, but it's not any different from an '00, '01, '02, '03 or '04 one. That piece of data conveys no information and is irrelevant beyond "Mk1". Similarly a '12 Focus is no different from a '13 one - nor any for the next 3 years (at least). That piece of data conveys no information and is irrelevant beyond "Mk2". The precise model year is unnecessary - at least the trim level tells you something, but you'd not bother with it. Why?

"Oh, just a Focus".

I don't care if certain cars are the same generation, it was more so to be across the board of all cars in general.

That wasn't the question.
The question was why you think stating the year would be so important on an '07 Focus or '98 Mondeo - which would be a completely meaningless distinction given that two years either side would be the same car - when stating the trim level that actually gives differences isn't, given your original justification for saying the year was that it conveys important differences.

'98 Mondeo gives one piece of useful information (Mondeo) and one piece of useless information ('98). Mondeo Ghia TD gives three useful pieces of information - but you dismiss that. Why?

So what if I gave them some stuff that's meaningless to them. Not my problem. They asked.

It's part of socialising.

Do you give your full name every time someone asks what you're called - or just the one useful name? Your full address every time someone asks where you're from - or just the one useful location? These are things everyone has (to a greater or lesser extent) and are at least interested in by necessity. Cars aren't - people like us who really like cars are proper weirdoes - yet you'd vomit names, years, engines and trims over them for an in-passing empty question?

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I got into a conversation with some guys on my course (automotive engineering), and we're all properly mad petrolheads. Never was the year of a car mentioned. Not once when we talked about the cars we have/have access to did anybody mention the year. Displacement? Yes. Power? Yes. Famine is right, most people don't care about the year of a car.

 

[Bopop4]

Ah, so now you're giving them too much information and sounding vain about "an econobox"...

Yeah, which is why you don't do that.

A '99 Focus may be different to a '12 one, but it's not any different from an '00, '01, '02, '03 or '04 one. That piece of data conveys no information and is irrelevant beyond "Mk1".

I'm not going to say "MK1 Focus" for a 2007 model.

A year is going to give most people more info on something like that than a gen/mk.
You tell me you have a mk4 Camry, I have no idea what that is, you say you have a 98 Camry, I know what that is.

Also, a 2007 Focus is MK2 in Europe, and a MK1 in North America.

 

[Famine]

Yeah, which is why you don't do that.

But... you... just said you did?

I'm not going to say "MK1 Focus" for a 2007 model.

Why not? It is* one.

A year is going to give most people more info on something like that than a gen/mk.

How? All years of a generation are the same. The year gives no more information than the generation - except to obscure information. People don't remember when cars change shape - they only remember the shape. The Mk1 Focus was a bit triangley and the one after it was a bit rounder. Mk2 tells them it's a bit rounder. '07 tells them nothing.

You tell me you have a mk4 Camry, I have no idea what that is, you say you have a 98 Camry, I know what that is.

I doubt someone who'd know precisely what a '98 Camry is would not be able to remember that the goofy one came after the pointy one that came after the round one that came after the square one.

Also, a 2007 Focus is MK2 in Europe, and a MK1 in North America.

*This is an amusing distinction, due to US naming criteria. In Europe a 2007 Focus is a Focus sold in the calendar year 2007. However in the US you all seem to call cars sold on 2nd January or later a car of the following year, so the majority of Focuses sold in 2006 (Mk1s, as you say) are 2007MY. An actual 2007 Focus would be a 2008MY - and a Mk2. You guys have been driving 2014 cars for 11 months already

 

[Bopop4]

But... you... just said you did?

You don't do that with an econobox. I'm not going to tell people I drive a 2007 Ford Focus ZX5 SES Canadian Winter Package Aqua blue, I'll tell them it's an 07 Focus.

I said that I wasn't going to give any of the trim designations, just the year.

Yes, it is one, but I find that people know what I'm talking about moreso when I say the year rather than the gen.

When I'm with car guys and a 1996 MR2 goes by I'll indicate it with a chassis code rather than year and model for ease of understanding.

Most people wouldn't know the difference between Fiero and an MR2, you can't expect them to know gen designations, they understand better with a simple year model.

 

[Famine]

I said that I wasn't going to give any of the trim designations, just the year.

Your response of "which is why you don't do that" followed:

If I just bought a brand new car, I wouldn't want someone thinking I was driving a 15 year old beater wagon.

Ah, so now you're giving them too much information and sounding vain about "an econobox"...

Saying "'07 Focus" is giving them too much information and sounding vain about "an econobox" by not wanting to sound like you're driving an 8 year old car...

Yes, it is one, but I find that people know what I'm talking about moreso when I say the year rather than the gen.

When I'm with car guys and a 1996 MR2 goes by I'll indicate it with a chassis code rather than year and model for ease of understanding.

Most people wouldn't know the difference between Fiero and an MR2, you can't expect them to know gen designations, they understand better with a simple year model.

You can't have it both ways here. You're suggesting "most people" wouldn't know the difference between two completey unrelated cars - and you're absolutely right - but then you're suggesting giving them the model year helps them understand better? How? If they can't tell a Fiero from an MR2, how are they going to tell an '88 Fiero from a '96 MR2?

This is the exact kind of person I've been talking about, by the way. And you say they're "most people", just like I said they were...

 

[Bopop4]

Your response of "which is why you don't do that" followed:Saying "'07 Focus" is giving them too much information and sounding vain about "an econobox" by not wanting to sound like you're driving an 8 year old car...

It's not giving them too much info, it's 4 syllables that indicates the year and model.

If I go ask random people about a gen X model Y, they will have no clue, if I ask them about year X model Y, they'll understand better.

(I don't care that the car isn't new, I wouldn't care if it was a beat to hell 90's Civic. As long as it runs well and is reliable I'm happy.)

How? If they can't tell a Fiero from an MR2, how are they going to tell an '88 Fiero from a '96 MR2?

Oh, I didn't mean it like that. (Fiero and MR2.)

I mean if you give the year on a regular car they will understand better than if you give a gen designation.

I don't expect people to be able to know everything just from a year, but if it lets them know that someone is driving an older car vs a new one, then it's fine.

 

[Slash]

I don't expect people to be able to know everything just from a year, but if it lets them know that someone is driving an older car vs a new one, then it's fine.

Same here. When I tell them we have an '85 F-250, they go "wow, that's old". You bet. Wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Bopop4]

Same here. When I tell them we have an '85 F-250, they go "wow, that's old". You bet. Wouldn't have it any other way.

And if you told them it was a 7th gen F-series, they would be as lost as I am before I went to wikipedia.

 

[Slash]

And if you told them it was a 7th gen F-series, they would be as lost as I am before I went to wikipedia.

 

[Nicksfix]

AMC, the abortion child of U.S. Cars.

Featuring Ford ignition / charging / starting systems.
Featuring Mopar automatic transmissions.
Just a hodge podge of everyone's left over parts assembled together to make a car.

It's a muscle car, which in my book is cool. But it's not a Muscle car for the masses. These things usually got their tits tore off at the strip by the likes of Chrysler, Ford, GM. Sure you could mod them, but so could the other 3 guys mentioned. In stock form, it just never had a "running chance" against the Big 3. I'll give in to the fact that it is a cleanly designed car, looks meaner than what it really is.

A slight chill is in the air, just peaking cool.

 

[Mikeybc]

I just tell the person that the car is, eg. 1969 Camaro SS 396, It's up to the person listening whether to filter out the details irrelevant to him or her.

Better to give a detailed description than to be vague to the person that actually might give a damn.

 

[Zenith]

I run into so many muscle car Normans. God they are a bore to talk to.

"Well I see you've got yerself a '67 C code model prefix DLDO-18. You know those came from the factory with tan washer fluid bladders instead of standard black ones. You should check the tape on the back of the clutch pedal to-"

"You're making me bored of my own car."

They also have that way of talking where they expect you to be totally interested in how the head gasket changed from one trim level to another. It really alienates young enthusiasts or anybody trying to understand the "muscle" scene. AMC guys are particularly bad. I don't care what the exact paint code the factory used on the engine block was, tell me about interesting stuff, please.

AMC's get a bit of coolness from being unheard of, but that's completely overshadowed by the owner's of the car who are always, always boring old white guys who want to show you their numbers-matching carpets.

I just tell the person that the car is, eg. 1969 Camaro SS 396, It's up to the person listening whether to filter out the details irrelevant to him or her.

Better to give a detailed description than to be vague to the person that actually might give a damn.

I disagree. If you flood them with every trim option available for the car, they assume that they're supposed to know what all of this means and are instantly taken aback and feel as if asking "What does the 396 mean?" would earn them scoffs and ridicule. Personally, I do what Famine does.

"I drive an old Mustang."

 

[Mikeybc]

I run into so many muscle car Normans. God they are a bore to talk to.

"Well I see you've got yerself a '67 C code model prefix DLDO-18. You know those came from the factory with tan washer fluid bladders instead of standard black ones. You should check the tape on the back of the clutch pedal to-"

"You're making me bored of my own car."

They also have that way of talking where they expect you to be totally interested in how the head gasket changed from one trim level to another. It really alienates young enthusiasts or anybody trying to understand the "muscle" scene. AMC guys are particularly bad. I don't care what the exact paint code the factory used on the engine block was, tell me about interesting stuff, please.

AMC's get a bit of coolness from being unheard of, but that's completely overshadowed by the owner's of the car who are always, always boring old white guys who want to show you their numbers-matching carpets.




I disagree. If you flood them with every trim option available for the car, they assume that they're supposed to know what all of this means and are instantly taken aback and feel as if asking "What does the 396 mean?" would earn them scoffs and ridicule. Personally, I do what Famine does.

"I drive an old Mustang."

If someone's gonna scoff at you for asking what 396 means then they're not very considerate and not worth wasting time talking to, if someone asked me what it meant I'd just simply reply that's just the engine size and leave it there knowing any further details would probably be irrelevant to them.

If the person listaning to you really doesn't care about the details they'll just throw them into the garbage can in the left rear corner of their brain and hold onto the part they understand.

Old mustang is too vague in my opinion. An old mustang could be anywhere from 1993 back to 64.

I agree though getting into the tiny little oddball details like you mentioned above can be annoying but a general model description like SS 396 isn't.

 

[a6m5]

I'm not a big fan, but it looks like a helluva fun car to drive, so I'd give it a "cool".

P.S. Famine's been just killing me with his posts lately.

 

[edawg456]

Sub zero as you don't really see many of these on the road.

 

[Famine]

I just tell the person that the car is, eg. 1969 Camaro SS 396, It's up to the person listening whether to filter out the details irrelevant to him or her.

Better to give a detailed description than to be vague to the person that actually might give a damn.

"Well hey buddy, what do they call you then?"
"MY NAME IS MICHAEL STEPHEN ERIC JOHNSON AND I LIVE ON 182 BIG HORN AVENUE SHERIDAN IN SHERIDAN COUNTY WYOMING USA."
"Ooookay then. Nice knowin' you!"

 

[Slash]

He's only stating a few things, not some big long ass statement. What's so hard to understand?

 

[Azure Flare]

This is getting good!

 

[Famine]

He's only stating a few things, not some big long ass statement. What's so hard to understand?

So when someone asks you your name or where you're from, you don't give them a detailed description and let them filter out the information irrelevant to them?

'Cos if you don't, that kinda makes your statement about doing it with cars (because it's important!) a bit daft.

 

[Azure Flare]

@Slashfan Example: I drive a Kia Spectra.

Do you really care about any other info?

 

[homeforsummer]

I got into a conversation with some guys on my course (automotive engineering), and we're all properly mad petrolheads. Never was the year of a car mentioned. Not once when we talked about the cars we have/have access to did anybody mention the year. Displacement? Yes. Power? Yes. Famine is right, most people don't care about the year of a car.

Indeed. A great number of my friends are petrolheads - many of them are automotive journalists, in fact - and I've never once had to resort to the year in order to describe a car to them. Occasionally a mark number (Mk4 Fiesta, Mk1 MX-5) but even then the year isn't that important.

"Well I see you've got yerself a '67 C code model prefix DLDO-18. You know those came from the factory with tan washer fluid bladders instead of standard black ones. You should check the tape on the back of the clutch pedal to-"

You can bet if the model descriptor of my car looked like DILDO I'd be telling people about that, though.

 

[Slash]

So when someone asks you your name or where you're from, you don't give them a detailed description and let them filter out the information irrelevant to them?

'Cos if you don't, that kinda makes your statement about doing it with cars (because it's important!) a bit daft.

I tell them my first name and the town I'm from.

@Slashfan Example: I drive a Kia Spectra.

Do you really care about any other info?

Yeah, what year?


I'm not tryin to be funny either btw.

 

[Azure Flare]

2009.

 

[homeforsummer]

2009.

Thank you. My life is so much more fulfilling for that knowledge.







That's what's supposed to happen, right?

 

[Slash]

Maybe it's just out of habit then.

 

[Azure Flare]

Yeah, what year?

He asked, and I answered.

Now, I'm getting out of this. Being a spectator is more fun.

 

[Dennisch]

Herp Derp.

I drive a pickup truck.