People's reactions to your AW11....

IDon'tKnow · 10-03-2009, 05:48 PM

Well I was riding to work yesterday, driving my usual 10-15 over in the fast lane. I usually only get passed by the folks who REALLY are not afraid of the police. A silver Infiniti M45 is gaining on me faster than normal so I started over into the granny lane but he beat me to the punch.

Well I thought the guy was just driving like an idiot, but such was not the case: I look over to my right and he's got his window down, he's half hanging out of it... pointing at my car and giving me a big thumbs up.

I guess the guy just really knows his cars - it's not like mine is shiny or well equipped.

Anyway, thought I'd share and give others a chance to tell stories about how people react to their AW11.

RandomHero · 10-03-2009, 06:26 PM

I had a dude in a fresh 370z gimme the stare/thumbs up in my 91 v6. But he coulda been mocking my 5 color paint job.

Maticuno · 10-04-2009, 01:03 AM

I get a few stares as I'm driving. Even more when I put a bag or two of groceries in the frunk. My wife cannot stand riding in my deuce, but everyone else I take for a spin absolutely loves it and wants one. I have a friend who always wants to trade me straight across for his 2003 Buick LeSabre with only 30k miles. As practical of a trade as that might be, I love my car (and kinda hate Buick's).

espguitarist33 · 10-04-2009, 01:06 AM

"dude thats a...ferar..lamb...uh its a bird emblem what is that? lotus?"
my mom LOVED sitting in it
everybody wants to sit in the time machine (delorian? hahahhaha) or rocketship

Tooljst8 · 10-04-2009, 02:52 AM

On more than one occasion i have had people who regretted selling their AW pull up next to me hanging out the window at red lights.

Conversation goes...

"I had one of those lil' cars, _____ broke and i didn't put the effort in to fix it."
"Where did you find that one, i regret selling mine... and do you want to sell it???"

I have only had my deuce for about 8 months and i have had that similar conversation on three occasions. All at red lights...

I also have only seen two other AW11's in my area. An identical red t-top who pulled up next to me and said "nice ride" which caused a double take. And a white one that stalks me at my job occasionally.

And every morning i see a dark blue mk3 drive by my house slowly, staring my car down to make sure it moves every day...

328FTW · 10-04-2009, 03:55 AM

I love it when I get the "what the hell did you do to that mr2?" reaction from english guys or purists. Also love taking impressed randoms for rides and scaring the cr*p out of them. As for the people that want to talk about what I've done to it and such that is alright I would rather wind people up or show them how it is meant to be driven lol.

I also get the finger a bit from doing things like peeling out of red lights or driving a little too fast round corners but that is a driver reaction not a car reaction

Raptor13x · 10-04-2009, 04:43 AM

I've never had anyone on the street besides an MR2 owner care. A few people at a dragstrip made note of it, but beyond that- just MR2 guys.

drewfuspx · 10-04-2009, 09:28 AM

I've gotten the 'hey man something wrong with your car' just before I start pulling groceries out from under the bonnet.

My mother absolutely loved my little car when she came for a ride in it.

I had a real drunk person come stumbling up once and say 'hey ez that wunna dem engine in the back cars?' I had been checking my oil at the time.

curvesrgood · 10-04-2009, 11:23 AM

Young guys in black SS Camaros want to race me in the supercharged and loose... repeatedly. Then he peels out in the local gas station parking lot when I'm driving the pretty one (guess he knows I own both or can't tell them apart?). He needs a lighter car that isn't so loud.

Young guys in brand new black 370z's want to race the N/A and lose... which means they don't know how to drive their expensive new car.

Most everyone else seems to gawk, turn heads, ask questions, or just want one. Some local girl keeps trying to buy my supercharged car (even though it isn't the pretty/painted one).

On one cruise we had two guys ask about the cars in traffic at lights (one stopping in his new Mustang well before the light to tell us he used to sell them back in the 80's and that he's always loved them... asked if we were a club since we had 7 cars on the drive).

Almost everyone's first question about my N/A is if it is "turbo" or the ones that actually know what they're talking about supercharged because it has our custom side vents and decklid.

Young guys/ladies in police cars usually chase them, but that's also a driver issue (mine), not a public reaction. They also enjoy calling me in as a red Prelude when they can't get close enough to the car to identify it. They then seem to get a kick out of having my car towed and putting me in jail if they happen to catch up. Go figure.

Girls walking dogs take longer walking by so they can try to figure out why I don't have an engine in the front and to see how the heck I'm putting a sunroof in under the hood, lol.

Jackstand Queen · 10-04-2009, 02:49 PM

Teenagers ask me what kind of car is that?

Tuners of almost all makes express interest and show respect.

All trucks and SUV's with big tires try to cut off, tailgate, or otherwise intimidate me.

It was fun to smile and wave at the Musclecar drivers, as they were standing by their parked 8 MPG cars during the $4.00 a gallon petroleum company rip off.

Policemen all stare me down like I'm some sort of criminal. I never speed, or go full throttle in town. In fact never where there are driveways, children, or dogs potentially near the road. Unlike most drivers if I drive 20 or 30 miles out, I'm totally in the boonies. And out there . . . . me run Bartertown.

mr3 · 10-04-2009, 04:27 PM

Some guy in a big dodge was next to me at a red light threw it in neutral and revved at me. Then I blew a kiss to his gf and drove off.

traintech86 · 10-04-2009, 05:27 PM

i get alot of people who bring up the whole" your engine is in the wrong place" haha

there is this guy i work with who has a mustang. he is always tryin to race me. i just tell him my car is older then he is, and its true haha. 1 time we were goin to the yards and we came up to a light. i played the rev game at the light and then i took off like normal haha.

toyotaspeed90 · 10-04-2009, 09:12 PM

I live by some curvy roads, and I get a lot of people trying to keep up with me out there....

on another note... one day took my sweatshirt off and put it on top of the sunroof (which at the time was in the frunk) and an old man pointed and turned to his wife and said "look at that, what a smart idea he's trying to dry his clothes off on the engine".... what was even more strange was it was a nice sunny day out....

had a gas attendant watch me check the oil in another mr2 and was asking if the engine was back there, and that was "real special" since it was.

my wife and I went to costco in her 86 and someone asked us "how are you gonna fit Costco in there?"... we just laughed and said we would be fine

Must say... I do enjoy checking oil at gas stations... I tend to do it more there then at home... just for fun.

mr3 · 10-04-2009, 09:25 PM

I forgot about this one, One day I was at school and my windshield wiper linkage came off inside the firewall part so I had to redo it between class. I popped open the frunk and stepped in and sat in there and worked on the car. I had so many people ask where the engine was and asking if I need a jump. I didnt get the whole needing a jump question but I thought the looks on peoples faces was priceless.

espguitarist33 · 10-04-2009, 10:59 PM

mr3 you are the man!!!!....i sit in the trunk/on the edge and work on the engine...and actually if you sit IN the trunk it looks like a hottub....anybody wanna work on trunk seal/exhaust up against the trunk hottub mod?

jimmer411 · 10-04-2009, 11:08 PM

Occasionally Ill goto jiffy lube or some other random oil changing place just to have them tell me to open my hood, which I always get a good laugh when they are standing in front of my car and I pop the frunk.

My neighbors ask me constantly if Im ever going to finish priming my car, and why I bought a second car just to rip it all apart like the first one.

toy-driver · 10-04-2009, 11:40 PM

I had an older (60+) guy stop me at a gas station not that long ago. He told me he had bought an 85 when they first came out. He loved the car, but his son wrecked it and they got rid of it. He made me promise never sell it. Didn't want me to make the same mistake.
I have had a number honks and thumbs up while on the freeway. Others stop me in parking lots.

bassman54 · 10-05-2009, 12:50 AM

Smog guy pops the frunk looking for engine access, then does the Homer Simpson "doh!"

Checking the oil at a gas station, young guy in a Nissan says "cool engine in the rear", asks what kind of car and what year, and nearly freaks when I show him it has 2 trunks,

Frunk hood propped open preparing to stow the sunroof, a co-worker zooms up and asks if I need a jump. Visiting couple at church sees the same thing and asks if I need help.

My daughter says she likes it because it has "small windows".

I love these cars.

jsnod25 · 10-05-2009, 07:44 AM

lol, i get the whole "is that your engine?" when i have the lid open doing whatever im doing with it at the time... I tell them "no, thats the time transporter, the engine is in the front silly..." then i get a dumb look...

Also i had a guy with a Dodge Magnum (new) and a "Hemi" in it, and he wanted to race, unknown to me... i just drive fast, but once i came around the corner because we were stopped at a two lane left turn, i noticed he was trying to catch up to me taking the turn as fast as i could accelorate. So then i let him get nose to nose, then i floored it and zoomed all the way to 60 (speed limi) at which point i stayed that speed. Him not being satisfied that his new car lost to me, kept going faster and faster, prolly till about 75 mph, at which point the un-marked cop car turned on his lights behind me and went for him... I smiled and waved as i passed him....

And i get middle aged guys offering to buy it, or telling stories of their youth, when they had one "just like it"

IDon'tKnow · 10-05-2009, 01:59 PM

Sounds like the AW11 gets different levels of attention and respect for different people / areas.

I was just surprised to see a guy hanging out the window of a $50k car showing love for a $900 car. I suppose the guy is an engineer (most folks are in this city) so he must have known how special the AW11 is.

I get mixed reaction from people. I have a few friends who used to own AW11's who are envious and constantly reminding me to keep my eye out for another one. My wife absolutely loves the car and drives it every chance she gets. She doesn't get many though since she doesn't think a child car seat is safe in the 2.

My friend with a 300ZX TT was fairly skeptical and mocked the car a little bit at first but then I let him drive it. He now concedes that if the race were DOWN a mountain I would spank him. One day, when I've got things running as they should, he will have to concede that I will outrun him up or down.

The manager of the body shop I use talks about how he used to have one and how he regrets getting rid of it(seems to be a common feeling).

There is just so much about the AW11 to love. Some people look at the car and think it looks like an ugly Japanese antique, but for anyone initiated it's a much different story.

10-03-2009, 05:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
IDon'tKnow but I can find out. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 132 Thanks: 4 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	People's reactions to your AW11.... Well I was riding to work yesterday, driving my usual 10-15 over in the fast lane. I usually only get passed by the folks who REALLY are not afraid of the police. A silver Infiniti M45 is gaining on me faster than normal so I started over into the granny lane but he beat me to the punch. Well I thought the guy was just driving like an idiot, but such was not the case: I look over to my right and he's got his window down, he's half hanging out of it... pointing at my car and giving me a big thumbs up. I guess the guy just really knows his cars - it's not like mine is shiny or well equipped. Anyway, thought I'd share and give others a chance to tell stories about how people react to their AW11.

10-04-2009, 02:52 AM	#5 (permalink)
Tooljst8 Rust Fight Go! Join Date: May 2009 Location: NY Posts: 39 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	On more than one occasion i have had people who regretted selling their AW pull up next to me hanging out the window at red lights. Conversation goes... "I had one of those lil' cars, _____ broke and i didn't put the effort in to fix it." "Where did you find that one, i regret selling mine... and do you want to sell it???" I have only had my deuce for about 8 months and i have had that similar conversation on three occasions. All at red lights... I also have only seen two other AW11's in my area. An identical red t-top who pulled up next to me and said "nice ride" which caused a double take. And a white one that stalks me at my job occasionally. And every morning i see a dark blue mk3 drive by my house slowly, staring my car down to make sure it moves every day... Last edited by Tooljst8; 10-04-2009 at 03:19 AM.

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10-03-2009, 06:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
RandomHero Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 104 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I had a dude in a fresh 370z gimme the stare/thumbs up in my 91 v6. But he coulda been mocking my 5 color paint job.

10-04-2009, 01:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
Maticuno Park Ranging Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: California Deserts Posts: 233 Thanks: 14 Thanked 16 Times in 11 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	I get a few stares as I'm driving. Even more when I put a bag or two of groceries in the frunk. My wife cannot stand riding in my deuce, but everyone else I take for a spin absolutely loves it and wants one. I have a friend who always wants to trade me straight across for his 2003 Buick LeSabre with only 30k miles. As practical of a trade as that might be, I love my car (and kinda hate Buick's).

10-04-2009, 01:06 AM	#4 (permalink)
espguitarist33 Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: west chester PA Posts: 415 Thanks: 4 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	"dude thats a...ferar..lamb...uh its a bird emblem what is that? lotus?" my mom LOVED sitting in it everybody wants to sit in the time machine (delorian? hahahhaha) or rocketship

10-04-2009, 03:55 AM	#6 (permalink)
328FTW 3vzfe tinkering Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,537 Thanks: 12 Thanked 99 Times in 83 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I love it when I get the "what the hell did you do to that mr2?" reaction from english guys or purists. Also love taking impressed randoms for rides and scaring the cr*p out of them. As for the people that want to talk about what I've done to it and such that is alright I would rather wind people up or show them how it is meant to be driven lol. I also get the finger a bit from doing things like peeling out of red lights or driving a little too fast round corners but that is a driver reaction not a car reaction

10-04-2009, 04:43 AM	#7 (permalink)
Raptor13x Legendary Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Farmington Hills, MI Posts: 3,989 Thanks: 7 Thanked 40 Times in 34 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (5/100% )	I've never had anyone on the street besides an MR2 owner care. A few people at a dragstrip made note of it, but beyond that- just MR2 guys.

10-04-2009, 09:28 AM	#8 (permalink)
drewfuspx No Skills Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I've gotten the 'hey man something wrong with your car' just before I start pulling groceries out from under the bonnet. My mother absolutely loved my little car when she came for a ride in it. I had a real drunk person come stumbling up once and say 'hey ez that wunna dem engine in the back cars?' I had been checking my oil at the time.

10-04-2009, 11:23 AM	#9 (permalink)
curvesrgood three mk1's Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NC Posts: 345 Thanks: 7 Thanked 26 Times in 21 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Young guys in black SS Camaros want to race me in the supercharged and loose... repeatedly. Then he peels out in the local gas station parking lot when I'm driving the pretty one (guess he knows I own both or can't tell them apart?). He needs a lighter car that isn't so loud. Young guys in brand new black 370z's want to race the N/A and lose... which means they don't know how to drive their expensive new car. Most everyone else seems to gawk, turn heads, ask questions, or just want one. Some local girl keeps trying to buy my supercharged car (even though it isn't the pretty/painted one). On one cruise we had two guys ask about the cars in traffic at lights (one stopping in his new Mustang well before the light to tell us he used to sell them back in the 80's and that he's always loved them... asked if we were a club since we had 7 cars on the drive). Almost everyone's first question about my N/A is if it is "turbo" or the ones that actually know what they're talking about supercharged because it has our custom side vents and decklid. Young guys/ladies in police cars usually chase them, but that's also a driver issue (mine), not a public reaction. They also enjoy calling me in as a red Prelude when they can't get close enough to the car to identify it. They then seem to get a kick out of having my car towed and putting me in jail if they happen to catch up. Go figure. Girls walking dogs take longer walking by so they can try to figure out why I don't have an engine in the front and to see how the heck I'm putting a sunroof in under the hood, lol.

10-04-2009, 02:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
Jackstand Queen Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 677 Thanks: 52 Thanked 56 Times in 53 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Teenagers ask me what kind of car is that? Tuners of almost all makes express interest and show respect. All trucks and SUV's with big tires try to cut off, tailgate, or otherwise intimidate me. It was fun to smile and wave at the Musclecar drivers, as they were standing by their parked 8 MPG cars during the $4.00 a gallon petroleum company rip off. Policemen all stare me down like I'm some sort of criminal. I never speed, or go full throttle in town. In fact never where there are driveways, children, or dogs potentially near the road. Unlike most drivers if I drive 20 or 30 miles out, I'm totally in the boonies. And out there . . . . me run Bartertown.

10-04-2009, 04:27 PM	#11 (permalink)
mr3 Cage Fighter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Plymouth Mtg, Pa Posts: 848 Thanks: 19 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	Some guy in a big dodge was next to me at a red light threw it in neutral and revved at me. Then I blew a kiss to his gf and drove off.

10-04-2009, 05:27 PM	#12 (permalink)
traintech86 Traintech86 on all im's Join Date: May 2009 Location: Norfolk VA Posts: 920 Thanks: 14 Thanked 25 Times in 24 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	i get alot of people who bring up the whole" your engine is in the wrong place" haha there is this guy i work with who has a mustang. he is always tryin to race me. i just tell him my car is older then he is, and its true haha. 1 time we were goin to the yards and we came up to a light. i played the rev game at the light and then i took off like normal haha.

10-04-2009, 09:12 PM	#13 (permalink)
toyotaspeed90 No Skills Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 422 Thanks: 0 Thanked 32 Times in 32 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I live by some curvy roads, and I get a lot of people trying to keep up with me out there.... on another note... one day took my sweatshirt off and put it on top of the sunroof (which at the time was in the frunk) and an old man pointed and turned to his wife and said "look at that, what a smart idea he's trying to dry his clothes off on the engine".... what was even more strange was it was a nice sunny day out.... had a gas attendant watch me check the oil in another mr2 and was asking if the engine was back there, and that was "real special" since it was. my wife and I went to costco in her 86 and someone asked us "how are you gonna fit Costco in there?"... we just laughed and said we would be fine Must say... I do enjoy checking oil at gas stations... I tend to do it more there then at home... just for fun.

10-04-2009, 09:25 PM	#14 (permalink)
mr3 Cage Fighter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Plymouth Mtg, Pa Posts: 848 Thanks: 19 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	I forgot about this one, One day I was at school and my windshield wiper linkage came off inside the firewall part so I had to redo it between class. I popped open the frunk and stepped in and sat in there and worked on the car. I had so many people ask where the engine was and asking if I need a jump. I didnt get the whole needing a jump question but I thought the looks on peoples faces was priceless.

10-04-2009, 10:59 PM	#15 (permalink)
espguitarist33 Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: west chester PA Posts: 415 Thanks: 4 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	mr3 you are the man!!!!....i sit in the trunk/on the edge and work on the engine...and actually if you sit IN the trunk it looks like a hottub....anybody wanna work on trunk seal/exhaust up against the trunk hottub mod?

10-04-2009, 11:08 PM	#16 (permalink)
jimmer411 NA > Boost Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Enumclaw, WA Posts: 70 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Occasionally Ill goto jiffy lube or some other random oil changing place just to have them tell me to open my hood, which I always get a good laugh when they are standing in front of my car and I pop the frunk. My neighbors ask me constantly if Im ever going to finish priming my car, and why I bought a second car just to rip it all apart like the first one.

10-04-2009, 11:40 PM	#17 (permalink)
toy-driver Getting there Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 265 Thanks: 3 Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	I had an older (60+) guy stop me at a gas station not that long ago. He told me he had bought an 85 when they first came out. He loved the car, but his son wrecked it and they got rid of it. He made me promise never sell it. Didn't want me to make the same mistake. I have had a number honks and thumbs up while on the freeway. Others stop me in parking lots.

10-05-2009, 12:50 AM	#18 (permalink)
bassman54 No Skills Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: So Cal Posts: 23 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Smog guy pops the frunk looking for engine access, then does the Homer Simpson "doh!" Checking the oil at a gas station, young guy in a Nissan says "cool engine in the rear", asks what kind of car and what year, and nearly freaks when I show him it has 2 trunks, Frunk hood propped open preparing to stow the sunroof, a co-worker zooms up and asks if I need a jump. Visiting couple at church sees the same thing and asks if I need help. My daughter says she likes it because it has "small windows". I love these cars.

10-05-2009, 07:44 AM	#19 (permalink)
jsnod25 How did this get changed? Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Va beach, va Posts: 128 Thanks: 6 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	lol, i get the whole "is that your engine?" when i have the lid open doing whatever im doing with it at the time... I tell them "no, thats the time transporter, the engine is in the front silly..." then i get a dumb look... Also i had a guy with a Dodge Magnum (new) and a "Hemi" in it, and he wanted to race, unknown to me... i just drive fast, but once i came around the corner because we were stopped at a two lane left turn, i noticed he was trying to catch up to me taking the turn as fast as i could accelorate. So then i let him get nose to nose, then i floored it and zoomed all the way to 60 (speed limi) at which point i stayed that speed. Him not being satisfied that his new car lost to me, kept going faster and faster, prolly till about 75 mph, at which point the un-marked cop car turned on his lights behind me and went for him... I smiled and waved as i passed him.... And i get middle aged guys offering to buy it, or telling stories of their youth, when they had one "just like it"

10-05-2009, 01:59 PM	#20 (permalink)
IDon'tKnow but I can find out. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 132 Thanks: 4 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Sounds like the AW11 gets different levels of attention and respect for different people / areas. I was just surprised to see a guy hanging out the window of a $50k car showing love for a $900 car. I suppose the guy is an engineer (most folks are in this city) so he must have known how special the AW11 is. I get mixed reaction from people. I have a few friends who used to own AW11's who are envious and constantly reminding me to keep my eye out for another one. My wife absolutely loves the car and drives it every chance she gets. She doesn't get many though since she doesn't think a child car seat is safe in the 2. My friend with a 300ZX TT was fairly skeptical and mocked the car a little bit at first but then I let him drive it. He now concedes that if the race were DOWN a mountain I would spank him. One day, when I've got things running as they should, he will have to concede that I will outrun him up or down. The manager of the body shop I use talks about how he used to have one and how he regrets getting rid of it(seems to be a common feeling). There is just so much about the AW11 to love. Some people look at the car and think it looks like an ugly Japanese antique, but for anyone initiated it's a much different story.