whose head turns

[azruss]

My car has now been on the road since Sept. With the mild winter, the car has been out at least once a week if not twice. Everytime out, i get at least one comment on the car. I have noticed a pattern. Top of the list is bikers. I always get a response from one everytime out. 2nd is old farts, like me. My favorite was 4 old ladies driving around in a well worn 80s vintage piece of Detroit iron. Pull next to me at a light, rolled down the window and asked if i wanted to trade. The driver said she would trade her passenger for the car. Lately Im getting response from the under 25 set. Also, get a big smile and comments from the Mexicans.

[garion]

Yeah, when I drove my old one around town, I'd have some mexicans coming over asking about it. I had 3 'body guys' come over offering to do work

[fiat218]

Lots of people comment in my area, hell they don't even know what I'm driving half the tine

[speedracer]

Mine is pretty much bone stock, but clean, and it gets a lot of "nice, what is it?" or "very pretty" comments and some thumbs up.

I find that immigrants, of which there are many in NYC, really like the car and know it well. I guess Fiat's were pretty popular in foreign countries. Italians from the old country are especially fond of the car and seem to almost swell with a little pride when they see it...

[spiderdan]

Last year I was heading up to the cottage and stopped at a local "choke and puke" for a couple of hot dogs and of course, a poutine.
A couple of teens were hanging around and were checking out my Spider. After looking at my plate, they knew what year it was (way older than most of them...added together) and that it was a Spider. Then one of them spotted the little "F"s on the side of the car and said "C'est une Ferrari" (it's a Ferrari). I could have pointed out the hood/trunk badges...
I smiled as I drove away thinking, who am I to argue with them...
Must have been the talk of the town, 68 Ferrari stops at chip wagon!

Another Spider Priceless Moment.

[spidernut]

Most recently, a woman who was about 70-75 said she loved my car followed by two 7-9 year old boys who shouted as I drove by. Most of the detailed compliments and conversations come from people between about 45-70 it seems. I still get many compliments from the 20ish year old crowd mainly because I teach classes to brand new airmen in the Air Force.

I found the younger crowd has less interest simply because they can't work on their own cars and it doesn't look like this:

[81SPIDERMATT]

had a guy last night stop me at the gas station.... what year is that ... it is an 81 ... he then told me about 2 78s that he had and made one good car ... all the work he did and how great it was in the corners ... at that moment a younger kid walked up and said is that front wheel drive ... person 1 said yes it is ... I said no it is not ... person 1 said I believe you are wrong and left the conversation in a huff mumbling about how someone should not own a car like that if they don't even know that it is front wheel drive ... popped the hood for the younger kid and continued talking as person one drove off giving me the finger and shouting obscene things ... that was a first for me

I also get a lot of bikers thumbs up too ... as well as "what is that "

[timspider]

fun thread. I've never had a car that anyone commented on before with a few exceptions for my super clean chevy surfer van that I used to drive. Have driven many company cars for jobs- the super bland variety.

I just got this car last Summer. PO painted it gold and also painted the stock wheels to match. Sounds cheesy but has really grown on me as I get all the nooks and crannys cleaned and detailed.
Last Fall got a random shout from a pedestrian, "nice car!"
Managed to shout back a "thank you" while somewhat shocked.
Then a guy my age in a parking lot wants to know the year and we talk about 70's era vehicles.
A couple teenagers have commented. An elderly (even older than me) woman in Chicago loved it and told me so.
The other thing I have noticed with regularity is folks pulling up on my hip, next lane just behind me, and then driving right there for a while. The same way I might to get a better look at a cool car.

Good car for an actor, it gets attention.

[burgandy81]

Very funny thread.

My two favorites so far;

Quick errand to the book store one evening that happens to be near several restaurants. As I walked back to the car I saw three young women (mid 20s?) standing on the sidewalk talking. As I got closer i could tell they had had a drink or two. I stepped off the sidewalk and opened the door when one of them said "Is that your car?". I said yes which was met with "Shut Up! That is beautiful!". As I am over 40 that is the most attention I have had from a 20 year old woman in years!! My wife did not think that story was as funny as I did.

Second. I take the spider on a yearly rally in spring. Typically 1200Km through diverse terrain and all kinds of conditions. I try to keep the roof down as much as possible. One day we were in a very warm valley with fantastic sunshine. By the afternoon we were at almost 5000Ft in a storm of mixed rain and snow. During the drive I had slowly put on more clothes until I was wearing and hat, gloves and scarf. As long I kept moving I stayed dry with the roof down. On a long hill I passed a minivan packed with kids. The look an their faces and the thumbs up were priceless! I must have been quite a sight, rain and snow everywhere, hunched over the steering wheel, wipers going frantically with a huge grin on my face!

[vandor]

>Good car for an actor, it gets attention.

LOL
Maybe one day you'll get a role with your Spider

[spiderdan]

you'll get a role with your Spider

Better than a "roll in your Spider".

Enjoying this thread, tx azruss

A few years back i was at a stop light and this lady beside me in an SUV looked down said something to me. I turned down the tunes and asked politely "excuse me?"
She said "Mrs Robinson".
I said "exucse me?" (polite Canadians).
She then replied "Mrs. Robinson, you know that movie The Graduate, you and your car remind me of that great movie, I love that movie. Great car, thanks," and she drove off.
Didn't have then time to tell her that the car in the movie was a 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 (Duetto) and not a 1968 Fiat Spider.
Couldn't get that Simon and Garfunkle tune out of my head all day....
Here's to you Mrs, Robinson...

[4uall]

came out of a store one day and this guy was leaning against the passenger side of my car (pre new paint job) talking to two girls. As I approached he was going on about his Ferrari and how he likes to whip around town (while patting my Fiona) I quietly walked up got in the drivers seat looked at the girls and said "this douchebag is full of shit, it's a 1980 Fiat Spider and her name is Fiona" then drove away

[bonsaiwino]

While at a gas station with my '79 red/tan Spider, the guy at the next pump said, "That's either really old or some brand new model." When I said,"It's a '79," I thought he was going to fall over, as the complements began flowing! I was very proud & thanked sincerely him.

[SunnySideUp]

Most of the compliments I get are "Nice Triumph!" They apologize after I tell them it is a Fiat, and thank them anyway. I've just stopped correcting people and enjoy the compliment just the same. I get an occasional wave on the road from folks. Other situations have been more fun. One was at a gas station where I was filling up and a father and son in a pickup truck pulled in the adjacent bay. The windows in their truck were down. The son pointed out the window at my Spider and asked his dad "What's that?!" I overheard his dad say "I don't know but I'm sure it's expensive." You could have pushed me over with a feather! The other was at a Cars & Coffee event. I was one of the last to leave after talking with a Jaguar owner for quite a while. When I got into my Spider I was approached by a 20-something lady who asked if I would consider selling my Spider. She informed me that her boyfriend told her all about these cars and this is the first time she had seen one up close. Her boyfriend came up and said that he had a Spider as his first car and that he regretted ever trashing it and wished he had it back. "Are ya sure you don't want to sell it?" he asked. I just smiled and said "Nah." He seemed to understand. After that I fired it up and cruised home with a big grin on my face.

[RRoller123]

At a Cars and Coffee last Fall, I had an interesting exchange with a young couple from Europe (their English was not very good and my non-English is non-existent), so it sort of ended up with my understanding that they loved my Spider, and were very surprised by it, had never seen one in Europe and didn't know they existed! although they were very familiar with Fiats there! They spent about a half hour checking the car out and we really had a fun time trying to converse with each other about the details.

Like many of you, I also get a lot of gas station comments and discussions about the car, and they are always complimentary. Makes the day as they say!