The loose definition of “car guy” fits everyone from the dude swapping a blower onto his Chevelle to the kid putting spinner hubcaps onto his Honda. We’re all part of the car culture in one way or another. Recently, I have paid more attention to the automotive subcultures that surround us. BangShift is a pretty wide open deal with respect to automotive interests. On any given day you’ll see Bonneville, big rigs, drag racing, ad vintage road racing. What I’m talking about today is the narrow interests. Specifically the brand or even model specific subcultures in the automotive hobby.
I have been dipping my toes into a couple of B-Body and Caprice specific sites just to ask relevant questions and learn more about what people have done and not done with their cars. I do know know the GM model and option codes for all the cars and stuff like that, but many guys do. I do not find that weird with the Caprice crowd, but when I start peeking into Pacifica forums and they are talking Chrysler options codes and stuff it is totally bizarre to me. I have thought about trolling a couple of the Pacifica boards because I believe the car is such a steaming pile of shit that anyone who actually argued on behalf of a Pacifica must be hooked on strong prescription meds. On the flip side, some good things come from enthusiasts that “normal people” (HA!) like us would think are total weirdos. Take this for example.
When Chad and I were traveling to the MPMC conference in LA, we had a rental Toyota Yaris because that was the cheapest pile at the rental agency. We were able to find the complex and totally bizarre procedure to shut off the factory traction control on some weirdo Yaris enthusiast message board. We then did ATF assisted burnouts all over the greater Los Angeles area. Win for the Yaris board on some weirdo level.
From Chevy Luminas to GMC Acadia’s you can find specific board and enthusiasts for every car ever made (almost), even the toaster on wheels models.
What is the weirdest automotive subculture?
Rat Rods
+++++++1
I don’t get the attraction
Rat rod culture is sometimes very strange. Mopar culture is too.
Micro-car afficianados?
Here’s a group that actually allows Trabant fans: http://micromaniacsclub.co.uk/
The East German Trabant is pretty much rated as the worst production car ever made…
Donks. Don’t get it at all.
i forget the name of the culture, the guys in Japan with the over the top spoilers and body mods. Anyone heLp me out? It’s the most fucked up thing I ever saw.
That’d be the Bosozuko ( may of spelled that wrong ) The young understudies / apprentices for the Japanese Yakuza
Pt cruisers and chevy hhrs, very strange.
The whole Prius cult . They drive like boards on solid rubber tires . The brakes are wood at best . They look stupid as all ______ . Cost a heck of a lot more than you’ll ever save in fuel . The interiors are the cheapest dreck Toyota is capable of producing . Yet ! Prius owners treat their cars like it was a New Religion … promoting their precious Prius left and right … preaching the Tao of Prius as if God himself had made it …… and condemning anyone smart /discerning enough not to fall for the Cult of Prius .
Prius . The automotive equivalent of Reverend Young Son Moon
Hella-Flush/Stance. I don’t understand the appeal of crazy wide, super offset wheels with 20 degrees of negative camber to make it clear the fender.
That’s my current pick too. The donks are a bit strange, but at least they’re aware their cars are non-functional. The hellaflush guys sometimes try to race or drift their cars without realizing that they’d do a lot better without massive bump steer and with their tread fully on the ground…
Definitly DONK. For the baggy pants underwear showing afficianado. Or the new “Tilted” trend of nose high tin can exhaust 4X4 truck crap.
Donk ? Is that what they’re calling all these mile high – 24″ wheeled – rubber band tired – neon lit – excessively loud stereo equipped – full size P/U’s and SUV’s that the Gang Banger wanna be set is driving/drifting in the streets these days ?
Donk . Yeah ….. that fits . As in they’ve all been ‘ Donked ‘ in the head one too many times
I’ll + 1 that along with my Prius cult post !
Anyone who doesnt DRIVE their cars
Art cars. Those guys that glue weird stuff to their cars. Like toys or figurines.
The bosozuko crowd. I guess its about being as obnoxious as possible in a polite society.
Those crazy hyper-milers. Not ones that just buy a hybrid but the ones who think they aero engineers and start adding body mods to improve aero of the car.
Those traditional or rat rodders who live the whole lifestyle from the cars to clothes to hairstyles to where they live…..but covered in tattooes.
Around here, the Prius has become a status symbol to the hollywood set. It got really crazy when the state started handing out carpool exempt decals.so you could drive your little world saver in the carpool lane solo. The used ones that got a decal have a $5000 higher resale value. 99.9% of them are trend followers so desperate to be in the hollywood cool kid club they follow everyone else like hopeless sheep. This total lack of imagination is in the town that is supposed to be all about being different and having imagination.
Honda Insight guys and the general hyper miler culture. I can get trying to optimize your fuel consumption while still enjoying your drive, these guys make every braking, stop sign, and any other change in velocity event hard work!
A member works for me and he take great pleasure in indexing his spark plugs for maximum mileage….
well as far as weird ill have to go with DONKS also but as far as annoying and obnoxious ill have to go with the mustang and corvetter dorks….Always make it a point to park far away from them at any show or cruise in. They just dont quite understand that having cool cars is not about winning a freaking trophy.
I vote for the guys that build useless, jacked-up 4 by 4’s with 24″ rims. I don’t get that one at all. Also, hot rod magazine mentioned the other day that 20″ rims on musclecars are starting to look like a temporary fad, won’t miss that one at all…