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A couple of month ago at the C&C in Austin Tx, I parked my Carbon Car by the Barista cart. The guy had some kids with him. They immediately came over to check out the car after I pulled up. While ordering coffee we heard a yelp! One of them had touched the side pipes. He looked at the kid and said "Guess you won't do that again, will you" and went on the making my drink. We had a good laugh of how you used to learn and the stupid things we did as kids.
Later,
Richard

That was my thought too.

As for touching my car, so why not? I have two adult kids and a set of grand kids. I got my share hehe of prints where they not belong. One more set on my car - they will be wiped off like the other 129.633 prints....:LOL:

As for the hot pipes, I watch like a hawk when kids are around, even they are not mine.

Starting an argument over this in the parking lot is not a good idea out of several reasons. But foremost, you are there to have fun...

There's that video at the Kirkham factory, with a car lover commenting etc, sitting in a Cobra, with his metal watch band leaning on the door. I've seen one guy leaning over a new Ferrari to look into the rear engine, with a belt buckle.:mad: So what is the answer, wrap the whole car, and just rewrap it when it looks rough?
JD

first let me say that I did not read all the responses and my Cobra has 39,000 miles on it with lots of rock chips.

I have six kids, now 28 to 42 years old and six grand kids, so my response is different than some.

When we ( several of my Cobra buddies) attend a cruise or car show and see a kid (any age) overly interested in a Cobra we ask them if they would like to sit in one. On many occasion I have give some a ride in my Cobra. I hope this will increase their love of cars.

At a local evening cruise a few years back a group of out of towners were looking at my Cobra and the youngest boy was telling the others "that is a Cobra". He may have been 8 - 10 and most of the others were 12 -16. And the two mothers and one dad.
I ask the young man a couple of questions about Cobras and he answered correctly. Then I ask if he wanted to sit in it. Big yes. Out came the cameras and several pictures were taken. Then I ask if he would like a ride. Of course he said yes and I got his mothers permission. We were in a large parking lot with no one parked in one end. I took off slow and then spun the tires a little in second, then to the end of the lot and behind the buildings. Then I told him we could not spin the tires and act a fool on the hiway, gave him the safe driving speech before turning onto the hiway. We drove a couple of miles down the road turned around and returned to the cruise. While driving I asked about his school and what he liked, age, cars, etc.
When we got back one of the older kids ask if they could go for a ride. I got permission from the parent and away we when. Then the next kid, and the next till all eight (boys and girls) got a ride. Each with a little tires spin in the safe end of the parking lot with in site of their parents. All received the safety speech before enter the hiway.

Before they left the parents thanked me numerous times. The kids were well dressed and the parents appeared to be well educated.

The next week, a couple of local teenagers who saw what happen the week before ask for a ride.

I have read many stores about members of this site first Cobra experience, some got a chance to ride in a real Cobra. Something they never forgot.

I hope I have given a few that kind of life long memory. On a closing note I have give several of the dads a ride also. I get the same response as the youngest.

Dwight

Wow, you guys sure have it good in Alabama.

In California, if we took a kid for a ride and he so much as bumped his knee, his parents would sue.

Sit-ins are even a stretch. Rides, normally out of the question.

I just LOVE the for sale and do not touch signs--------------

Look what I got

No its not real

Don't touch it

If you got to ask -------------------------

Its polished be cause its aluminum----------------

All real ones were alum

Its a 427w-genuine ford------Dart block/heads, etc------------

Its got Electronic fuel injection

Its a 427 fe

Its a side oiler

its got 600+ horse power

on and on----------------

Yes, I forget how different other areas of the county are.

We attend shows in Tenn and Ga. and it's the same as here in town.
The South is more layed back about cars. Us old gray haired guys get away with more, like no tag or spinning your tires at 50 miles per hour. Different world. Some of our car buddies are from Ca. and we joke about some of the things that would get your thrown into jail in Ca.

And then there is London Ohio, burn outs on Main Street with the police keeping everyone back!

Dwight

Good post Dwight!

Tru

David,

You did the correct thing. Its not about the child (or dog), they haven't learned yet.
It is the A$$-HAT parent that need to be schooled in Car show etiquette, and often that falls on us.
I don't want too or like too, but I will!

Jason

Well I usually attend a few shows/auction events a year....maybe. Use to be more, but how would you feel if you have a rare/expensive(whatever term you choose to use) and some dumb arse leans up on your ride!

You park it for others to enjoy and talk to all who want to learn instead of sitting behind the auto in a chair like many do. That's why I always like the lines from the poem....good fences make good neighbors(Mending Wall).

I frequently invite children of the female persuasion to sit in my car. Especially the ones between the ages of 18 and 55.

I let people sit in my car, then say "quick, get out, I see the owner headed this way and he's an ass"

A few years ago at the Hot Rod Power Tour stop in downtown Muskegon, MI there was a high school graduation going on during the show. Two graduates and a priest from the school were trying to get some good graduation photos with my car. I stood up and said the photos would be much better if you were in the car. I shut the hood and let them get as many photos as the wanted. It clearly made their day.

The cars are to be looked at and admired by others. However, if the person was getting too close or acting like they didn't respect my property I wouldn't let them sit in it.

John

Here's how I see it.

Their children are their responsibility. Not yours. If people are at a cruise night or car show they should have the common sense and brains to control their children and instruct them appropriately If they don't they obviously don't have the brains or the decency. Therefore speaking your mind is fair game. If they don't like it. Oh, well. The TS doctrine applies.

You have the responsibility to watch your property and speaking up quickly when needed knowing their is one if not more in every crowd or all you will get is an "I'm sorry" and a repair bill and the aggravation that comes with it.

This is type of crap exactly why I have seriously trimmed down bringing my cars to public events over the years.

Hey cool guy! I take my COBRA to car show 3 to 4 times a year and I let kids climb in while their parents take photos. They get their little hands all over my machine and with a little bit of elbow work – my machine cleans right up. I spend about $800 bucks a year having it detailed and its garaged most of the time except when I'm out on a COBRA run with my buddies. Most of us have replica COBRAS and some of us have grand children. Yep I do! If I was there while you were whining about your car because a 2 ½ year touched it, you would probably found your butt in a local dumpster. Nous Defions and De Opresso Liber cool guy and if you want to get together some time – give me a jingle.

My father taught me to not touch what is not yours or out of respect ask before you do! Touching it is one thing....climbing on it is another. You were exactly right is helping the little kid learn something. With the response of his father the kid can now learn how to grow up to be a Dick! Teach him respect. As we all know .... the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Now put that in your Dumpster Mr. Cool Guy!

Being out in public yields a wide variety of responses, including when we were on display at laguna seca this year, a chap hopped into my green cobra and started grabbing the bottom of the seat and trying to wrench it forward - ( note; seat is bolted in place ) -.

One of our team went over and asked ,Sir,- have you met Lilly ?

- uh no ...the chap responded - well you should introduce yourself as you are feeling her up pretty good....

Our chap was politely asked to hop out.

The other one was we had pulled up to a car show and a cobra next to us had hot side pipes , and just as we are setting up - a little kid comes up in shorts and tennis shoes ( and an ice cream cone ) and hops on top of the side pipes like they are a step ladder to see into the engine bay , leans over and begins dripping ice cream onto the hot engine.

The problem insues when the owner of the cobra turned around and grabbed the child and pulled him off the car ( as his sneakers were melting ) and the kid screamed bloody murder. The mother then flips clean out of her skin and starts in on the owner....sigh...

To which , it was explained that the core concern was a burn from the pipes - well that sent her into orbit.... Why are you driving such an unsafe car !?!? Shouldnt that be illegal......?

Net-net ; Side pipes had to be recoated...

Mmm kids are not a problem.

It's the young girls who sit on my guard with their arm across the window frame top.

And damn they get annoyed when I politely ask them to get off my car.

This was the Motorclassic in Victoria...

We are trying to get them to ban skateboards and bicycles at the shows here. The darn bike riders will ride up to a Cobra and sit on their bike with a foot on top of the door or fender or wherever they happen to be and then scrape the paint as they drag it off. The skateboarders will start to flip the board up to catch it and it will fly out and hit any car close to them..

Ron :mad:

The last car show we attended with expensive paint on an SS Chevelle we had to leave a little early. Good thing shortly after we left in a row of Camaro's next to where we were parked several were keyed one from front to back.
We have attended a few shows in the Cobra with it's gell coat finish leaving it is much easier. Seldom are these cars not surrounded by onlookers and the nicks and dings give the car a nice patena.