Originally Posted by
Kitdy
But you see the different now, in the Northeast right? Way less old stuff. The climate is a huge factor for car culture.
Certainly. Add in New Englander's antipathy towards cars and you have generally cheaper cars because they're cheaper to replace and less-durable goods than they are at home. That and access to subprime credit which gives people the illusion that they can afford a boat; for which, of course they need a truck. Also, Subarus... Down on the Sound there is a vein of Anglophilia which means that nice XJ8s and XJ12s are temptingly-cheap. (So far, I have somehow proven smart enough not to pull the trigger) There's more money down there, so the cars' owners can afford to be a bit more whimsical.
I stumbled upon a lowrider/hydraulics meet the other day, and it was so surprising to see those kinda cars here. I imagine they're common sight in LA.
They were certainly around when I were a lad. Lowriders were the first cars that made me understand that performance wasn't everything. Back before I could drive, I was a fairly numbers-driven guy, but seeing lowriders glide down the street and dance helped me learn that there's more to cars than numbers. Throw in a growing appreciation of Chicano culture and some homesickness and they're one of my favorite genres of custom.
"Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
"No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"