c/cars-and-coffee-clash

Talked to a guy with a stock Civic, now I get why some meets are dying

Last Saturday at the Pikes Peak lot meet, I was leaning against my modded GTI and this older fella rolls up in a bone stock 1998 Civic. I almost made a joke about it, but he started talking about how he built his first engine in 2004 and sold it for $1,800 to fund a wedding ring. He said these days everyone's parked with the hood up comparing carbon fiber overlays, but nobody actually drives hard together anymore. That really hit me because I've been chasing parts for 2 years and I honestly can't remember the last time I did a pull with someone just for fun. Has anyone else noticed the scene shifting more to show and less to go? What's the move to bring back that old spirit?

1 comments

emmap16•1d ago

Tried detailing my car at 6am before a meet, learned the hard way about dew

Woke up at 5:30 to get the Corolla looking fresh for the Sunday Cars and Coffee at the old Staples lot on 42nd. Sprayed on the quick detailer and wiped it down, then hit the road. By the time I parked, the whole hood was streaked with these weird spots where the dew was still sitting on the paint. Looked like I drove through a pollen storm. Spent the first hour trying to buff it out with microfiber but it just smeared. Lesson: check the grass and windshield for moisture before you start. Unless you parked in a garage the night before, just do it at 8am instead. Anyone else get burned by morning condensation or am I just the only one stupid enough to try it?

2 comments

oliverbailey•2d ago

That older guy's comment about my exhaust made me redo the whole setup

At the Caffeine & Chrome meet in Tucson last Saturday, this retired mechanic walked up and said "sounds like a lawnmower with a cold" right as I was revving my 280zx. I laughed it off but he showed me the exhaust was too short and the resonator placement was killing the tone. Spent Sunday swapping in a longer midpipe and repositioning the muffler, total cost was about $60 in pipe and clamps. Now it has that deep rumble instead of the rasp, and honestly that stranger knew more than anyone at the shop I originally paid. Anyone else had a random bystander give better feedback than the pros?

1 comments

kelly61•2d ago

The 6AM vs 10AM car meet debate, after the Starbucks on 5th blew up last Sunday

Last Sunday the 5th Street Starbucks meet got so crowded by 7:30 that someone backed their Mustang into a table full of iced lattes, total chaos. Now half the group wants to keep it at 6AM when it's calm, the other half says 10AM is when the real cars show up and show off. My buddy Rick swears the early birds get the best parking spots and zero heat from cops, but I've seen twice as many classic rides roll in after 9. Which time slot do you guys think actually keeps the drama down and the good turnout up? Anyone else had a meet split over start time like this?

1 comments

wesleybutler•2d ago

That 30 minute chat with an old Corvette guy changed my whole meet routine

Yesterday at the Cars and Coffee in Portland, this retiree with a '72 Stingray pulled up next to my WRX and we just talked while the coffee cooled. He said, 'You're here to show off, not to win. Why are you stressing about your paint swirls?' That hit different because I'd been obsessing over a micro scratch for two weeks. Now I'm planning to bring a camp chair and just hang instead of polishing the whole time. Anyone else had a random stranger at a meet shift how they enjoy the morning?

1 comments

ryanhayes•6d ago

I finally gave in and bought a battery powered impact for tire changes

Been using a breaker bar and torque wrench since I started driving 15 years ago. Saw everyone at the Cars and Coffee in Arlington using electric impacts and figured it was just showing off. Then I watched a guy swap all four wheels on his Miata in like 4 minutes while I was still on my first lug nut. Picked up a Ryobi one on sale for $80 last month. Not a fan of the battery ecosystem but man it saves my back. Anyone else hold out way too long on something obvious?

2 comments

jamiew83•7d ago

Tried arriving at 6am to a Cars and Coffee last Saturday to beat the crowd, ended up in a completely empty lot for 45 minutes

I showed up early to avoid parking far away, but apparently the organizer doesn't roll in until 7. By the time people trickled in, I had already left for breakfast. Has anyone else dealt with a meet that starts way later than advertised?

1 comments

alice_wilson73•8d ago

Ditched my $40 microfiber cloths for a $12 waffle weave one

Kept getting swirl marks on my matte black hood until I tried a cheap waffle weave towel from AutoZone. Anyone else find the expensive stuff is just marketing?

1 comments

evangarcia•11d ago

Buddy with a restored '68 Camaro told me loud exhausts are just a flex, not a fix

He said his car ran worse after he put on open headers and that tuning the carb actually made it sound good. Got me wondering how many meets I've been to where guys are just compensating with noise instead of getting their engine right.

1 comments

mark611•12d ago

Spent 45 minutes trying to find a parking spot at the Cars and Coffee in Portland last Sunday

I rolled up at 7:30 thinking I’d beat the crowd, but the lot was already packed. Ended up parking three blocks away at a 7-Eleven and walking back. Has anyone else had to ditch their car just to get into a meet on time?

2 comments

brian_coleman•13d ago

The Saturday that turned my meet routine upside down

Last Saturday I went to the usual Cars and Coffee down at the Starbucks on Elm Street. There was this guy with a beat-up 1987 Mazda RX-7 that looked like it hadn't been washed in years. He opened the hood and I saw a custom turbo setup that must have cost him at least $4,000 based on the parts. I spent 20 minutes talking to him and realized I've been way too focused on keeping my paint shiny and not enough on what's under the hood. Now I'm rethinking my whole approach for next month's show.

2 comments

rosebennett•13d ago

Old timer at a meet told me my stance was killing my handling

Guy with a beat up Miata watched me roll in on my slammed Civic and said 'nice boat, can't turn though.' So I raised it 2 inches and put real tires on. Now I actually drive corners without scraping everywhere. Anyone else get called out like that?

2 comments

bettyh84•14d ago

Tried backing into my spot at cars and coffee and got roasted

Last Saturday I decided to try parking backwards at the local meet in Austin. Guy with a pristine NSX walks up and says 'nice reverse park job, you scared or something?' Found out the hard way that most folks at these meets prefer seeing your engine bay first. Now I just stick to pulling in forward and popping the hood right away. Anybody else get weird rules about parking at their local spot?

2 comments

clark.faith•14d ago

The early morning meet at 6am last Saturday had 3 cars show up

Three years ago that same spot off Route 9 had 40 people before the sun was fully up. Last month it dropped to maybe 12. But last week only 4 of us showed, and this Saturday it was just me and a guy in a rusty Civic. Is the local cars and coffee dying or am I just picking bad weekends?

2 comments

brian_coleman•15d ago

Was dead wrong about ethanol-free gas until I ran it for 3 months straight

I used to think people paying extra for ethanol-free gas at meets were just wasting money on hype. But after my 2004 Mustang started idling rough and gumming up the injectors last summer, a buddy at the Cars and Beans meet in Austin told me to try it. Switched over in June, ran nothing but the premium ethanol-free from that Shell on Congress Ave for a full 3 months. The rough idle disappeared by week 2, and my MPG went from 18 to almost 22 on the highway. I still think a lot of the car meet gas talk is overblown, but this one actually checks out for older cars that sit. Anyone else had luck fixing a finicky carb or injector issue by just switching gas types?

1 comments

davidh88•17d ago

Walked into my first big car meet and hit 50 cars in the lot before 8am

I pulled into the Starbucks parking lot off Highway 99 last Saturday thinking I'd be early at 7:30. There were already 50 cars lined up in three rows, including a dude with a supercharged Mustang who was revving his engine while waiting for his latte. I parked my bone-stock Civic next to a guy who'd spent $12,000 on just the paint job on his Mazda. Has anyone else walked into a meet way underestimating the crowd and felt totally out of place?

2 comments

kelly.emma•19d ago

That guy with the lifted truck at the 7am Cars and Coffee in Austin nearly took out a Miata

Last Saturday at the Domain parking lot meet, some dude in a jacked up Ram 2500 tried to park in a compact spot. He clipped a curb, almost rolled over a parked NA Miata, and then blamed the coffee for making him spill his drink. I swear these mall crawlers need to learn their vehicle width before showing up at 7am. Has anyone else had a close call with an oversized truck at a meet?

2 comments

wyattmitchell•20d ago

That $200 ceramic coating kit was a total waste of money

Spent $200 on a DIY ceramic coating kit from an online detailing store last spring. Figured it would save me cash compared to getting it done by a pro. Applied it exactly like the video said, did the whole paint correction step first. Looked great for about three weeks, then water spots started etching into it, and now the hood looks cloudy. Took it to a detailer for a quote to fix it, and he said those consumer kits are basically just overpriced spray wax. He wanted $600 to strip it and apply a real coating. Should have just kept using the $15 sealant I bought at the auto parts store. Has anyone else gotten burned by those DIY kits or did I just mess up the application?

2 comments

avery_carr57•22d ago

Why does everyone at meets pop their hoods before the coffee even arrives?

I've been hitting the Cars and Coffee at the old Starbucks on Route 9 for about 6 months now, and every single time, half the crew has their hoods up before 7 AM. It's like a race to see who can display their engine bay first, but nobody waits to actually look at anything. Last Saturday, a guy in a Mustang had his hood up for 45 minutes while he drank his latte inside. Am I the only one who thinks this kills the whole vibe of walking around and chatting before the sun gets brutal? Does anyone else prefer to just park, grab a cup, and then check out cars in a natural flow?

2 comments