Types of Mustang Drivers and the "Wave"
6/29/13, 06:43 PM
#1
V6 Member
Thread Starter
Types of Mustang Drivers and the "Wave"
I will say in advance I am a fairly new Mustang owner so maybe there is something I am missing here. Or maybe its that I come from another enthusiast group (off-road/4 wheeling) and have a weird set of standards? For example no matter what kind of 4x4 you drive if you see another modified 4x4 go by (lifted, tires, etc) you give the "steering wheel 2/3 finger wave" (similar to the nod when walking by someone) just acknowledging they share a common interest with you. I have not found this with the Mustang/Muscle Car crowd.
I have found that there are a very few Mustang owners that will wave, but a large majority that won't. I have a theory that it ties into the different types of Mustang owners out there. The groups I have noticed:
*Big Ego Enthusiasts: They look down on everyone else, even other Mustang owners (they let having a fast car go to their head)
*Non-Enthusiasts: Its just another car they own, they don't see it as anything more than a way to get from point a to b.
*Generation Specific Enthusiasts: They only share a comradery with other owners of the same generation of Mustang (like the Fox Body guys etc)
*All-around Enthusiasts: Don't care what kind of Mustang you have, they share their enthusiasm with others.
Or maybe I am over thinking it all. Just an observation I have made since I purchased the Mustang. Kind of like you don't notice a certain make/model of vehicle until you own one. Anyone else wave to other Mustang owners on the road? Had any encounters with the above listed groups of owners?
I have found that there are a very few Mustang owners that will wave, but a large majority that won't. I have a theory that it ties into the different types of Mustang owners out there. The groups I have noticed:
*Big Ego Enthusiasts: They look down on everyone else, even other Mustang owners (they let having a fast car go to their head)
*Non-Enthusiasts: Its just another car they own, they don't see it as anything more than a way to get from point a to b.
*Generation Specific Enthusiasts: They only share a comradery with other owners of the same generation of Mustang (like the Fox Body guys etc)
*All-around Enthusiasts: Don't care what kind of Mustang you have, they share their enthusiasm with others.
Or maybe I am over thinking it all. Just an observation I have made since I purchased the Mustang. Kind of like you don't notice a certain make/model of vehicle until you own one. Anyone else wave to other Mustang owners on the road? Had any encounters with the above listed groups of owners?
Last edited by DRaider90; 6/29/13 at 07:54 PM.
6/29/13, 07:39 PM
#2
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Nah. Hardly no one around here waves. It is ridiculous. I wave at all mustangs but have gotten like 2 waves back. It def aint no jeep thing LOL. I think you lumped everyone in the right categories though! Especially the ones who it is just another car!
6/29/13, 07:43 PM
#3
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Depends around here. To many stick v6 stangs driving around. They dont care. But if you find a modded gt or cobra your likely to get something. Might be a wave. Might be a head nod
Lots of waves here
6/29/13, 08:38 PM
#6
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I wave to all Mustang owners and barely get any waves back? 
Most of the waves I do get are from the same gen as mine?
Most of the waves I do get are from the same gen as mine?
6/29/13, 08:39 PM
#7
V6 Member
Thread Starter
I don't want to go off on a tangent in a different direction but that is something I have noticed also. A lot of V8 owners look down on the V6 guys, which I agree prior to the 3.7 is semi/almost understandable (but its still a Mustang and that should count for something). But that is a whole different can of worms.
The ones I come across the most often around here are the Ego ones. I am all for being proud of having a bad @$$ mustang, but it goes to the head of people too often. Like the 01'ish Cobra I parked next to at the gas station today, guy wouldn't even talk to me when I tried to compliment him on his Mustang.
I have noticed this also, but at the same time I had a guy in a S-197 (05-10 style) GT give me the dirtiest look for waving at him as I drove by. He drives an S-197 but I guess maybe he doesn't like the newer S-197s? 
The ones I come across the most often around here are the Ego ones. I am all for being proud of having a bad @$$ mustang, but it goes to the head of people too often. Like the 01'ish Cobra I parked next to at the gas station today, guy wouldn't even talk to me when I tried to compliment him on his Mustang.
Last edited by DRaider90; 6/29/13 at 09:10 PM.
6/29/13, 08:42 PM
#8
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I don't want to go off on a tangent in a different direction but that is something I have noticed also. A lot of V8 owners look down on the V6 guys, which I agree prior to the 3.7 is semi/almost understandable (but its still a Mustang and that should count for something). But that is a whole different can of worms.
The ones I come across the most often around here are the Ego ones. I am all for being proud of having a bad @$$ mustang, but it goes to the head of people too often. Like the 01'ish Cobra I parked next to at the gas station today, guy wouldn't even talk to me when I tried to compliment him on his Mustang.
6/29/13, 11:02 PM
#10
Cobra Member
I wave and will keep on doing so, even if I don't get responses (I do get a few). If the other guy chooses to wave back, fine. If he doesn't, no big deal. I come from being an owner of a Morgan (British, family owned company that produces about 600 a year) and of a Honda S2000 (nowhere near as rare as the Morgan, but still pretty limited production compared to the Mustang). So I'll keep on waving and appreciating those instances where the other driver waves back.
6/30/13, 12:19 AM
#12
I've gotten a few waves since I got the Mach 1 (one guy stuck his whole arm out the window). I had a guy in an 05-08 GT pull up next to me on the highway and give me a thumbs up the other day. I hardly ever got any waves in the V6. I did get a lot of looks from all drivers though because of the bright color. Around Charlotte most of the people driving newer mustangs are men/women who don't even turn their heads to look.
6/30/13, 12:36 AM
#13
Legacy TMS Member
Unless your hand is out of the window, I am not going to notice if you wave at me. That is why I don't wave at you. I have to be actively *looking where I'm not supposed to.* While driving that is. At a stop, I might look, but mostly, I'll be checking the radio, watching the lights, perhaps sipping a drink, and then it's time to business again at the green light.
Sorry. I don't mean to be a jerk about the wave.
Motorcyclists do this in solidarity of "ain't it great we're on two wheels?" but the other side of that coin is... we're not actually lookin' at the wave or waving back. We're saying to each other "I see you. You see me. Cool. We're paying attention."
Some Motorcyclists (mostly the ones that're on The Motor Company's bikes, for some reason) don't wave to others. And you mostly won't get it at a stop, because clutches and brakes require attention, it's not a great idea to be in neutral at a stop, after all. We do nod instead if we're actively lookin' at each other's heads in that case.
But yeah, inside the darker than the outside cockpit? Don't see ya. Busy keeping two tons of car in line. Maybe next time, cool?
Sorry. I don't mean to be a jerk about the wave.
Motorcyclists do this in solidarity of "ain't it great we're on two wheels?" but the other side of that coin is... we're not actually lookin' at the wave or waving back. We're saying to each other "I see you. You see me. Cool. We're paying attention."
Some Motorcyclists (mostly the ones that're on The Motor Company's bikes, for some reason) don't wave to others. And you mostly won't get it at a stop, because clutches and brakes require attention, it's not a great idea to be in neutral at a stop, after all. We do nod instead if we're actively lookin' at each other's heads in that case.
But yeah, inside the darker than the outside cockpit? Don't see ya. Busy keeping two tons of car in line. Maybe next time, cool?
6/30/13, 03:56 AM
#14
GTR Member
Well, Mustangs are obviously very rare over here in England, so I'll wave/honk the horn to each and every Mustang I see (even if I'm in my daily driver BMW.....they'll get a thumbs up).
Heck, if I'm in the Mustang, I'll acknowledge any American car or bike I see.
More often than not, that acknowledgement is returned.
Heck, if I'm in the Mustang, I'll acknowledge any American car or bike I see.
More often than not, that acknowledgement is returned.
6/30/13, 04:22 AM
#15
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I can usually tell just by looking at the mustang if the guy or girl is a waver or not. No offense to the v6 guys....but i gave up on waving to you in my area lol. Never received a return wave hahaa. For the most part.....it is the guys with older modded mustangs , or the new gt guys that give me the return wave. But that is still only a 50% chance. Only twice did someone wave at me and i failed to get my hand up fast enough for them to see my appreciation towards them. And one of those two was a camaro guy 
.
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Last edited by Tron; 6/30/13 at 04:23 AM.
6/30/13, 06:32 AM
#17
Cobra Member
I don't want to go off on a tangent in a different direction but that is something I have noticed also. A lot of V8 owners look down on the V6 guys, which I agree prior to the 3.7 is semi/almost understandable (but its still a Mustang and that should count for something). But that is a whole different can of worms.
The ones I come across the most often around here are the Ego ones. I am all for being proud of having a bad @$$ mustang, but it goes to the head of people too often. Like the 01'ish Cobra I parked next to at the gas station today, guy wouldn't even talk to me when I tried to compliment him on his Mustang.
The ones I come across the most often around here are the Ego ones. I am all for being proud of having a bad @$$ mustang, but it goes to the head of people too often. Like the 01'ish Cobra I parked next to at the gas station today, guy wouldn't even talk to me when I tried to compliment him on his Mustang.
And that was *before* I added the SHELBY letters to the car, so imagine the disdain and derision if I were to show up now...
It's okay though. I'll just keep doing stuff to my car without anyone's approval. By the end of July, my mod costs will have exceeded 20K, with most of the work being done by yours truly.
As far as waving goes, I used to wave but stopped because nobody waves back. I don't fault them for it, and instead prefer to think they're more concerned with traffic.
6/30/13, 06:38 AM
#18
Shelby GT350 Member
6/30/13, 07:10 AM
#19
Mach 1 Member
I wave and will keep on doing so, even if I don't get responses (I do get a few). If the other guy chooses to wave back, fine. If he doesn't, no big deal. I come from being an owner of a Morgan (British, family owned company that produces about 600 a year) and of a Honda S2000 (nowhere near as rare as the Morgan, but still pretty limited production compared to the Mustang). So I'll keep on waving and appreciating those instances where the other driver waves back.