Hadn't really heard "Hoopty" or "Hoopties" until the last few years here where I live now in Michigan; I took the reference as I've heard it to mean almost any older "jalopy". We have cruise night downtown each monday night in summer. The mix includes everything from the newer expensive muscle cars and "luxury sports" types stuff to radical custom "lead sleds", deuce coupes, a number of immaculately restored or well preserved true oldies from the 20's or 30's, a couple of the most rudimentary "rat rods" imaginable, and one old geezer who has the temerity to show up in a custom painted Ford Focus with a home-made grill . The locals are a tolerant bunch, and haven't run even him out of town.