FNG Intro from Raleigh, NC

[murph]

Howdy from Raleigh, NC. My name's Mark Murphy, and I'm a 41-year-old-bit-pusher-father-of-two-long-time-car-nut. I'm not a hardcore builder, but hope to expand my skillset over time. I've only been into traditional rods and customs for the last three years or so, but have dug every minute of it. And it's not just the cars... it's been a blast learning about the rodders, customizers, painters, and innovators of the scene (then and now).

There's a lot of history to explore, and even though the early car eras aren't "nostalgic" for me, I find myself drawn to the car-related stories, personalities, and styles from that time. Luckily there are great authors and publications out there to fuel the fire, plus on-line resources like the HAMB. If I added up all the time I spend reading, it would probably be more than I actually spend in the garage (which is kinda sad). It's bad when even your wife knows you read CKD for the cars and not the pinups. (Hehe, I'm not even gonna try to analyze that last comment).

Seriously though, my wife is the best... she's into the cars and it's something the whole family enjoys together. The kids are still young, so currently "the hobby" consists mostly of cruising the shoebox to local cruise nights and occasionally letting them "help" with stuff in the garage. They're eager enough to help, for sure, but it's a matter of knowing they're safe while you're fosusing on something.

As a result, they spend a lot of time pretending to drive whatever car I'm working on. If you have young kids and old cars, you've GOT to install a battery cut-off switch... not so much to keep them from starting it while you're under the hood (keep the keys in the toolbox), but to keep them from blowing the damn horn. Hehe. (This assumes your battery-clamps are a pain to get on and off like mine are.)

Okay, so there you have it, an intro and tech post all in one. I've been reading the HAMB for some time, and hope to post every once in awhile now too. I'm gonna go for broke and try to attach a pic of my '51 shoebox. Wish me luck...

-murph

http://home.nc.rr.com/lostwrench/HOP_UP_1.jpg

[NortonG]

That's the best intro I've ever seen.
Welcome aboard from the Great White North.

[SwitchBlade327]

cool, another NC guy. welcome aboard....

[Deyomatic]

Great intro, great car...Welcome home!

[Cruisin']

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Great intro, great car...Welcome home!

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<font color="brown"> Yup, Welcome, nice house too...! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
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[swazzie]

WOW! No shit Murph ,Those are some big ass windows! Great intro.Welcome aboard man .Bitchin ride . swaZZie

[HeX]

murph --

Did you come to the vendetta's car show? Are you a buddy of the zman's?

From one man stuck in pergatory (aka Raleigh) to another... WELCOME!

Tim

[Dirty2]

Great intro sweet looking car !!! WELCOME

[dixiedog]

Great intro and excellent tip on the cut off switch!!
Welcome aboard from NE Florida, my mom is a Murphy (West By God Virginia) and with that name you are automatically known as "Murph". Nice looking shoe-box done very nice indeed.

One question about your house, how much does it cost to heat &amp; cool that place? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


Newbies - read this and take note of how to write an intro! Notice the grammar, pic of car, family notes, age and even a bit of tech.

[AHotRod]

Excellant Intro: Welcome!

AHotRod

[34Hupmobile]

Cool car. Good advice about the switch. Especially if you have boys like I do. Welcome to fellow Carolinian

[48_HEMI]

That was a well written intro. I feel that I know you now!
I'm flying into Raleigh next Tuesday (Aug 3) what's for supper? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[murph]

Thanks to everyone for the great welcome... and cool to see all the NC folks!

SwitchBlade: My wife is from Monroe... we visit her folks when we can. Maybe we can hook-up for a beer next time I'm in town? When my bro-in-laws are there, we go up to the place that used to be Buffalos (I think it's Tumbleweeds now?). I've heard some good bands there.

HeX: Yeah, I was at Blood, Sweat, and Gears... the coolest car show the area has ever had. I'm already looking forward to next year. I do know Scott (zman), Jay (gonowhere), and have met a number of the Vendetta's members... I'm bad with names, but know the cars. Heck, I may have met you, whaddya drive? LOL

dixiedog: I watched that building go up, right behind my kids' school. The whole time I was thinking it would be a cool place to take a Hop Up style pic of the car. It's nice to see an office building go up with some amount of architectural interest nowadays.

48 Hemi: How long you gonna be in town? I live 5 minutes from RDU, so hooking-up would be easy. The Angus Barn is right at the airport... too expensive to eat dinner there, but the Wild Turkey Lounge (upstairs) has Carolina Brewing Company's finest on tap, and for as cheap as anywhere in town. They also have buffalo-style turkey wings. Shoot me an email and we can go from there.

[BigDdy31]

Welcome to the HAMB Murph. Very nice intro.

[Slide]

Welcome from a former North Carolinian! (I lived in Winston-Salem till about 2.5 yrs ago)

Looks like we are getting a decent crowd from NC.

[zman]

It's about time. Maybe someone here can help you find a truck.
And for those that want color here is Mark's car at BS&amp;Gs

[SwitchBlade327]

sending ya a pm murph, ever drive the shoebox down this way? I had a 50, but had to let it go since I couldnt' afford to finish it. thought about chopping yours??

[HOTRODPRIMER]

Welcome to the H.A.M.B.,,,,,,,great intro. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifHRP

[Gotgas]

I went to a wedding at the Duke University Gardens, I feel like you're a long lost brother!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Welcome from another newbie, albeit a Texan.

[LIMEY]

Nice intro...&amp; welcome.
drove through NC a couple of years back &amp; saw a very large peach, it looked like a big ass on a stick http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[SwitchBlade327]

hahaha, i know the ass on a stick you speak of!

[Boones]

welcome always good to see more Southerns on here, nice ride

[murph]

Hey Scott,

Yeah, finally made time to put an intro together and step out into the light of day. Hehe. Thanks for prompting me to get it done. Also, thanks for posting the color pic of the coupe... BS&amp;G was a total blast.

As for the truck search, you can call the dogs off. Although I'd love to find one, the kids started rebeling after we checked out that '48 in Burlington... we just can't get all four of us in it at the same time! So, we are opening up the search parameters some. The hunt is definitely part of the fun.

We ought to try and walk over to Cloos or Ruckus one day for lunch soon. Maybe Tuesday next week?

-murph

[SwitchBlade327]

Let me know what kind of vehicle your looking for and a price range. I hear about lots of stuff since I work in a parts store....

[fab32]

Now that's the proper way to come in the door. Good intro and a sweet looking car. I think you'll fit right in here, Welcome.

Frank

[zgears]

welcome, from another former North Carolinian.

[zman]

[ QUOTE ]

As for the truck search, you can call the dogs off. Although I'd love to find one, the kids started rebeling after we checked out that '48 in Burlington... we just can't get all four of us in it at the same time! So, we are opening up the search parameters some. The hunt is definitely part of the fun.

We ought to try and walk over to Cloos or Ruckus one day for lunch soon. Maybe Tuesday next week?


[/ QUOTE ]

So it needs to seat four, hmmmmm.... that opens up a world of choices...

Tuesday is cool....

[Kinky6]

Yeah, like a '54 Suburban, perhaps?

Welcome to the H.A.M.B., from another Raleigh expatriate.


Later, Kinky6 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[SwitchBlade327]

Why is it only the shitty intros get more than one page????

[59BuickWagon]

Great intro and welcome aboard. I'm fling into R-D 8/16 (and leaving 8/17). Any cruises no Monday nights?

Dennis

[zman]

[ QUOTE ]
Why is it only the shitty intros get more than one page????

[/ QUOTE ]

Well this one wasn't shitty and it's on its second page now....

[Jeff Norwell]

[ QUOTE ]
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Great intro, great car...Welcome home!

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<font color="brown"> Yup, Welcome, nice house too...! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
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....this is a GREAT PLACE <font color="red"> </font>

[48_HEMI]

Zman, you count like a florida election. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif Murph. had my flight changed, I'm flying straight into Greensboro on the 3rd for a convention the 5-8 and flying out on the 10th. I'm going to start a new post to see if I can find something to look at on the 4th and 9th http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[murph]

Dennis: There's no Monday/Tuesday cruises or happenings in Raleigh that I'm aware of. Drop me some email or a PM if you want to try and hook-up for a beer. Sheesh, who'da thunk that Raleigh was such a hot HAMBer destination?

Hemi: I don't know much about the g-boro car scene, but here's a link that I use to keep tabs.

NC Car Shows/Cruises (http://www.usamotorevents.com/nc.htm)

Looks like G-boro has a cruise on Friday nights at Jan's/Sonic... maybe that'll fit your schedule?

zman: Pretty sure Switchblade was just making an observation that "intros in general" tend to run over one page. He lives near my wife's hometown, and we've been exchanging PMs about getting together on our next visit to her folks.

It's great to see all the NC ex-pats on-line... I've lived a bunch of places too, but I've been in NC for 19 years. Damn, time goes by fast - I've been here for almost half my life! Yikes.

[zman]

I think it's funny, I count like a Florida election. Naw, I count much better than that. I see 48Hemi's retort and raise him the 3rd page. (that's 15 posts a page for those that keep count).... Yippeee!!!

And the Winston-Salem guys may be able to help more with the G-boro stuff. Or did they all leave with Fatass?

[48_HEMI]

I callin you Zman, what's with the Z stuff anyway Zgears was from NC too? I just put a windshield in his chopped 29 frame.
Wed.Aug 4 is the ony total free day I have left. if you could put together a Raleigh garage crawl or something. I want to use some of the unlimited miles on my rental car. I have insurance do you have any nasty dirt roads lol
Monday Aug 9 is my other day but I'll be in the Charlotte area if there is anything going on there http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[zman]

I have an excuse my last name is Zekanis. So all my life I've been zman, no one wants to pronounce my last name. And hell yes a garage crawl would be awesome. I'll be easy to get ahold of, I'm sure Mark can escape for a little bit..

[murph]

Wednesday night works for me. You can show off that nailhead you're gonna finish between now and then. ;-) I'll bring a few 6's to help celebrate. Even if you don't finish the nailhead, you can help finish those.

[hotrodladycrusr]

I'm impressed! GREAT intro, love the shot of your ride. Welcome aboard.

[SwitchBlade327]

I''m supposed to off work the 7th and 8th, what's gonna be goin on??