A day in your hotrod

[marq]

Comon guys just want to know what it's like driving your favorite car,is it noisy ?does it smell of oil?does it vibrate whats it really like driving your car from your point of view and why does it give you kicks?........Marq

[Slide]

Is it noisy? Yes.

Does it smell of oil? Well, sometimes.

Does it vibrate? Been meanin' to fix that 'zaust rattle....

Do I like to drive it? Oh, yeah! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I just sold the Grand Am, thinking I'd get me a different daily, but I'm having way too much fun drivin' the ole Chevy that I haven't even started looking for a new daily. There's just something about bein' behind the wheel of that car that's, well, therapeutic.

[Paul]

it's too loud to hear yourself think,

it's hot as hell,

with about four pounds per horse power it's kinda like putting a small monkey on a thoroughbred.


Paul

[Donzie]

Is it noisy? A little, part due to the split manifold 6 cyl.
Smell like oil? It did but I think I found the leak.
Vibrate? Not much for a 50+ year old car....with radials.
Fun? HELL YES!

[crewcutkid]

Oh, it's a blast. Wind in yer hair, pedals mashin', the sound of baseball cards in the spokes, oh yeah...
Waitaminute...
Never mind. I don't have a rod...yet.
-Crew

[IntrstlarOvrdrve]

It vibrates..but thats the only thing chicks dig about it http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[whodaky]

Yup it's a little noisy, got a few rattles, got air leaks,leaks a little around the windscreen in driving rain. But it's my coupe and I wouldn't change a thing (well I run different wheels occassionally and I did change the yellow on the body to brown primer a few years back), it has taken me to hell and back. Geoff aka Whodaky
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/whodaky/COUPE1.jpg

[hotrod54chevy]

[ QUOTE ]
is it noisy ?does it smell of oil?does it vibrate whats it really like driving your car from your point of view and why does it give you kicks

[/ QUOTE ]

noisy...yeah,i'd say the body panels/molding/exhaust and engine shaking,yeah,it's a bit...oil?only when i'm goin fast..yeah..when i'm goin REAL fast on the highway my fingers go numb from the steering wheel and when i'm idling in traffic,you can hear the whole body of the car vibrating along with the crankshaft,but i wouldnt have it any other way...even though i've got a CD player,it only works half the time any way (thinkin about rippin it out and stickin in an AM/FM radio)..why does it give me my kicks?i dunno..somethin about doin better than 60mph in a 50 year old car with a late 60s engine does it for me...oh,since it's not much of a hot rod,does a mild kustom count?
Creepy

[marq]

yeah it counts experience always counts......Marq

[Rocky]

No muffler make mine loud alright.....and the whole damn car shakes on take-off like a dog shittin razor blades due to an oil-downed clutch. Due to missing/old hard rubber bumpers in the front sheetmetal, the entire front clip rattles on take off..The car doesn't vibrate too bad considering the passenger side motor mount consists of the two halves of the steel shell welded together after the rubber in it went bad.
Mine has trashed steering box output shaft bushings, making it follow ruts and irregularities in the road's surface a little and has about 5 inches of slack at the steering wheel...
Gotta crank the stereo to hear it above the engine's exhaust and the rear main seal leaks oil pretty bad. Unfortunately the smell of frying 15W-40 doesn't mask the smell of about 46 barn mice that usta live in the headliner.
Good part of that is the mice built their nest right above the driver [me] and knawed a hole for easy exit/egress directly above where I hold my donut. When I go over dips and bumps I get free sprinkles on my donut!
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, mouse turds!

[rev616]

what its like to drive the death wagon

by rev616

before you do anything,you have to unlock the door and grab the flash light laying on the seat.you then walk up and open the hood,and check the coolant (there is a small leak fromt he water pump gasket).after that youd better open up the gas cap and shake the car and listen to how much gas you have in the tank.you then pump the gas once,and fire it up.she will 90% of the time start with one pump.she will explode into life as noisy as can be.you would think there is no oil in her if you heard it,and the cold light ont he dash comes on.after a few minutes of high idle you can usually rap the gas once to get her down to slow idle.now before you close the door,you have to roll the windows down,106 degrees and 40 year old weathered interior doesnt smell the best.can can then pull the car out.the engine will rev up fairly quickly then pop into second,this usually happens right at the moment when i need to slow down to almost not moving to go over a speed bump.

now going over a speed bump is a whole new expirience.the shakes,the rattles and bouncing the car does from the worn springs and shocks is crazy.most people think the car will fall apart.you do this about ten more times to get out of my apartment complex.by this time you can smell the oil from the block and the coolant that has dripped onto it also.this is the point you would also want to stop and make sure she isnt spitting coolant everywhere,if shes not go on with the adventure,if so bring her home.

this is when the story gets fun.gun it and take a right hand turn and the tires will loose all traction and momentum will start building up in the ass end from the sheer size and length.you can usually go through a couple lanes like this.be sure to grab a hold of something,because with the worn shocks and springs it makes for an even funner ride.well its fun right up until it goes into second,thats when it loses all power as it takes about a half a minute it seems to "slip" into second (damn slim jim trans).the ride is pretty smooth after that.nail the gas and the front end comes up as the 394 comes to life.just make sure you are good at counter steering with the loose front end and you are fine.

make sure though,that you have plenty of room between you and the car in front of you.the people out here dont know how to drive and you have to double pump the brakes.also make sure you are only driving at night when nto alot of cars are out,because i cant figure why the brake lights dont work.


there you have it,a fun adventure in my 64 oldsmobile station wagon.

you asked,why does it give me kicks? because no one else has anything like it.it has all the power i need and gets me where i want to go sometimes.

[Jimv]

My T is noisey, oily, theres no doors, the seats are uncomfortable,theres no top, my legs are cramped, theres no foot room whatso ever,the pedals are in a bad spot,its windy &visablity sucks.But i would rather drive that then anything else!! I use it everyday the weather & season allows( i'm in NE).Its my daily driver, i take it to work, to the store, everywhere.!
Its my sixth season since i finished it & i have alittle over 30,000 miles on it.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
JimV

[gofast62]

no oil smells yet, its sooo loud you have to lift your foot off the gas to shout anything to your hunny. when you hit a bump the 70 year old car bounces your ass two feet up to the top. it will smoke the rubber at 40 mph. the most fun you can have with your clothes on!

[34Hupmobile]

My Hup is a bit noisy mainly because I don't have any insulation in it yet. Its breezy. I don't have the side windows installed yet. It purrs like it should and shifts and steers like a new car. The seat is real comfortable and the sound system is very good. The best part of driving it has to be the rubberneckers, the big grins I see and all the thumbs up I get from total strangers. That feeling that no matter where you park the old hunk of tin you're driving is the coolest car in the lot. People in Hummers, Escalades, Mercedes, etc. notice my car but who notices theirs? Let's face it. In a way our cars are like big neon signs that say "Look at me!". In another way they are therapy. A way to satisfy the need to be inventive, creative, to improve the car and ourselves. Or it might be just plain fun!

[CruZer]

I love to drive mine because it is 180 degrees from my daily drivers. It rides hard,accelerates like mad,goes around corners like a go kart,smells of oil and gas,but best of all..... it's LOUD. Especially when I roll the rear window down.All I can hear is those 3inch mufflers sticking out the back.I like looking in the outside mirror and seeing the rear tire spinning around.I like the claustrophobic feel of "hiding" down inside the coupe body where no one can see me.Hell, I like the way everyone stares at the car when I go by.Makes me feel soooo cool. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Who needs any other kind of therapy ????!!

[rustyford1]

Well it was noisy til a couple a days ago. After 2 years went from 18" straight pipes to Smithy's. Too quiet now. Now I can hear everything else rattle on it. Nothin' like the echo inside an empty pickup cab. No oil smells, but the radiator leaks a bit. My daily driver leaks worse than the rod. It's kinda breezy. The only glass is the windshield and it has a plywood floor. But that keeps the wannabes from askin' for rides. Only true rodders wanna ride. Besides it keeps the wife from wantin' to go with me all the time. There's nothing like flyin' down the road in the old heap though(the truck not the wife). Maybe someday I'll even put in a speedo.

[36couper]

Sunday night was perfect in the coupe. My wife's girlfriends were over and they all wanted a ride in the rumble seat. The best part was helping them, with their short skirts, get into the rumble. Great views.....tanned legs, white spots....you get the picture. What was it like? Heaven! I think the ride made them horny.

[mikeyboy]

noisy...kinda,
smell of oil...not since i got the 4.10 gear out & quit spinning the motor to the moon for 500 mi http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
vibrate...only above about 75 or so
leaks water around the cowl vent...no fun in the rain, (also no wipers)
handles like a go cart, is real quick in traffic, Little kids smile, (and their mommas too http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
goes to the beer store, home dopot , hey, it's a damn truck, and anywhere else i can think of.

[Flexicoker]

noisy: depends on how loud I make the vrrrooooooOOOOOOOMM...vrroooooOOOOOOMM noises
Leaks oil: hell yeah, even with no engine and trans it still leaks shit all over the place
fun to drive: It'll be a blast to drive, right now its just kinda fun to pretend drive.

woohoo!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/Flexicoker/Thunderbird/driveway.jpg

[marq]

keep at it flexi,i just finished (almost0 and hell yeah it's fun alright.Thanks for the replies i would like to see some photos of said rides so i can put car to name it's easier that way.........Marq

[Donzie]

marg, here's my newest flame.
I really enjoy driving this thing but I'm also looking forward to this winter (did I say that?!?) when I can make some changes.

[marq]

i just love those old fastbacks,especially with a chop and low they juss look so kool.That is a real nice ride Donzie real neat got any more?.............Marq

[Tudor]

I get in - fire up the the fuel pump to make sure the carbs are full of gas, tap the pedal a couple of times then turn the key - Braaaaappppppp - blum da di blum blllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap blum blum blum diddy blum put

turn the key again blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap and so on till it gets warm enough to idle - probably ought to hook up a choke puller - nah - maybe one day

drop her in gear then idle out - I usually can't resist one full throttle quick blast till I get out of the neighbor hood - then I turn out on the highway and let her loose till I get to 60 or so then I just ease off on her and let her cruise

leave some track at the next light - It just gets my rocks off cruising around, I don't have a rado, I just listen to the pipes and rattles. I put that car together with a couple of goals - must be able to lay two tracks on command-it will - and it must drive safely be reliable - it does and it is.

everything else just goes away when your out cruisin around for no reason but to burn some gas and rubber

[Mel]

Funny you should ask this.... just spent a few days in mine driving to and from the drags. It's hot, kinda noisy, wanders a bit on the road, dives when I hit the brakes, you get a little wet when it rains, and it leaves you smelling like gas and oil. Gotta stop every few hours for some fresh air... I guess driving my car is kinda like good sex. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[40StudeDude]

Some years ago, right after I got the '40 Stude Commander coop painted, I was on Colfax Ave. in Denver, heading for work when this guy in a new Mercedes hardtop pulls up alongside me at the passenger's window...I look over and he motions like he wants to talk and powers his window down...I tab my button and power down the passenger's side window...this surprises him, I can see the look on his face. "Nice car," he says. "Want to trade?" I contemplate for a minute, look him right in the eye and ask "How much difference will you give me?" Needless to say he didn't think that was funny and drove off.That's what it's like to drive a car NO ONE else has.

Is my car noisy? Only when you stomp on it and hear that four barrel sucking or I turn the stereo up real high and sing along.

Does it vibrate? Only at about 110 mph, or above...with radials it's smooth as a baby's butt.

Can you smell oil? Nope, but I sure have been smelling rear-end/axle grease the last few hundred miles!

Does it leak? Not a bit, but it does when the side windows are down in driving rain!

R-

[booboo]

something about the smell...oh that smell....of cam2 , tires burning and that death grip on the wheel...gives me goose bumps just to type it. hell ya i drive the wheels off any hot rod i have but thtas what they are for ,right?skipstitch has been tossin around the idea of a reliability run in the fall ,in the scenic rulal landscape,to replace the KKOA meet that has been rumored to NOT be returning in the next year.so for all of you who like the"a day in you hotrod" theme keep your eyes peeled here of in the futue issues of REV MAGIZINE.........

[fab32]

Too loud? yes. Hot? yes. Vibrates? yes. Leaks oil? yes. Wife likes it? NO. Do I have fun? More than can be described. Does it get smiles and thumbs up? Only from kids, women who would rather be riding in it instead of their SUV, old guys (and gals) who "remember when", and young guys who can't quite figure out why it's so cool. Would I trade it for anything else? YES, in a heartbeat, for 2 more just like it.

Frank