Blonde to Blue.....my attempt to tell you a story.

[Roothawg]

At the invinceable age of 17 I learned a hard lesson.
Humility.

I was out cruising my 36 Ford pickup with a buddy on a hot sultry Sat. evening. It was one of those nights where the sun seems to stay overhead til almost ten o'clock.
We were cruising down an old 4 lane blacktop road, just hanging out listening to the pipes of my newest 327 rebuild. It was the fastest thing at my high shcool. Undefeated I was.

I look over to say something to Andy and pulling up beside me was an elderly man with white hair...in a 36 Ford coupe!
So I lean out and say to him, "Beautiful car sir!" You see, we were taught to respect all of our elders. My dad would slap a knot on my head if I didn't.

He leans out and replies....You wanna run that thang...BOY?
BOY? Who's he calling boy? Sorry Dad, but that repect thing just went out the window.

Yeah old man....I'll run that heap! You'll be sorry, though.
OK, we'll run from the stop sign at 29th street to 7-11.
You see, things in the country are measured in landmarks, not miles.

Easing up to the stopsign, I roll my shiny silver metalflake pickup to the line...the imaginary staging lanes.
His deep burgandy 36 has a weird sound to it....what is that? That sounds like it is pinging? Why would an old man's 36 be pinging? Cheap gas?

The old blue haired racer raises his hand and motions for me to start the bidding.....so I do.
I jump down hard on the 327 and she screams to life ....the sound of the old Engle solid lift cam has a distinct sound to it. I grab second...the rear starts to drift .....6200...6300...6800...6900.. just a little more Now! 7000....bang her into high gear!
I should be leaving that old man behind by now. I am sure he won't be coming back.
Wait...what is that I see out of the corner of my eye? A door handle? No it's a .......rear fender? No it's a bumper?
Hey...what is the deal? Those taillights are getting smaller? Oh my God....I just got spanked by a senior citizen.

As I roll into 7-11 with my tail tucked between my legs, the old man is getting out of his car and starting to raise the hood.

Boy....you run a good race, but you lost.

I know...Sir.

Come here and I'll show you why.
As I wander over slowly to the coup, a smile starts to appear on the old codgers face. Boy, let me tell ya what you have just been whupped by. This here is my 360 cubic inch, all roller, 13:1 dual quad Chevy motor. I built this here motor for boys just like you.

It was all starting to fit together...that pinging wasn't cheap gas it was a compression knock. Dang...

He told me that I reminded him of a young boy he once knew. The only difference was that boy went from Blonde to Blue.

Root

[hotrodladycrusr]

Very cool story Root. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif I love reading hot rod tales. Thanks for sharing.

[jerry]

cooooollllllll!!!!!

brings back a few memories.thx


jerry

[cadlights]

Very cool Root, I been on both sides of that deal. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[Roothawg]

True story.........all my stories are true stories...just some truer than others.

[Bigcheese327]

That was great. I've been missing the fiction on the HAMB. I just re-read Purgatory Auto Salvage toe other day for lack of anything new - a good story itself.

[JimC]

Thanks!
40Studedude, look out! There's a ney guy on the block.
Jim

[mytlo56]

Man, that's great. Great, great story.

[Roothawg]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks!
40Studedude, look out! There's a ney guy on the block.
Jim

[/ QUOTE ]

Jim, I am not even close. I am NO writer, just had to relay a story.

[C9]

Good one Root, enjoyed it.

Been there too only my old man was a young doctor in a supercharged 54 Buick Century.

Write some more, they get easier as you go along and this one was laid out well.

[Roothawg]

Thanks c9, I take that as quite a compliment.
I have a few more but they are all life stories about street racing as a kid.

[porknbeaner]

Gawd Root, ya made me blush. That's hard to do these days.
Our first racer came about from about the same type situation. My blue hair was a country bumkin lookin' dude in a ragged out ol' chebby. He said it was a 265 (yea right)
Play hard or stay home Bro.

[JimC]

Jim, I am not even close. I am NO writer, just had to relay a stor

Root, you both have different styles, that is for sure.
Roger does tell a convincing story, and has ploished his style.

But, I see a flair for stories in you I had not known.
You and Roger have lived your stories, and in different time frames.

Try another, I think you will doo well.
JIm

And, remember, you are my heroe.
Sorry Rashy.
Jim

[kustumizer]

Awesome story!!!!! Do you have any pisc of your truck? Wicked Kool!! Nate

[Mike]

Nice one, Root!

[TINGLER]

Thanks Root that was a cool story.

JT.

[Roothawg]

Thanks guys. I might try another one later this evening if I can muster up the courage.

Kustumizer, here's a pic.
36 Ford pics (http://www.okceliminators.com/member%20rides/chriskim36ford/1936_Ford_Pickup.jpg)

[Rocknrod]

Sweet http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[imfatdad]

What ever happin'd to C-9's story hour???

[C9]

imfatdad,

You may be thinking about 40StudeDude's Friday night read.

I just fling em out there every now and then.

[Jeff Norwell]

Great story root!!!!!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[krupanut]

Cool tale, well told Root.

[imfatdad]

C-9, You are right, I apologize, I remember you occassionally spinning yarns too as well, though maybe again they were more tech. Could be the blows to the head from the wife have done more damage than I thought...

have your Cali book, I really enjoy it.

[Samantha]

Hey Root...don't sell yourself short. Anytime you can make the reader "see" the story unfolding...like a movie flickering on the big screen inside their head...
you can most certainly consider yourself a "writer". Thanks for the tale...I enjoyed reading!

[roadstar]

Great story. Reminds me of the many 5.0 Mustangs I have spanked with my 32 roadster. I have that same high compresion dual quad smallblock. And I'm that "Older" guy. They are always stunned.

[fordnutz]

1964----Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Stopped at a lite beside a Studebaker Lark. We were sitting in a buddy's new 1964 Pontiac with a 327 Chev, (this is in Canada). He revved the engine for the guy in the Stude to see if he would race. Lite changed and all we heard was ungodly tire scream and disappearing tailites on the Stude. My first introduction to a cad powered Stude or Studillac. Remember it like it was yesterday. Great times.

[hillbillyhellcat]

When I was 16 my buddy had a Chevy Malibu with a stroked 383, and all the typical goodies... We were racing one night, mostly against kids in thier mom's cars - when we pulled up to a late model extended cab Chevy truck with the big pipes... It was 4WD and had all that bolt on Lund crap on it, pretty much a Texas old man custom truck.... Anyway, there was an old man behind the wheel... We tached it up and so did he, the light turned green and he SMOKED us! Later on I found it had a blower on it! Never judge a book by it's cover. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[RacingStudebakers]

1964----Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Stopped at a lite beside a Studebaker Lark. We were sitting in a buddy's new 1964 Pontiac with a 327 Chev, (this is in Canada). He revved the engine for the guy in the Stude to see if he would race. Lite changed and all we heard was ungodly tire scream and disappearing tailites on the Stude. My first introduction to a cad powered Stude or Studillac. Remember it like it was yesterday. Great times.

Are you SURE it was a Caddy motor in that Lark? You might have been a "Super Lark" victim! Studebaker put out "package cars" in 63/64. They were Avanti powered with Avanti drive trains!

Watch out for those old Studebakers, plenty of us have put the old superchargers back on 'em! ;) :D

In fact, you can take a look on the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags website for some real eye-opening Studebaker stats. OR, you can join us at http://racingstudebakers.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/index.php for lots of Studebaker racing!

[Royalshifter]

Great story and the wise old guy was very cool.

[Scarebird]

Great story Root,

My GF drives my 83 "Girlinetta"; very stock appearing 83 Berlinetta- most came with 2.8 liter six- this one was a 305 car, later changed out for 355 Tuned Port, Head work, cam, 3.42 Zexel, etc. mid 13's- not the fastest but she humiliates the ricers who don't turn down the rap "music" long enough to hear the header's warning growl...

[RacerRick]

I used to have a wicked 340 in my grandma looking 74' Valiant 4 door. Fully ported X heads, big solid cam, big compression, with a stock appearing 71' 340 iron intake, stock appearing 340 manifolds, and a thermoquad in a stock air cleaner. I even put the A/C back on, but unplugged the clutch on it so it couldn't come on. With the built 904, 3500 stall converter, and 4.30 gears - it went 12.20's in full street trim on little bitty 245/60R14 tires. I even had stock hubcaps on it.

I never got beat in that car - the problem was finding someone torace! Noone took it seriously.

[ROBERT JAM]

Great, felt like I was there,summer night and all

[wlspdshop]

Thanks root..

[Nick32vic]

that was fun!

[dragrcr50]

Hey Root, that old guys name is Hart i think and he still drives the 36' on occasion lives off of 59th and drexel ave......

oh yea get ahold of me if you need a tri power for the nailhead i found one in n texas ..:cool:

[Degreaser]

Great shit. I love it.

[Hotrod F-1]

Great story. Even though this post is a few years old.

[63CadGuy]

Cool story! Brings back many similar street racing memories!

[sodbuster]

Digging and reading on the HAMB..........cool story.

[40StudeDude]

Hotrod F-1, glad you brot this one back up...Root's story is a good one...and cannot be that far from the time I was terrorizing the hiways/streets of Iowa...

Everyone has at least one of these stories...even famous and well-known people, believe it or not. I am currently assembling 12 such stories from industry and hot rod well-knowns...some pretty funny, some serious...the book's working title is "Recollections, Regrets and Random Acts." In it are guys like Neal East (former editor of R & C, former owner of the Doane Spencer '32 roadster; Darrell Mayabb...well known artist and car guy, and Frank Livingston, icon of the Satan's Angels car club in LA among nine other names you'll recognize...it should be released in time for Christmas...I think you'll enjoy it...

R-

[Hotrod F-1]

Hotrod F-1, glad you brot this one back up...Root's story is a good one...and cannot be that far from the time I was terrorizing the hiways/streets of Iowa...
I can't take full credit for bringing it back, RacingStudebakers did that. I found when back reading the two weeks I missed on the HAMB. :( It is a great story though.

[NONAME]

1959 I had the first year Dual carbed 650 Triumph Bonneville, I was invincible, till one Sunday morning in downtown Pasadena Cailf. a stock looking black 57 ford two door wagon. we ran every stop light from Arroyo Parkway to Rosemeade blvd. I lost 11 out of 13 block long drags. But at Rosemeade I knew I could pull him top end all the way to Santa Anita Racetrack. My thinking was to beat a bike off the line he must be running 5.13's or something! WRONG his taillights were almost out of site. When I reached the 90% sweeper at the end He was out of his car with the hood open and waiting for me. The best sleeper I've ever seen (and damn glad I never saw it again)
he told me he topped 155 mph on that run, made my 125 puny mph look small! Lathem Blown 430 lincoln in that baby and looked stock down the the dog dish caps
The only other time I lost was to Larry Watsons vette show car. it ran strong I think it had a three speed overdrive and made his one two shift about 70, I didn't want to see his top either.... no witness's to the ford but all my buddies were there for the vette dammit!

[19Fordy]

Root, Great story with good "seat of the pants" writing style. More please.

[Rusty]

Cool!!!!

[Roothawg]

Thanks guys. I'm not much of a writer. This was just a true story I had in my head.

[Jeem]

Rootsir, Do you have a pic of said '36 peekup? You were the guy in High School I looked up to while I was driving my '68 Dodge Dart.

[Roothawg]

At home I do Jeem.

[30roadster]

Thanks for sharing Root.

[Bob37]

Thanks guys. I'm not much of a writer. This was just a true story I had in my head.
Great story! You should put those stories down on paper and get them published. I did just that and had a book published this past June fo all my old hotrod and street racing experiences. My buddies all bust my chops and call me "The Writer". I tell them,"I aint no writer. I'm just a story teller who just happened to put it down on paper".
Give it a try. It could be fun. It was for me. Bob

[Cajun Kenny]

cool story and well worth the resurection!

[FLAT-TOP BOB]

if you were 17, i wont to know how you still remember that from so long ago! LOL


go silver

[COS]

First off great story I would like to hear more!!


Gawd Root, ya made me blush. That's hard to do these days.
Our first racer came about from about the same type situation. My blue hair was a country bumkin lookin' dude in a ragged out ol' chebby. He said it was a 265 (yea right)
Play hard or stay home Bro.




That is funny Beaner!! You are my ol blue hair!!

[ryno]

wow. i think the coolest thing about this tread is it was writen in 03', and of corse it was a bitchen story.

[wetatt4u]

Mr.Root

I can bullshit out my mouth with the best of them,

BUT..... when it come time to put it on paper, NOT so good !

My fingers typing the words ,get all tied up with the words in my mine and coming out my mouth.
If I'm not careful right here,right now it will start to happen...

It helps to have good subject matter and to have lived some or all parts of a good story.

That was a good one Mr. Root................

[chevnut]

Kool story man, thanks for sharin.

[C9]

Mr.Root

I can bullshit out my mouth with the best of them,

BUT..... when it come time to put it on paper, NOT so good !

My fingers typing the words ,get all tied up with the words in my mine and coming out my mouth.
If I'm not careful right here,right now it will start to happen...

It helps to have good subject matter and to have lived some or all parts of a good story.

That was a good one Mr. Root................



It was a good story . . . Mr. Hawg - for short - has led an interesting life and I'm glad to see one of his tales out there for the world to enjoy.


Lots of us have stories and writing them down is easier than you think.

The big secret is, write the story.
Don't go back and make corrections as you're writing - unless it's an absolute necessity - write it down, then . . . let it sit at least overnight.

Print a hard copy, read through it, see how it flows.
Pencil notations on your manuscript.
More than likely you'll find some parts don't work well, but that's what the rewrite process is for.


Use your word processing program and learn how to set up the "re-do" function for 10-20 saves.
That way you can retrieve your manuscript if you accidently erase it, and you will, even if you think you won't.

Reason for many saves/re-do's is you may want to go back to an earlier version.

Rewrite it, let it sit for a while and do it again.

Resist the urge to publish right away.
Guaranteed that if you do you won't like what you see when it's standing there naked and visible to the entire world.


Stories that work for me, for most HAMB'rs and ring true the loudest are the ones where the writer isn't always the hero or the winner.
Lessons learned are always a good way to go.

As you'll note, Mr. Hawg's story had a number of differing elements within that draw you into the story with a lesson learned being the primary one.

Write the story, polish it in the rewrites and if you've written it much the same as you would tell it, then you've learned a valuable lesson that will stand you well for life.

And sometimes you'll wonder how you wrote like you did.
There are times when it's like channeling a writer from another time and you'll find yourself talking - in print - like an old English gentleman and not know why you used the words you did.

Nothing like having one more skill to add to the multitude you have already.

Nice part is, you can pursue writing when you're physically tired, but your mind is still cranking along.

Writing is like bowling in a way.

How can you criticize a sport in which you have a ball in one hand and a cold beer in the other?

Too many though, and you'll miss....:D

[wetatt4u]

C9............

Thanks for the helpful and kind words.

I'll try to use some of them in my day ta day....

Look forward to reading the storys of alot of you guys on the HAMB,

As always in due time it gets easier to figure Whos who and which style ya like to

keep up with.

[C9]

If you want some good reading, do a search on 40StudeDude.

He's written some great stories about hot rodding, girls, fights, a mean dog and more than a touch of street racing.

The stories set in the wild and wooly land called Iowa.

Safe and sane SoCal during the same era, would perhaps have been a safer venue.

Things would probably have been easier for him if he'd discovered beach rattery on the SoCal Coast at an earlier age.

Regardless, an interesting guy . . . you won't be disappointed....

["Doc" Parsons]

How true the story is
"Doc"

[Ice man]

Im not a story guy, but I had one that i will never forget. Had a beautiful 40 Buick Super, 24 coats of black lacquer/4 1/2 W/Whites, 1964 lived in Pgh, at the time so it needed inspection. Took her over to Cousin Jims and he did the deed and I parked her out front. Wes talking, and I see this old Black gentleman, 80s to 90s walking round and round the car. So I go out to talk with him (well what do you think I ask) can't do the longo hes doing, but he says 1940 Buick Super, I says how do you know. He says,40 Buick Super got no running boards (Special Did). So he fixen to tell me how he know. I was a young man, seeing a lady upstairs, we didn't have no cloths on, and she up an hollers, hear comes my husband, man I jumpes up puting on my britches, and he standing there, he ain't happy, he knocks me down, I jumps up knocks him down, me, i'm a running, cloths in my hand him a hitten, I gets down stairs, my friends awaiting for me in a 1940 Buick Super. I jumps on the running boards and grab the rain gutters and off we go. 1940Buick ain't got no running boards. I fell off the car and that man like to killed me. LOL. What was so special was, here was this old gent, and you know that at one time he was young ad full of vinegar. and had memories. I've always liked to talk to the old timers cause they to had a lot of stories to tell. Ice man

[Tony]

GREAT story!!!!!!!!!!!!
I miss the friday night read's myself...i alway's looked forward to 'em.

[Roothawg]

That was an old one. I just linked it because I was too lazy to tell the story again. Thanks. It has been so long I may have to read it myself.

[C9]

That was an old one. I just linked it because I was too lazy to tell the story again. Thanks. It has been so long I may have to read it myself.


You need to write some more stories . . . and post em.

[Weasel]

True story.........all my stories are true stories...just some truer than others.
Ah yes - truth is a relative value, as in 'how true would you like that to be sir? - A little true, somewhat true, very true or completely true?':D

[Roothawg]

You need to write some more stories . . . and post em.

I'm not that creative. That was a true story.:cool:

I did a lot of small town street racing, maybe I'll write some down.

[hotrod1940]

Some of the cool hot rod books I read as a kid were less well written than your story. Quit saying you are not a writer and sit down and develop a story and let the new career begin.
I look forward to your new book.