The Jalopy Journal

SamIyam · 07-08-2005, 12:33 PM

What? Build a hot rod with your mind?

No tools, no garage, no money... no parts required?

No.

Sorry guys... this isn't some sort of "mind over matter" tech post.

It IS however about conquering the daunting task of building a hot rod or custom car.

Some of you may be tired of me saying "Time + Money + Knowledge = Hot Rod"...

But this addage holds true... and after much thought, it needs to be expanded.

It needs more elaboration because there is a very important component that is missing... YOUR MIND.

More specifically, AMBITION.

Ambition is something that is intertwined within all aspects of hot rod construction... if you don't have it, you'll go down in flames shortly after you mock all the parts up in your car port.

But how do we get it? How do you generate it? How do you foster it in others?

First off... to paraphrase Zora Arkus Duntov, you have to "Eat, Sleep and Breathe" this stuff.

Jumping on the bandwagon and THINKING you eat, sleep and breathe hot rods isn't enough.

I see it all the time... kid notices hot rods are cool, kid buys rusty body panels at swap meet or from an add in the paper for $100, kid sees someone claim they built their hot rod for $2000... and then, when the hot rod doesn't mysteriously build itself, he bails.

Often times he blames it on the lame "scene"... or the fact that he doesn't have the time... or money...

Oh, but NEVER on the root of the problem, which is lack of skills and knowledge.

Talk about a balloon popper... nobody wants to admit that they don't have the skills... especially after being able to quote Popular Rat Rodding Magazine and being able to rattle off all the important founding fathers' names... "I mean, won't that get me somewhere?"

No, not by itself.

Knowledge is something EARNED... you don't get it overnight, and you have to work your ASS of for it. If you're not willing to work, you'll never acquire the knowledge to build a hot rod. You definately don't come into this game wanting to fail, and you may percieve that you have a whole bunch of AMBITION... but then you realize you don't have the knowledge, and then that puts a hole in your ambition balloon.

Where do you get knowledge? Well, the HAMB is a good start. I mean, you can ask ANY question on here... and it WILL be answered. The knowledge base of this electric box is amazing.

But all too often, guys put all their eggs in one basket, they rely on the HAMB for ALL of their information... I mean, there are just some things that you have to discover on your own!

"Gee, if I hit this with a hammer... it's gonna make THIS thing move"

or

"If I turn this thing this way... THIS thing is going to do THAT"

It's called "street smarts"... and you get it from doing MUNDANE mechanical jobs. Like changing the oil in your car, doing a brake job... or pulling a set of heads to do a valve job.

If you haven't changed the oil in your daily, or done a brake job... you have no business trying to build a complete hot rod from the ground up... at least not yet anyway.

Some guys dream of building a pre-48 hot rod... but sometimes its better to cut your teeth on something a little newer.

Buy a 60's car... or a 50's car... it can be a four door... change the oil, slap a set of disk brakes on it... progress to doing a rear end swap... buy a small welder, weld some trim holes up... maybe fab some small parts, brackets... a battery hold down strap... maybe then french the headlights or tail lights, or both.

So Ambition is intertwined with knowledge in the fact that if you don't have any knowledge, or very little knowledge... your frustration level will go up, and your ambition level will go down.

Time.

Time is a very important aspect of building a hot rod or custom. If you do not spend the time on your hot rod, you ain't gonna get it built.

You have to MAKE time... my suggestion is to dedicate at LEAST one night a week, and one weekend-day a week to your car. If you can't afford to spend at least one day or evening on it, it'll take you years to build the thing... frustration will be up, ambition will be down.

Some guys are CONTENT with having a "life" project... something that sits in the garage under a bunch of crap... and never gets built. If this is the case, why even have a hot rod? I think guys like this just have them for the bragging rights... they get on the internet, spew knowledge gained from being on the internet, they go to swap meets and car shows to "stay in the loop"... but NEVER get anything done.

Screw that... take up GOLF why don't ya...

heck, buy a lottery ticket and keep DREAMING...

Family.

Family is important... and you have to have their support. Mostly for the TIME issue... if your old lady doesn't want you to spend one night a week out in the garage... get a new old lady.

I've always said, that if a woman really loves you... she'll support you in your endeavors, at the least... tolerate them.

I call it "going to bat"... you have to go to bat for the things you want...

"honey, would it be ok if I went to a car show?"

"No, that's all you ever do is go to car shows... we need the lawn mowed, the house painted, the kids bathed, the bush waxed... blah, blah, blah"

"Yes dear"

You're going down in flames gimpy!

Do the chores, the honey-do list, bust ass at work for the promotion... don't attend every freaking car show... don't get DIVERSIFIED with your hobbies... Golf, Bowling, Sports games, TV... the computer...

Ya gotta keep the pussy gods happy... so don't waste all your fun credits on stupid stuff...

and if you save them all up... and the old lady STILL won't let you spend time out in the garage... get a new old lady.

Likewise, if you spend time in the evenings watching TV, or hanging out on the computer, don't bitch that your hot rod isn't getting built.

You have to spend time... time learning, time working and time THINKING about how you're going to build it.

If you don't spend the TIME... your frustration level goes up (because you're not making progress) and your ambition level goes down.

See a theme here?

Lastly, your MIND...

After you have all your ducks in a row... you still have that mental challenge.

Sometimes you just have to take a break... or go to that car show, or have a friend motivate you or come to the HAMB for moral support...

You get in a rutt... it happens to all of us... to prevent this from happening, keep tabs on those other areas.

Learn as mush as you can.

Bust your butt to soak up information.

WORK towards acquiring the SKILLS you need.

Stay on top of trends so you aren't building something people are gonna LAUGH AT.

Don't work in circles, do it right the first time...

Set REALISTIC goals for yourself.

Hang out with like minded guys... guys who fabricate hot rods or customs, even street rods.

Buy a welder.

Take a welding class.

Buy a beater... thrash on it to make it BETTER.

Go to swap meets, car shows... and wrecking yards.

MAKE TIME...

Get rid of that old lady who won't let you work on your car.

Bust ass at work to make more money to spend on your hot rods.

No "good" ever came from sitting in front of the TV...

And finally... share what you do on the HAMB... this place is like a 12 step program where the KUDOS are free and frequent.

Sam.

**Paul** · 07-08-2005, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

The knowledge base of this electric box is amazine.

Sam.

I always thought of her box as Amazonian

Deuce Rails · 07-08-2005, 01:20 PM

Wow, Sam.

This is a great message, and you deliver it well. Thanks.

--Matt

**raven** · 07-08-2005, 01:22 PM

Well said Sam.
When I got my '54, I did not know how to weld.
It needed floors, cab corners and cowels.
I had to (gasp) take the bed off and then (gasp, again) take the cab off to get to where the floors should have been. I had no one holding my hand. I knew that I would have to get my own hands dirty to get it done.
Now, I have great respect for those who have done this all before and even greater respect for those who have done this repeatedly.
I also am not afraid to get the metal out and weld what I need. I recently inherited someof my faher-in-laws machine tools.
Guess what, now I get to learn that end of it.
r

joeycarpunk · 07-08-2005, 01:30 PM

Hope people take the time to read this, nicely put.

OFT · 07-08-2005, 01:34 PM

Great measage and well put. Young guys come over to my shop and see the hot rods and think all they need is a few hand tools and they'll be done in a couple months (some saw a TV show on a car club building a T), didn't think it took anymore than that to build a hot rod, LOL.

SamIyam · 07-08-2005, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raven61

Well said Sam.
When I got my '54, I did not know how to weld.
It needed floors, cab corners and cowels.
I had to (gasp) take the bed off and then (gasp, again) take the cab off to get to where the floors should have been. I had no one holding my hand. I knew that I would have to get my own hands dirty to get it done.
Now, I have great respect for those who have done this all before and even greater respect for those who have done this repeatedly.
I also am not afraid to get the metal out and weld what I need. I recently inherited someof my faher-in-laws machine tools.
Guess what, now I get to learn that end of it.
r

You have the perfect attitude for building cars! Sometimes you have to take that leap of faith (like pulling the bed off or cab off, in your case)... and just DO IT.

Making mistakes is also part of the equation... I know it sounds corney, but you learn from your mistakes!
Sam.

**raven** · 07-08-2005, 01:41 PM

"Learn from your mistakes"

Yeah, I learned about how sheet metal shrinks and bows when not welded properly. Little things like that...
r

**HotRodDrummer** · 07-08-2005, 01:42 PM

Great post Sam!!

Great points made, I think everyone that reads it will take something from it.
My Buick has been sitting in the corner for the last three years...brb

Thank you,
HRD

elcornus · 07-08-2005, 01:42 PM

And NEVER be afraid to ask questions. The only dumb Q there is, is the one you never asked!

JonnyRockets · 07-08-2005, 01:48 PM

Love the post. Must print it out and put it on the wall.

the old lady won't appreciate it as much me thinks.
shit.

haha

Jon

Goober · 07-08-2005, 01:50 PM

Looks like it's a great post, Sam, but I gotta run to Jiffy Lube before my tee time this afternoon. Maybe tomorrow after the Cubs game I'll have a chance to read it before Law & Order comes on!

Shiftymutt · 07-08-2005, 01:57 PM

Posts like this and People like Sam are the reason that I stay on this board and the "other" boards have way fewer users....

just this last weekend I traded a guy his stock 37 ford bed for my "chopped" 35 bed. I bought a welder a while ago and had done some little crap with it....Anyway I brought home the stock bed and knew I needed to cut 10 inches off the front to make it look right on my truck....I have never done this and had done very little actuall fabricating on my own....Well at the end of the day the bed is 11 inches shorted the floor is cut out and the bracing is done...Along with that was some custom shock mounts and repairs on the doors...

It was a huge leap of faith that I could do it...You know what, after I was done I thought to myself that I could handle anything (I know I can't but i still felt like I could). Thanks for the post....

**Harrison** · 07-08-2005, 02:02 PM

Awesome post Sam.

I'm not giving up....

JH

touchdowntodd · 07-08-2005, 02:08 PM

FREAKING GREAT GREAT GREAT post man, no doubt this is what its ALL about... im not givin up, but it will take me til spring.. LOL.... but yeah man, thats how i got my body and shit, people gave up..... LOL... thats how i like to get all my parts, CHEAP! buildin for under $400, well, $1000 if u add 17" spokes and tires, HEHEHEHE... anwyays... when i get along the way, i will post pics... but WAY TO GO with kool ass post...

4t64rd · 07-08-2005, 02:11 PM

Great tech!

If yours is like mine, you are gonna hafta pin her down to a written list of honey-do's or the list in her head will always be unfinished...

and your dreams of driving that hot rod will be.

Sam F. · 07-08-2005, 02:20 PM

excellent post!

i agree,,

also,,ive learned that spending ATLEAST 1/2 an hour a day everyday after work,weither your tired or not gets results quickly,,i know,it doesnt sound like alot of work time,,but it adds up quickly,,getting started is the hardest thing sometimes..if you give your self that weekly goal,,odds are after geting started,,you wont want to stop after a half hour of work..

if you dont set aside time,,your not gonna get anything done,,a saturday a week just isnt enough for me...

ive taught myself and learned from others as well how to do many things over the years ,just for the reason that i wanted something done so badly,,but i never had the cash to pay someone to do it,,,if you want something bad enough,you will figure out how to do it!!! im no expert,but i can say i do all my own work,,and im a DUMBASS!

**Plowboy** · 07-08-2005, 02:21 PM

Well said Sam.

Everyone wants to drive a hot rod, no question about that. I bought my first one done and decided that I could do better myself, even though I had no clue what I was doing. Ha Ha Ha. I spent a little over a year building the spacetruck and took it to about 6 or 7 shows last year. Most people don't realize that for those 20 nights out being a "Hero" as everyone puts it, I spent 300 out in the garage by myself. Not a very good ratio if you are just interested in the "scene" not too bad if you really enjoy every aspect of your hot rod. This year I will probably go to about 5 shows. The rest of the time I am out in the garage working on the new one. That about covers my view of the "time" aspect.

If you have a choice to go out to a bar, or help your buddy work in the garage and you choose the bar, you had better just buy your car done. If you say you can't afford a done car you better quit spending all your money on PBR at the bar. If you aren't prepared to spend a good chunk of your income on your car then you probably shouldn't even get started. I spend at LEAST $500 a month on my garage habit, which is about a third of my take home pay. There is the "money" side

I know a few people that claim that they want to build cars but don't know how. They want me to "Help" them which I take as,"will you build my car for me?". I tell them to come out to the garage because I am always there, but they never show up. Yet the next time I am out they still talk to about me helping them. You have to help yourself first before you expect others to help you. Ambition.

I enjoy the build part the most. If you have to force yourself to work on stuff you might as well give it up. I also think that if you listen to hair metal you stay focused. Maybe everyone should try that. Ha Ha Ha.

As for the talent part, I don't think I am any better at fabrication than most people. There are a lot of people on this board a hell of a lot more talented than I am. I have only built 2 cars now and I learned how to weld on the first one. I see people like choprods, killer, and many others who have worked on a lot more shit than I have. I have just been lucky both of mine have turned out OK so far. I have a lot more ambition than talent. Sam maybe you need to add that 4th factor into you equation. Ha Ha Ha

My buddy Russ always said that if you do three things a night, you eventually run out of things to do. He is right.

Tony Bones · 07-08-2005, 02:23 PM

Great stuff Sam.

Beyond tenacity, I think that not being afraid to ask for help is what gets a lot of builders to the next level and gets cars done.

I would have figured out how to gas weld w/ out instruction...but it would have taken longer. I would have figured out how to do a brake job if I didn't ask Forsakenfew for help...but it would have taken longer. Learning on your own is fine, but learning efficiently is finer. Ask questions.

choprods · 07-08-2005, 02:26 PM

Great post/theory -Sam.........its all true!
I want to add a little something that a lot of us overlook......
You all know the guy who is building a car.....for 38 fucking years already!!!
This is what I am saying....give your 50 percent to the family/wife...AND DEMAND YOUR 50 PERCENT IN RETURN!!!!!
thats why the guy above never get it done -hes alway on "their 50"- percent [which more often equals 99%-Ha!]

Jack "goose' Marinelli · 07-08-2005, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raven61

Well said Sam.
When I got my '54, I did not know how to weld.
It needed floors, cab corners and cowels.
I had to (gasp) take the bed off and then (gasp, again) take the cab off to get to where the floors should have been. I had no one holding my hand. I knew that I would have to get my own hands dirty to get it done.
Now, I have great respect for those who have done this all before and even greater respect for those who have done this repeatedly.
I also am not afraid to get the metal out and weld what I need. I recently inherited someof my faher-in-laws machine tools.
Guess what, now I get to learn that end of it.
r

Nicely put, and very true!

**raven** · 07-08-2005, 02:42 PM

Goose,
I've photographed your work.
It is second to none.
r

plan9 · 07-08-2005, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

Making mistakes is also part of the equation... I know it sounds corney, but you learn from your mistakes!
Sam.

i have made a lot of mistakes but it doesnt bother me... some of them costly, some minor... mostly, its lost time. i chaulk it up to the Learning Process and just keep moving on. i like car junk too much to get depressed over a broken part.

about a year ago i got a car with a rats nest for electricals, i dropped some coin for a wiring kit... learned a lot about the car itself, including the previous owners hacks.

low springs has been a big help in understanding fabrication, we use a lot of bubble gum and double sided sticky tape... sometimes, after work ill hop over for a few hours and just ask questions and talk about techniques used on customer cars, otherwise, ill just give a call and shoot the shit about the same stuff.

ive always got questions but seem to find answers in the HAMB archives or in books.... the other questions will be answered as i do things. if its too late to do anything outside, iam inside going over checklists, part #'s and cost... more importantly, a schedule for myself.

id say my biggest problem is getting stuff done fast... i tend to take my time... even more dangerous, ill start taking other things apart just because i can. granted, this is cool if its put back together that day... but usually i wont get everything assembled in a timely fashion. im getting better at just leaving shit alone.....

edit: what im trying to say is... get something done, whether its research, making a budget or actual hands on work.

saltflataddict · 07-08-2005, 02:45 PM

very cool message. Its so true. I am in the middle of the learning process myself, as we build my hot rod. However i have excellent help and I am learning as we go. One thing I found out real quick is it takes COMMITMENT, from everyone involved, not just me but my family. I see my kids maybe 1 time a week after I get off work and in the mornings before I go to work. I see my wife for a couple of minutes as she wakes up when I walk in at 1am smelling like metal, only to wake up at 6am and go to work then go build. Its hard on the kids and my wife but we are commited till the end, you have to be from the get go or you will fail. I will not give up, I will be on the salt with my hot rod if it kills Deek and I..

55ford · 07-08-2005, 02:47 PM

Well Put, I haven't built anything yet, I have to fix this car before I can start another project. About 2 years ago I learned how to change oil (I was 13-14 at the time) We changed the oil in my 55, back then it took us about 1.5 hrs, cause it was my first time, and we didn't have the right wrench. Now I can get it done in 10-20 mins, I have so much fun changing oil, gettin dirty. Thanks Sam, I am going to with what Johnny Rockets said and print it out.

Tommy C · 07-08-2005, 02:49 PM

I can't help but say Great Read Sam...

I'm 2/3 the way through my first project and more enthusiastic than ever... I can relate to your post quite well, my brother-in-law bought a 52 Chevy project shortly after I started my 53 and a year and a half later his is no different then when we pushed it into his garage...not one part purchased...not one thing fixed...

He stops by often, he can't believe the progress I've made but never takes the first step to getting his started...

It hasn't worked on him yet but I tell him often... just take one thing and fix it, don't ignore the big picture but at the same time don't let it stop you from fixing that one thing...then move onto the next thing... Do this and make sure you spend at least one night in the garage a week and you'll have a Hot Rod well on its way soon...

Tony Bones · 07-08-2005, 02:51 PM

[QUOTE=saltflataddict]I see my kids maybe 1 time a week after I get off work and in the mornings before I go to work. I see my wife for a couple of minutes as she wakes up when I walk in at 1am smelling like metal, only to wake up at 6am and go to work then go build. Its hard on the kids and my wife but we are commited till the end...QUOTE]

When you're laying on your death bed, I don't think you'll look back and say, "man, I should have spent more time on my car."

Cars are everywhere man, don't miss your kid's childhood. My father did. A piece of me hates him for it.

grumper · 07-08-2005, 03:12 PM

Great post Sam. As I read it I kept thinking of my buddy's father who bought a '48 F2 with the dreams of making it a rodded version of a truck his father had at the lumber yard in the '50s. The problem is he has never turned a wrench in his life and the truck has been sitting in pieces for 3 and a half years. I have already bought the original running gear from him because someone told him a '78 chevy truck frame would be stronger. He is now trying to sell the 350 that is in it because someone else told him that the 305 is a better motor. I am hoping to swoop in and buy the whole lot from him when he finally accepts defeat.

This is a perfect example of what you are talking about.

SamIyam · 07-08-2005, 03:36 PM

[QUOTE=Tony Bones]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltflataddict

I see my kids maybe 1 time a week after I get off work and in the mornings before I go to work. I see my wife for a couple of minutes as she wakes up when I walk in at 1am smelling like metal, only to wake up at 6am and go to work then go build. Its hard on the kids and my wife but we are commited till the end...QUOTE]

When you're laying on your death bed, I don't think you'll look back and say, "man, I should have spent more time on my car."

Cars are everywhere man, don't miss your kid's childhood. My father did. A piece of me hates him for it.

The key here would be a nice balance between home, family and cars.

I go overboard, I admit it...

but this rant of mine was meant for the guys who need a little motavation!

Sam.

snortonnorton · 07-08-2005, 03:42 PM

thanks for this post. It will help me along the way.

I recently went home in cocoa beach to see my parents from college. My uncle who lives there has friends into car clubs.

The BEST TRADITIONAL car i've ever seen in brevard county or even florida sits in my uncles driveway next to my dad when this friend named Bob comes over.

It's a 1933 plymouth chopped and channeled, no fenders, but with a new 350. It's awesome and they guy got it by trading a crappy willies.

I've ridden in it and recently started getting respect from the old timers for building my custom norton. I decided that when i graduate i'm going to teach back in brevard and hang out with them to learn. They told me they'd help me.

**Paul** · 07-08-2005, 03:49 PM

"little"? hell Sam, you left a bruise

one part you left out is that it is imperative that you not only take pictures

but you absolutely must post your progress here

on the HAMB!

**Brandy** · 07-08-2005, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

But all too often, guys put all their eggs in one basket, they rely on the HAMB for ALL of their information... I mean, there are just some things that you have to discover on your own!

"Gee, if I hit this with a hammer... it's gonna make THIS thing move"

or

"If I turn this thing this way... THIS thing is going to do THAT"

Sam.

Maybe it's because I'm a girl, but the most important thing I learned from this was that you HAVE to think things out before you do them. You have to realize the consequences of your actions BEFORE you take a welder or a torch to something. You have to step back and say if I do this, what will happen to the rest of........ Too many times I read or see of some young gun who says, I'm gonna do this and that, with no regards to the rest of the car. I know, I cut the top off of a 4 door Chevy. I didn't take into factor the frame needed bracing or that the rear doors need welding to support the posts, or that my car would eventually start to sag if I didn't take care of it properly. I did it myself, with no help and no thought behind it. I'll think of everything negative before I make any more interesting moves.

xxx
Brandy

**cleatus** · 07-08-2005, 04:27 PM

Possibly the best TECH post ever. Even though it really has no "tech" in it.

The mind IS the most important part of building.

NOT that you have to be smart or talented or skilled – I had none of those things when I started with a rusty pile of crap no one else wanted to touch - I was the epitome of Clueless (mostly still am).

You just have to be absolutely determined to pull it off.

Mind over matter.

You have to get your head straight - get a vision, and go after it like a tenacious mofo. Ambition is one thing, but you have to be determined to figure it out no matter what, 'cause there will be an endless list of stumbling blocks that you never even anticipated.

You have to desire it, live it and make the fucker work and look the way you want no matter what stands in your way.

saltflataddict · 07-08-2005, 04:34 PM

[QUOTE=SamIyam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Bones

The key here would be a nice balance between home, family and cars.

I go overboard, I admit it...

but this rant of mine was meant for the guys who need a little motavation!

Sam.

I agree, but as we are expecting to build this thing in 1 month & 2 weeks, to make Bonneville my family has commited. My wife will go up like 2 days out of the week and actually help us out which is a great way for her to get involved and learn as well. Oh and Sam, its only a rant if you see it that way, I see it as advise..

Tony - I hear what your saying as well, but see what i stated above plus its only a month. The kids will not remember after the 1st week that the hot rod is home.. My son wants it almost more than I do, and he is only 4&1/2..

anyways this is getting off subject, I just wanted to add commitment is a key I learned to success and completion.

DrJ · 07-08-2005, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cleatus

Possibly the best TECH post ever. Even though it really has no "tech" in it.

The mind IS the most important part of building.

NOT that you have to be smart or talented or skilled – I had none of those things when I started with a rusty pile of crap no one else wanted to touch - I was the epitome of Clueless (mostly still am).

You just have to be absolutely determined to pull it off.

Mind over matter.

You have to get your head straight - get a vision, and go after it like a tenacious mofo. Ambition is one thing, but you have to be determined to figure it out no matter what, 'cause there will be an endless list of stumbling blocks that you never even anticipated.

You have to desire it, live it and make the fucker work and look the way you want no matter what stands in your way.

Whst he said...

ALso, I ws thinking FatHack should have put "planning TECH!" in the title of his "What if?" thread too.

**Tman** · 07-08-2005, 04:51 PM

Didnt Germ already make this post and end it with the word "hellfire"?

DrJ · 07-08-2005, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tman

Didnt Germ already make this post and end it with the word "hellfire"?

Couldn't have, Germ would have used the term "cell mate" instead of "wife"

slowpoke · 07-08-2005, 05:12 PM

As a newbie...this is perhaps the best TECH post I've ever read. It should be required reading for all Johnny- come-latelys. Like a good drill-sergeant...daunting but inspiring all the same. Thanks for the reality check Sam.

Slide · 07-08-2005, 05:12 PM

Man, how many times have I seen this play out?

Quote:

Jumping on the bandwagon and THINKING you eat, sleep and breathe hot rods isn't enough.

I know so many people hit it like some kind of fad... then go on to Jet Skis or Jeeps or Duck Hunting or Golf or whatever in just a few months. Sometimes you can spot them as soon as they show up in the hobby (or whatever you want to call this), but you don't want to push anyone away, cause they might just latch on to something for the first time... and stick with it.

*************

I know I get frustrated a lot with my car (or rather, with myself). A lot of it is because I feel like all I have is Saturday afternoon for my car. Whatever I take apart on Saturday, I'll run out of time and spend Sunday putting it back together just so I can get to work on Monday. (My 52 is my ONLY transportation!) Right now I am even a little frustrated at myself that I rushed through frenching my headlights over the holiday weekend. It's taking more filler than I'd prefer to get them right, and even with Photoshopping before I cut on the real car, I wish I'd have done things differently.

... but that's the learning process. I have been around old cars most of my life, and most of the time I think I am pretty knowledgeable on the subject. Then something like this past weekend happens, and I feel like the stupidest person that has ever lived. But at least I learned a few things about cars... and about myself. And I have a hot rod that I built myself... and that I can drive. 10 years into it, and I feel I'm about 2/3 done!

*************

Back to the mind thing... old cars is all I ever think about. The whole way to work and back each day (about 30 min. each way), I am building cars in my head, trying to wrap my brain around something I read on the HAMB on my lunch break that day, or planning out what I'll do to my car this weekend. I probably have hot rods going thru my brain way more than should be considered healthy. I swear if you took hot rods out of my mind, I would be a completely different person.

C9 · 07-08-2005, 05:18 PM

Excellent Sam.

Well thought out and well written.

A carpenter and a philosopher all in one.
Reminds me of a guy I read about once upon a time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would add, sometimes you gotta take a step back and look at things for a while before you go any further.
Let the subconscious think about it for a while and the next day things will be clearer.

Don't be afraid to do it over.
It's not about getting it done, it's about getting it done right.

This from a guy who's on the Mark 5 version of a simple seat frame and it's not right yet....

**Gotgas** · 07-08-2005, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C9

Excellent Sam.

Well thought out and well written.

A carpenter and a philosopher all in one.
Reminds me of a guy I read about once upon a time.

I'm impressed with Sam's words and his works, but I wouldn't go that far.

Thanks for the foot in the ass, Sam. I've been lax on the wagon for a couple of months with my work project going live, but had intended this weekend to be a "get-refamiliarized with the car" session. Now I'm about to run out there with furrowed brow and renewed vigor.

So where's your hot rod anyway?

SamIyam · 07-08-2005, 06:26 PM

I know I may seem to be idle right now, 'cause I don't post much tech... but I'm putting the finishing touches on this not-so-HAMB'ish '65 Chevy truck:
I also have my Model A half torn apart, and am re-doing the rear suspension as we speak... got the '57 F-100 tow vehicle, the BFD that we finished up two years ago, the '55 150 I just bought, the Triumph bobber project and a Banger powered '23 T roadster in pieces that I am waiting for the time to build.
Don't comment about irons in the fire... I try to prioritize, and then plug away on the one that needs work first... the truck has been priority one since the BFD was completed, I worked on tearing into the Model A when the truck was at the paint shop... the bobber is tucked away alongside the banger T... and the F-100 is only going to be down long enough for me to do the engine and front suspension swap... busy? Yea... more like constantly-at-it...
Sam.

**Gotgas** · 07-08-2005, 06:29 PM

Billet valve covers... A/C... SERPENTINE BELT? You're banned.

lol
just pokin fun at ya

Love that '55.

SamIyam · 07-08-2005, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotgas

Billet valve covers... A/C... SERPENTINE BELT? You're banned.
lol
just pokin fun at ya
Love that '55.

"It's not mine... it belongs to a friend" Hahaha... I hear that 10 times a week as an Assistant Principal... thought I'd use it here! Hahahahaha!!

Wait until you see the wheels and tires I'm putting on the truck... chrome smoothies with BFG T/A Radials... raised white letters OUT! Oh, and did you notice the rams horn manifolds that I ground down smooth or the smoothed firewall I did?

Sam.

**Gotgas** · 07-08-2005, 06:41 PM

Actually, yes I did - and the dual resorvoir master cylinder, but oddly it still has a mechanical fuel pump.

You're slackin.

SamIyam · 07-08-2005, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotgas

Actually, yes I did - and the dual resorvoir master cylinder, but oddly it still has a mechanical fuel pump.

You're slackin.

I like mechanical pumps and fans... call me a "traditionalist"

I also moved the front suspension forward an inch to get the tire centered in the fender a little better... used a '78 suspension with the disks and all...

Luckily the owner isn't into billet wheels and liked my suggestion for rolling stock...

Sam.

zgears · 07-08-2005, 07:19 PM

well put bttt

gasman · 07-08-2005, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by butt reynolds

excellent post!

i agree,,

also,,ive learned that spending ATLEAST 1/2 an hour a day everyday after work,weither your tired or not gets results quickly,,i know,it doesnt sound like alot of work time,,but it adds up quickly,,getting started is the hardest thing sometimes..if you give your self that weekly goal,,odds are after geting started,,you wont want to stop after a half hour of work..

if you dont set aside time,,your not gonna get anything done,,a saturday a week just isnt enough for me...

ive taught myself and learned from others as well how to do many things over the years ,just for the reason that i wanted something done so badly,,but i never had the cash to pay someone to do it,,,if you want something bad enough,you will figure out how to do it!!! im no expert,but i can say i do all my own work,,and im a DUMBASS!

I agree excellent post. "Car Guys" tell me I'm crazy to try to chop my own top, and that I will wreck all my hard work for trying to paint my truck myself. May not be "show" quality when I'm done but I guess I'm just in it for the experience, when its all done I can say I DID IT.

chopolds · 07-08-2005, 08:08 PM

GREAT post. The mind is the most important tool we have. It is the creator, the dreamer, the planner, the executer, and the DRIVE to finish. A strong and creative mind is more important than a warehouse full of tools and equipment.
I'd just like to add some of the things I've found out in my 30 years of building cars.
Sacrifice! You have to accept sacrificing some of the important things in your life to attain your dream. Sacrificing time, money, living space, companionship, vacations, and other luxuries are part and parcel of acheiving success. And building a car is such a huge endeavor, it takes more sacrifice than smaller dreams. But as others have mentioned, don't completely discard haveing an outside life, just prioritize.
Creativity. You have to learn to do things with what you have. Sometimes it's impossible, like welding without equipment (go back to "sacrifice!", and then buy a welder), but other times you can make some pretty impressive parts with just a jigsaw, and a drill press! It is also important to try to understand the creative processes. This is difficult to explain, but if you've ever been deep in it, you'll know. Think out of the box, imagine all the posibillities, go beyond! If it doesn't seem like it will pan out, back off a few degrees. Try new things, new talents, take up welding, auto body, sewing, to see what floats your boat. If anything, you'll appreciate NOT having to do that the next time out!
Osmosis. Learn, by shutting the fuck up! Find out who's a successful builder/fabricator/painter/whatever. Ask a few questions, and shut up. You can learn a lifetime of education with the right people. NOT the bullshitters, either. The real deal guys. If you've even got a hint of what's going on, you can tell the difference. Or else ask around. There will be some folks that almost everyone respects. Just hang around and listen. If you're willing to learn, "apprentice" with that person. Hang around, and sweep floors, and put away tools, and absorb the knowledge! You'll be surprised what you can learn if you just be quiet, and watch and listen!
Enthusiasm. This can ebb and flow, ride the wave. Sometimes it seems you'd like to spend every hour of every day in the garage. Other times, nothing goes right, or you lose your enthusiasm. Take a break, do something else, go on vacation. But when it's time to get back to work, hit it with a vengance. Get a lot done while you have the drive. Only allow yourself a short time to recharge your batteries, or you'll eventually lose interest. But if it's really "in" you, you'll always come back. Just be aware you can't go full steam ahead forever. During the times you seem to lose interest, go to some car shows, instead of spending every night in the garage. Watch American Graffiti, and Hollywood Knights. Read up on how-to literature. Relight the flame in your mind, so your body will want to follow!

2tall2beahotrodder · 07-08-2005, 08:19 PM

sam, very well put...

As many of you might know im a young guy(18) trying to the unreal. but its still my dream and im still doing pretty good with all whats going on with my life right now.
Heres the story, if anyone cares..

Last august i bought pieces of a body which were unknown at that time from a guy on this board. With my limited skills i tryed to turn it into something useable. With everybody telling me it was inpossible i kept presueing my dream i kept learning at got this thing where it is.. Im still debating to try and mock this motor up by my self, i might need some help there , but what you see is all done by my self, with out dads help or dadddys money..

Its accually a shame i didnt ask for help from him, for which he was a great builder and a professional welder. and happened to pass away before i could learn much....

anyway, i bought a stock 54 chevy,been messing around with it, and learning some stuff while i drive it pretty much every day.. heres some pics

burger · 07-08-2005, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

"honey, would it be ok if I went to a car show?"

"No, that's all you ever do is go to car shows... we need the lawn mowed, the house painted, the kids bathed, the bush waxed... blah, blah, blah"

You wax your wife's bush?!? Was I the only one that caught that?

Comet · 07-08-2005, 09:54 PM

Hey Sam, thanks for posting this. Thanks to you I told the wife to piss off and kicked her ass out on the street so I can build my hot rod!

Haha, just kidding, my wife is actually very supportive.

I agree on getting out in the garage even for a little after work a couple nights a week. I am often drained after work and don't do this as much as I should, but even if I go out and "fake it" for awhile, I find myself starting to do something productive. I always feel better after that. A sense of accomplishment. Thanks for keeping the fire under me!

**Tony** · 07-08-2005, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rat_Rodder

sam, very well put...

As many of you might know im a young guy(18) trying to the unreal. but its still my dream and im still doing pretty good with all whats going on with my life right now.
Heres the story, if anyone cares..

Last august i bought pieces of a body which were unknown at that time from a guy on this board. With my limited skills i tryed to turn it into something useable. With everybody telling me it was inpossible i kept presueing my dream i kept learning at got this thing where it is.. Im still debating to try and mock this motor up by my self, i might need some help there , but what you see is all done by my self, with out dads help or dadddys money..

Its accually a shame i didnt ask for help from him, for which he was a great builder and a professional welder. and happened to pass away before i could learn much....

anyway, i bought a stock 54 chevy,been messing around with it, and learning some stuff while i drive it pretty much every day.. heres some pics

Steve, your dad would be proud man! Your doin' just fine..

Sam,
I must agree. Very well put.
When i first started building car's, i was young..like 14 when i bought my first one, a 57 chevy.
At that time it was about proving myself to those around me that just looked at me like "are you kidding me, you don't know what the hell your doing!".

Well, a couple years passed, like 17 now and i'm still building.
But, thing's have changed some.
Yeah sure there's still the ego thing where you want to 'prove ' you can do it, but i find that proving to yourself you can do it is much more gratifying in the end.
I agree with setting goals. I think that as you progress in a project, each of the small goals set and reached will help in the motivation to keep forging ahead to reach the final goal of having a hot rod or custom of your own.

Doing something EVERYDAY, even if it's something small like taping a hole, or tack welding a bracket will help in the motivational process.

I also agree with knowing your limit's on what you can and can't do.
If you 'pretend' you know it all, but can't back anything up, your the only one who will suffer from it in the end.
Your the one who will be without a ride..
There's NO shame in asking question's.....thats how you learn, and once you learn then you can do it for yourself!

**plmczy** · 07-08-2005, 10:19 PM

Great post, one that should be read over and over. My main problem is a lack of self-esteem,vision, and the fear of failure. I constantly question myself if I belong in this hobby. I feel like I'm one of those that jumped on the "band wagon". I've liked hotrods since I was a kid, just never pursued it like other people have. My father wasn't into it,neither was my step-father so I never really learned anything about cars till I was in high school. I did one of the things you suggested, I restified a muscle car that I bought and I've fixed up my daily's that I've had over the years. The help,ideas and comadrie(sp?) are some of the reasons I joined the HAMB, in fact I've learned alot since I've joined. Hopefully alot of the newbies to the hobby and board will learn alot from everyone here also. later shawn

**seadog** · 07-08-2005, 10:54 PM

I nominate Sam's well written and insightful post for Post of the Year! Hell, Post of the Decade! Well said...there's intelligent life on the left coast after all. (Just kidding, of course. I used to live in Irvine.)

**Matt Franklin** · 07-08-2005, 11:19 PM

Well said! My problem is that it's easier to collect parts and surf the HAMB board than to try and fail and try again and build the required experience and skill set.

And now that I'm getting ready to move, I'm getting rid of all of the extra parts that I bought because I didn't know any better and wasn't focused on my final design.

.

SamIyam · 07-08-2005, 11:24 PM

If anything... this has been an eye opener and self discovery for me!

I ain't there yet... it's a journey! In fact, I question what I am doing a lot.

Like, "why the hell am I doing this?"

And "Why do I push myself like this, spend all the money, the time...?"

Well, when you hit the ignition... for the first time, or the second... or the third, and so on... it's worth it.

Come by my house some time, I'll give you a beer and a ride...

that'll be enough to get you out into your own garage!

Sam.

FiddyFour · 07-08-2005, 11:47 PM

Perserveriance is the key for sure.

next time i am healthy enough to actualy work on my '54, and the wife dont have a mile long list of shit she wants me to do, and i still feel like watching TV or something other than work on the car... i am going to re read this thread. . .

heyitsnate · 07-09-2005, 01:01 AM

well said sam...you and a lot of others on this message board have watched me grow a lot in this thing we do.it takes a serious amount of commitment,and i think the answer lies in helping others.people in our area gave me a chance to learn some skills,invited me into their shops,and helped me find the right parts,and i'm totally grateful.slazzen would invite guys over with their rusted hulks,and offer to let them build their cars there,and we'd see them come over for one or two weekends,and then disappear for 6 months! or get mad that we were'nt building their cars for them! if i can add to this post at all i would say to come with a helping attitude,and you won't have to look far for help....thanks sam

**striper** · 07-09-2005, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comet

but even if I go out and "fake it" for awhile, I find myself starting to do something productive. I always feel better after that.

Hey, I do this sometimes. Something usually gets started.

I am a procrastinator. If I'm not sure if something looks right (that's usually 'cause it doesn't) I find myself looking at it wondering if I might get away with it. I might look at it for longer than it would take to change. I made a new pact with myself on my current project (Modified '28A). If I catch myself doing the LOOKING thing, I take out the 9" grinder and cut the offending part off. So far it's working. I find myself moving around the shed with much more purpose and being productive.

The other thing I'm doing to stop the pondering is trying to have the engine, chassis and body all on the go at the same time. If you get to an impass on one, move on to another. Stop LOOKING and work!

Great post Sam

Pete

**Flat Ernie** · 07-09-2005, 08:42 AM

Sam,

Great post - motivational. My biggest challenge is time & I need to refocus. My '33 truck was my daily, so I tried never to do something I couldn't finish (or undo) in a weekend. That limits ya! The '34 isn't my primary vehicle, yet I still find myself afraid to dig too deep because I know time is also my enemy (even though it's not my daily - yet).

I use my current situation to hide behind & not get anything done. I also need to prioritize better. I find myself bouncing from small project to small project. Because I've got so much on the burner at any one time, the slightest obstacle usually means I quit & move on, so there the original bit stands - unfinished.

I'm going to try to get a little more focused.

Thanks!

Fat Hack · 07-09-2005, 08:49 AM

"Stay on top of trends so you aren't building something people are gonna LAUGH AT."

Yeah, no shit!!!

Otherwise...you'll end up building a unique car that people admire for it's 'character'...one that runs and drives great, and can be driven anywhere...

...but you won't be able to GIVE it away when it comes time to start your NEXT project!

(It'll be a car that could not be duplicated for less than $4000, but you won't get $500 for it!)

Stick to flat black paint, small block Chevys, and the like. Extra points if the car doesn't run or drive, or only does so for short distances on a wing and a prayer...that's COOL, and cool SELLS!

**54BOMB** · 07-09-2005, 04:23 PM

Great post, I have been in panic mode trying to get everything drivable for the HAMB drags next month, Its good to hear some positive motivation. Ive had some pretty "easy" 60's cars that just took minor tune ups to drive, but this 54 with the entire wire harness, V8 swap, disc brakes, and a million small details that take forever, is really kicking my ass on time, I feel like im on one of those reality shows staring at the clock every weekend.

SamIyam · 07-09-2005, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Hack

"Stay on top of trends so you aren't building something people are gonna LAUGH AT."

Yeah, no shit!!!

Otherwise...you'll end up building a unique car that people admire for it's 'character'...one that runs and drives great, and can be driven anywhere...

...but you won't be able to GIVE it away when it comes time to start your NEXT project!

(It'll be a car that could not be duplicated for less than $4000, but you won't get $500 for it!)

Stick to flat black paint, small block Chevys, and the like. Extra points if the car doesn't run or drive, or only does so for short distances on a wing and a prayer...that's COOL, and cool SELLS!

Or you could build something that nobody ever remembers nor has ever seen!

When I said that... I was thinking of a buddy of mine who has a Pro Street '51 Chevy pickup... great guy, but he has had a lot of "life" come his way in the last 10 years... the truck still does not run, and when it does run, it'll be period perfect 1991.

I think you hit a cord with the flat black thing... there have been people poo-poo it on the HAMB, along with red wheels... but that is because we are so SATURATED with what is being done in the traditional hot rod genre... in your town, flat black with red wheels might stand out... for now! In 5 years, it'll be so passe... the general hot rodding world will joke about it like they do pro-street stuff. There are so many colors out there to paint old cars... and people are going to begin to "discover" them more as time goes by...

The SBC... the backlash to the SBC is getting old to the point where we are seeing a backlash to the backlash to the SBC! I know I've said it before, but monkey-see monkey-do... and right now it is popular to "be different" and run something "different"... yawn...

I say the overall statement a vehicle makes says more about a builder than does his motor choice.

Sam.

snortonnorton · 07-09-2005, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotgas

Billet valve covers... A/C... SERPENTINE BELT? You're banned.

lol
just pokin fun at ya

Love that '55.

LOL, that was funny.

Sam F. · 07-09-2005, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

...in your town, flat black with red wheels might stand out... for now!

i went cruising around the town earlier in the rivi,,and ran in to a car guy buddy,,he was telling me about his latest project.,..a 65 biscayne 4 door he is going to primmer flat black , red wheels and maybe some flames so it will be a "RAT ROD",,,hahahaha,,it was so funny,but at the same time he was so serious,,so it was hard to laugh...

,,i would try and tell him otherwise,,but you have to understand,,in my area,,everybody "KNOWS IT ALL",,....they always laugh at me at the stuff i do,..,,but funny how 5 or 6 years later,they always start doing the same shit .....fuck em,.hahaha

mexicano · 07-09-2005, 11:49 PM

great post!

**Cyclone Kevin** · 07-10-2005, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burger

You wax your wife's bush?!? Was I the only one that caught that?

Naw!
I caught that too!

I just didn't want to get into Sam's personal bushness I mean business

Great post Sam, was glad to you and bomb factory T-ster @ AI#2 yesterday

plan9 · 07-10-2005, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

The SBC... the backlash to the SBC is getting old to the point where we are seeing a backlash to the backlash to the SBC! I know I've said it before, but monkey-see monkey-do... and right now it is popular to "be different" and run something "different"... yawn...

I say the overall statement a vehicle makes says more about a builder than does his motor choice.

Sam.

again, you are right sam... the SBC is a great motor, economical, great power output and compact. an arguement revolving around a SBC/BBC being anything other than mundane is pointless and ignorant... might as well start ripping up all pre-war fords.

i bloodied my virgin knuckles on chevys... however, for me id rather be diverse when it comes to drivetrains and their specific flaws and their subsequent improvements. bottom line is, build the car well... make sure the design is perfect because drivetrains can be swapped anytime.

id like to think of my coupe as a testbed for various combos because performance is why i got into this stuff in the first place. iam not concerned with sticking out in the crowd, rather... let my knowledge do the talking and the bullshit gets 'ta walking.

blackjack · 07-10-2005, 06:04 PM

I totally agree with the bloke who said he makes it a point of honour to get out in the garage everyday - even if it's only for half an hour. All those half hours stack up and it means that things get ticked off the list.

Over here in the UK hot rodding is much more difficult to do and most people who are involved are very committed and have their own story to tell about their struggle to get the rod on the road. Things are also much more expensive - usually the same price in Pounds as you pay in dollars (so nearly twice the price). Then there's the general lack of availability of parts.

On the plus side, there's nowhere in the world with such a wealth of automotive history and skills (most Formula 1 cars AND most Indy cars are designed and built here).

Squablow · 07-10-2005, 08:17 PM

This is certainly one of the better threads I've read in a while, and I'd like to add my worthless opinions in here too.

I have way more projects than I can handle and I'm learning the hard way that the best way to get something done is to prioritise (sp?) One car at a time, one thing to do to the car at a time. I have a lot of cars with shiney paint that are driveable but as a friend pointed out to me the other day "none of your cars are really finished" and that's really sinking in. As much as I desperately want to start in on my Train Wreck roadster, I've decided to do the finishing detail stuff to my '40 Chrysler, GTO rag and '64 Olds before I tear into another big project. Gotta finish the ones I started before I start another one.

The point made of setting realistic goals really hits home as well. I had a project I needed to finish up for the Iola car corral this weekend and I gave myself 2 days to do about 3 weeks worth of work. Me and a friend spent late nights thrashing to finish, I missed my Friday deadline and didn't get to go to Krooser's party, worked all night and got the car there a day late. It was done, but it could have been a lot nicer and would have brought a lot more money if it had been finished ahead of time.

I also learned that I need to look at shop cleaning/organizing as an important step in the building process. There's no way I could have finished my last thrash project with the incredible mess that was in my shop. Before I even pull the next car in there, I'm going to go through the shop again and re-organize, get rid of shit I don't need and move the stuff I want to save. A big open space with room to work, tools in the box put away where they're supposed to be, not having to trip over parts "in storage" gets more stuff done than a week of thrashing in a mess.

I think I'm going to stop typing now and find a broom.

J.B. · 07-11-2005, 02:57 AM

Great thoughts, Sam. Totally agree !
Chopolds added the "rest"...

a/fxcomet · 07-11-2005, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

I know I may seem to be idle right now, 'cause I don't post much tech... but I'm putting the finishing touches on this not-so-HAMB'ish '65 Chevy truck:
I also have my Model A half torn apart, and am re-doing the rear suspension as we speak... got the '57 F-100 tow vehicle, the BFD that we finished up two years ago, the '55 150 I just bought, the Triumph bobber project and a Banger powered '23 T roadster in pieces that I am waiting for the time to build.
Don't comment about irons in the fire... I try to prioritize, and then plug away on the one that needs work first... the truck has been priority one since the BFD was completed, I worked on tearing into the Model A when the truck was at the paint shop... the bobber is tucked away alongside the banger T... and the F-100 is only going to be down long enough for me to do the engine and front suspension swap... busy? Yea... more like constantly-at-it...
Sam.

Samyouis,

Where do you keep all of those cars? I've always been impressed at how you have all of those tools packed into that tiny garage, but wondered where you put all of the vehicles.

willowbilly3 · 07-11-2005, 04:57 AM

Great read Sam. As I read this I had to do some self analysis. I built my first jalopy when I was about 15-16, without any direct adult help except for getting the plug wires on right. I had already begun learning to weld years earlier, maybe around 9 or 10. I saved all money from my summer job and bought my first gas ax. But I did have to go back and think how it was all possible. I suppose being raised on a ranch with a junkyard helped. I tore aparty everything I could get my hands on since before I can remember. I mean radios, alarm clocks, lawn mowers, cars, farm equipment-whatever. Our junk pile had a complete 49 Packard convertable, a 34 Chevy 2 door, a 29 model A 2 door and a 27 Dodge coupe. There wasn't much that I didn't unbolt off those old cars. When I was 15 or so I was down there scoping out the model A and trying to figure out how to get it out of the draw when I got bit by a rabid cat, had to take all the shots.
OK so fast foreward. My girlfriend has a 16 year old with ADD and a love for cars. Last week there was a 65 horse outboard with a shelled out lower unit, in the trash where I volunteer. We pleaded with mom to let him have it to tear apart. She revolted and claimed it would be one more thing she would have to trip over and eventually dispose of. Exactly right, I had to feel blessed that my parents gave me the slack to do just that.
The one element that is necessary is also the facility. It is pretty hard to build a rod if you live in a highrise apartment and have no tools. . I hammerwelded all my body together on sawhorses on my lawn. I am welding framerails together on a sheet of plywood over the saw horses. When I get done, I plan to chronicle the build to inspire others with limited resources and show what you can do with some perserverance, a lot of sweat and very little cash.
And I do agree that the more dedicated you are, the more you pour yourself into it, the more successful you will be. But don't make it your god, your real God doesn't appreciate that.

SamIyam · 07-11-2005, 12:33 PM

A/FXComet,

I built a lean-to on the side of my house that is 10'6" wide and 30' deep.
I USED to keep the Bomb Factory Digger, on its trailer towards the back of the lean-to... I'd put the tongue down to the ground, and then back my '57 F-100 over the top of it. THEN, my Model A would be in the garage... along with the '65 Chevy pickup you see there.

All was fine and dandy, and behind the fence/door... until I bought the '55 150...

NOW the '57 F-100 sits out on the street... the '55 150 sits towards the back of the lean-to and the BFD on its trailer sits in front of that... The Model A is on jack stands in the garage waiting for its rear suspension, and the '65 is parked there right next to it.

I don't like having anything but our daily drivers in the drive ways... so as soon as the '65 goes bye-bye, the F-100 goes into the garage next to the Model A... so I can pull it out when I want to work on the A-bone.

When the Model A is up and running again, the '57 F100 will go back onto the side yard with the BFD, on its trailer, and the Model A and the '55 will be in the garage.

I take that back, the '55 and the BFD, on its trailer, will remain on the side of the house, under the lean-to... and the F-100 will be in the garage getting its front suspension upgrade, and I'll pull the Model A in and out when I want to work on the F-100.

But THEN... then when I get the A done and the F-100 done... I'll put the F-100 and the BFD, on its trailer, on the side yard... and put the '55 in the garage so I can work on it... pulling the Model A out... to give me the extra room.

Make sense?

Sam.

plan9 · 07-11-2005, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

A/FXComet,

I built a lean-to on the side of my house that is 10'6" wide and 30' deep.
I USED to keep the Bomb Factory Digger, on its trailer towards the back of the lean-to... I'd put the tongue down to the ground, and then back my '57 F-100 over the top of it. THEN, my Model A would be in the garage... along with the '65 Chevy pickup you see there.

All was fine and dandy, and behind the fence/door... until I bought the '55 150...

NOW the '57 F-100 sits out on the street... the '55 150 sits towards the back of the lean-to and the BFD on its trailer sits in front of that... The Model A is on jack stands in the garage waiting for its rear suspension, and the '65 is parked there right next to it.

I don't like having anything but our daily drivers in the drive ways... so as soon as the '65 goes bye-bye, the F-100 goes into the garage next to the Model A... so I can pull it out when I want to work on the A-bone.

When the Model A is up and running again, the '57 F100 will go back onto the side yard with the BFD, on its trailer, and the Model A and the '55 will be in the garage.

I take that back, the '55 and the BFD, on its trailer, will remain on the side of the house, under the lean-to... and the F-100 will be in the garage getting its front suspension upgrade, and I'll pull the Model A in and out when I want to work on the F-100.

But THEN... then when I get the A done and the F-100 done... I'll put the F-100 and the BFD, on its trailer, on the side yard... and put the '55 in the garage so I can work on it... pulling the Model A out... to give me the extra room.

Make sense?

Sam.

Sam... thats confusing

but i get the picture.... car shuffling sucks!!

a/fxcomet · 07-11-2005, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

A/FXComet,

I built a lean-to on the side of my house that is 10'6" wide and 30' deep.
I USED to keep the Bomb Factory Digger, on its trailer towards the back of the lean-to... I'd put the tongue down to the ground, and then back my '57 F-100 over the top of it. THEN, my Model A would be in the garage... along with the '65 Chevy pickup you see there.

All was fine and dandy, and behind the fence/door... until I bought the '55 150...

NOW the '57 F-100 sits out on the street... the '55 150 sits towards the back of the lean-to and the BFD on its trailer sits in front of that... The Model A is on jack stands in the garage waiting for its rear suspension, and the '65 is parked there right next to it.

I don't like having anything but our daily drivers in the drive ways... so as soon as the '65 goes bye-bye, the F-100 goes into the garage next to the Model A... so I can pull it out when I want to work on the A-bone.

When the Model A is up and running again, the '57 F100 will go back onto the side yard with the BFD, on its trailer, and the Model A and the '55 will be in the garage.

I take that back, the '55 and the BFD, on its trailer, will remain on the side of the house, under the lean-to... and the F-100 will be in the garage getting its front suspension upgrade, and I'll pull the Model A in and out when I want to work on the F-100.

But THEN... then when I get the A done and the F-100 done... I'll put the F-100 and the BFD, on its trailer, on the side yard... and put the '55 in the garage so I can work on it... pulling the Model A out... to give me the extra room.

Make sense?

Sam.

Now it's really amazing you get as much done as you do. You must spend half the day shuffling cars around.

SamIyam · 07-11-2005, 02:18 PM

It's not too bad... I really don't have to shuffle any cars around until I finish work on one and start work on another!
Sam.

Fat Hack · 07-11-2005, 05:29 PM

"It looks like Sam's Hot Car Lot out there!!!" - Nice Guy Eddie

**kuztomklaus** · 07-11-2005, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamIyam

Making mistakes is also part of the equation... I know it sounds corney, but you learn from your mistakes!
Sam.

Oh yes!! Probably made one or two (be honest at least 20) because I didn't think it through well enough!!
Very well put Sam... Wish I could meet you some day. I like people that don't just say something, maybe just to hear themselves speak! You'r very well spoken Sam, must have thought alot about this! Hats off to you!

Klaus

Just Gary · 05-26-2006, 07:23 AM

BTTT because IMO, this is one of the best HAMB threads ever.

hoehand · 05-26-2006, 08:30 AM

Sam, your editorial is aplicable to so many things in life.

great job.

AZAV8 · 05-26-2006, 08:38 AM

Preach it Brother Sam. Amen.
Its good to have this one back again, just like Sam.

markanthony · 05-26-2006, 09:22 AM

I don't think anyone could have said it better, I've been trying to explain why I get off work, go home, run out with the wife and kids, get coffee, talk about the day, get everything settled, put them to bed and then spend the night in the garage, going to sleep around 2-3 am the next morning...some do and some don't get it...

As you said, it's about passion, drive, ambition, efficacy, humility and patience... I believe that's what turned me onto this place... it's hard to find like-minded folk in any day and age, but especially in my little California fashion bubble.

AMEN!!!!!!

Brewton · 05-26-2006, 09:43 AM

Excellent Post! The biggest part of any build for me is planning. Also, I know my limits and I get help with those things. But, you got to just get in there and do it.

hillbillydeluxe · 05-26-2006, 09:52 AM

Sam- One of the better posts I've seen lately. Lots of what you describe is the "get yer ass out there and do it" mentality. Something I know I have to do more of. There is a thread I discovered in the archives that parallels that sentiment-one of not following the crowd and doing something original:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...ght=creativity

Now I think I have to log off and go weld something. Thanks for the post, Sam.

Frank · 05-26-2006, 10:11 AM

Dang sure hit the nail on the head on everything. I was one of the kids that bought the sheet metal and parts but never could make it materialize for various reasons. I really didn't know anyone that was as deep into hot rods as I was. People would tell me I'd grow out of it. That I should sell it. Glad I didn't listen. All I had been exposed to were the gold chainer magazine rods so I couldn't fathom driving around without lots of chrome and perfect paint. Its now 15 years later and I have learned a lot. I see the light. Come hell or high water, I am building it. I am still hampered by some of the same issues, lack of time/money/some skills, no garage. I have learned if I want anything bad enough, you just have to keep "finding a way". I will always change things later anyway. I plan to build it under the tree where it sits and drive it out and hopefully to the Roundup next year.

Dirk35 · 05-26-2006, 11:10 AM

Love the post Sam!

You forgot Preseverance Sam.

I Got my 35 PU Running, took forever ( I probably only got 3 years of work on it for a normal guy).

But, I did take a year off for Army, and the next year after that since I had to change jobs on return from Deployment.

I didnt give up on any of the Family events, daughter's Dance calss and recitals, daughters Taekwondo, vacation in Hawaii, and Arkansas twice, frisbee golf, Paintball, fishing, camping, three seasons each year of Mens league and Coed Softball.

That'll be 2 cents please.

six3amc · 05-26-2006, 11:52 AM

Great post.

I might add that having a mentor is another crucial part. I wouldn't know anything and would probably have gone to the hospital a few times if it weren't for my dad. Seeing how he does stuff teaches me what to do and what not to do.

I'm not a newbie to the scene but I am a younger guy. I see younger and even older guys all the time trying to sound "cool" by trying to talk like they are part of the scene and like they know what they are doing. It's funny how they just talk themselves into a corner and end up doing a pretty good job of exposing themselves for the phonies they are. The sad part about is that people who aren't into the "scene" don't have any clue that they are a phony, thus allowing these fools to continue to misrepresent.

Anyways. good board. great post.

50chevy · 11-14-2006, 08:50 PM

excellent post

Frank · 11-14-2006, 09:20 PM

Yep, every newb ought to read this post. As I work on my first build, I realize how much discipline and mental exercising it requires and I love it. My wife can relate when I explain that its like playing chess or solving a puzzle.

rat bastad · 11-14-2006, 09:22 PM

Sam, what a brilliant post - the mind IS the most important factor in not only building high quality rides, but in planning/executing your LIFE ITSELF.

You MUST be able to visualize the finished car and keep focussing on that mental image as you put it together. If you focus on the potholes, you'll probably full into them.

But this is NOT enough - you MUST have the technical ability to carry out that visualisation to the letter. If there are some aspects to the projects construction where you feel your competency level is not as good, DO NOT attemp to do it yourself if you don't have the skill - its much smarter in the long run to either learn the skills or PAY (thats right PAY) someone else to carry out what you have already visualised to the LETTER.

Too many guys havent cut their teeth on stuff and find it all gets too hard and their focus gets diverted by other"endeavours". BTW, my ride "cost" me two girlfirends who werent sympathetic to my dream at all. Guess they were'nt for me anyways.....

Rat

**Brandy** · 11-14-2006, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rat bastad

BTW, my ride "cost" me two girlfirends who werent sympathetic to my dream at all. Guess they were'nt for me anyways.....

Rat

Franks, I think it might be because you tend to overlook dates. You know how we women are about dates.........birthdays, first dates, when this thread was originally posted.

**HotRodDrummer** · 11-14-2006, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandy

Franks, I think it might be because you tend to overlook dates. You know how we women are about dates.........birthdays, first dates, when this thread was originally posted.

Hahahaha

rat bastad · 11-14-2006, 10:27 PM

Hey Brandy...no overlookin dates here.

Never forgot birthdays, anniversaries etc....were just the wrong ones for me thats all....saw the ride as competition, not as a part of me.

Oh well,Cie est a vie

And thas Frankie to you little lady !! lmao

Morire solo è di morire due volte wtf ???

Rat

Rat

slazzen · 11-14-2006, 10:53 PM

I build hot rods just fine I dont even need a square or a tape.. I need someone to teach me how to brush my teeth and make my bed ??? and tie my shoes.. brush my hair and color match my clothes.. well not really all my shirts are black tee shirts..

**Brandy** · 11-14-2006, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotRodDrummer

Hahahaha

I know you sons o guns missed me.

SamIyam · 11-14-2006, 11:35 PM

Hi guys!

In the last year and three months I've gone through some changes to my stable... jeez... and if you would have told me that I would own the cars I own now, a year ago... I would have said you were NUTS!

I finished the '65 truck... the owner loves it.

I've vowed to NEVER EVER EVER take on a restoration/rodification of another vehicle for another person... again.

I sold my Model A that I've owned for 11 years, and my dad 6 years before that, and my grandpa owned it 15 years before that!

My dad built a model A in 1972, we rode around in it as kids all over the country, and then he sold it 15 years ago... which was 4 years before he passed away... well, I found it on e-bay earlier this year... and bought it! (that's why I sold the other one) It's STOCK, and will stay that way.

I started on the '55... got it running for the Kingdon Drags in October, and have it down for some upgrades right now.

I am currently working on a Model A speedster to sell for a little car money... it's an old chassis that I had... and a buddy framed out the body and then lost interest in the project.

My good buddy Tim bought a '40 convert that we'll start in at the first of the year... get it going for the summer...

I bought another bobber project, and will sell the unit motor one... to get it going... I'll tag-team this with Tim's '40...

And I've been saving/finding some juicy parts up for the Model T build.

Sam.

The '55... more to come, when it runs again.

Here's the Speedster pile... it'll get the '29 shell, and a skinned, then sold

The coupe the day I sold it... I miss it.

The Model A... sitting next to Tim's roadster... basically un-touched since '73

The Model A in 1973 after dad finished it.

And you'll have to wait to see the T...

Drewfus · 11-14-2006, 11:57 PM

Still consider this Thread to be the best TECH ever on this forum.......can't believe you sold the coupe.....

Cheers,

Drewfus

P.S. if you ever want to sell the chev.....

raaf · 11-15-2006, 02:08 PM

i missed this initially. ...and just what i needed to read right about now. the only thing that's missing is a mention of the roach rod. i still think that was one of the most influential builds i've seen. i stored this video someone made some time ago - it speaks for itself....

http://raaf.com/hamb/donut.mov

thanks.

SamIyam · 11-16-2006, 04:23 PM

The Roach Rod was a great car.

Just last night... after a rough day at work, I thought to myself "I sure wish I had the Roach Rod" to drive around to get my mind off of things.

**Gotgas** · 11-16-2006, 04:31 PM

Sam-

I like your posts. You seem like a sharp guy. But selling that A coupe was freakin dumb!!

You better have something good lined up!

take care
dv

remingtonbox · 10-25-2008, 01:33 AM

really really old... but BTTT... this thread is a goldmine for the mind

Really lights a fire under the ass!!

**haroldd1963** · 10-25-2008, 04:22 PM

Thanks for bumping this to the top. I was not a member when it was first posted.

Words to live and die by if your a real Hot Rod enthusiast!

Belchfire8 · 10-25-2008, 05:48 PM

Nice to see this post back again, there's a whole new audience for it now. I can't improve on Sams original, but I'd like to add that FEAR keeps a lot of people from building their dream also. I found that if you're afraid to do something for fear that you'll screw it up, or not do it the "correct" way or someone won't like the way you did it, then just start doing it. If you have the basic idea of what you want to do just do it. You can fix any mistakes you make. It scares the hell out of many people to take a Sawzall to a real car!!. Just cut the friggin' roof off, then you GOTTA fix it!. When my wife and I bought our first house we decided we wanted a door in the back of the house where a window was. One day I took out the window and cut a door size hole in the house. I told the wife' "Well, now I gottta fix it, might as well put a door there", I was 23 then and it still works for me now...

Fingers · 10-26-2008, 06:31 AM

Yep, gotta agree, great post!

BigO · 10-26-2008, 08:14 AM

Everybody says for the young guys to hangout with the old guys and learn, well I'm one of the old guys and I like hanging out with the young guys because they help me get motivated to do things. I have as much fun watching them learn as they do learning. Without them around I wouldn't be getting as much done as I am. Thanks guys !!!

HotRod33 · 10-26-2008, 08:41 AM

Great Post, but Take the time to do things with your family and get them involed with cars. It will help make time to work on your hotrod. As far as money to work on it with DRIVE an OLD CAR and don't make a new car payment and you also save on insurance. Use the money your not spending on car an insurance payments on your hotrod...........

383 240z · 11-01-2008, 04:46 PM

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!

I used to do that one night a week thing but fell out of the habit when I moved and kinda never got back into it. Then I started working killer hours at the custom shop building everybody else's dreams. But since reading it I got a few of my local car guy type buddies (not Hamb guys but car guy's none the less) and put together the Wed night Beaver Co. car club. We take every wed night and go to one of the guys shop and build his junk!! I then work on my junk every Sat. Well since I first read this post about 1 week ago I got my shop all cleaned up put the cab up on a body dolly, built a frame plate, bought the steel, got it all cut and fitted for the frame, got it mounted to the plate and ground all prepped for welding, one of the other guys has a CNC plamsa cutter at work so he is making me all the gussets and fish plates for the frame. and this Wed is my junks turn so I should have a cab sitting on a frame by the end of the night. Thanks again for helping to make my hobby/obsession, into my full time bill paying job, back into somthing i just LOVE doing again!!! Keith

38FLATTIE · 11-01-2008, 05:06 PM

Great post!

You might add that knowledge isn't something we are born with, we aquire it through mistakes and acomplishments!

All of us expiercend guys and gals need to take the time to pass along some of our knowledge.

model-a-fan · 11-01-2008, 05:56 PM

I think C9 just compared Sam to Jesus? I don't remember Jesus concerned about keeping the "pussy gods" happy. But hey, it made me chuckle!

Strange Agent · 11-01-2008, 07:34 PM

This is just what I needed to read to get back out there!

**dentisaurus** · 11-01-2008, 10:37 PM

excellent timing, I was starting to run out of steam. This was mostly due to last week I came to the realization that I have to start my rod all over again. This time I will get it right, safe and exactly as I want it. I hope. Thanks for the inspiration!

Voodoowagon · 11-03-2008, 04:00 PM

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME, this is such a great post. I cant say how many times I have gotten frustrated but just had to step back and see what the problem was and if I couldnt fix the problem not be scared to ask for help and to learn.

**I_be_moose** · 11-03-2008, 04:40 PM

Execellent post. Much to ponder. It kinda describes my path in hot rodding life. Nobody in my family was into cars or mechanical stuff. I made the effort to learn the skills needed to create the type of car I wanted. Still learning!
One point I did not see was that in addition to learning the skills you need to be able to recognize your limitations as well. Not everyone will be able to do everything on a build themselves so you need to be able to step back and realive it is time to call in help. It is not a crime not to be able to do it all!

Tim

**haroldd1963** · 05-01-2010, 04:10 PM

Time to resurrect an old post...BTT!

07-08-2005, 12:33 PM	#1
SamIyam Old School HAMBer Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: 45 Minutes East of Frisco Posts: 5,400	How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! What? Build a hot rod with your mind? No tools, no garage, no money... no parts required? No. Sorry guys... this isn't some sort of "mind over matter" tech post. It IS however about conquering the daunting task of building a hot rod or custom car. Some of you may be tired of me saying "Time + Money + Knowledge = Hot Rod"... But this addage holds true... and after much thought, it needs to be expanded. It needs more elaboration because there is a very important component that is missing... YOUR MIND. More specifically, AMBITION. Ambition is something that is intertwined within all aspects of hot rod construction... if you don't have it, you'll go down in flames shortly after you mock all the parts up in your car port. But how do we get it? How do you generate it? How do you foster it in others? First off... to paraphrase Zora Arkus Duntov, you have to "Eat, Sleep and Breathe" this stuff. Jumping on the bandwagon and THINKING you eat, sleep and breathe hot rods isn't enough. I see it all the time... kid notices hot rods are cool, kid buys rusty body panels at swap meet or from an add in the paper for $100, kid sees someone claim they built their hot rod for $2000... and then, when the hot rod doesn't mysteriously build itself, he bails. Often times he blames it on the lame "scene"... or the fact that he doesn't have the time... or money... Oh, but NEVER on the root of the problem, which is lack of skills and knowledge. Talk about a balloon popper... nobody wants to admit that they don't have the skills... especially after being able to quote Popular Rat Rodding Magazine and being able to rattle off all the important founding fathers' names... "I mean, won't that get me somewhere?" No, not by itself. Knowledge is something EARNED... you don't get it overnight, and you have to work your ASS of for it. If you're not willing to work, you'll never acquire the knowledge to build a hot rod. You definately don't come into this game wanting to fail, and you may percieve that you have a whole bunch of AMBITION... but then you realize you don't have the knowledge, and then that puts a hole in your ambition balloon. Where do you get knowledge? Well, the HAMB is a good start. I mean, you can ask ANY question on here... and it WILL be answered. The knowledge base of this electric box is amazing. But all too often, guys put all their eggs in one basket, they rely on the HAMB for ALL of their information... I mean, there are just some things that you have to discover on your own! "Gee, if I hit this with a hammer... it's gonna make THIS thing move" or "If I turn this thing this way... THIS thing is going to do THAT" It's called "street smarts"... and you get it from doing MUNDANE mechanical jobs. Like changing the oil in your car, doing a brake job... or pulling a set of heads to do a valve job. If you haven't changed the oil in your daily, or done a brake job... you have no business trying to build a complete hot rod from the ground up... at least not yet anyway. Some guys dream of building a pre-48 hot rod... but sometimes its better to cut your teeth on something a little newer. Buy a 60's car... or a 50's car... it can be a four door... change the oil, slap a set of disk brakes on it... progress to doing a rear end swap... buy a small welder, weld some trim holes up... maybe fab some small parts, brackets... a battery hold down strap... maybe then french the headlights or tail lights, or both. So Ambition is intertwined with knowledge in the fact that if you don't have any knowledge, or very little knowledge... your frustration level will go up, and your ambition level will go down. Time. Time is a very important aspect of building a hot rod or custom. If you do not spend the time on your hot rod, you ain't gonna get it built. You have to MAKE time... my suggestion is to dedicate at LEAST one night a week, and one weekend-day a week to your car. If you can't afford to spend at least one day or evening on it, it'll take you years to build the thing... frustration will be up, ambition will be down. Some guys are CONTENT with having a "life" project... something that sits in the garage under a bunch of crap... and never gets built. If this is the case, why even have a hot rod? I think guys like this just have them for the bragging rights... they get on the internet, spew knowledge gained from being on the internet, they go to swap meets and car shows to "stay in the loop"... but NEVER get anything done. Screw that... take up GOLF why don't ya... heck, buy a lottery ticket and keep DREAMING... Family. Family is important... and you have to have their support. Mostly for the TIME issue... if your old lady doesn't want you to spend one night a week out in the garage... get a new old lady. I've always said, that if a woman really loves you... she'll support you in your endeavors, at the least... tolerate them. I call it "going to bat"... you have to go to bat for the things you want... "honey, would it be ok if I went to a car show?" "No, that's all you ever do is go to car shows... we need the lawn mowed, the house painted, the kids bathed, the bush waxed... blah, blah, blah" "Yes dear" You're going down in flames gimpy! Do the chores, the honey-do list, bust ass at work for the promotion... don't attend every freaking car show... don't get DIVERSIFIED with your hobbies... Golf, Bowling, Sports games, TV... the computer... Ya gotta keep the pussy gods happy... so don't waste all your fun credits on stupid stuff... and if you save them all up... and the old lady STILL won't let you spend time out in the garage... get a new old lady. Likewise, if you spend time in the evenings watching TV, or hanging out on the computer, don't bitch that your hot rod isn't getting built. You have to spend time... time learning, time working and time THINKING about how you're going to build it. If you don't spend the TIME... your frustration level goes up (because you're not making progress) and your ambition level goes down. See a theme here? Lastly, your MIND... After you have all your ducks in a row... you still have that mental challenge. Sometimes you just have to take a break... or go to that car show, or have a friend motivate you or come to the HAMB for moral support... You get in a rutt... it happens to all of us... to prevent this from happening, keep tabs on those other areas. Learn as mush as you can. Bust your butt to soak up information. WORK towards acquiring the SKILLS you need. Stay on top of trends so you aren't building something people are gonna LAUGH AT. Don't work in circles, do it right the first time... Set REALISTIC goals for yourself. Hang out with like minded guys... guys who fabricate hot rods or customs, even street rods. Buy a welder. Take a welding class. Buy a beater... thrash on it to make it BETTER. Go to swap meets, car shows... and wrecking yards. MAKE TIME... Get rid of that old lady who won't let you work on your car. Bust ass at work to make more money to spend on your hot rods. No "good" ever came from sitting in front of the TV... And finally... share what you do on the HAMB... this place is like a 12 step program where the KUDOS are free and frequent. Sam. __________________ Traditional Hot Rodding is a state of mind. Last edited by SamIyam; 07-08-2005 at 01:29 PM.

07-08-2005, 01:20 PM	#3
Deuce Rails Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,021	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Wow, Sam. This is a great message, and you deliver it well. Thanks. --Matt

07-08-2005, 01:22 PM	#4
raven Alliance Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Independence, mo, usa Posts: 2,963	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Well said Sam. When I got my '54, I did not know how to weld. It needed floors, cab corners and cowels. I had to (gasp) take the bed off and then (gasp, again) take the cab off to get to where the floors should have been. I had no one holding my hand. I knew that I would have to get my own hands dirty to get it done. Now, I have great respect for those who have done this all before and even greater respect for those who have done this repeatedly. I also am not afraid to get the metal out and weld what I need. I recently inherited someof my faher-in-laws machine tools. Guess what, now I get to learn that end of it. r __________________ Every once in a while, life gets a little more surreal. Some men aren't looking for anything logical, Some men just want to watch the world burn. www.alarmandmuster.com Need 26-7 T coupe doors

07-08-2005, 01:30 PM	#5
joeycarpunk Old School HAMBer Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: MN,USA Posts: 3,401	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Hope people take the time to read this, nicely put. __________________ "You're either part of the steamroller or part of the pavement".

07-08-2005, 01:34 PM	#6
OFT Grenade Inspector Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: North central Colo. Posts: 203	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Great measage and well put. Young guys come over to my shop and see the hot rods and think all they need is a few hand tools and they'll be done in a couple months (some saw a TV show on a car club building a T), didn't think it took anymore than that to build a hot rod, LOL.

07-08-2005, 01:41 PM	#8
raven Alliance Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Independence, mo, usa Posts: 2,963	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! "Learn from your mistakes" Yeah, I learned about how sheet metal shrinks and bows when not welded properly. Little things like that... r __________________ Every once in a while, life gets a little more surreal. Some men aren't looking for anything logical, Some men just want to watch the world burn. www.alarmandmuster.com Need 26-7 T coupe doors

07-08-2005, 01:42 PM	#9
HotRodDrummer Alliance Vendor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ionia, Michigan Posts: 1,800	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Great post Sam!! Great points made, I think everyone that reads it will take something from it. My Buick has been sitting in the corner for the last three years...brb Thank you, HRD __________________ Send Me your used roloc's!! I'll pay shipping!! Stock frame straightening and repair Pot Metal and Magnesium welding www.ioniahotrods.com

07-08-2005, 01:42 PM	#10
elcornus Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Morro Bay, Ca. Posts: 653	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! And NEVER be afraid to ask questions. The only dumb Q there is, is the one you never asked! __________________ Just another broken down old moldmaker, carving away at Bear Metal Kustoms

07-08-2005, 01:48 PM	#11
JonnyRockets Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 482	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Love the post. Must print it out and put it on the wall. the old lady won't appreciate it as much me thinks. shit. haha Jon

07-08-2005, 01:50 PM	#12
Goober Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Land O'Penny Parking Meters Posts: 1,390	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Looks like it's a great post, Sam, but I gotta run to Jiffy Lube before my tee time this afternoon. Maybe tomorrow after the Cubs game I'll have a chance to read it before Law & Order comes on! __________________ How to Build a T-Bucket for Under $3000 *New Chester eBook* Hot Rod or Rat Rod Pickup TBucketPlans.com

07-08-2005, 01:57 PM	#13
Shiftymutt Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Muscle Car Hell (Santa Clarita) Posts: 1,245	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Posts like this and People like Sam are the reason that I stay on this board and the "other" boards have way fewer users.... just this last weekend I traded a guy his stock 37 ford bed for my "chopped" 35 bed. I bought a welder a while ago and had done some little crap with it....Anyway I brought home the stock bed and knew I needed to cut 10 inches off the front to make it look right on my truck....I have never done this and had done very little actuall fabricating on my own....Well at the end of the day the bed is 11 inches shorted the floor is cut out and the bracing is done...Along with that was some custom shock mounts and repairs on the doors... It was a huge leap of faith that I could do it...You know what, after I was done I thought to myself that I could handle anything (I know I can't but i still felt like I could). Thanks for the post.... __________________ The pain of discipline is much easier to endure than the pain of regret. "Fuck the Mickey Mouse Club"....Scorpio FFF www.losboulevardos.com

07-08-2005, 02:02 PM	#14
Harrison Alliance Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 5,918	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Awesome post Sam. I'm not giving up.... JH Attached Thumbnails Attached Images __________________ Grand Wizard - Waxy Pull-up Bandits

07-08-2005, 02:08 PM	#15
touchdowntodd Old School HAMBer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: milwaukee WIIIIII Posts: 3,749	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! FREAKING GREAT GREAT GREAT post man, no doubt this is what its ALL about... im not givin up, but it will take me til spring.. LOL.... but yeah man, thats how i got my body and shit, people gave up..... LOL... thats how i like to get all my parts, CHEAP! buildin for under $400, well, $1000 if u add 17" spokes and tires, HEHEHEHE... anwyays... when i get along the way, i will post pics... but WAY TO GO with kool ass post...

07-08-2005, 02:11 PM	#16
4t64rd Old School HAMBer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Satan's Scrotum, FL Posts: 7,190	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Great tech! If yours is like mine, you are gonna hafta pin her down to a written list of honey-do's or the list in her head will always be unfinished... and your dreams of driving that hot rod will be. __________________ Poor Boys - Florida Chapter HotRods, Customs & MiniBikes Web - Facebook BUY MY STICKERS!

07-08-2005, 02:20 PM	#17
Sam F. Old School HAMBer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: AWESOME WORLD Posts: 4,228	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! excellent post! i agree,, also,,ive learned that spending ATLEAST 1/2 an hour a day everyday after work,weither your tired or not gets results quickly,,i know,it doesnt sound like alot of work time,,but it adds up quickly,,getting started is the hardest thing sometimes..if you give your self that weekly goal,,odds are after geting started,,you wont want to stop after a half hour of work.. if you dont set aside time,,your not gonna get anything done,,a saturday a week just isnt enough for me... ive taught myself and learned from others as well how to do many things over the years ,just for the reason that i wanted something done so badly,,but i never had the cash to pay someone to do it,,,if you want something bad enough,you will figure out how to do it!!! im no expert,but i can say i do all my own work,,and im a DUMBASS!

07-08-2005, 02:21 PM	#18
Plowboy Alliance Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Cerro Gordo, IL Posts: 3,950	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Well said Sam. Everyone wants to drive a hot rod, no question about that. I bought my first one done and decided that I could do better myself, even though I had no clue what I was doing. Ha Ha Ha. I spent a little over a year building the spacetruck and took it to about 6 or 7 shows last year. Most people don't realize that for those 20 nights out being a "Hero" as everyone puts it, I spent 300 out in the garage by myself. Not a very good ratio if you are just interested in the "scene" not too bad if you really enjoy every aspect of your hot rod. This year I will probably go to about 5 shows. The rest of the time I am out in the garage working on the new one. That about covers my view of the "time" aspect. If you have a choice to go out to a bar, or help your buddy work in the garage and you choose the bar, you had better just buy your car done. If you say you can't afford a done car you better quit spending all your money on PBR at the bar. If you aren't prepared to spend a good chunk of your income on your car then you probably shouldn't even get started. I spend at LEAST $500 a month on my garage habit, which is about a third of my take home pay. There is the "money" side I know a few people that claim that they want to build cars but don't know how. They want me to "Help" them which I take as,"will you build my car for me?". I tell them to come out to the garage because I am always there, but they never show up. Yet the next time I am out they still talk to about me helping them. You have to help yourself first before you expect others to help you. Ambition. I enjoy the build part the most. If you have to force yourself to work on stuff you might as well give it up. I also think that if you listen to hair metal you stay focused. Maybe everyone should try that. Ha Ha Ha. As for the talent part, I don't think I am any better at fabrication than most people. There are a lot of people on this board a hell of a lot more talented than I am. I have only built 2 cars now and I learned how to weld on the first one. I see people like choprods, killer, and many others who have worked on a lot more shit than I have. I have just been lucky both of mine have turned out OK so far. I have a lot more ambition than talent. Sam maybe you need to add that 4th factor into you equation. Ha Ha Ha My buddy Russ always said that if you do three things a night, you eventually run out of things to do. He is right. Last edited by Plowboy; 07-08-2005 at 02:33 PM.

07-08-2005, 02:23 PM	#19
Tony Bones Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: The land of much moisture (Seattle, WA) Posts: 1,893	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Great stuff Sam. Beyond tenacity, I think that not being afraid to ask for help is what gets a lot of builders to the next level and gets cars done. I would have figured out how to gas weld w/ out instruction...but it would have taken longer. I would have figured out how to do a brake job if I didn't ask Forsakenfew for help...but it would have taken longer. Learning on your own is fine, but learning efficiently is finer. Ask questions.

07-08-2005, 02:26 PM	#20
choprods Old School HAMBer Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Elmer,Mo.USA All the COOL... people on the HAMB have already been here,why haven't you? Posts: 7,271	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Great post/theory -Sam.........its all true! I want to add a little something that a lot of us overlook...... You all know the guy who is building a car.....for 38 fucking years already!!! This is what I am saying....give your 50 percent to the family/wife...AND DEMAND YOUR 50 PERCENT IN RETURN!!!!! thats why the guy above never get it done -hes alway on "their 50"- percent [which more often equals 99%-Ha!] __________________ Rock Lyrics say it all- All the knowledge in the world is of no use to fools -Don Henley

07-08-2005, 02:42 PM	#22
raven Alliance Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Independence, mo, usa Posts: 2,963	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Goose, I've photographed your work. It is second to none. r __________________ Every once in a while, life gets a little more surreal. Some men aren't looking for anything logical, Some men just want to watch the world burn. www.alarmandmuster.com Need 26-7 T coupe doors

07-08-2005, 02:45 PM	#24
saltflataddict Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Salt Flats where are you? Posts: 1,684	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! very cool message. Its so true. I am in the middle of the learning process myself, as we build my hot rod. However i have excellent help and I am learning as we go. One thing I found out real quick is it takes COMMITMENT, from everyone involved, not just me but my family. I see my kids maybe 1 time a week after I get off work and in the mornings before I go to work. I see my wife for a couple of minutes as she wakes up when I walk in at 1am smelling like metal, only to wake up at 6am and go to work then go build. Its hard on the kids and my wife but we are commited till the end, you have to be from the get go or you will fail. I will not give up, I will be on the salt with my hot rod if it kills Deek and I.. __________________ Dont care what they say I got that attitude, hey I got the P.M.A!!!

07-08-2005, 02:47 PM	#25
55ford Grenade Inspector Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: henderson Posts: 131	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Well Put, I haven't built anything yet, I have to fix this car before I can start another project. About 2 years ago I learned how to change oil (I was 13-14 at the time) We changed the oil in my 55, back then it took us about 1.5 hrs, cause it was my first time, and we didn't have the right wrench. Now I can get it done in 10-20 mins, I have so much fun changing oil, gettin dirty. Thanks Sam, I am going to with what Johnny Rockets said and print it out.

07-08-2005, 02:49 PM	#26
Tommy C Newbie Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Memphis, IN Posts: 87	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! I can't help but say Great Read Sam... I'm 2/3 the way through my first project and more enthusiastic than ever... I can relate to your post quite well, my brother-in-law bought a 52 Chevy project shortly after I started my 53 and a year and a half later his is no different then when we pushed it into his garage...not one part purchased...not one thing fixed... He stops by often, he can't believe the progress I've made but never takes the first step to getting his started... It hasn't worked on him yet but I tell him often... just take one thing and fix it, don't ignore the big picture but at the same time don't let it stop you from fixing that one thing...then move onto the next thing... Do this and make sure you spend at least one night in the garage a week and you'll have a Hot Rod well on its way soon...

07-08-2005, 02:51 PM	#27
Tony Bones Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: The land of much moisture (Seattle, WA) Posts: 1,893	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! [QUOTE=saltflataddict]I see my kids maybe 1 time a week after I get off work and in the mornings before I go to work. I see my wife for a couple of minutes as she wakes up when I walk in at 1am smelling like metal, only to wake up at 6am and go to work then go build. Its hard on the kids and my wife but we are commited till the end...QUOTE] When you're laying on your death bed, I don't think you'll look back and say, "man, I should have spent more time on my car." Cars are everywhere man, don't miss your kid's childhood. My father did. A piece of me hates him for it.

07-08-2005, 03:12 PM	#28
grumper Grenade Inspector Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Passed out in a snow bank Posts: 153	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Great post Sam. As I read it I kept thinking of my buddy's father who bought a '48 F2 with the dreams of making it a rodded version of a truck his father had at the lumber yard in the '50s. The problem is he has never turned a wrench in his life and the truck has been sitting in pieces for 3 and a half years. I have already bought the original running gear from him because someone told him a '78 chevy truck frame would be stronger. He is now trying to sell the 350 that is in it because someone else told him that the 305 is a better motor. I am hoping to swoop in and buy the whole lot from him when he finally accepts defeat. This is a perfect example of what you are talking about.

07-08-2005, 03:42 PM	#30
snortonnorton Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 891	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! thanks for this post. It will help me along the way. I recently went home in cocoa beach to see my parents from college. My uncle who lives there has friends into car clubs. The BEST TRADITIONAL car i've ever seen in brevard county or even florida sits in my uncles driveway next to my dad when this friend named Bob comes over. It's a 1933 plymouth chopped and channeled, no fenders, but with a new 350. It's awesome and they guy got it by trading a crappy willies. I've ridden in it and recently started getting respect from the old timers for building my custom norton. I decided that when i graduate i'm going to teach back in brevard and hang out with them to learn. They told me they'd help me. __________________ "There is just one thing I can promise you about the outer-space program - your tax-dollar will go further." ........................... Wernher von Braun - Sturmbannfuhrer

07-08-2005, 03:49 PM	#31
Paul Editor Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Lahar Valley, WA Posts: 10,282	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! "little"? hell Sam, you left a bruise one part you left out is that it is imperative that you not only take pictures but you absolutely must post your progress here on the HAMB!

07-08-2005, 04:27 PM	#33
cleatus Alliance Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Sacramento Posts: 1,870	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Possibly the best TECH post ever. Even though it really has no "tech" in it. The mind IS the most important part of building. NOT that you have to be smart or talented or skilled – I had none of those things when I started with a rusty pile of crap no one else wanted to touch - I was the epitome of Clueless (mostly still am). You just have to be absolutely determined to pull it off. Mind over matter. You have to get your head straight - get a vision, and go after it like a tenacious mofo. Ambition is one thing, but you have to be determined to figure it out no matter what, 'cause there will be an endless list of stumbling blocks that you never even anticipated. You have to desire it, live it and make the fucker work and look the way you want no matter what stands in your way.

07-08-2005, 04:51 PM	#36
Tman Alliance Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Black Hills Posts: 20,887	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Didnt Germ already make this post and end it with the word "hellfire"? __________________ www.vagabonds.cc Wanted, 50s Caddilac heads.

07-08-2005, 05:12 PM	#38
slowpoke Grenade Inspector Join Date: May 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 164	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! As a newbie...this is perhaps the best TECH post I've ever read. It should be required reading for all Johnny- come-latelys. Like a good drill-sergeant...daunting but inspiring all the same. Thanks for the reality check Sam. __________________ slowpoke - What I know couldn't fill a book.

07-08-2005, 05:18 PM	#40
C9 Member Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Kingman, Arizona - The place on the way to other places.... Posts: 9,537	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Excellent Sam. Well thought out and well written. A carpenter and a philosopher all in one. Reminds me of a guy I read about once upon a time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I would add, sometimes you gotta take a step back and look at things for a while before you go any further. Let the subconscious think about it for a while and the next day things will be clearer. Don't be afraid to do it over. It's not about getting it done, it's about getting it done right. This from a guy who's on the Mark 5 version of a simple seat frame and it's not right yet.... __________________ Sailing the turquoise canyons of the Arizona desert. C9

07-08-2005, 06:26 PM	#42
SamIyam Old School HAMBer Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: 45 Minutes East of Frisco Posts: 5,400	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! I know I may seem to be idle right now, 'cause I don't post much tech... but I'm putting the finishing touches on this not-so-HAMB'ish '65 Chevy truck: I also have my Model A half torn apart, and am re-doing the rear suspension as we speak... got the '57 F-100 tow vehicle, the BFD that we finished up two years ago, the '55 150 I just bought, the Triumph bobber project and a Banger powered '23 T roadster in pieces that I am waiting for the time to build. Don't comment about irons in the fire... I try to prioritize, and then plug away on the one that needs work first... the truck has been priority one since the BFD was completed, I worked on tearing into the Model A when the truck was at the paint shop... the bobber is tucked away alongside the banger T... and the F-100 is only going to be down long enough for me to do the engine and front suspension swap... busy? Yea... more like constantly-at-it... Sam. __________________ Traditional Hot Rodding is a state of mind.

07-08-2005, 06:29 PM	#43
Gotgas Alliance Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: DFW USA Posts: 4,883	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Billet valve covers... A/C... SERPENTINE BELT? You're banned. lol just pokin fun at ya Love that '55. __________________ . Good hands. BAD taste in cars.

07-08-2005, 06:41 PM	#45
Gotgas Alliance Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: DFW USA Posts: 4,883	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! Actually, yes I did - and the dual resorvoir master cylinder, but oddly it still has a mechanical fuel pump. You're slackin.

07-08-2005, 07:19 PM	#47
zgears Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,206	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! well put bttt

07-08-2005, 08:08 PM	#49
chopolds Old School HAMBer Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: howell, nj Posts: 3,172	Re: How to Build a Hot Rod With Your Mind TECH! GREAT post. The mind is the most important tool we have. It is the creator, the dreamer, the planner, the executer, and the DRIVE to finish. A strong and creative mind is more important than a warehouse full of tools and equipment. I'd just like to add some of the things I've found out in my 30 years of building cars. Sacrifice! You have to accept sacrificing some of the important things in your life to attain your dream. Sacrificing time, money, living space, companionship, vacations, and other luxuries are part and parcel of acheiving success. And building a car is such a huge endeavor, it takes more sacrifice than smaller dreams. But as others have mentioned, don't completely discard haveing an outside life, just prioritize. Creativity. You have to learn to do things with what you have. Sometimes it's impossible, like welding without equipment (go back to "sacrifice!", and then buy a welder), but other times you can make some pretty impressive parts with just a jigsaw, and a drill press! It is also important to try to understand the creative processes. This is difficult to explain, but if you've ever been deep in it, you'll know. Think out of the box, imagine all the posibillities, go beyond! If it doesn't seem like it will pan out, back off a few degrees. Try new things, new talents, take up welding, auto body, sewing, to see what floats your boat. If anything, you'll appreciate NOT having to do that the next time out! Osmosis. Learn, by shutting the fuck up! Find out who's a successful builder/fabricator/painter/whatever. Ask a few questions, and shut up. You can learn a lifetime of education with the right people. NOT the bullshitters, either. The real deal guys. If you've even got a hint of what's going on, you can tell the difference. Or else ask around. There will be some folks that almost everyone respects. Just hang around and listen. If you're willing to learn, "apprentice" with that person. Hang around, and sweep floors, and put away tools, and absorb the knowledge! You'll be surprised what you can learn if you just be quiet, and watch and listen! Enthusiasm. This can ebb and flow, ride the wave. Sometimes it seems you'd like to spend every hour of every day in the garage. Other times, nothing goes right, or you lose your enthusiasm. Take a break, do something else, go on vacation. But when it's time to get back to work, hit it with a vengance. Get a lot done while you have the drive. Only allow yourself a short time to recharge your batteries, or you'll eventually lose interest. But if it's really "in" you, you'll always come back. Just be aware you can't go full steam ahead forever. During the times you seem to lose interest, go to some car shows, instead of spending every night in the garage. Watch American Graffiti, and Hollywood Knights. Read up on how-to literature. Relight the flame in your mind, so your body will want to follow! __________________ Finished The Kart Researching the new "secret" project! www.kopperkart.com www.customsbyflash.com