Projects Question for "Traditional and Older Traditional Hot Rodders"

Hi folks, Curious about just how much you can still do by yourself. We still have the back yard garage we started in as a teen in 1954, many additions in tools added over the years, including a lift about 17 years ago. Still have the "Flathead" powered hi boy roadster (back yard built) sittin' there. Bout 3 years ago I had a health problem set in. Everything just sat until about a month ago, gathering dust, dirt and you know what else. Took me that time to clear a pathway thru the place so's I could even sit down in there. My question is, "once you get well past the 70 mark, how much can you still you by yourself, without having to sit down and rest before you can start up again"? I know, we're lucky enough to have lived this long. Sorry for the rant. I know there are many of you folks out there much older. Jay Y.

 

I don't do a lot myself these days. Mostly machine work. Even then I don't work long. Couple hours at the most.

 

QUOTE: "health problem set in"

Same here, and it caught me off guard 1 month before I was going to get Social Security at 62. I had to quit taking in all side work, and I have worked on some rough stuff for people that no other place will do.

My son has been here for two days helping me clean out the buildings, and it's tough to know what to keep if I don't know what my future is for sure... He hauled one load to the scrap yard today...$140 worth. Learning to "let go of stuff" so that I will not trip over piles of stuff...

I don't know what to save or sell at this point. The economy is broken here in the Northeast, and I don't even know if I can sell stuff that was once popular. Parts, tools, cars, books, etc.

Some stuff we shouldn't do, is sandblasting, or painting with the deadly 2 part paints, especially primers, and any dusty filthy cleaning.

I'm not even sure I want to keep working on any cars right now.

 

Everyone is different, physically AND mentally...I'm 71 and still build cars, do as much as I can, including crawling under cars on my back...I'm healthy and don't feel 71. In March of this year, I just completed a 19 month build of a '60 Chevy wagon and did everything except the upholstery, but I did help with that...go here to see the build:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=785551&highlight=the+2nd+best+60+chevy+build

Having said that, my brother is 67 and is my go-fer, he can hardly bend his knees anymore and once he gets on the floor, he can't get back up with out help so he doesn't work as hard as I do on our cars. Don't know what I'd do without him tho...

I work a full-time job during the day and work on my cars some evenings and on the weekends (when I'm not heading out across this country going rod running or attending a local show).

However, the most important part is don't judge yourself by everyone else...not everyone is created equal physically...do what you can and don't worry about doing it all yourself.

R-

 

Man I bet ther are a lot of younger guys out there that would love to soak up the knowledge from you guys. Wish there was some old timers around my area that needed help or motivation that young hands could do in exchange for knowledge and being pointed in correct direction

 

Jay Y..you are just about to where I am today..At 81,I work only if I feel like it,,and then usually only for a couple of hours,,
Go back in the house and rest (or nap,hehehehe) then I can go a few more hours..But just remember,I am in Texas and its in the hi 90s..my shop is not A/C..

 

I am often asked where I learnt how I learnt to fix old cars, understand flatheads etc. The HAMB/Ford Barn, trial and error, breaking stuff etc is my answer.

But a friend of mine who has just discovered this traditional world is in awe of the old timers. He spends every waking minute on here learning but made an interesting point:
If an old timer or two ran a seminar/workshop that passed on the tips and long worked for knowledge ( for a fee obviously!) that was like a night class or weekend thing he would pay big money for a seat in that class. Effectively you could teach young up and coming hot rodders how to do repairs and save your own body while they turned the wrenches.

May not be as satisfying as the accomplishment of doing it yourself but has got to be better than resigning yourself to the fact you can't do certain things any more, leave the hobby as a result of injuries or become a gold chainer and rely on a shop to maintain your ride( for a fee out of YOUR pocket). Instead you could make a small fee to put back into your cars.

Just food for thought


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I just turned 69 and the past couple of years I have really slowed down a lot. I look back at the pictures I took a few years ago of cars I was working on and realize that I was much more active then than now. I am also going to a foot Dr for Plantar Fasciatis in my right foot, so that is holding me back a lot too. After an 8 hour day at work I rarely go to the shop at night, like I used to.

Luckily, I have two Sons who I can ask for help with stuff and they do all the heavy things for me now. Old age is a bitch, but I guess it does beat the alternative.

Don

 

I'm 67 and the single best tool I own is a lift. Without it there would be no way I could do this stuff on my back. Next best tool my Tig Machine.

 

well 69 and still driving the Flat Fed, do all of my own work but its getting slower and slower as I go along, just have to add time accordingly no big problem. My hero is Elmer Unsprung Snyder 86+ and still driving a flathead fed, someday I hope to beat him but if I don't its still OK in my book. Hope to relinquish the driving duties to my grandson soon and get him flatout..........
don't know if that's traditional or not and don't care..........

 

A guy once told me "Gettin' old ain't for sissies"; then again another guy said"You don't get to be old by being stupid".I kind of question the second philosophy, but the older I get (66 now) the more I'm a firm believer in the first! Biggest problem I have in the garage is getting up and down ( always tempted to take a quick nap on the floor), and my eyesight .I wear glasses for distance, so working under a car is a challenge;anything real close is ok,but over 2 ft. it's a blur.Constant glasses on,glasses off drives me nuts.Had bi-focals, but when I first got them I wore them to work 7 floors up on staging and almost took a major Dixie.They have since remained in my drawer basically unused.Favorite tool is a tough one- based on use I would say 4 1/2" electric angle grinder , 1 with cutoff discs and another with grinding disc ( I have 2).my air angle grinder with different roloc discs ( 60 and 120 grit), my Lincoln welder, my big bench vise,my tap and die set ( major asset), rapid lift aluminum floor jack,drill press.......I guess I like ALL my tools!And I like building cars! So if I continue to pay no attention to aches and pains and eat lots of ibuprofen, life is good!Long as my HEAD cooperates( at least part time) I still have a couple more left in me. I read an interview with a guy and when they asked him "What's the worst part of getting old?" he replied"Remembering being young." Amen to that. Keep Building, you Wippersnappers! Make your dreams come true. Mike from Mass. pictures of the latest project(built in a 1 car garage with no lift) year and a half to build,but who's counting?

 

At 73 I'm still capable, although slower. The biggest problem I have is getting started. The motivation is just not as strong as when I was young. I have friends though that are still excited by thrashing on cars so I guess it's an individual mind set.

 

I'm only 49 but had a 2 year spell with a health problem that a doctor created by treating me for something I didn't even have. I was pretty messed up. Progress on my A pickup was at a snails pace at best. It was really frustrating. I almost gave up. One particularly bad day in the shop my older brother said, "hey man, even a half hour out in the shop is progress. What ever you do today, if you hadn't done it, would still need to be done. So even in small bits you're still moving forward". He was right. I finally started driving it around in May. You just do what you feel like you are up to for the day and you'll get there. Good luck to you buddy.

 

I'm 66 and still do everything. I am not quite as fast as I used to be but I had a guy tell me recently that I was quite agile for an old fart. I don't have a lift but I put the Roadster up on stands once a week to check stuff and keep things in order. I do lift weights every day, Not much but to keep myself flexible. Remember age is a state of mind

 

I'm 69 too, and still spend a lot of time in the shop, working on various projects. Thankfully, I am in pretty good shape and can still do everything I want, just a bit slower. I wish I could get some younger guys interested in learning some of the stuff I've picked up over the past 50 or so years working on hot rods. I never had anyone to teach me anything about cars, just had a huge interest since I was about 13 or 14, and taught myself. Most younger guys already know it all................or just can't bear to hang around with an ol geezer. Must be the smell.

 

I am 74 and spent the day welding in wheel wells on a 46 Lincoln Continental for a friend. A little slower, but not much. All this being said I work through pain of Peripheral Neuropsy which has my feet numb and my back hurts. Pain is a constant but after I get moving, I am all right.

 

I'm 68 and still go out to the shop every day, it ain't easy but you gotta do something during the golden years.

 

I'm 71. For the past couple of years I have been really in decline. 4 hours in my shop is about all I can stand. But I'm finding my skill level is still improving. I can't weld or paint because my hands shake. But my machining and fabricating work is better than ever.

 

I'm over 50 and you guys make me feel like a little kid.

Keep up the good work!

 

I'll be 68 in a month. Exercise every morning (try to anyway) and go on couple hikes during week. Have arthritis in neck that causes some issues with right arm/hand.
Go out to shop most day's and work at a "hobby pace" (27T roadster is current project). Still doing updates to the OFT (old funky truck) 1929 AA Ford dually I've owned over 45 years-1st hot rod. Also work on samurai "old school" rock crawler-which is my dd. It gets 30 mpg while the 29 gets 10-something to do with a supercharged SBC I think.

 

68 here. Yeah, I've slowed down a tad, but in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in. Retired officially, but still do work for a handful of favored customers. Hobby wise, still build my own stuff, work my own property, putt, race, and still build Rose Parade floats (though I've backed off almost fully on commercial ones, now only one volunteer one). The non-stop aches have become a friend, and yes, it's harder to get up the attitude anymore. That, I now handle by starting out to just do "this little thing". Of course that leads to the next little thing ...... and my wife has to call me in for chow or sleep at some point. Guess that means the memory's going now too.

 

Oh there is one other thing I do to keep me moving................

Catch for my grandson ............. kinda hurts every once in a while but what the hell he will remember it forever

 

73 and can't imagine not having a project and turnin' a wrench. Recently lost 45 lb. and got a lot more active walking and doing some free weight exercise to get in better shape after a health scare in Jan. this year. A lift would be a Godsend but I don't see it in the budget. Lucky to have my dedicated, heated shop. The 36 Chevy (Avatar) is pretty well done now and a decent, reliable driver. The current project is 47 Olds convertible. The projects are more restricted by budget than health/age. I still do probably 70% of the stuff myself but farm out upholstery and paint. However at any age there are some things that need two people. Just more of them now. : )

 

Pretty high strike zone Carl, you need to get that crouch down for today's umpires. Yea I used to catch, couldn't do it today.

 

I'll be 60 in 6 months. Aside from some thoracic disk disease, I'm doing well. I'm in the gym 3-4 days a week, work about 55 hours a week too. The only concession I make is to put things where I don't have to bend down too low to retrieve.

I have a project going on now and will thin out the rest of my stuff in the coming year or so. I still do anything that I did 30 years ago. I may not pull marathons on a build, if I can get in a few hours here and there, it gets done. I also work a little smarter now.

I'm doing more machine shop work these days and have branched out into setting up CNC mills for one guy. Some of it is hump labor, changing vises and fixtures but it keeps me going.

 

Some times it is conditions external to yourself that dictate what you can and can't do. My wife of 48 years now needs a caregiver 24/7. So we sold our home and now live in a leased condo without stairs near our kids. No garage, no shop and I can't leave her alone. Even with me being there for her, she still can get into trouble. Last month walking across the lawn at my sons, she lost her balance, fell over backwards and broke her left arm in two places. You just never know. At 71 I still have the drive to build another car but it is not in the cards. So hats off to the guys who still have the drive and the situation to keep building!

 

just the maintence on my cars keeps me motivated and moving-still crazy after all these years-cbj

 

At 73, I'm pretty much in a holding pattern and do maintenance work on four HAMB friendly cars. Backyard Buddy was the best buy I ever made and putting heat and air in the shop was a life saver. I do have a project with my brother, (60) that is slow going. Still never fail to be amazed at the 20-somethings here on the HAMB that know more than I do about the hot rod culture of the 50's and 60's in SoCal!

 

I'm a couple of months shy of 69 and try to work on my cars every day. I have a bad back and had a bout with throat cancer about 5-years ago, but I found that you have to keep pushing yourself. It's just too easy to say "I'm taking it easy today, but I'll make up for it tomorrow" because "tomorrow" becomes next week, then next month........

Summer is tough to get car stuff done, because of the yard work, etc., but in the winter I'm in my shop 6-8 hours a day.

 

still sitting after a year of health problems. I'll hit the big 70 in a few months I'm beginning to question whether I can complete it or not. I hope so. I understand that I can't work long hours to complete it but I'm hoping that an hour or 2 a day can add up and I can get to drive it before I die. I still love the concept.