How old's the oldest H.A.M.B. member?60+?Tell us a cool story

Well, i'm 65, rolling up on 66 soon. My first car when I was 15 was a nice 40 ford opera coupe with a 56 olds 324 hooked to the original drive train, with a 39 trans. Being that I didn't have a drivers license yet, I used to race off that school bus home and take the 40 out on the back roads before my dad got home from work. That worked for a while, until a friend of my dad told him that he saw me tearing the roads up in it. Dad took the battery out of it and locked it in the garage. Dads idea didn't work, I would pry the door open , get the battery, go for a ride. Got caught again because I spilled battery acid on my pants, which by the next day were falling apart. This time I got my ass beat! I loved that car, always think about it.

 

I'm only 65 but I remember when:
Only sailors had tattoos and only women wore earrings.

 

Closer to 70 than 60 now. I've had a bunch of cars over the years, but never any I'd really call "nice". First one that I really wanted was a '32 Chev. coupe owned by a friend of the family in Brunswick NE. With a battery it would have run and he only wanted $35 for it when I was 14... my dad said "Not only no but Hell no!" Never forgotten the disappointment...

 

I heard about an old guy who had a Model A so we knocked on his door. He was 95 and came out and started his car and backed it out of the garage and we talked awhile. He said that the previous year he had pulled out in front of a pickup and trailer on the highway and his A was seriously wrecked. At the age of 94 he took it apart, reassembled it with different fenders and got a guy to paint it! He gave me the right front fender that was wadded up

 

Well, I'm 61, grew up in the seventies, owned a hemi cuda for a summer, took three friends to come out for a saturday nite, all paid for gas, raced anything that moved, couldn't afford to keep it. Then a 70 dodge adventurer pickup, buckets and a console stock trim, blew the crank right thru the pan racing a chevelle neck and neck, had it stuffed into first, forgot where I was and what mattered, seriously over revved it and paid the price. Rescued a 38 Plymouth coupe off a scrap truck, got him to drop it off in my dads yard, reggie still in the spring holder wrapped around the steering column, beautiful car, all there, hacked it up not knowing what to do, then back onto the scrap truck, gone.
But they weren't all good times like todays young guys think, the bank closed at three on Friday nite, were not open on weekends, credit cards didn't exist, remember the first chargex card? I was and still am an equipment operator, machines then beat the shit out of you, now they're nicer than cadillacs.
The tools we have now in our shops didn't exist then, hand tools and torches were the norm, parts were paid for with cash, 55 chevs were just old cars, I wouldn't go back. Now is the greatest time for car builders, enjoy the now, don't look back.

 

I'm almost 73 and I too remember the same thing.

 

Milwaukee Wi. 1964 thru early 70 forme, Tons of street racing and cruising going on, great time to be a car guy for sure. First car, 57 Chev 210 2 door, bought body, w/o engine, from junkyard, 348 w/ tricarbs, 3 speed trans,4: 11 rear, street slicks, put together w/ help from friends, 16 years old and living the dream, best part of story, had about $400/500 in whole deal, my saved up paper route $$$,. Car was fairly quick, took to Union Grove drag strip 1X and realized out of my league, BUT on street won many $10/20 short drags, 2 blocks 1/8 mile type. There were 1/8 and 1/4 mile roads marked off in areas, could beat stock tires muscle cars in 1/8 regularly, always picked and chose only what was in my range of reality. Many legit muscle cars, setup, slicks, headers, etc, even back then there was $100+ races, A few gasser types, not many that I saw. Cruised to Big Boys on Capital Dr, a Hemi Cornett, BBC chevelle arrived on trailers, warmed up on trailers, took off and raced rite there on Capital Dr, Cops showed up 15/20 minutes later, so all was KOOL. The police were pretty cool and sometimes looked the other way, I think, But, spent a night in a holding cell because of street racing, 1970 (64 Impala SS last street race type car) ENDED my career in that arena, went on to short track dirt, open wheel for 20+ years, tons of FUN, Many Stories. Very Fortunate and LUCKY man I was and still am, playing w/ cars and Living the Dream !

 

I'm 75, still wrenchin' on my rides and girlfriends Pontiac. !3 years old, bought a 37 Ford 4 door humpback for 15 bucks. Blow-by was so bad we clamped a piece of flex pipe over the oil fill tube / breather and ran it out to the rear bumper. Next a 31 "A" model coupe with a V-8 60, swapped it for a horse which I swapped for a 54 GMC 5 window pick-up. A couple of 40 Stovebolts, A 48 Stude Champion drop top, 48 Fleetine.....it goes on and on. A 54 year affiliation with aircraft, but cars all ways entered the picture. Yes, I would do it all again.

 

well I'll be 80 in a few months, I have a 57 buick,29 A nailhead powered flatbed , just started on a 1942 buick sedanet, lowrider style. also nailhead powered.

 

68 (going on 17 in my head). And just started another car ( '31 "A" coupe)
STORY TIME;
When I was 15 in 1964, I bought a 1940 Ford Coupe Deluxe, with a '56 Olds V-8 with tri power. ( not running- $150. bucks) ( had to have it- the sickness had begun!). Red body, black fenders, wide whites. I was in LOVE!!
The radio worked, so I'd listen to WMEX, Boston, home of local Rock and Roll, presided over by Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg ( the Night-train Show).
I'd mess with the carbs (which leaked terribly), listen to the radio, and eventually kill the battery.
I'd take the battery to Dick Marshes Exxon, about 1/2 a mile walk, to get it re-charged for $1.00 about every other day. He finally asked "What the hell are you doing with this battery?" I told him, and he gave me a ride home in his tow truck and handed me his spare battery charger. "Bring this back when you're done with it". Great guy, helped me a lot through the years ( and he had a hot daughter!)
I never did get the GD thing running ( not knowing anything about motors OR carburetors) and my old man made me sell the car because it had leaked all over the lawn and killed the grass ( he was PISSED!)
I sold the car for $150. bucks, and figured I'd made out pretty darn well!
Worst part? I didn't have a camera and don't have any pictures of it- my first Hot Rod!!

 

I am 74, been into cars since late 50s. I have a 1948 Ford Tudor since early 70s, been thru 2 rebuilds. Still drive it about 3,000 miles a year. Also have a 1957 Chevy Nomad since late 70s. Worked to keep it stone stock for many years, then made it a fun car in 2000. GMPP stuff really brought it to life. My current project is a 1948 Chevy 5 window pickup. I have had this pickup since mid 70s. Mostly original thru the years, couple of 235s, one 292 . Now almost completed 6.0 LS fuel injected upgrade. I have done all the electrical myself except the computer retune. Been working on the wiring almost 2 years.Started on first crank. Next to my family this is important to me.

 

Hello,
Our 1965 El Camino was a pretty nice car. But, since we wanted big time gas mileage for those far away desert European Scrambles and Hare/Hound races, we got one with a single carb on the 327. It had the standard air shocks in the back which made handling the 2 motorcycles easier on the road and on the dirt trails. I put on an air gauge just under the fill valve. This gauge made filling and letting a certain amount out of the shocks so much easier. It did not have air conditioning, so our version was a wire mesh back rest that cooled us using outside air circulating all around. the open vents below the dash kept our feet cool, too.


I put on 125k and sold it for $600 in 72 to buy another 40 Ford Sedan Delivery. This El Camino was a great car, no repairs, great gas mileage, comfortable and that air gauge was the best thing to make lives easier...But, sometimes out in the desert at night was not for sleeping in the bed of the El Camino...it does get freezing out there...So the cab was very cozy for two, but warm.
Thanks,
Jnaki
View attachment 3285206

 

Well into my 70's now and have loved rods and customs since back in the early 50's. I don't know why this came to mind - but back in 1957, my uncle bought my aunt (they lived next door to us) a brand new '57 Olds, 4-door hardtop - in PINK, no less. Well, my wicked cousins were visiting us from out of town, and they had one of those "smoke-bombs" that you could wire into the ignition and scare the h@!! out of some unsuspecting soul. They proceeded to wire this into the Olds, and we took cover in our tree house. In a little while my aunt came out, got in the Olds, hit the starter, and OMG, a loud whistling noise like an incoming bomb, and then a BOOM, and smoke pouring out from the engine. She got out, and started crying and shaking - she thought she destroyed her car!! My cousins were hysterical with laughter, but I felt so guilty, I ran to her and told her what we had done. Her grief suddenly turned to anger, and since I was handy, I got a few good whacks from her - my cousins further enjoying the spectacle. The moral of this story: stay away from those evil cousins!!!

 

I am 80 years old and when I was 20 I rode in the same car with Ed Cole. If you don't know who Ed Cole was you must be a Ford lover.

 

Nice ride , and the color choice couldn't be better!

My '65, "imported" from Seal Beach California ; 327, PG tranny, 12 bolt rear-kick it into passing gear and the nose came up about 3 inches and it FLEW! Hard to believe that was over 30 years ago!! ( until I see the brown hair LOL)

 

I am only 73 and no plans to quit. I have some young turks in my car gang the South Omaha Turds that keep me on the road. What a long strange journey it has been.

 

My father is 87, born in 1929. Dad still has two A's and a 46 Ford. The 46 was his upgrade, as he thought he was too old to drive the A's and felt the need to move into a modern car!
Since dad retired, he has driven his mostly stock A's from coast to coast several times, up and down the USA from Canada to Mexico. They went all the way to the Arctic Circle and back to Kansas in 6 weeks. That trip was with about 10 A's, one radiator, one engine overhaul, one windshield, many small adjustments along the way. At 87 he still dreams of the next car or the next trip, but should not drive at all. So I'm trying to keep him busy and engaged, currently he is building up 3 Stromberg 97's to put on his 46 sedan. Gotta respect the hard core cruising he & mom have done.

 

I'm 70...in 1965 my buddy and I towed my 56 chevy (on the ground) to Scottsdale AZ for the AHRA winter nats. We started in Baytown (35 miles East of Houston). My 56 was a legal NHRA D/MP so we modified it for AHRA. We removed the carbs and added a 2GC. The complete story is too long for this post however some of the highlights:

• On the way there we froze the block in the Davis mountains (built a new one @ the race)
• Met Bill Jenkins, Dell Blades and Dick Landy
• Got bunches of help from Friendly Chevrolet
• Removed a block from a wrecking yard with water pump pliers (drug it out before closing)
• Won class and went several rounds
• Traded STP (we won cases) for gas and donuts
• My dad sent me 100.00 to build new engine
• Went down the main drag of Scottsdale @ midnight open headers...in full drag mode

 

I'm 63, retired, wife works, live in a dinky Apt in Van Nuys, have 2 OT cars, one does the quarter in 13.5,no garage, no tools, got up, took shower, ate, tended my deck garden, compared hot peppers with our apt manager, read the HAMB, drank a beer, read some books , bought cool cars in the past for almost nothing, sold 'em,rode in airplanes, hitchiked all over the West, did hippie stuff, knew a bunch of great people, wrestled a grizzly bear.
Ok, I made up the bear part. My exciting stories!

 

Only one beer Gary.
You must have quite a pair, it would take two beers for me!

 

Two beers or two bears?
Be clear man!!!

 

Bought my first v8 Ford in maybe 59 or 60, never been without one since. Must of had a couple hundred, I know that I had 34 count em 1932 Fords in my life. Heres a pic of Me and my 36 3-window in 1965, I just finished installing hydraulic brakes and 50 Merc wheels on it. I got drafted in 66, someone broke into my storage container while I was gone, my old man saw the car driving on the street, and retrieved it from the vandal for me. I was ready to go AWOL if I had to ,to get my coupe back. The coupe now belongs to Ray Schuler in Indiana. By the way, I just turned 72 on July 20th

 

Hello,
(if you have ever thought of putting a trailer hitch on the back of your cruiser, this is a story for you.)
We had a 58 impala that was my daily driver from 1960-65. (School, friends houses, the beach, drives to the OC to the drive in at Mac Arthur and Coast Hiway during Easter Vacation (now called Spring Break,etc.) Since we had a trailer hitch welded on below the rear license plate, it more than paid for itself time and time again. First, we used the solid bar, tow hitch to tow our 40 Willys to the Lions Dragstrip. Then had to park parallel in front of the H.S (warded off newby 16 yr old drivers when they were parking), and when we cruised down to the OC, it saved the rear end at least more two times. The cool place to be at Merle's was not the first row right off of the main building, but the first row where you could be sitting in your car and watch all of the other cars drive in front of you. But, the bad thing was that there was a second row behind the first and it was on slight hill.
When you came into the drive in to cruise and check out the scene, you would go all around the lower pathway, then go around the upper area behind the second row. Most people would drive right in and find a spot as soon as possible. Well, in those days of emergency brakes and those people that did not learn to use them correctly, this was the place to do some damage. When the back row people were ready to leave, they would always forget the hill and roll into the cars on the lower front row spots.
This trailer hitch always came in handy as it was solid and worked like a battering ram. Both times, on separate occasions, the upper level car rolled down into my Impala and made a large enough bang to think a huge dent occurred. After panicking out the first time, but walking away with a smile, the second time was $%$$#%, and the result would be the same. The solid trailer hitch went into either, the license plate, mounting area or the lower grill of the uphill car. The second time this scene happened, the car was lowered or on a rake and that made the grill just the perfect spot for the trailer hitch to go in and cause some damage. My car stayed pristine during all of these cruises to this popular drive in (Merle’s) in Newport Beach and since I always got the "first in line" spot in front of the H.S. no scratches or dents. The final towing job of this hitch was to tow our empty, burned out 40 Willys to the scrap yard in August of 1960.

Thanks,

Jnaki

 

I'm probably one of the youngest members here but today on my train ride to work i was talking to one of my work buddies who's 75. He was telling me about how he bought his first car, a 48 dodge for 75 bucks from his neighbor, then in about 1959 or 60 he bought a 56 chevy and had the 265 bored and rebuilt with a 4 barrel for $120 by a guy who worked with his dad. Apparently the guy that did the rebuild also built an eddy munster drag car for his son and the guys wife tuck n rolled the interior by hand. Joe (work buddy) says they use to go out on IL route 15 when it was being built with his 56 chevy because it was a strait quarter mile with no speed limit sign and his 56 could beat just about anything. Later he had a built 64 chevy convertible that he drove to Wisconsin probably about 95 mph most of the way and he did some more highway racing along the way. He says he remembers a lot of old pickup trucks around here with 396s and 427s that were complete sleepers.


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

Almost forgot. The same guy that had the eddy's coffin car also built a chopped 48 mercury and joe says the windows were probably only 8 or so inches all the way around


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

Old? Couldn't remember if I posted to this thread so spent half hour rollin thru the pages, finally found my post, but, forgot what I was going to post if I hadn't already posted, which I had, but then forgot which page I posted on so......aw screw it!

 

In 1962,I was 14 years old. A good friend was 3 years younger(11) and was a superb model car builder.While at his house one day,he took me to his "older" friends house.In the driveway was a 62 Pontiac Catalina with a 421 dual quad engine with aluminum front fenders,hood,and aluminum bumper; called a Super Duty Pontiac.He took us young kids for a thrill ride hitting a 100 mph quickly.Think what a Super Duty aluminum front end is worth today; PRICELESS!

 

Well, I'm "only" 62, and, according to someone on here, full of "ego-driven bullshit", so I'll relate what was a humbling yet kinda cool experience.

I lived in the Bay Area in '72, and drove a '62 Nova 'vert with a tired 6 and three on the tree back and forth to college before I had to drop out or get kicked out. Before the big earthquake destroyed it, the "Cypress Structure" connected the South bay to Berkeley and points north via Highway 17, and northbound was the lower level. During a significant rainstorm (in October, I think), I discovered what hydroplaning was all about, at around 70+., Fortunately, the Nova stayed relatively straight (steering input was non-existent) and I managed to get back down to pavement without mishap, but I was seriously shaken thinking about what could have happened had I gotten crossed up.

As I emerged from the lower level feeling lucky to be in one piece, a mid-sixties VW bug with flower stickers all over it popped out of the feeder from the Bay Bridge to northbound 17, hydro-planed across 4 lanes, including mine, somehow found traction before it ended up in the weeds (without jacking a swing axle), stayed straight, and disappeared up the freeway.

God protects fools (me), little children........and hippies.

 

.I'm 75 and had a stroke six years ago not so funny

 

In 1954 White Chevy, on the east side of Cleveland, got the first Corvette on the East side. I was sixteen and drove up in my 1947 Plymouth and told the salesman I would like to test it before I bought it. As if I had the means to buy it nor did I look like I could. Surprisingly, he let me take it out, alone. Well, you can imagine what a 16 year old did. I cruised the town (Euclid ) looking for every girl I knew, after all, it was summer, a sunny day, top down, and I had the first Corvette any of us had ever seen. Well, an hour an a half later I returned to a totally distraught salesman, sales manager etc. When I got home my dad told me the salesman had called, quite upset and my dad gave him hell for letting a 16 ear old kid take out a new car. I had a ball. That car was so cool then.