Hot Rods Had this conversation yet??

I admit that this (see the rumpled wagon after being rear ended and shoved into the hapless driver of the little gold car by a dick on is cell-phone), was a major reason that I sold that (see the nifty black roadster) on a whim early one November morning. We'd have not walked away from the same accident (well, OK, limped away) if we'd been in the roadster, and I let that color my perception about the car.
Now, I regret selling the '34, a car I'd been dreaming about for 40 years. The up side is, that I can always build, or even easier, now that I'm getting old and demand instant gratification, just go out and buy another one. Whatever I do, the cars I build will have seat belts in them, at least 3 point belts, and we will use them. Stuff doesn't always happen to the other guy...

 

Actually It is just your observation that you would not have limped away, As you were not in the roadster to know how that crash would have faired out. The roadster is a much lighter car (meaning that the impacts would have been different). Plenty of people have been in accidents in roadsters and walked away. As far as seat belts go, My Dad was T boned in 1977 driving a brand new monte carlo. he was ejected out the passenger window. the bumper of the pickup that hit him was to the console of the monte. Had he of been wearing his seat belt (not allowing him to escape the drivers seat). I honestly feel he would not be here today. Just saying

 

Speaking of risk and life endangerment, gotta be careful with that bubblewrap – there's likely Chinese air in those bubbles, and something's been going around ...

 

Hey Ryan!! Morris is on his parents computer again!!! Pete

 

Soooo,...are you taking the roadster p.u.?

 

Has anyone just tried to talk to the boy? (Stir Crazy) Lippy

 

Was that before or after you stopped so he could buy some manpons?

 

I'll take my chances and enjoy myself while I do. Life is full of uncertainties.

 

The steering column in my Ford is known as the spear of death. Eventually I'm changing to a different style of power steering box. Also the hood opens backwards and those have been known to be pushed through the windshield. With that said, I opted for 3-point belts up front. They have been tested a couple of times in short stops.

I was out this past Saturday night in my OT Malibu and had 3 people come close to running into me within a 10 minute time span. When your number is up... it's up!

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the physics of being struck from behind, high on the deckled, by a lifted F150 doing 50 mph, in the fiberglass bodied roadster, setting still waiting for traffic to clear for a left turn, would have ended up with the truck probably driving right over the back end of that light car. Now, I'm not a scientist, but I don't think the results would have been nearly as lucky for us, from an injury standpoint, as that dick head hitting the wagon almost square in the ass-end at that same speed. Just saying...

 

Brian, I'm just glad you weren't in the roadster! I bumped a tree in the yard in my 64 corvette. Half the front fender broke off at the seam and flew on to the ground, screwed up the aluminum Harrison radiator, screwed a hood corner up and a bunch of small stuff. I cannot imagine a truck hitting that roadster at 50 mph. Lippy

 

People! Please STOP with the “just sayin”.........it’s annoying as Hell, sorta like the bold print here....but we already know what you’re “just sayin”...we just read it and understand the implication that you just said it......

it’s a bad habit....like....uhhh, you know what I’m sayin...

 

I recently read 12 Rules for Living and in a chapter it discusses, in-depth, the impact society is having by taking away challenges and danger for boys.

Prior to reading that, I didn't sway much either way (other than being frustrated that every park/playground we take our kids to is boring as hell... and that our kids' recess is stifling to the point where the administration attempts to take the humanity out of children who are rough and tumble)...

Now I really see the evidence everywhere that the indoctrination of our youth to reject their biological instincts has more vast impact than I had considered.

 

I too am of the opinion that its your time when it comes, hasn't come for me. At 16 I had a 65 vauxhall viva, bout as big as your thumb and made of cardboard, hit a semi head on driving a back country snowy road, car went under the truck, driver door popped open and spit me over the snowbank. Climbed up with a scratch on my elbow, car was a white pile of squashed metal under the kenworth front axle. A seatbelt would have ensured my death, but still i wear one every time I get in a car. Life is to be lived, I've squeezed 50 more years out since then, fun years in hot rods.

 

I am sorry to say we all have friends and family that have been hurt or worse passed away in a car,truck or motorcycle. Then think about the men and women in many professions that put their lives on the line for us. Then all the Great Men and Women that serve our country and went into battle to make our country free and great Thank You!!. None of them didn’t have fear but didn’t have fear control their lifes or the job that was asked..
I dont believe anyone going to their job or out for a drive or walk doesn’t looks to get hurt or killed. You cant stop living and constantly looking over your shoulders on whats going to happen.
I believe the conversion should be about caution, being prepared and know your surroundings. Then how you can enjoy your life by doing dangerous things like Hot Rodding,drag racing,motorcycles ,skateboarding and surfing with sharks and so on.
Using common sense goes a long way . I know when I jump into the old 32 hotrod ,I drive with caution try to avoid traffic and high congestion areas but I have a Saint Christopher on my dash . I can tell you if my day is shit and jump into the roadster my problems are behind me and a smile is on my face. Life is Short ,Live it and laugh like crazy..

 

I was thinking the kid was the student, silly me.

 

It's not necessarily a fear of death or being afraid to live life for me, it's leaving the people that count on me or ending up a vegetable and being a burden on those I care about or something. What I do affects more people than just myself. I never want to be in a situation where an ounce of prevention would have saved a pound of pain. I'd be willing to bet most if not all here would agree.
There's risk, and there's calculated risk. I think we're all masters of the calculated risk in our hobby. If anything, the thought of what might happen in a wreck with a modern car is what keeps me on my toes when driving my old stuff. Those thoughts do not stop me from enjoying what I love, and I truly do feel sorry for people that let fear run their lives. It's not up to me to change them. But when other people's fears start affecting the things I love to do, I take issue with that. The safety police have killed a lot of the things I was willing to take a calculated risk to enjoy, things that wouldn't cause any harm to anyone else, and that's just not what freedom is supposed to be about. I could go on and on about this. What people are willing to accept for a false sense of security, but I've said my piece.

 

here is the bottomline, Enjoy life and what you have. Enjoy your hotrod otherwise what the hell are you doing here? Drive the hell out of it, And if you are afraid to do that then sell it to one of the members here and they will drive the hell out of it for you. They may even call you every once in a while and let you know how much fun they are having while you stay at home safely in your basement. The reality is Bad things happen sometimes it is a fact of life. To quote "Basic Bobs" profile "Speed Kills! But what a way to go!!!!" The man upstairs is not going to take me until he is ready So I will continue to have fun and not worry about the sky falling.

 

Sacramento.

 

When he's the Paramedic/EMT scraping you off the highway, might be a good idea.

 

Nobody ever died from speed. It's the sudden stop that gets you!!

 

Some of todays societal problems are because we didn't "bash" our kids enough !!

 

What is this " rush hour traffic" of which everyone speaks?......................plenty of empty space out there somewhere waiting for hot rods ta' fill it.

 

Are you just egging us on for more comments? I'll address the question you posed in the thread title. No, I haven't. If I ever do I guess I'll have to think of a way to respond, but we'll never reach an agreement here on a proper response. Everyone's risk/benefit assessment is going to be unique.

Lynn

 

This is so true! My oldest son used to get in trouble with his little spoiled ass only child buddy next door. I would bust his ass while his little buddy would get a lecher and put in time out. He would ask why I was so mean to him and why his ass was red and nothing really happened to his buddy. I told him It was so he did not grow up to be like his buddys parents. Parents who do not discipline their kids leave it for the Law to do when they are grown.

 

Had this conversation yet?? Yes, thats why I am building a roll bar into my 1934 Ford pickup

 

Have to admit I was surprised at the "punk kid" comments made to what I thought was a purely rhetorical question.
Having raised a son who started as an auxiliary fire fighter when he was 16 and retired as a CalFire captain and a Grandson in his 2nd year of training as a Paramedic and knowing he and his friends have seen more reality in their early twenties than some of the respondents will see in 100 years of nightmares I had to respond. Sorry to get off
topic, rant over.

 

Hey! what could go wrong?

 

But is his opinion reality, or a biased perspective? Sure he means well...but it's like having a Fire Captain go to a school and mandate that all hallway doors have to be closed. See...that slows down a fire. Problem is that the other 99.999% of the time it also stifles air flow and makes warm days in school unbearable, since there isnt a breeze. It's about perspective. Have him go to a rod run or similar where hundreds of people are enjoying old cars without a scratch . If life was about avoiding "realities" we would all stay inside in a locked room. Life is meant to be lived..there is risk in everything.

 

My son is a paramedic/EMT and he rides a crotch rocket to work every day. I guess old dad didn't do too bad raising him.