Hot Rods Traditional Hot Rods & Customs - verses - The Internet

Sounds strange doesn't it, but hear me out.

I was one of the old farts that was not going to get dragged into cyberspace, I wanted nothing to do with computers but when our twin girls came home and informed me that the school system had installed them and that they would fall behind if I didn't get them one, damn, I didn't want to but I needed to encourage the girls so I bite the bullet and purchased what the school recommended.

I avoided the damn thing, then one day one of the girls ask me about Bonneville Salt Flats and showed me some images, in two of the images I saw a couple roadsters, I ask her how to look at more photos of the cars after she was finished and she guided me on how to go from page to page, I lost track of time and she had to ask me to get off so they could retire for the night.

The next day I decided to look at the Bonneville site again, I turned the computer, listened to the ding,ding AOL log in and proceeded to type in what I was looking for, naturally my spelling was incorrect and I typed in Bonnyville and I was suddenly and unexpectedly introduced to explicit porn, I saw things I never dreamed of and panicked, I tried to exit only to be bombarded with more & more porn!

I didn't know what to do so me not knowing anything about a computer I thought turning it off the porn would go away, man was I in for a shock.

When the girls got home I didn't say anything and I heard a voice down the hall, "Daddy" and I was scared & embarrassed, the girls were teenagers and they knew what happened,

They spent about a week looking and finding car sites and added them to the favorites where I wouldn't have any more problems, they actually found the Jalopy Journal and I just lurked for a few years before I got confident enough to join.

I realized there were other people out there that like the older styled cars like me, I had a 32 Ford sedan with a flathead, no one around my area cared for the style I liked.



The Hamb/Jalopy Journal has taught me a lot about cars but beyond that I have made some great friends, some I have met face to face and others I my never meet but the friendships are very important, I have learned how to type having never taken a class in my life and my spelling has definitely improved.

I still think it's ironic the we love the Traditional Hot Rods & Customs and discuss them daily on a device that wasn't available in 1965 but we interact with each other daily. HRP

 

Agree

 

So that porn site is Bonnyville with a Y? Just asking for a friend.

 

My story is very similar but I was trying to get some carb info and in left out an L on Holley. I realized my mistake as I was hitting enter and figured maybe it would go the the pope’s website or something. Wrong! I had an instant pornado going. And now that I think about it I spelled Holley not Holy on the Hemi thread the other day.


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I'm 34, I was in 6th grade I think the first time I ever went on the Internet. I'm pretty sure hot rods were probably one of the first things I ever looked up. Up until that point I just had books and magazines like so many generations before me. I honestly don't know what my life would look like without the HAMB. Books and magazines have thought me so much, but there is nothing as valuable as being able to get answers from a bunch of guys who live and breathe this stuff. There is a lot of time to be wasted on the Internet, but it's a great place to learn if you choose to.

On a side note, the first time we were allowed to use the Internet in school was to research the president. Most of the kids typed Whitehouse.com instead of Whitehouse.gov. Those are two very different sites. All the girls were screaming and the boys were laughing our asses off. Then the school learned that they had to get something installed to keep us off those sites.


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When you've got a 9th grade Exploring Tech Ed class doing research on simple machines, DO NOT let them type in the word 'screw'.

 

Danny, did you really think unplugging the computer would delete all the porn?

 

You mean it’s not like disconnecting the battery to turn of the check engine light for good !Damn


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Mine was a similar experience....without the porn.
I got one for my kids and got intrigued with the new fangled stuff. I actually had an Associates degree in computer programming before I went into service but that was nothing like what computers evolved into. Since Windows, I have had little interest in learning anything more involved. I forgot everything I learned, I still can't turn on a smartphone.
If it weren't for finding the HAMB then I doubt I would still have a computer 'cause the HAMB and Googling stuff is all I use it for.

 

My Boss Insisted That I Embrace The Computer Age So He Put A New Model On My Desk And Then Went Off To A Meeting...He Called Back At Lunch Time And Ask How I Was Doing With It?...I Replied "I Have Gotten It Out Of The Box And Felt Pretty Darn Good About That" ...Very Handy Tool For All Different Segments Of Our Hobby...

 

I have to say as a 68 year old stubborn male I was never going to get interested in switching on a computer, not until my son in law introduced me to the HAMB. The HAMB is responsible for me learning how to use a computer & my typing has become incredible believe it or not. Thanks HAMB.

 

That is a fact, I didn't know my head from a hole in the ground, thinking the porn was gone when I unplugged it, I was completely oblivious to cookies.

It was very embarrassing trying to explain what I had done, the girls thought something was wrong when it wouldn't turn on.

I learned quickly the proverb ," Be sure your sin will find you out" HRP

 

Strangely reads familiar.........have a great father's day Danny !

 

Knowing what I know now, I would be surprised if I was the only one that made that same mistake.

Wishing you a Happy Fathers Day as well, HRP

 

I bought my first computer in 1984, a tandy 1000 ex. Had one pretty much since then. I only knew of 2 at the time, mine and another gent I knew. Friends would come over and just stare as I used different programs on it.

Didn't get on line until around 92' then off for a few yrs and back on in 97'.

Started just building my own computers in 98' and have until my last one, cheaper to buy vs build anymore.

Terms I learned to avoid "blown, injected, stroked," auto terms. "Good penetration, best rod" when studying welding" among others.

Thankfully with "safeguard" and other programs its not near as bad as it was back in the wild west days of the internet.

 

Nope. As far as I know you are the only one.

 

The company I worked for fully embraced computers very early. To the point of sending every employee who would be using a computer to classes that were held on site. At first it was the accounting group, then purchasing, engineering and manufacturing until every aspect of the company was computer driven for tracking inventory, quality and whatever else. It wasn’t a case of wanting to learn but a way of keeping your job. The company even put packages together for IBM computers and offered them to employees with deductions from your paycheck that the company matched to encourage use at home. That’s how we got our first computer. Hard to image that happening today.

At one time I had a secretary, two expediters which were eventually all replaced by the computer. A lot of good things happened with computers that has made lives easier but there has been a toll also. Knowledge of computers certainly helped me with later jobs and eventually my own business.

Pretty amazing that you can find out just about anything car related in a few seconds or order parts or tools and have them on your doorstep in the morning if really needed. Not only from a desktop computer but from a phone if needed.

 

About 15-20 years ago, my brother was showing his boss an Oldsmobile site (OT)
Supposed to be "realolds.com"
He left the "s" off olds.
Geriatric porn.

 

I told my little computer story recently.

I just want to wish you, Danny, and all of you dads a Happy Father's Day.

 

Not so funny then, I imagine...
But it made me laugh pretty good lol.

 

Lets hear it again, I don't remember it. HRP

 

Back in the early days of the "web" all the porn on my computer was on purpose...found the car sites by accident...

 

Posted on the I WAS OUT OF STEP UNTIL I FOUND THE HAMB thread.

2006
My wife: "Rick, everybody's getting computers. Maybe we should, too."
Me: "We don't need a computer."

2007
Her again: "Rick, everybody's getting computers. Maybe we should, too."
Me again: "We don't need a computer."

2008
Her again: "Rick, everybody's getting computers. Maybe we should, too."
Me: "Okay, let's look at 'em."

Bought a top-of-the-line Dell.
Got it all hooked up.
Took a while to figure out how to even use it... WTF.
Okay... do a... "search" ?????
Okay... for what? Oh, I know...

H...O...T...R...O...D

In weird blue glowing letters...
Did you mean "Hot Rod?"
Oh God... I don't know... yeah, okay... whatever. Click.

At the top of the list...
The H.AM.B. ... preaching the gospel of traditional hot rods and customs to hoodlums worldwide.

No kiddin'? Sounds good.

Click.

Some guy named Ryan was telling me...
"If you came here looking to make a name for yourself, you can turn around right now. But if you enjoy traditional hot rods and customs, this place might be for you."

Click.

The skies opened up and the angels began to sing. They were singing an old rockabilly tune.

My wife: RB, will you be coming to bed soon?
Me: Yup... pretty soon, dear.

She'd just laugh.

 

To answer your thought, Danny...
It is kind of ironic. We're enjoying what's becoming more and more, some pretty old stuff... but sharing it with this newfangled technology.

I guess we can thank our lucky stars that we lived during the best of times... and at this point, can enjoy both ends of the spectrum.

Did you ever stop to think?...
That there really is such a thing as time travel. Can't do it when we're young, but we can do it when we're older.

 

I often wonder " what would I be doing right now if there was no internet? "
Things have changed and you can't go back.

 

I’ve though about the same thing. Before the internet I would figure stuff out by trial and error and asking people face to face which took time. Now I spend hours on the computer trying to find answers. At work when I get a quick answer to a problem I like being able to move on to the next problem but the satisfaction of figuring it out on your own is very rewarding too.


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I wanted to chime in about computers and internet, great engineering tool. Back in the day,
at Hurst Performance we had to use the telephone, and the fax machine to get info on cars,
and transmissions from Detroit. As well as other companies. We had to draw parts by hand,
on a drawing board, computers were not there yet. We got thru that era. Great experience,
a few years ago I was certified to do Solid Modelling on the computer. Wish we had that ability
in the old days.

 

Got a Radio Shack TRS 80 when they first came out and bought custom DOS software for our mail order business selling automotive art through ROAD & TRACK ads. At one time we had six “trash 80’s” for the business. First time on the internet was ‘85 via AOL dial up. Sent magazine copy and consultation material from Telluride to Southern California through dial up in Grand Junction CO.

 

Been there done that back in the day before I learned to be careful how I worded something.

Had a buddy always complaining that his computer had picked up a virus and one day I told him that he had to quit watching porn on his computer as that was where a lot of computer virus gets picked up. I don't think he has been on a computer since.

 

High school drop would have graduated in 85. Got on computers in 96 . Got on the internet in 2000. Learned quick never looked back.
My question is we had magazines and car events, where's the next generation going to start from? If I had no knowledge of cars would I get into them? I started with hot wheels then magazines and went from there.
I'm not sure younger generations will.