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Art & Inspiration Coldest Temp You Drove Rod Or Custom In?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Flat Six Fix, Feb 11, 2021.

  1. Flat Six Fix
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,270

    Flat Six Fix
    Member

    Grandfather before electricity used a shallow pan full of embers. Slid under oil pan, worked slick. Oh brought battery into house at night too.
     
    R A Wrench and Tim like this.
  2. I know I’m still a sissy compared to most of you guys, but 7 and windy feels cold today on my 40 mile round trip for a haircut...

    6654B51A-CF93-4BCA-B56E-0B9B15C1C297.jpeg
     
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  3. Flat Six Fix
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,270

    Flat Six Fix
    Member

    All right fellow Hoodlums, a short clip on my drive in15 below temps..
     
  4. Flat Six Fix
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,270

    Flat Six Fix
    Member

    Its all good Bro 7 and windy is cold.
    Hey you drove it thats Kool. How many are 2 scared to drive their old cars or trucks in some cold...
     
    guthriesmith likes this.
  5. 1987, Omaha Nebraska, We were building a new dirt modified and I was driving to the shop every day. It never got above ZERO the whole month of January. Some days the wind chill was -30. I had my O/T chevelle that I had to run a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to get any heat in the engine for the heater. It was a 20 mile run, but it was cold.
     
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  6. mike in tucson
    Joined: Aug 11, 2005
    Posts: 520

    mike in tucson
    Member
    from Tucson

    One time, here in Tucson, we got caught driving home when the temp was in the mid 70s. Heater didnt work well at that low temp and she chewed my butt for days after


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  7. Besides a 27T roadster that I built in the early 80's, all of my rods have had heaters. I do drive them year round. I know I haven't been out below zero but there have been plenty of days below freezing. My traveling buddy and I in his 29 roadster pickup with no top were coming back from Bonneville 1992. Coming over a pass in Colorado, it was above freezing. We took light jackets with us but it was just in case for early mornings. :) On the downhill side of the pass we stopped for a bathroom break. I remember having to warm up before I could do my job. :) Where I live a heater is mandatory for year round use unless you have a heated NASA suit. :)
     
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  8. In 2008 I bought my '26 T in eastern Oklahoma and drove it home to Arkansas, it was weekend between Christmas and New Years, by the time that I got home it was in the low 20's. This is what it looked like at that time...
    20e7_3.jpg
    It didn't take long for me to figure out that I needed to get rid of that chopped windshield!
     
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  9. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,086

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    Said 4 when I left work tonight. Waiting for my heater to warm up and my heated seats to soak threw I gotta say I was happy to not be in one of the old cars tonight regardless of how fun it is to tell stories of freezing my ass off in them haha

    edit: made it home and the app says “feels like -15” geesh
     
  10. Fortunateson
    Joined: Apr 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,331

    Fortunateson
    Member

    Actually HF is the US version of Princess Auto...

    HR was founded in ‘77 in LA and Princess
    predates it by plenty.
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2021
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  11. FrozenMerc
    Joined: Sep 4, 2009
    Posts: 3,092

    FrozenMerc
    Member

    Harbor Freight wishes it could be Princess Auto.
     
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  12. primed34
    Joined: Feb 3, 2007
    Posts: 1,407

    primed34
    Member

    Back in my indoor car show days, had a flat on my trailer with the temps in the 20's. Unloaded the '55, gassed it up, and drove the 120 miles home with no heater. Been to rod runs/shows in the '34 with the wind chill in the 20's. No heater in the '34 either. Just bundle up and go.
     
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  13. West Allis Wisconsin winter 1963, I had a stock 50Merc for winter driving. I worked part time weekends at a Enco filling station. It was below zero one day, the old flathead wouldn't start, had to get to work, the Caddy in the chopped Merc fired up so off we go to work. Both cars sat outside behind the apartment we lived in. This picture was after I washed the Merc to head home.
    merccopy2.jpg
     
  14. zeke1270
    Joined: Aug 23, 2011
    Posts: 187

    zeke1270
    Member
    from Alberta

    Just have to use caution and pick your spots, we've been out at minus 10 F but a heater is mandatory snowy driving.jpg .
     
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  15. Back in 72 my only car was my '63 Galaxie. It saw -40* and mountains of snow every winter for 4 or 5 years. It lives a sheltered life these days. It was out of the garage about 6 weeks ago so I could move a snowmobile. The last 45 years or so I drive a rather boring off topic car to take the salt and snow that goes with our cold winters.
     
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  16. 61SuperMonza
    Joined: Nov 16, 2020
    Posts: 489

    61SuperMonza
    Member

    That's great. My grandfather did the same thing with the battery at night.
     
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  17. Fortunateson
    Joined: Apr 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,331

    Fortunateson
    Member

    Banff or Kananaskis country?
     
  18. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    I lived in Wisconsin all my life and the only "Hot Rods" I drove in bad weather was my combo cars, dailey drivers as from first car at 16, 1964 till 1971 I only had 1 driver/plated car at a time. All had heaters and windows, 57, 56, 58, chevy, 60 ford, 64 Impala SS, 65 Plymouth, these were my cruiser, street racer, grocery getter, baby hauler, etc. In my later years I have not, will not take any of my hobby cars out due to the excessive salting of our roads here. The wife and I do not like the cold/snow anymore, Do Not want to deal with it and we have taken the "Snowbird" deal and Winter in Az.
     
  19. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,752

    Deuces

    10° out this morning.... :mad::(
    I'm ready for Spring....
     
  20. Flat Six Fix
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,270

    Flat Six Fix
    Member

    Yup that's cold and you are about 800 miles south of me.
    Its 36 below F as I write this. Thats nasty and way worse than seen in years.
    Yet my 2 dogs went out for 20 minutes...lol
     
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  21. stubbsrodandcustom
    Joined: Dec 28, 2010
    Posts: 2,273

    stubbsrodandcustom
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Spring tx

    My 56 has run around in 20s for sure, carb motor, just throw a lil extra fuel at it and she will run right. I had my old 31 tudor that had a 440 in it, went to round up in it a few years ago, that nice cold front blew in, wind chill was 22 I think and was just downright cold, that wet cold that cuts to the bone, no windows on the sides, light jacket. That was cold but damn the 440 had ice on the carbs when I got home. Ran 95 mph for the 2.5 hrs straight on the way home. Best that car ever ran though. haha... Why have em if you dont drive em.
     
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  22. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki

    upload_2021-2-14_6-52-4.png

    Hello,


    Every year the 58 Impala was in play during our high school days from 1957 onward to winter of 62, the it was a warm weather cruiser doing its coastal runs and drag racing on Saturdays. But, one time a year, the day after Christmas, there was a tradition in Long Beach high schools that sent the teenagers up into the Big Bear City from December 26th to New Year’s Day. To us, it was the largest gathering of Long Beach teenagers in a city activity that included a down the main street cruise and of course from that were offshoot, away from the city, races.

    When my brother was taking the Impala to Big Bear City during his time in high school, it did snow. All of my pristine wax detailing came into play as the black paint was covered with snow overnight. As far as cruising, the chains allowed the cruising to continue, although the crowds were less attended. Everyone was holed up in their cabins and other rental places. Out of three times that was our turn to take the Impala up into the local mountains, it snowed two times.

    We had never taken the Impala in the snow and overnight there was a layer of snow on the whole car and of course, it took a while to crank over the motor to get it to start. But once started, the Impala did its thing and the kids in the car were warm and comfy for the in-town cruise and going out to breakfast/lunch and dinner.


    We had never seen snow on our cars, and the continued wax detailing that was on the Impala, (Cadillac Blue Coral and then a final coat of Classic Car Wax ) kept the snow at bay on the pristine black paint. As we drove, the heat from the motor and occupants made the snow slide off, much to our delight. There was no need to do anything else, except to clear the windows for the short drive into town.

    Jnaki
    upload_2021-2-14_6-52-43.png
    Coastal So Cal does have its advantages, although in 1949, it did snow all over So Cal and we had it in our Westside home for a couple of days of snowman making and snowball fights. My dad’s Buick was so cold on the inside because he had to leave it outside for parking. We would not go inside the Buick fastback until the heater warmed up the whole car.

    But, as we all know, this is only a smattering of facts from So Cal. There are others that live in different parts of So Cal that get more snow and have below 32 degree temperatures. That is not So Cal coastal living that we knew and understood. We have just enough contact with snow that when we are inundated with it, it still is a joy to see.
    upload_2021-2-14_6-53-10.png
    Our 65 El Camino had two good things going for it in the snow. One, the cab is small, so the heater heats up well and fast. Two, the back bed is open and the snow packs itself in place. But, in trying to get back to coastal So Cal with a bed full of snow is defeating as it melts by itself the closer we get to our normal So Cal temps. At least we had our time in the snow. Also, it was not as if we were snow skiing across the Squaw Valley mountain area slopes in neck deep powder and almost drowning in it after a fall.

    Cold, yes, but not as cold as elsewhere, not on the coast.
     
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  23. 51504bat
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 4,754

    51504bat
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    In my younger years I used to go to the Colorado River to go water skiing and generally just raise hell. It wasn't until I replaced the POS I drove with a new OT GMC p/u after my divorce that I was able to make the drive across the desert without the heater on full to keep the temp gauge out of the red. But I was much tougher back then. :cool:
     
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  24. Model A Gomez
    Joined: Aug 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,695

    Model A Gomez
    Member

    lost the synchronizers in my V8 A trans and just got it back together yesterday so road tested it at 4 degrees. It's a 30 sport coupe so wasn't bad with the windows up.
     
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  25. jetnow1
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 2,152

    jetnow1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from CT
    1. A-D Truckers

    I remember jumping my Fathers 70's LTD (company car) with my 56 chevy wagon that had not been started in 2 weeks, it was between 0 and 10 that day, those old stovebolt six motors were great motors.
     
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  26. XXL__
    Joined: Dec 28, 2009
    Posts: 2,117

    XXL__
    Member

    That's Mother Nature telling you to go inside.
     
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  27. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,173

    Budget36
    Member

    My face still feels numb, -11 in Vermont. My buddy was moved out there in the mid 80’s and had a Dodge Roadster. He had a place on Lake Champlain? It was late January and the lake was frozen over. We’d had a few and he wanted a ride across the lake. About a minute into the ride I was telling him to turn back, man that was a cold 5 minutes.
     
  28. Flat Six Fix
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,270

    Flat Six Fix
    Member

    You gotta know how to dress for this type of cold.
    Layers and decent winter wear.
    I was outside today and was quite warm...lol
     
  29. CHITOWN 29A
    Joined: Feb 28, 2008
    Posts: 44

    CHITOWN 29A
    Member

    We had a cruise last week. It was -6° when I left the house. Got up to 4°. First run was about 20 minutes to breakfast. About an hour to the first shop. 20 min to second shop. And 20 min home. Screenshot_20210210-083739~3.jpeg received_417213259532559~2.jpeg received_2748734548677634.jpeg
     
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  30. cheezwiz
    Joined: Oct 11, 2008
    Posts: 170

    cheezwiz
    Member

    Back in '88 when I drove my 55 to California from Ohio, the trip out was in August. I stayed in California for a few months then drove to Vegas where the car was in the SEMA show. My buddy and I drove home after the show. No heat, no wipers. I don't recall the temps but it snowed from St Louis all the way to Ohio. There was so much ice built up on the bra I couldn't get it off to open the hood ! .........excellent keep warm tip....you know those hot chocolate machines that are soo hot you cant drink it ? Put the cup between your legs, turns out if your naughty bits are warm, you're warm !
     

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