Hope this doesn't turn into a novel, but I'm stuck. I don't normally look for real advice on internet message boards, and I don't know that I am here. But the fact of the matter is I've reached a real crossroads and I'm not very happy happy about it. A few years ago in my mid 20s I banged up my back pretty decently. It was livable, and live with it is what I did for years. Since I was 15, I wanted a 57 Bel Air. I was never a guy to hold on to a car long, I always like sampling different things and getting a new car every 6 months or so. About 3 years ago, I finally picked up a decent condition 57 Bel Air for a steal of a price. Needed some suspension work and personal touches to reach my taste, but now 3 years later it is almost where I want it. I've held on to this car because I love it. 2007 is drawing to a close. I hurt my back even more a few months ago. Now, just driving the 57 gets me wide awake at 3 the next morning with excrutiating pain in the center of my back. This is an old car and doesn't exactly drive like a new CTS. Those of you with back problems know that once you screw it up bad enough, you're pretty much done. I think I've reached this point. I can hardly work on it any more or lay on the concrete in my garage. I can't even drive the fucking car with out paying for it for 3 days afterwards. To say I'm a little bitter and upset about this would be an understatement. I'm not really looking for advice I guess, but I am considering selling it. I love cars. I eat sleep and breathe them every day. Hell, I manage an auto parts store for a living. I know if I sell it, I'm probably going to regret it for the rest of my life. I don't see much of an alternative. This is a good car, but it IS a project car and still needs a substantial amount of work. I don't like paying other people to work on my cars, and if I'm having back problems just driving it, it goes without saying that working on it any more is pretty much out of the question. If this post doesn't have a lot of direction I apologize. Give me some input.
well,since you asked... you talk a lot about your back,but not so much about your car. OBVIOUSLY you should be talking to a doctor about things you can do to make your back feel better,but we are not doctors,so we need to know; what kind of seat are you sitting on? and how is your suspension set up? if you're sitting on a bench seat,maybe you need some buckets,and vice-versa. you say it needed suspension work,maybe the bushings,springs,shocks etc. that were installed are too stiff for a comfortable ride. sounds to me like you need to soften up the ride some,or trade it in for a Cadillac.
any chance to make a much softer ride with different shocks and different foam in the seats? i would recommend different seats and u can just have someone recover them to look like tuck'n'roll or whatever....or maybe airride suspension?
Check into the off road market for seating. prp,beard,mastercraft all makes seats with suspension. They are extremeley supportive and comfy. They come in different sizes to fit the fat guys too. High back, regular and short back. Some of these seats look alot like 60's race buckets like the ones in AC cobras.
I've suffered with a bad back for over 12 years now. On and off severe pain depending of how I abuse myself (WORKING!, not the other way!). At one point I owned a new Toyota pickup as a daily driver. I drive about an hour to work each way, and that was about the breaking point to having a lot of pain. I also owned a 54 Chevy that I built, It DID have a Monte Carlo subframe in it, but that car rode pretty comfortably. I wanted to drive to Ohio, from NJ, for a memorial service for a friend's wife, and chose to drive the 54 instead of the pickup. It was that comfortable. I had the 54's seat entirely rebuilt with modern urethane foam, before upholstery. I think that made all the difference in the world with my comfort. That old foam rubber, and cotton batting just doesnt' support your back very well. Esp. after 50 years of use and deterioration. Other than that, be sure the car has good springs and shocks (I like KYB gas shocks), that it doesn't bottom out too easily, and the rest of the suspension is up to snuff. It should be a nice riding car if it is in good shape. Sometimes we have to sacrifice our ideals (like being extremely low, or 'gasser' high) for comfort. Build the car to fit your lifestyle (or disabilities).
Couldn't agree more! First of all take care of that back, I'll assume you have been to the doctor. If working on the car is not an option then those are the cards you were dealt and you have to play them the best you can. If you can manage to get the work done make adjustments to the car to make it comfortable for you like 'chopolds' said.. I have a bad back and a REALLY bad left knee and as much as I'd love to keep my Studebaker 100% "traditional" I'd never be able to drive it more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time without suffering for it for a couple days. The original 3 Spd. OD is being replaced by a 200-4R and the factory seat is getting replaced with the 60/40 bench from my old '90 Regal. I could drive all day in that car in perfect comfort and it is fully adjustable except for lumbar support and it was fine for me as is. It is the exact same width as the stock seat, I'll ditch the head rests and have it recovered to match. The fold down arm rest is even very similar in shape to the factory arm rest in the back seat. If you want it bad enough you'll make it happen.
Fix the back, keep the car. Echoing the other guys, talk to a doctor (NOT a chiropractor) about it. Have the surgery if you need... you might be out for a month or two, but if you're careful, it'll be almost as good as new (mine is!) Ben
i got the same trouble only with my scoot , have you tried using a kidney belt? it helps me , just a thought but you might want to visit a doctor ..be well
Fix the back, keep the car, agreed. Screw the Doctors, check with a GOOD D.O. or Chiropractor. Buddy of mine had a horribly screwed up back. The Dr's wanted to cut him wide open at the drop of a hat. He did some research and found a good chiro. That has been several years ago, and he's doing quite well, without the benefit of surgery. I know too many people that have had back surgery done that are in constant pain. Do your homework & fix the back Eric......trust me
rode motocross for years back is f,ed up. by a heating pad and a ice pack. did more for me than any doctor. use the in the morning and before bed.
I hope you wouldn't have waited to hear it from these guys to get your back checked out, so I'll leave that one alone. As far as comfort in the car: the seat is probably causing you problems because of support, more than the suspension causing jarring. Options range from a re-foam and addition of a hidden heating pad across the lumbar, or for more support, a set of retro looking race buckets! As far as working on the car: I was at the other end of the spectrum: I started working on my dads car when he screwed his back up! Find a young enthusiast that doesn't have a car and pass on some of your knowledge to him while he does the leaning, bending and scooting! Your rodding lifestyle may be changing, but don't make up your mind that it has to stop!
First off, my back is fine. I had a 55 Nomad with the stock seat and the awful waffle upholstery. I couldn't drive that car for an hour without my back aching. I replaced the seat with a power 8-way out of a Riviera and with that seat could drive 8 hours without it affecting my back. Being able to adjust it made a real difference. Also the padding was much better. You need a better seat. It goes without saying that you also need your back checked to see if it is fixable. Pat.
Chiropractor did me world of good, I still have to watch what I am doing but I can work on cars/bikes and can still ride a motorcycle just as long as its not rigid or a sport bike.
We got quite a few guys here with broken backs Like everyone says fix the car or build one you can enjoy Don't let anyone do anything unless your pissing your pants cause chances are that's what your looking at if Dr's screw-up When standing or siting for a long time place a block of wood under one foot....... left or right which ever helps the pain leave. You'll have to try many sixes to find the best for that moment. I have everything from 2x4 to 2x12 around the shop It fools your back and helps sometimes Please add your own tricks to this thread We all know the pain is no fun
You can't beat a good stretch, or laying with a towel rolled under your lower back. A good knuckle-buster usually knocks out my aches, as well as the old hammer on the thumb. Beer.
I agree on the proper seat idea. I have my share of back problems and when I built my 38 Chevy coupe I used a late model (at the time) S-10 bench seat and installed 6 way seat adjusters from a toranodo under it. Its not only the compostion of the seat but its as much the positioning of it. Not only do you need to get your back in the proper position but your leg and arm positions needs to be considered. I spend a lot of time with the seat and steering column placement in the coupe. I'm sure I looked like a kid sitting in it when it was only a shell pretending I was driving it but it payed off big time. Its one of the most comfortable cars I have now. I have driven it 1100 miles from CA. to Tx., 700 from TX. to Tn., and 600 miles from Mokan to Tx. basically only stopping for fuel and food with very few after effects.
First of course get the medical help you need. Second, there is a huge difference between seats. Try borrowing different cars, or driving for your friends. Find a seat you can live with,. I do not have a bad back, but I can't drive any thing Chevy makes (late models) for over an hour. The six or eight way adjustable seats are useless, just infinitely adjustable discomfort. YOU may find them to be great. For me the shape of the seat is more important than the padding. A lot of soft seats let my hind end twist to one side or the other. Half an hour of that, then ouch! Oddly enough my kids Pontiac Grand Am had great seats. Maybe the previous owner broke them in 'cause they looked completely worn out. But I could drive that car all day. Anyway it could be the seat.
Get to physical therapy, and do everything they tell you, and start some exercizing at the gym beyond that. It makes a hugh diference just strengthening the muscles that surround the weak point of your back. You might consider getting the seat restuffed to your liking. Old stuffing does not help a bad back... On my '96 Implala, the seats came from the factory poorly done with no lower back support. I took it to a good shop, and now I drive the car for long days at a time, coast-to-coast, with minimal back problems. Hope you are feelin better soon... and hold on to the car!!
Stay after the doctors. I have dealt with severe arthritis forever and finally found a medicine that works for me. There are many options out there for guys like you, sometimes you have to look around for a physician who can get you where you want to be. Don't give up the hobby you will really be miserable then.
WHATEVER YOU DO DO NOT HAVE SURGERY!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208060&highlight=LRS30 Mine is better now than ever but it has been hell to get here...I still think that if I had not had my first surgery I would not have had to have my 4th.....I drive my 54 everywhere and no worse than anyother car, best of luck...You know what actually worked good for me was a tail bone cusion, its a foam cusion with a hole in it like a toilet seat looks.. I use it in my work truck helps a lot I think they give them to you when you have your Hemroids removed...works great any pharmacy or medical supply store carries them http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&um=1&hl=en&rls=GWYA%2CGWYA%3A2005-32%2CGWYA%3Aen&q=tailbone++cushion
Man, we'd give him hell for it. Dude.. your back is the problem, not the car. Work toward fixing your back, because I know you can't do other things like lay under it to work, etc. It has to be impacting your daily routine in a ton of other ways too. The ideas about making the seat more comfortable aren't bad. And I know how close that axle is to the frame! Let me know if you need some help and we'll deal with the problems. Have you talked to a DO or chiropractor? They might have some non-intrusive suggestions that can help. And of course the regular doctors can cut you open if it comes down to that. I've heard a lot of horror stories, but also a lot of successes with the surgery.
ive had a bad back since i was in my teens...just riding in a new car for an hour about kills me!i cant really afford doc's so i self med with beer! yeah, i know, bad idea! my pain is also in the middle of my back!theyve looked and cant figure out why...so im kinna stuck...when my coupes on the road, itll be short burst and long times of layin on the pavement at gas stations. but im not sellin her! ill suffer till i can afford good health care! keep the car!
have to agree with mark i have a bad back since i fell on a cont. job 30 years ago a good seat and good suspension means everything
Sent you PM. I had/have a bad back and had surgery. Great results and could walk again after 7 years of misery. I drive anything I want and do heavy work on trucks as well. Some residual but nothing compared to previous. It is all in finding out what is exactly wrong and who the fuck is treating it. DO NOT go to a veterinarian! Do what feels best and work within the limits. BTW a great seat for those with back issues is out of a caddy CTS with heat. Very good support many ways to adjust and fit well even in a severely chopped narrow coupe.
A novel? Sheesh. Each of us with a bad back story has a novel in us. First of all. YOUR back problem is unique to YOUR body. Some people get help from chiro, some do not. Some get help from doctors, some do not. There is NO "one" fix. After abusing my back for years and because of a disk blow-out, 2 years ago I planned on selling everything that I considered "fun". That meant cars and many other hobbies.. including playing guitar. I couldn't even hold the bloody thing after playing for 35 years! Thankfully, I found a fantastic massage therapist (amazing how she helped), fantastic chiroprator (gentle.. not rough). After they each helped me greatly they each suggested surgery by a top-notch doctor (who was also fantastic) or expect paralysis. I had the surgery and listened to my "fantastic three" and REALLY took care for a year after. That was CRITICAL!!! Otherwise the damage returns. Most people get too tough for their own good too soon. It'll be 2 years in Feb. Do I still drag my left leg across the floor? Nope. Do I still lose control of "bodily functions"? Nope. Do I have to watch which car I drive? OH YES! FOR SURE. The seat and supension are important. MANY new cars I just can't get into. No matter the cost of the car. MY back needs it's own settings. I actually just got off the road from a 7 hour trip (left Friday, drove 7 hours. Came back today after another 7). I'm fine. Take advice but PLEASE understand that you are unique. And don't give up. I almost did and it was very depressing. Good luck. Many of us understand pain.
this may sound like a dumb suggestion but when my back pains were really bad and i was talking to another sufferer about it, he said don't sit on your wallet. i thought it was bullshit. i don't have much money to make it that fat. i tryed it. it helped.little things can really screw things up.my.02 cents jim
Can't believe this one slipped my mind before, but you had better not be sitting on your wallet. Get a money clip or use your front pocket. Cool or not, it's a HUGE cause of back problems that guys overlook everyday.
I broke my back 7 yr's ago, I've been to 3 neurosurgeons and none could do anything. At first I figured I'd just have to toughen up and deal with it, but eventually, you realize that you just can't do the things you used to do, even simple things. As a result, your projects stop, your garage becomes a mess, your house becomes a mess, your life becomes a mess and you become depressed. People who haven't endured this, don't understand how depressing it is to try to just do simple things and then the pain starts, it's like you're a prisoner, with a guard ready to hit you with a rifle butt every time you make a move. One of the worst things about it is that so many people use a bad back as an excuse to be lazy, that those of us who really suffer feel ashamed to say anything, we feel like people will lump us in with the lazy "goldbrickers". I don't know what advice to give you, but I hear ya buddy, just watch out for depression, that's strike 2.
AIRBAGS! It'll ride better than a new car. Seriously. Then look into a new seat that fits your body, not that big square metal thing they used in 57. Those mods may not be your style. But which would you rather have, a 57 that's a little more street rod than you prefer, or no 57 at all? Good luck
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