Do you let anyone drive your rod?

the only one that drives my rod is my wife

 

I have let a few people drive my hotrods over the years. especially non-hotrod people. its a way of trying to convert them . If they have a hotrod then it does not bother me. and I appreciate when others have allowed me to drive there hotrods.

I let my 16 yr old neighbor drive my 29 sedan.. hid family had generic 4 door modern marvels (taurus's, toyota etc..) and I tossed him the keys on day and said lets go for a drive.. he had a smile so big.. was scared at first but then got comfortable. When I moved his dad told me that meant alot to him.. I think it is always cool to see you car go down the road and its hard to do that unless someone else is driving it.

A good friend used to let me drive his 32 5 window when we went to L'ville or other long runs. i loved it.. another good buddy (Jeff) let me drive his bad to the bone hotrod a few times... it was what made me build my 29 sedan..

 

I think when I have more than one I'll let others drive them. That way they can enjoy them and help maintain them!

 

Anything we have around here can be driven by our kids or club members. Hell, its not hard to be a club member or a kid though.

You just gotta love it, then your in...

Kevin
Ooltewah Speed Shop

 

I've wanted to post on this very subject for a long time now... looks like the time is right ! Waaaaaay back in the dark ages (1979) I had gotten some magazine coverage on my '67 NOVA. This gave me a lot of credibility with the local street rod community. O.K. that and I had a REALLY hot girlfriend at the time. ANYWAY, the BADASS street rods were from CINCY, and SPRINGFIELD, OHIO. These guys included BOB ONEY, TRACY TAYLOR, TOM PICKEL and the world famous BARRY LOBECK. When they would go to a weekend car show, usually at some small town fairgrounds, they would ALL leave their keys in their cars so ANYONE could drive their cars at will. Need to go to the other side of the fairgrounds? Jump in the car next to you! Gotta pee but the portopotty is 75 ft away?? NO PROBLEM ! GOD love them all but they trusted me, I was 24, I got to drive a chopped '33 three window, a chopped '34 five window and my most influential, BARRY'S red '40 coupe ! I never forgot those expierences , and have always tried to pass that "spirit" along when possible. You can't imagine the people who have driven my cars! Of course, a little common sense is required but you never know when you are gonna change someones life !!

 

I let HEMI32 drive my 62 Cadillac once when we were both too drunk to drive (that was before it was illegal) he hit the gas and backed it into an island in the parking lot and we got stuck. had to get the cooks and waiters from the restaraunt to help unstick us, then our good friend Vivian who was the bartender drove us home.

ahh those were the days..... that was 20 years ago. we are smarter now.

let my buddy Drew drive my old 49 before I fixed the brakes cuz I wanted to see what it looked like going down the road. I forgot to tell him the brakes sucked and he drove right through a stop sign.

 

We all pretty much drive eachother's rigs in our club. Tons of people have driven different cars that I own or have owned. I'll pretty much toss 'em the keys unless the car has any little querks, in that case I'll go with them on the first ride. As far as who those people are, I figure if I'd let them have a key to my house then they can have the keys to my car.

 

Best way to "enlighten" a civilian is to throw 'em the keys and tell them to have fun. Nothin' better than to see the smile on their face and the million questions afterward...make another kustom konvert for life.

 

I guess I've never thought of it as "see who's life you can change"...that concept is very foriegn to me. It's a sort of hot-rod based evangelism; this thread has gotten me re-thinking my iron-grip on the keys to my machine, and maybe I'll be able to spread the gospel more easily through action instead of words.

I got my '40 at age 14. It was a shell. For my 16th birthday present my dad let my drive his '56 F100. What a motivator that was to get the '40 done! Now that I look back on it, that was one of the best memories I've had with my dad- and I realize that I gotta enjoy those when I can.

 

I have three sons, they all have driven my cars. My youngest son took the 56 to the prom. They had valet parking, but he told me he wasn't going to let them touch it.
My wife has also driven them but would rather ride along. The cars should be enjoyed, and my family and friends are more important then any old car. I have a couple of grandsons that love riding in the hot rods. I sure they will also drive them in a few years.

 

I let my wife dirve my hot rod, but my girlfriend can't drive a stick.

 

Very short list of people Wife and 3 friends. I dont like driving others peoples cars.

 

Me either - I also think that for anyone that "gets it" they probably wouldn't ask to drive your car.

The kid across the street has been watching me for 2 years work on my F-1. He will be 16 next year.....I might let him take it out - would make his year and I really think it would make a life-long impression on him and likely get him into hot rods in the future......the gift that keeps on giving!

 

It took 30 some replys before anyone said that? Come on HAMBers - you're getting slow ;-)

 

My dad,wife and daughter.

 

Common sense prevails, but I'll let just about anybody that wants to drive it.

I've always ridden with them, but more just to explain the quirks and be there in case it breaks or something.

At the same time I accept that I can't get mad if they scratch or dent it.

I think it's just part of spreading the gospel, ya know?

To me it's the car-guy thing to do.

Funny, I asked Barris's son if he got to drive his dad's cars, and he looked at me like I had 3 heads! LOL It was hell for me to get the keys to my dad's '82 Mazda, and he was driving the Batmobile hahaha! Well, not too far though, he said the original drove like crap.

 

My daughter will be 16 next year, says she's going to drive my 40 convert, that's cool I guess. Bought my wife a 41 GMC, she can drive any of my cars too. My bike's a different story, no one, never, ain't gonna happen.

 

Well anybody that owns a hotrod or has built a hotrod doesn't usually ask do drive them.I always take the kids in the neighborhood for rides and people at shows for rides to try to get them involved in hotrods. And unless your a hot chick with a mini skirt I don't think I would let you. My friend slick let me drive his coupe on the way to vermont only because I told him a story about me keeping my roadster under control when the steering arm bent while driving avoiding several parked cars. He said I had experience in difficult situations and he drove 100 mph and he said I could to so I did it was awesome.
Then there is joe adams(tall guy) he helped me build the roadster so he can drive it but he's to dam tall to fit with the roof on. Sorry joe my nephew drove the roadster before he went to irag the first time and my 13 year old son drove it I had him doing donuts in the parking lot that was weird sitting in the passenger seat that time.
Then there is THE LINDSEY.
She's the only girl since I built it to drive the henry J
She took me to get the fan, at the road rocket rumble in indy o9 when it took a shit 800 miles from home. Then she commenced to drive 10 miles in the parking lot of the hotel at the show. OH by the way I usually let other guys wife's and girlfriends drive my rod too. Couldn't resist that one.

 

clunmembers and close friends can drive any of my cars as long they have a insurance ,its a car ,so it is to drive

 

My son and daughter drive my 33....... my wife doesn't want to drive it she says she would be to nervous to drive it. My buddies have their own cars and don't ask....

 

I met a 6 year old girl who told me that we were gonna be friends for life.

That was about 6 years ago.

I have taken her riding in my 66 Chrysler convertible, the 57 Chevy, 59 Ford, 39 Ford, 54 Flxible bus, my 18 wheeler, and my hotrodded Model A coupe.
I let her drive my backhoe.
I have instructed her on how to start and operate the coupe, next is driving lessons.
She says she want to learn how to work on it.

I have promised that she can have the car when I die.

I want the car to go to someone who wants it and she wants it.

 

Family, maybe. Others almost certainly no unless they have the same mechinical aptitude and undertanding that I do. Put a newbie or kid behind a lot of HP in a homebuilt lightweight car and you have the potential for liability issues and serious personal financial loss.
It's not the scratch or dent but rather them hitting someone or not having the experience to react and maybe hitting a kid or old person or whatever. I know many rods are way underinsured for liability.
So, basically no one drives my car. Even if it were for sale and the person was too young or inexperienced I would have to drive it for them and they would have to be happy with that or not buy it.

 

I let my wife drive mine once........made her cry with fright when she went to the brakes......no one else

 

The only people who have driven our coupe is my husband, pork zartman and another member of the S&S race team family. Our avatar is the first time pork got under the wheel. He had a blast. He also took it down the track at indy lastyear in the parade of winners from the NHRR. It was also the 45th anniversary of him winning indy with the original filthy forty. That was COOL!!!!
Gasser Girl

 

Not quite anybody... but I have let quite a few... I love seeing the looks on peoples faces when you say "keys are in it, why don't you take it for a spin"...

 

im not sure if im even gonna drive mine

 

my wife and a few of my close hot rod buddies.

 

My wife, my two sons and daghter and her husband. I have a close friend of 22 years, has his owen hot rod, and I would never let him drive mine, seen how he drove other peoples cars, runs the shit out of them and then laughs about how he drove them.

 

I just get nervous when you say 'take it around the block' and they're gone for 30 minutes or more

 

When I had the ’34 coupe, I let my best friend drive it who had helped with it more than anyone. I figured he earned the right to drive it. We went on a covered bridge tour sponsored by a local British car club and Dave and I split the driving. It was kinda fun to enjoy the ride from the other side of the seat.

I took my son out for a ride right after I deemed the car dependable and safe. He and I were just driving along when I pulled into his old HS parking lot under the ruse of checking out the new blacktop. Right in the middle I stopped. He thought I was gonna do a big ass burn out. And then I jumped out and ran around the car. He quickly realized what I was up to and I don’t think I ever saw him smile so big. I let him drive the 8 or 10 mile back to the house.

Those were the only ones who drove it. I offered it up to my brother in Louisville in ’08, but he politely declined. No one had ever asked to drive it, so I never had to make that choice. I know there were a couple who wanted to, but they didn’t ask. I think they assumed I’d say no. And quite frankly, if they assumed that, there’s a good chance there’s a reason for that assumption.

Oh, James the truck driver drove it up onto the car hauler; but it wasn't mine then, so I didn't give a shit. Just kidding Marcus!

Vance