Projects Old Rusty . . . a Father/Son '51 Chevy

fitzee~ That's what I was trying to explain to Brerair! I was considering that for my car.

glendale~ Sorry I missed your add, I would have scooped them up! But I turned them vertical and sunk them in, I love the way they turned out and i would rather see your set go to a young hot rodder! That's a really cool thing you are doing for his son!

 

I was a bit suspicious about the shoebox taillights,but not anymore!
Just wondering how they would look like frenched,like on my shoebox?

 

Thanks man.

And the Taillight Committee concludes its evening session with the unanimous opinion that the Caddy taillights are a no-go. Glendale stopped everyone in their tracks with his offer to donate some '50 Ford taillights & wings to the Old Rusty project. Old-Soul could be heard to exclaim "Hell, that's what I said!" while fitzee mumbled something about the shoebox wings not being rusty enough for a project like this.

Thanks everyone, this is what Ryan's World is all about!!

 

Subscribed! This is a great thread, and like Robleticia's current build, I hope you don't mind me borrowing a few pieces for my 50 Buick build. Hopefully I can get some time next week to get in the garage in a box and do a little cutting and grinding! Merry Christmas everybody!
CHUCK

 

You know that is something I wanted to ask you about Brer. I realize that you and your son and the rest of us have differing opinions. How does that affect the build between you two? Is there ever arguments or anything like that? I know when I was 17 I knew absolutely everything and my Dad was a Moron. Not really but I thought so. My dad just kicked back and threw in his humble opinion here and there.

How do you deal with something even when you know that it is not right but your son is so set on having it his way or the other way around??? I ask this in all seriousness because I know that I am going to deal with this very soon and have a little already. I Dont want to be the dickhead dad who turs his kids off to buildin cars casue I gotta have my way but I do want to steer them in the right direction and help to eliminate alot of the Dumb mistakes I made as a youngster!

 

Rusk's ride is one bad mofo....love the taillights.

 

Hows about a 56 Olds lense or even easier a 56 Chev lense in the hole you already got? You guys have to come check out my 51 up here in Hickory sometime. I have some 55 Chev lenses frenched into the back of mine. I need to finish off my rockers and qtr. panel patchs and get my doors fitting better, then its all gravy. A real bad pic enclosed, sorry its small.



A chop to the top is planned for later. Good to see someone close by building a 51.

 

Another vote for the shoebox lights! I like the trim ring, but frenched is never a bad thing, is it?

Heck, don't know if I've had an original thought yet!! Borrow away!
Merry Christmas, and thanks for the comments.

Thanks Skip.

We're going with the '50 shoebox lights donated by glendale, but good idea. Like the way you put 'em in low near the bumper, just like rodncustomdreams suggested. Would love to check out your Chevy, will PM you.

 

Great questions. I've learned to not move too fast. Give it enough time, and his opinion will evolve (mature). I try to always be supportive in order to encourage him, even if the idea is a bad one. For example, when Billy was around 15 he loved the donk big-wheel low-aspect look. Not 24's, but he wanted 20's with like a 35 aspect ratio. Loud, obnoxious billet wheels. Kept finding this God-awful shit and saying "This is it!!" Well, I was never in a hurry to get wheels and tires, so I just said "Hmmm, OK", and made it clear that wheels and tires are much later. Now two years later he does not like the donk look, wants wire wheels with narrow white wall. I'm still hopeful that a year from now, when we're ready for wheels, he'll have evolved into the classic Sombrero-type hubcap and WWW's.

We've never argued about the project. Guess the only friction we've had was when I voiced my disappointment in his disinterest in doing much actual work. He loves the planning and design stuff, visualizing the final product. But he prefers to vacate when the cutting, welding, and grinding starts. That said, he's never shirked or complained when I've asked for his help (which is plenty). He's got a great attitude about helping, he just isn't interested in putting in anywhere near the hours that I do. Somewhat understandable, he's a junior in HS and has other things to do, plus he's in his second year of Auto Tech at school, and spends an hour and a half in the shop every day. Still, it baffles me somewhat, my car hunger was much deeper than his at that age, and while my dad never did anything like this, I would have been all over it if he had. On the other hand, this project was Billy's idea and inspiration to begin with, something I never did as a teenager.

Just remember that they're not little for long. Every phase is precious in its own way. Encourage that active boy imagination, even if a lot of it will make you cringe. We did the same thing (made our dads cringe). Any interest in cars is worth encouragement and positive feedback. They'll grow up and into good taste in time. (Well, most will, anyway )

Jimmy

 

Very Nice work brerhair . You have come a long way on that Chevy . Floorpans the whole shamozzle. As bad as mine in some regaurds . I think I still got you beat in the rust issues . LOL . As if that is something for me to be proud of . Later, aw1950

 

Awesome my dad bought me a 51 4 door for me when I was 13 as a father son project, it kept me put of trouble and brought me and my dad close. Have fun with it!

 

Wow!!! Well said. and Words of wisdom I will use as guide lines for my son. and True They arent little for long.

It is kinda funny though. My son loves to look at cars and dream and talk about it but not really do work. My 4 year old daughter is so hands on. I have pictures of her at 12 o clock at night in about 45 degrees with hardly any clothes on helping me bleed the brakes on my Ranchero. I kept telling her to go to bed but she would argue that she wanted to stay and help. she was helping for at least two hours.
I think she has the bug like I did. In my high school years I had a 51 GMC that I would work on for hours about 4 times a week. i couldnt get enough cars then and still cant now.

 

BrerHair, you are my hero. My dad and I would have had too many fights to count. He was very supportive of my car addiction but we just couldnt work together, he really didnt have the patience and also drank a little too much. At 16 he bought me a 54 chevy pick up with a 327 and PG trans. I would sometimes stay up all night working on some car project in the parents drivway but they never bitched. When I graduated HS they bought me an all original 65 GTO. 389, 4spd. It was a very nice car.
We lost Dad about 8 years ago to cancer. We had a much better relationship before he died and now I think about him and miss him every day.
Have a Very Merry Christmas and keep up the good work.

 

Hey Brer.....good thing you're doing for your son. My Dad's not as much of a car guy as I am, but he's taught me many things over the years that I'll cherish forever.

If you haven't seen it, here's the thread I did on my tail lights...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=285236

Because I extended my quarters, I had to use a second set of windsplits. You may not need to if you just use the stock ones.

This is what they looked like when I finished them with round rod and added the pieces under the housings...



And with some filler and sealer...




Good luck with your build.

Later, Bryan

 

Better check out fitzee's and koolkemp's stuff before you puff up too much!

You just described our project!! Cool . . . thanks.

Your son and Billy are cut from the same cloth. Your daughter is a dynamo!! The world needs do-ers and dreamers. Be thankful that he's interested in cars at all!! Maybe your big project will turn out to be a father/daughter one!

Thanks for the kind words. Have not had to deal with losing my dad yet, sorry for your loss. Couple of bitching cars!!

Thanks Bryan. So glad you documented your taillight thing, will come in very handy! Your Chevy is what I would aim for if I was the design boss!!
Love the double split thing you did. We'll go single because we have enough work to do as it is!!

 

Brerhair . You have a reason for the lack of work being done . Get on it man > Summers coming !!!

 

My reasons are all lame, Andy. Ebb and flow . . . yin and yang . . . right now, I'm yanging. Thanks for the pestering!!

 

COOL glad you guys are going with the shoebox tails!

 

im going with shoebox lights on my 52 but set verticle.

 

I really like your car, you guys do great work!

 

Me too! Thanks

Shoot me a pic when done, or give me the link to your build thread. Everyone needs a build thread, by the way, if you're building. So much to learn from everyone. Sticking with the Rusk look, just love it.

Thanks. Lived in Humble in '77-78, then back in Houston from '82-87 (FM 1960 & the Heights). In fact, I still own a lot off of Strack Rd. near Cypress Creek. Fell in love with Texas . . . not so much Houston . . . although it seems every Houston native loves it. But, who doesn't love where they're from?

 

Wow! Great that you got your kid involved in all this, or maybe he did get himself involved but anyways I would have loved to start out like that!

Both my dad and stepdad has allways been working on vintage american cars, and a whole lots of work on regular cars but I didnt get involved in the garage until I was 13 when my older brother got his moped.. Then at 14 I bought my first car(sort of, we got speedlimited cars that only can carry 2 people but you can drive them when your 16 instead of 18) and that one turned out like this:



Then this:



I have allways had a little help in the garage when needed, and right now Im helping my stepdad to get his Chevy 58 running but I have never had any project together with any of them and I feel kinda sorry for that.. Would be so bonding in some way to have done that.

Anyway keep up the good work and tell the kid hi from Sweden!

 

You sir are correct! here is my build thread!:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=533262

 

Damn man, your English is nearly perfect and your signature sounds like you were raised in the South !! (USA) "Hell yeah" is about as Southern as it gets. Go figure.

You really are a car guy, aren't you. Thanks, Hi back at you.

Wow Scott, you are way ahead of me in the know-how department. Why didn't I think of splicing a v-12 Jag with a 49-52 Chevy? Very cool. Wait 'til the Canadians see what passes for a rust bucket down in Tejas.
Fitzee, Steve, Andy, ya'll need to check out Scott's thread.

 

I was checking out scottydc's thread earlier. Very cool.

 

Brer...thot I'd kick this back to the top...this is a great build...have no idea why I missed it previously (prolly cuz I was knee-deep in '55 Cadillac). I think it's great you've got your son involved...or is it the other way around...???

Stay at it, keep him at it...once it's drivable, you two will have a great time taking "his" car to events...

R-

 

What a great thread!
I'm glad you're son is maintaining interest and it's great bonding for the two of you. This is something you'll never forget.
Kudos to the both of you.
Can't wait to see the finished product!

 

I just came across this thread and wanted to say that you guys are doing some great work!!! What a cool experience for you both. He'll never forget any of this and you're teaching him a hell of a lot more than just wrenching on an old car!! Keep up the great work on the car and the great work as a Dad!

 

I had my first 30 Ford at eight. Dad was right there. We did some of the same things, but back then we had not spare parts to buy, we made them. But at 72 today I still remember those times. Your son will also. Iceman

 

Got any bigger pics, I would really like to see the 55 lenses better