History Hypothetical Question, for the greybeards ~ then & now

Growing up as teenagers and young adults we were very opinionated and knew exactly what cars or truck we wanted and what we wouldn't own, even if it was given to us.

Now some 40 odd years later,some of you like me have probably had a change of heart,I find myself re-thinking some of those cars I wouldn't give a second look back in the day.

I haven't turned my back on the cars that got in my eyes in my youth but I have seemed to grow to appreciate the look & style of some of the chrome laden barges of the late 50's and the early 60's and a lot of other makes and models.

Again,lets keep this within the Hamb guide lines. HRP

 

I didn't know what I wanted, until 1993. Then I figured it out.

 

I have acquired an appreciation for uglier cars once I learned that beauty is more than skin deep and some of those dogs have awesome power plants.

 

HRP I have a REAL problem I seem to like em all! But growing up what I remember saying I would NEVER own one of those, I now find myself saying hell that don't look too bad! Like ANY four door I seem to like some of the larger ones now. Especially the suicide 4 doors with my Grandsons wanting to go with me some I can see a real purpose for one. Joe

 

Like the old adage,which is not always entirely true ~ Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes slap to the bone. HRP

 

Yep there was a time that you couldn't have given me a tri 5 chebby. They belonged to the kids on the good side of the tracks. LOL

I would probably take one today I suppose. Probably wouldn't be willing to pay very much for it.

my problem then as it is now is that I do not care too much for things that are over hyped or trendy. But it is a two fold problem, I will attempt to soup up anything.

 

As a kid, I wouldn't give two hoots about a 2dr post car. Snazzy hardtops were the shit. 40+ yrs later, complete flip-flop, I'm on a mission for a 2dr post.

 

I have a very limited variety of cars I like.
I have
1928 Roadster, I have owned it for 42 years
1953 ford Club Coupe, 33 Years
1963 Fairlane Sports coupe, 8 years
1963 1/2 Falcon Ranchero, 30 years
1963 1/2 Falcon Sprint, 2 years
The very short list of wants.
1961 Bubble top
1958 Impala
I do like to look at others but have no desire to own any of them.

 

I was all about Chevelles, Novas and Mustangs and a few big Impalas thrown in. All '65 to '68 vintage. Now my taste runs to the older cars. Next one will probably be a '46-'54 Ford or maybe a '57. The GM cars do very little for me.

 

Yes, there was brand loyalty, but that is still in existence. Then there were the cars considered old people's cars. Packard, Studebaker, Buick, Cadillac, Nash, Hudson, etc. I now appreciate just about anything from the period. Nice to see the more doors saved also.

 

In that new fangled stereophonic sound and A year too new, I know.......

 

And?

Ben

 

I have experienced the same change in perspective about women !

Ray

 

I know i wanted a '32 coupe. Got one in 65 and sold it in 98. By that time I had a 29 roadster. got that in 83 or so. Still have it. Bought a bantam in about 59. Sold it in 65. Bought another one about 5 years ago. I don't fit in Bantams like I used to.

 

Danny, I'm with you. It's amazing how your tastes change over the years.I've had the whole gambit. Early thirties, mid thirties, late thirties, 46 Ford Convertible, Tri Fives and the last three have been 62, 63, and 64 Chevy's. Absolutely no interest in street rods or any cars after 64. Never thought I'd think that 50's and 60's wagons could be cool much less own a 62 Impala wagon. Time has definitely changed for me.

Gary

 

I've always had a thing for '56 Ford Mainline 2 Dr sedans and 1961 Pontiacs. I've had eight or nine of them. But, lately I've been buying cars I've always "liked". I keep 'em a couple of years and then put them up for sale.

1941 Ford short door coupe with a 302 C4.
1934 Ford sedan Highboy with a 350/350.
1930 Full Fendered Model A with a 283, two 4 bbls and a four speed.

1962 Rambler 400 Classic 4 door, 343 V8, 4-speed posi with 1968 Javelin suspension. It's black and ugly, ...real ugly with a beautiful interior.

This car was hit with an ugly stick about two times, but I love it.

I've thinned the herd (selling all cars except two) three times in the past 12 years. Now, I need do do it again.

Sent from my SM-N910V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I started out as an "hot rod" (drag race) guy. Wasn't interested in custom stuff at all. Then I got to where I messed with a little of this and a little of that. Now that I'm older and decided 3 projects at a time is enough, I've decided to thin the herd and the stuff I'm keeping is the same stuff I would have wanted as a teen.

About the only car I can think of that I like now that I hated as a teenager is a 58 Impala.

 

From day one, chrysler products, although I owned a 70 hemi cuda briefly. I needed three friends to go out on a Saturday nite with it, ate a whole tank of fuel, uncomfortable to drive, wouldn't stop, wouldn't go around corners either, at the time, buying wide oval tires every month killed me. Ever since, never liked chrysler stuff, although, if I can find a 33 Plymouth coupe, I'd build it all Chrysler stuff.
Otherwise, 4 door hot rods....never considered hot rod material, but I seen some pretty nice ones the last few years.

 

The one car I really wanted as a young man in the early 60's was a 1957 Rambler Rebel. Missed out on one few years ago, still looking.

But I can remember debating which new cars were wanted more by me and my friends at the time. One kid wanted a station wagon, the rest of us were more convertible or hardtop fans.

I did want a 63 Falcon convertible, but Dad thought the 63 rambler American was a better deal, money talks, so I got the Rambler. I finally got a Falcon in 2008, OK I'm a little slow on the draw.

 

LOL The car I have now I traded for because the parts I have to build with fit it the best.

 

I could care about fins and all that, and now a '57 DeSoto draws me like a magnet

 

Years ago, my brother got a damn near perfect '49 Dodge (or was it a Plymouth?) 3 window. After looking it over, I told him, "you can't polish a turd." He unloaded it quick. I turned down a $300 '37 Packard because it was a 4 door, & it wasn't cool. You couldn't have given me a corn picker Stude at that time. Several 4 doors were passed over by me, including a '37 Stude my Dad had that was really nice. My, how things change as you get older.

 

Custom body work and paint. A nasty drive train . Nice interior and the proper big and little stance with a timeless set of mag wheels . Anything will look great!! The odder the body and make the cooler it seems now a days. to me. Maybe because at 61 and having built cars for a living the last 35 . I have seen the more popular ones done to death! Larry

 

Walking around Goodguys Columbus this last weekend I saw many old cars that I thought were junk back then. In 1970 my best friends sister gave me a 1953 Chrysler 4dr because the VW dealer would not take it in on trade for her new VW. I traded that for a 1959 Olds 98 because it would do burnouts. I traded that for a 1957 Ford Fairlane 2 dr ht with a bad motor. My Dad gave me his 1959 Merc 4 dr wagon because he felt sorry for me. Of course I pulled the 383 engine out of the Merc and put it in the 1957 Ford. I think I ended up with $3.50 in my 1957 Ford. I guess that is not as bad as the 1940 Chev pickup one owner that a local hot rodder wanted to trade me his 1946 Ford conv for. He wanted a shop truck. I told him no I did not want that big old car. That was in 1973. I have owned over a 90 cars since then and I should have kept them all.

 

Well, I looked in the mirror to make sure the grey beard part was appropriate......
For me I can't say I really disliked particular cars as much as types and styles. Let me Splain;
I never liked 4 Doors much - they were OK for Grandma to take the kids to the park, but that was about it -haven't really changed my mind about that.
Customs? I've never been a huge fan past the Sam Barris / Westergard era - A few Exceptions, like Zocchi's cars but (and I'm sure this is going to piss of some people) the whole George Barris/Winfield/Cushenberry/Starbird/etc. 60's and later era does Nothing for me as a general rule. I can appreciate the work, not the execution.
Low Riders - Never really cared much for them - see my last sentence above.
ANY car that is overdone with the sole purpose of SCREAMING ~ LOOK AT ME! Like 3 blowers, Scoops or tunnel rams taller than the roofline, Chops that are stupid low (unless it's a True Bonneville car). Shit quality work that is done that way on purpose. All of these things I didn't care for as a kid, and now that I'm a Sexagenarian, it really hasn't changed much - there are of course exceptions like say a Suicide Door Lincoln goes against my 4 door ploicy, but I'd take one.

 

Thoughts and likes change. Never thought I'd like a vintage 4dr wagon (it had to be 2dr or nothing)....then realized how handy one is as a shop runner, and also looks cool and easier to pack with shit for a swap meet.

What is "in" then or now is subject to well, re-evaluation down the road. Hence the reason I never got tattooed and won't. Kinda easy to rip the velvet interior and shag carpet out of your ride, kinda difficult to de-sleeve yourself.

 

Then it was only 2drs if a kid had a 4dr it was a hand me down.

 

Must be that back then the marketing targeted certain age groups.
Now as you walk thru those age groups the marketing is targeting you.
Sounds like good BS anyway right.

Lmao
There's the prompting of an off topic book right there.
I like my women just like my cars, late 20s early 30s.

 

I guess I'm narrow minded or maybe just "focused". I'm still rather discriminating when it comes to cars.

 

Tim,I can remember a time when I though this was ugly. HRP