Hot Rods Living in the past, it ain't so bad

I had lunch with my sister today and drove my sedan to met her at her favorite restaurant, I walked in and sat down and she looked out the window and ask me when was I going to grow up and quit playing with cars?

I told her at 68 years old I believe I have grown up but I'll quit playing with old cars the day I die.

Her life has taken her in a different direction she is a Southern Lady and her idea of fun is taking a ocean cruise or going to a little theater play & her husband is a workaholic and if he has a day off he is on the golf course.

We had a enjoyable lunch and when we left I ask her did she want to take a ride in the hot rod? she said no but I ask her again and she said OK.
"
She got in and ask, "where are the seat belt's ?", I don't have them, "It' s hot in here will you turn on the air? " I said, "are you kidding?" "I have three notch air and I opened the cowl vent vent" I'm glad she was wear pants!

We pulled out in the street and I eased on the gas & the tires chirped when it went to second and I looked over at her and it made my day,she had a huge smile on her face and her normally well kept hair was a mess.

We pulled back in the lot for her to get her car and she actually said, "that was fun" as she was pushing her hair back with both hands, I darn near had a heart attack hearing her say that.

Then she got in her new BMW and left, I don't think I made a convert out of her but she might understand my love for old cars. HRP

 

You done good Danny.Just think of what she'll have to talk about to friends.

 

Good story. I think we all have family members that think we are mad.

 

And her friends will say, "you rode in one of those stinky old things?!" Hopefully, she will say with a little smirk, "Yes, I guess I did and you know what, I Liked it." Bravo, Danny!

 

I think she may now be a closet hot-rodder. You did good , Danny.

 

Lol I bet you were.

 

Danny
I've posted photos more than once of my 57 Chevy but you're story really brought back memories of my high school days with this car.
My folks never had a car, but because we lived in a small town it was not a big deal, my dad died about the time I was really turning into a budding hot rodder, we moved to a larger town and my mom figured she better support my interests if it meant having a car.
It was agreed that I could modify my 57 if it was not to be out of service for more than a few days at a time, the first change was from the Fenton shifted three speed that was in the car when bought to a B/W T-10 and Hurst Comp. Plus shifter.
That was during the first month of ownership so I had been driving pretty conservatively, at least when mom was with me, then the spider gears in the 3.08's gave in, well the 4.11 third member swap really changed the cars personality, so much for driving conservatively right.
To shorten this story I'll just say that the reaction my mom had when I took her out with me to test the 4.11's was quite surprising as I got a little caught up in my gear shifting and I really think that was the most exciting ride she had ever taken in a car.
After that it seemed she was more tolerant of my modifications but she would never let anybody else know how much she enjoyed that first ride.

 

When I was 16 and finishing swapping a small block into my 65 Valiant I talked my mom into coming on the first test drive with open manifolds and no hood. She thought it was pretty cool


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My sister and brother in law are glad their two sons hung out at Uncle Larry's shop when they were kids and became gearheads. Kept them out of trouble because they spent their money on tools and their cars and not drugs and booze. Plus they have built in mechanics! And I will always live in the past because at 63 I don't like the future. Have a great day and take her for another ride every chance you can. My sister and I live in the same town , but because of work and life hardly ever see each other. Larry

 

Good for you Danny.

 

Not really old car related, but I gave my mom a ride with my motorcycle and sidecar when she was in her late 80's.

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I can see this could turn into a really neat thread with lots of great ol time stories, cheers

 

Good! Its all about the smiles to the gallon!

 

Sometimes you can bring them over to the dark side.

When I was 40 and my mom was 63, after a promotion, she no longer had a company car. After 15 years of black Crown Victoria’s she needed to buy a car.

She asked to borrow my new truck for a couple of weeks while she decided what she wanted. I could drive my (O.T.) 72’ Vette. (Bright Red, Americans, strong small block.) After two days she didn’t like driving a stick truck in heel’s, so she asked to swap and drive the Vette.

Long story short, two weeks turned into almost a year!! She wouldn’t bring it back! Never bought a car.

Finally she called and said one headlight wouldn’t come up. I was busy, so I told her to run by my buddies Vette specialty shop and he’d take care of it.

The next day he calls me and says come get it. I said I’d call mom to get it. His reply? “No, while she was here with your car, she bought my 73’. She said you can have yours back now.”

She’s 84, and hasn’t been without a warmed up Vette since!

 

I have a few additions to this. One of my friends who is around 10 years younger than me asked one day if I had started to act my age or was I still building stuff? That was met with a smile. I deal with a lot of younger people that have gotten off to a poor start. I needed a definition for "grown up" I ask, "does being grown up mean you no longer do fun things as when you were younger?" The answer is " when you no longer make decisions that negatively affect your life. For most of us, hot rods are not a bad decision so being "grown up" has little to do with the automotive love affair.

 

One ol gal looked inside the 39 Ford that I have driven every day for 17 years and asked if it was legal to drive it on the street. Another gal accused me of living in the past. I told her I like it here in the past

 

I don't live in the past, but I like to visit once in a while.

 

I get a lot of smiles while we are out and about with the 41. Pretty cool when you can make someone's day. Snowman

 

Well done HRP ! She sounds like my oldest daughter ,wish I could convert her.

 

My best Buds Mother in Law was a VERY PROPER North Shore Lady (READ that as a Big Monet Snob). When my my Buddy mentioned White Castles one time her upturned nose was well out of joint. A few years later there was a Thanksgiving Dinner at his house. The M.I.L. RAVED about the Turkey dressing---LOVED IT!! Thats when my Buds says it's all based on White Castle hamburgers. Needly to say she was DEEPLY disappointed. Poor old Gal never knew what she was missing.

 

Kool story, reminded me how much my older Sister played a part in my life when I was a teenager, taught me how to drive, more than once used her car when mine was broken, just a good person. Sadly she passed at 54, I miss her, wish I could take her for a ride/lunch and catch up. goldmountain mentioned giving Mom a motorcycle ride, I Gave my Mom a ride on my cycle in her 60's about the time her health started to fail, she stated had not been on a cycle since before I was born, my Dad had a cycle apparently. She said she loved it, I could tell she was scared to death, big time hug grip on me, Again I wish I could give her a ride/lunch and catch up. My kids seem to understand that Dad still plays with cars, always did and I will till my expiration date.

 

Well, not mad but they say I'm crazy. I just tell them that the VA already told me that. When I had my '51 out earlier this year driving it around some people give you the thumbs up. Some look at you like "you have enough money to drive something nice." I like driving my Model A around and get the looks of, why would you even want to. Most people just don't understand.

 

I don't mind living in the past. I don't see anything good about the future of driverless cars!

 

Great story.

 

Driving mine as much as possible. As others have said, will till===. Never played golf. Don't hunt. that is too much work. As is fishing. Nothing better than fixing a mysterious fault and the testing it out.

Ben

 

Thanks for the positive comments guys, I'm sure the ride with me won't make a lasting impression on her but it sure made my day and I am thankful my wife loves old cars as much as I do, or as my old departed friend Randy use to she, Brenda loves hot rods more than Danny! HRP

 

After I got my Dad's 58 running again after he passed, I took my momma out in it. Same thing HRP, it chirped hard when it hit second.. I had to laugh, cause my prim n proper momma was like "oh shit, this thing really goes!"

 

Twenty five years ago my father, who never modified any thing, had almost as big a smile on his face as my teenage son did when I let my son take him for a ride my coupster. Another 8 or 10 years my grandson and I can duplicate those smiles when he takes me for a ride in the same car. Incentive to finish it!

 

I remember back around 1984 I got up and got ready to go to work at the Shell station where I worked after high School, My Dad came into the kitchen and said he needed a ride to the airport and asked if I would take him ..I said sure but I gotta take my car cause I need to go straight to work afterwards ...At the time I was driving a 69 Z28 with a fairly radical 302 and 4:56 gears I can recall him hanging on to the Sissy bar above the glove box the whole way to lindberg field..I never jumped on it once, kinda wish I had. My dad could never understand the money I spent on my cars just to break em and build em better than they were . And he's an engineer go figure..A couple of years ago I took him to see a vintage warbird flyover of San Diego bay, and I picked him up in my 29 roadster ...You couldn't wipe the friggin smile of his faceMy Pops is 90 yrs old and I'm pretty sure he's A OK with the path I've chosen in life.