Technical Dad still knows more than me.

This isn't a complaint but rather, something that just makes me laugh.

The other day I had the Five Six running in the garage so naturally Dad had to see whats up. Some of it I guess is because he knew I needed to rebuild the carb but what he didn't know is that I had all ready rebuilt it. My Dad so all of you will understand better isn't really an automotive repair person. The extent of what I witnessed growing up was oil changes, plug cleaning and sometimes points. If anything beyond that needed looking at it was farmed out or a close friend that worked at the dealership came by to make things right. But that didn't stop my Dad from saying "your car is running rich on one side" even though I have a dual plane intake and dual exhaust with cross over tube. What he believes he seen or heard is beyond me? Guess I'll always be his dummy.

What funny know it all stories do have?

 

My Dad is a freaking Genius in gas turbine and turbocharger development ..He has written several papers on turbine development and even worked with Chrysler on their turbine cars. He once showed me a turbo he designed for Mercedes Benz that was destined for some little 3 cyl shitbox..It was the smallest turbo I'd ever seen. Can he wrench on anything? Nope. Did he ever understand my hot rod fixation? Nope, still doesn't. When I talked to him about turbocharging hot rods when I was a kid he said turbochargers were for aeroplanes and diesel trucksA couple of years ago he was at the house when my buddy James pulled up in his twin turbo big block 73 Camaro that we had just got running, I popped the hood and showed him. He just stood there and shook his head smiling the whole time.

 

Be glad your dad is here to teach and watch you learn.

 

I do remember that as I got older my dad got a lot smarter. I'm not sure how it happened but I do know when it happened.

It was somewhere between my ages of 15 and about 21. What a mystery!

 

My son is now older than my dad was when I graduated from high school. My dad is now a forgetful old man and my son is a totally competent adult and father. My dad is still "the man", my son is still "my little boy".

 

A quotable quote from Mark Twain:

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

 

My Dad was not a car guy. My first car a 47 Ford coupe had an inoperative starter. My friends would help push it to get it started. One day I was out with my friends and left the car home. When I got back home the starter was working. My Dad replaced the bendix spring. To this day I still can't believe he knew how to repair it.

Gary

 

I don't doubt that my Ol' Man has still forgotten more than I know. Only problem is that he lost his telephone privileges so now if I am going to ask him a question I have to die for a day or two, then return. Last time it I did that I landed in the middle of a religious service which made the preacher loose his composure.


note: you cage has been officially rattled.

 

My mom is the one that got me at times. I'm 15 and we are by a corner walking when this old early 60`s Chevy pulls up to the corner, smelling bad and running terrible.

My mom looks at me and says " you smell that? It's running rich, with the bad miss too I'd say it needs plugs and I'd bet that would cure it. " I looked at her dumbfounded, she grins and says " I've been around your dad along time".

 

I miss my dad terribly. He's been gone just over a year. He really was the smartest guy I knew.

 

I wish my dad was still alive - I'd gladly be his 'dummy'. He'd work on the 'go-to-work car just about every Saturday to make sure it would take him to work the following week. Lost him in 1959 when I was 13. Still miss him..................

 

My dad was one of the most intelligent hands on guy I've ever known and that's saying a lot as we didn't have anything that resembled a relationship. He was very abusive so I tried to stay as far away from him as I could.. I did learn a lot from him though, I don't care if it was building, wood, metal, fab work etc he'd figure it out.

 

My dad was NOT a car guy. I remember him laying the lug nuts in a line when he was changing a flat tire. I asked him why. He said it's so he can put them back on the same studs they came off. I asked him why. He said "they must have had a reason for putting them on that way." I didn't learn much from Dad.

 

The Quote is paraphrased from Mark Twain:
When I was eighteen years old my old man was the dumbest guy I knew, When I turned twenty one I was amazed how much he had learned in three years.

 

That will get better with time, though not by a hell of a lot.

 

Dad taught me you can get a dead stick shift car through an intersection on the starter motor. Saved my ass years later.

 

My dad was an electrical genius, and did a lot of customizing his cars electrically. He's been gone 6 years now and I really miss not being able to stop by with some electrical problem and have him show me how to repair it. I'll never know half of whats he's forgotten.

 

My dad-"Just because I taught you everything you know, doesn't mean I taught you everything l know."

 

Lot's of good stories everyone. So I'll add this into it. Mom was very smart and had to perfect at everything that she dealt with. Later in life (just recently) I learned why. Let's just say my Dad and Mom never measured up well during up bringing (no fault of their own) and the need to compete and be right still lives on. All do to the criticism they both endured.

 

I'm sixty two years old. I lost my dad at the age of eighty four back in February. As I've gotten older I watched him become more and more frail and fragile until he slipped away. I miss him terribly. He was a Ford guy through and through and loved the flathead that I have in my '50 coupe. I was never his peer, and never will be, in spite of having lived long enough to see him in his imperfection. My older sister would call him by his first name, but I couldn't do it. He was "Dad".

 

I worked in the Natural Gas Transmission , Liquid Propane Transmission indusrty with my dad . He retired with 40 years of service , I retired with 35 years of service . Only thing I can say I really remember him saying to was , “ Just remember what I have to say to you , If it’s got tires or tits it’s goin to cost you money , to enjoy it !”

 

I never really knew how great a man my Dad was until his funeral. He did so many things for other people that I never even knew about until after he passed. He not only helped others with various chores but was also there to help monetarily. I wish I could be half the man he was. I really miss him and regret I didn't spend more time with him when I had the chance.

Gary

 

The last family "camping" trip through the So Cal desert to Mammoth Mountain Lakes + Lake Crowley via Highway 395.

Hello,

Our dad was a Buick sedan fanatic. Every 4 years, a new Buick sedan rolled into our driveway. The cars were kept up courtesy of the two brothers and our dad’s expert mechanic in Los Angeles. We were never worried about reliability on those long car trips up and down the west coast and into Baja. He knew his own style and it was fun for us.

1957 Buick, Westside, Long Beach, going to dinner in LA.

In late summer 1958, he knew our family had one last road trip before we growing teenage boys would be off on their own adventures all year around. He wanted a tent camping trip. My mom would have none of that since this was the last one. So, she convinced my dad to rent a cabin on one of the Mammoth Mountain Lakes. By this time, my brother and I were taller than our parents.

We agreed and tagged along because of the long history of family driving trips, camping on the beaches, and in the mountains when we were little. My dad knew the writing was on the wall, but, still wanted to be involved. Despite what teenagers say about their parents being usually "out of it," family history and growing up is fairly the same in every generation.

But, our dad did not get involved in our hot rod escapades other than mental and sometimes monetary support. He liked going to Lions as it was very close to our Long Beach house. Even though he was there, very few questions were asked of us about the race cars he saw or heard. But, the enthusiasm was there, not like our mom, who was worried sick every time we stepped out of the door. If she heard… “going to the Dragstrip”…then it multiplied until we came home safe. (Imagine the reaction at 10:00 pm on August 13, 1960, when I came home to tell them of the Lions Dragstrip accident in our Willys Gas Coupe.)

The idea of “knows more…” is still true as the experiences he had living in So Cal were invaluable for us, knowledge hungry teens. He left all mechanical items in the house/yard for us to fix or the repairman was called. He did not attempt to do any of that stuff as he knew his limits. The support he gave us when we wanted to tear down the rumpus room and make it into a speed shop…was outstanding.

Jnaki

Sure, it would have been nice to have some older car knowledge in building and tuning, but he always pointed us in the direction of his best friend in Los Angeles for the automotive answers. That never failed to get the right answers or excellent results for our hot rod builds, set ups, and tuning .

Our dad took us on many trips to give his friend support, in the mechanic’s son’s journeys of Quarter Midget Racing…that included driving long distances to see the son racing against HAMB’s Dean Lowe (as a little kid).

Thanks for the memories, knowledge, history, and support. One dad to another… late, but still in spirit.

 

Right there, that's what I can laugh at. I see what it was that was lacking years ago and still lacks to this day, support. But it's not my Dads direct fault.

Mammoth back then must have been awesome! It's pretty up there today but it must have been something else before.

 

I remember telling my dad at 15 or 16 “ YOUR SO STUPID YOU DONT KNOW YOUR DICK FROM YOUR ELBOW!!”


Either he got reeeeeeeeal smart or I got knocked off my teenage high horse.
There is nothing my old man can’t do!! Also one of the toughest bad ass mofo’s I know
Also the best dad around.

He could move mountains up untill a few years ago, he’s 75 and slowing down, could still kick my ass and a line up of guys behind me though !!


One thing he taught me was to never be scared and back down from a man in a powerful position (ie: boss manager etc.)
He told me as a kid ; money is power and education is power, but ..... power is always fucking power, when you are not scared to reach across the table and smack a man of “ power “ across his face you have taken control. Served me well growing up, not necessarily violence but by not being timid and scared because “ oh it your boss be quite” fuck that, him,you and this place.


A man of great wisdom.

 

I remember being about ten years old and trying to link enough straws together to reach my dad's can of beer from across the table. He looked a me and told me " Son, you got a lot to learn about drinking beer. Never use a straw." Then he slid the beer over for me to have a sip. That was my first beer with him as I recall.

 

Great post.
My dad was not a mechanical guy. In fact at 14 he would let me stay home from school to fix his cars ha! But he did foster my love of cars and mechanical.

My kids have learned the acronym. KISS keep it simple stupid. Whenever they are having issues the first thing I ask "is there gas in it?" A few minutes later they are back at it. I hope I am making memories

 

My late father wasn't very car oriented, usually some ugly 4 door. In later years he and I were driving in the Rockies, me riding along while he was on business. Amid the scenic grandeur I was explaining that I'm into cultural history, social, manmade things- not so much natural history.
"You know, something like a big vee of geese flying overhead just doesn't move me that much."
He thought a moment and says, "But a big vee of junk cars flying overhead would, eh?"

 

I'm the dad now and yes I know more.

 

My Dad died this past April Thanks everybody for sharing your experiences, makes me remember! I would work all day long busting my ads and then my Dad would tell me " not bad for a Dickhead!" He forgot more than I'll ever know, He bought all kinds of 3 phase machines from scrapyards brought them home rewired,refurbished and then used a helper motor to start them and then run them on 2 phase regular 220. He bought them Bridgeport lathes, and milling machine to use them to work on those old cars, I am taking a crash course in 32-40 Ford's and I'll always be a dickhead compared his expertise when it comes to that subject, just a pure FACT. Thanks All for posts you all made me remember the Special Shit!