Hot Rods Do you still have that same enthusiasm you use to have -

Good for you!!!!!!!!!! Much Success on your “30”. I love Mid 60’s Hot Rods also. Definitely will follow your build..........Good Luck !

 

I agree! I have to wear cheater glasses inside of my hood that has magnifiers in it as well, and had to construct a rest for my left hand because it shakes so bad; but I just layed this bead on a fuel tank I’m building for my ‘64!





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i have two reasons to get up every day, my wife and my cars. i don't like doing anything else, house work, lawn work, no thanks. i am 70 and have a few health problems but i refuse to let it get in the way.

 

I am 84 and since I have had a Lot of Death's in my Family
I have been a Little under the Weather but I won't Give up!
It's just a little Harder to do thing's like I wanted to.

Just my 3.5 cents


Live Learn & Die a Fool

 

Dang Brother, Thats cool.Love the wheel/tire combo.Whats up with wagon? I have rebuilt 2 complete fuel systems on my elkys. maybe i can help.And where you going next weekend? Got 3 big shows close to you??

 

Excellent post on getting your life on track, priorities in order and being proactive with your health.
I really need to start another project vehicle and wife agrees,,, obviously my constant presence does not go unnoticed

 

still very happy working and driving old cars.Just not able to spend a lot of time doing it with old age(73) creeping in. That and the girls don't come knocking anymore!!

 

I have been asking myself that lately, I seem to be getting a bit jaded and very hard to accomplish things that used to come easier. Yes at 64 the last two years have had health problems, you know non important stuff like pissing and breathing, too many projects going at once and dealing with people that don't do what they say. Sometime I just want to sell my business property close the doors retire and just do my stuff. Maybe the fire will ignite again. I still really enjoy and get inspired being involved in trick stuff, love traditional hot rods and customs and seeing cool stuff that people do. Just reading some of the posts on here I think I feel better already HA HA!!

 

Where are the shows?

 

Next weekend. Good-guys Nashville.NSRA Knoxville, Red-kneck rumble spring show

 

I will turn 70 this year. My plan is to have one finished car and drive it every chance I get. OK, their never truly finished, so call it a driving project. Save my energy for the things around the house that HAVE to get done.

 

As I age (73 this year), I find it increasingly harder to look at the projects I've accumulated over the years and rationalize getting them done, either from a time stand point, finances or physical slow down. That's the hard part. It's tough, but I'm thinking about trading or selling them off. Quite the dilemma, at least for me. I still have a 33 5w, a 40 couple, and a 41 pickup, just taking up space. Don't like it one bit!

 

... Been driving hot rods since I was 18 ... (62 now) and have never been without one in the garage ...
... Traded my Model A coupe for the '35 coupe 26 years ago ... and love driving it more today that ever! ...
... Was tempted to put a 4 speed in it a few years ago ... but the turbo 350 with a mild shift kit has been trouble free ... so "if it ain't broke" ... you know ...

 

Hey Bob,

My car is being built to mid-sixties era as a street-strip A. It's true, there haven't been many cars with narrowed fenders. However, the Maratta Missile (aka The Rake) had 3" narrowed fenders and running boards and I've heard of a couple others but never saw them to verify. The car, below, currently belongs to @HotRod28AR.

My A is going to have wide rear tires and sknny fronts like a lot of cars of that era. Right now, I have 9.5" Halibrands but I may opt for chrome wheels most of the time. I've been in love with the Missile/Rake car since I saw an original photo of the car in its Marratta Missile livery... of course my car has a personality of its own but the fenders were 100% a hat-tip to the Missile. Maratta got it right. Below is a current pic from Hot Rod Magazine.

 

Hello,

Enthusiasm? Of course it is still lingering every time I get in or behind our family cars, look at my old drag racing films, and/or see a cool hot rod going down the street. We have both gone through our likes and dislikes over the years and the hot rods are now just a memory, but a good one at that. The family cars are not traditional hot rods, but are family cars that still have what it takes to go at least 13 sec in the quarter, sound like a full on idling drag race machine, and they both go fast…My wife appreciates her being able to get around slow plodders on the road.

We aren’t youngsters any more except in our minds. But we still like a high performance car with enough go, to get from our house to our granddaughter’s house in comfort and sounds. (Our granddaughter and her friends like the sound our cars make during the pick ups and car pool drop offs…) Every week, our grocery store trip takes us down an empty stretch of road. I usually do a little high performance acceleration and my wife just looks at me and smiles. She knows…

Jnaki

If we had a third car garage like we used to, we would have another hot rod, station wagon or convertible sitting in there for those grocery store jaunts or a drive to go shopping and lunch. All three would get the seal of approval by the money manager. Two out of three is a majority for her. Just like the older days, not old days, but “old-er” days.
choices 1,2,3

 

Still have a lot of interest but have been to only one local car show so far this year which didn't do much for me. Lawn chair events not too exciting. Looking forward to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion and nostalgia drag racing the end of next week and the NSRA National 50th anniversary August 1.

 

My enthusiasm has changed over the years. Probably the biggest change took place when I bought the '37 sedan, and used it as my daily driver for 9 months before selling it. Since then, I've pretty much made both of my '40s "daily drivers" with the exception of days forecasted with thunder storms or snow, commuting back and forth to work 45 miles away from my house. While I don't have enthusiasm about going to "car shows" or "cruise ins" to look at cars, I do enjoy going and catching up with friends I have made over the years. I also love it when folks want to talk about either of them when I pull into a parking spot or a gas station.

 

At 76 slowing down a bit but still like to build and work on them. Looking for another project right now. Maybe good for one more. As to shows. etc-haven't been out to many this year at all. Haven't driven either one much this year either due to other issues. Wife's 55 has only logged 500 miles in past 2 years. Keep em cleaned up and drive to store etc now and then. Shows where you just park and sit don't interest me much anymore.

 

I would have to admit that my enthusiasm as well as focus about the cars have both changed. Back when I started playing with cars and for around the first 10-15 years or so, I lived and breathed the cars. Pretty much all I cared about was building, racing, driving the cars. All of my friends in life were through cars but I don't know that I valued them as much as I did the cars, sadly. However, when I became a Christian in my late 20's, my focus and enthusiasm about the cars started to change. I have learned that all my memories that come from what I thought were the cars were actually more about the people and experiences than the cars themselves. Don't get me wrong...I still find that happy place when I maybe had a stressful day or am dealing with something hard and can jump in an old car and just drive...even by myself. But, I have started to see the cars more as the backdrop to why I have crossed paths with so many friends in this life and have so many good memories more than obsessing over the actual cars. I have tried giving up this hobby a few times more because I thought it was taking away from other things in life, but that never lasts long. I can honestly say that I still love driving the old cars more now than ever, but I think a part of it is escaping to a simpler time with fewer life distractions and about the people along life's path than the actual cars.

Oh, and now my enthusiasm has somewhat transferred to passing on some of this to my two sons as we rebuild old pickups for them. I need to do alot of work to my junk vehicles, but would really rather spend the time building theirs for the next few years while they are still at home.

 

Try to drive mine at least every week- enjoy the reaction from folks- that is still the best-
No new projects but still enjoy keeping up with repairs as needed on the 3 I have-
May have the chance to buy back the '39 Ford deluxe coupe I owned from 1976-2000- so may be another project there-

 

Lots of the Hot Rods are looking the same.....

 

Spent some time looking at the previous posts. I turned 76 in March and must admit it takes a little longer to get going some mornings but I try to get into the shop daily if only for a few hours. Because my last ground up effort,’31 RPU took 8 years from start to finish I knew better than to take on any type of long term venture. I decided to scale down the size of future tasks, still get enjoyment out of the build but not overwhelmed with deadlines and dollars. Built a custom mini-bike which took about 6 months working at my leisure. The wife encouraged me to sell, don’t need to take chances with broken bones. Sold it to a friend who has an in-home museum, worked out for both of us. Next I built an ice-chest go kart, again it was a fun effort and useful for neighborhood travel or swap meet transportation. Currently working on a CycleKart project, half scale 20-30’s Indy car, this will allow me to keep busy, creative and not break the bank. No time for Oprah!

 

Not to worry pal...Your turn's coming a lot sooner than you think.

 

Cars are my life. I wrench all day at work, then come to places like this to relax and hang out with other gearheads when I sit down in the evening, and usually spend my weekends in the garage.

That being said, I do get burned out. My son has blown up at least one engine per summer for the last 4 years, and I pushed my good one too hard only to ruin it, so I've been through several junker in the mean time. I just want an engine for each of us that will last, not leak or smoke like a freight train.

Devin