Folks Of Interest Are you happy with your Hot Rod or Custom?

I think there are a lot of factors that play into whether or not I'm happy with a car. First is overall style, is the car a good-looking car? Does it have the "cool" factor? How does it run and drive? Does it give me problems that I keep having to fix? Is it an accurate reflection of my abilities? Is it fun? How much money do I have wrapped up in it and is it a good value in that regard? What were/are my expectations of the car and does it meet, exceed, or fall short of those expectations?

I could expound at length on my cars, but I'll say that some have satisfied me, others have greatly satisfied me, and others have left me with a bad taste in my mouth . And at any given time, they can move up or down on that list.

 

I like '35-'37 Ford pickups. They have a rightness to their proportions and details that's different from other trucks. Don Schumacher's '35 is the most perfect early Ford truck I've ever seen.

 

I am happy with all my old cars until I have to drive them out to the end of the driveway....the 2 lane black top out in front of my house is where my happiness goes away...

MikeC

 

After 33 years of ownership ( 27 of which I’ve spent driving) I’m very happy with my F-100. Would I trade the experience for anything? Two words: Hell No!


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I am VERY unhappy with my curent parts chaser and it is for sale. I need the space it takes up for a bigger lathe so I can face block bell housings.

 

Oh you must live in NY too the crappy road capital of the world.


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Since I posted early on page 1 when I was working on the coupe, I need to update because it didn't sound very good then.

Originally, the coupe was a quickly thrown together ride I expected to maybe drive a year or two, only on nice sunny days, and mostly just around town. I'd bought the donor truck as a parts truck, but then ended up driving it for nearly a year, before the clutch went out. Everyone knows you just don't put a clutch in a parts truck, you take it apart. While it was sitting in my side yard, where I park all my parts supply vehicles, I got this crazy idea.

Back when I was a kid, our local dirt track used to race the old coupes. The memory of them coming off the #4 turn and roaring down the front straight is forever burned into my head. That was what got me started in the old car hobby that has been a great part of my life.

The donor truck was a perfect parts supply to throw together a quick cheap build representing one of those old dirt track cars of my youth. All I really needed was a body shell. I could throw a 4 point cage on the frame, attach the body, do minimal work to it, and have a ride I could cruise around town on nice days with for a couple of years. I presented the idea to my wife, and she told me it sounded like fun, and I should go ahead and do it! There is a reason we have been married for 44 years!
The 1st move was to locate a body shell. I'm a Mopar guy, so it had to be a Mopar. To fit the image I was after, it had to be a body earlier then a 54, because Mopars after 54 were all pretty big. The body condition wasn't really a concern, having most of its outer parts would be helpful, and the cheaper it cost, the better I would like it. I searched around and found an ad "48 Plymouth, real rough, $200" This would have been about the time a scrap car body was worth near $200. I called the guy, and my wife went and looked at it. The guy kept telling my it was really rough. It was perfect!, I looked at my wife and she nodded yes, and I paid the man. He kept telling me how sorry he was, "I can get more then $200 for scrap, but if you really want it, I will sell it to you for $200." I made arrangements to pick it up the next weekend.
The next weekend we loaded it up and brought it home. I took apart the donor, and cut what little remained of the old floor out and set the "new" body over top of the frame. When I was happy with how the body set, I welded up the 4 point roll cage, and welded the body to the donor frame. Through the process, I banged my head on the roll cage 3 or 4 times, and the cage came out of the car. So I did a better job of attaching the body to the frame.
I worked on the car, outside my shop, until the winter hit. Then in the spring I got after it again. By April (about 9 months after I started on it) it was road worthy, but white primmer would cover the entire body about 3 weeks after I started driving it, and the blue and the number arrived a couple months later.

The car drove great. It actually gets decent gas mileage. Its not fast, but its quick enough to be fun to drive, the 5 speed helps. This quick, cheap, build has been absolutely reliable. It works really well for my wife and me. About 4 years ago, we decided to take it on vacation, to Colorado, no less! Then, up to the Mt Rushmore area, before heading back home, 2800 miles total. Since this car has been together, we have drive it over 60,000 miles in 8 summers. One time in all those miles we were about 3 miles from home and had to have it brought back home on a roll back. Something I did when I threw it together caused the problem, once that was fixed, it has been trouble free, until last summer.
This body was really rusted out, any flat surface that could hold water rusted out. I fixed a lot of those areas when I put the car together. One area I didn't fix was the window frame around the rear window, and it too was rusted out bad. Keep in mind, I only expected to drive this car a couple years at best. Now after 8 years on the road, the rear window frame started leaking water into the car when it rained. The gasket was still good, there just wasn't any metal for the gasket to attach to. It started leaking pretty bad, if we were going to keep driving the car, I would have to fix that back window. There were other things that just didn't get done that should be addressed as well. When I posted on page 1, I was in the process of repairing that rear window, and a laundry list of other stuff.

At the same time, I was in the process of working on a new shop truck that just wasn't cooperating, and then I found out it wasn't comfortable for me to drive. Working on an uncomfortable to drive, uncooperative truck I didn't want anymore, and tearing down what was a great driving car was a bit much for me at that time. To make matters even worse, I'd just bought a replacement project truck for the uncooperative one that was uncomfortable to drive, and I wanted to get started on it.

So update time. I got the coupe done, changed the colors, and fixed all the stuff on the list. Its fun to drive again.
I've sold the uncomfortable truck, after I finally got it fixed. The new owner is as happy as a lark with it. He is 6" shorter then I am.

Since I sold the other truck, I've gotten off to a great start on the new project, and its shaping up to be a nice driver.
I'm a happy hot rod owner again, in spite of the pandemic thing. Gene

 

I read your story, Gene. Your Mopar Coupe is COOL! I love the story and the car. $200... now you're talkin... LOL. And 44 years... God bless the good women who love us so much for no good reason.
Happy

 

Looks great Mike!!!


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YES!
I consider both of my cars as works in progress. The CCPU has gone through a number of modifications. Current set up is a 6-1/2" extended cab, B engine with a CRAGAR head, T-5 and Jeep bucket seats.


Zipper is 21 years old and I was ready to sell it as it was very uncomfortable to drive. Interior guy convinced me he could redo the seats in a way that would be comfortable. He redid the seat bottom and built in a lumbar support on the seat back. Great driver.

 

No

 

Yes but my dream car is a '36-'35 but I don't i think will, seeing as I have lung cancer but I still look and hope to find one. Anybody got one they want to trade ???

 

58 Impala as a 3 speed and silver rims


Hello,

With the circumstances that I had in high school, I could not have been happier with the 1958 Impala. It was fast at the drags, looked like a custom car cruising the daily drives to high school and Fri/Sat expanded tours of So Cal. In the Lions Dragstrip film clip, I was a little late coming off of the line with the 3 speed. The automatic Pontiac got the jump on me, but I caught him before the lights.

The next elimination race was against the hot Buick that was usually winning the class when the 58 Impalas did not show. He got a great start and I was slowly catching up to him and won by a bumper for the trophy. My brother took those films and was cheering me on during both of those close races. His comment was … “get a better start.”

I liked everything about it, except that I did not have enough money to go to the next step in MORE POWER. I had 280 HP from the factory, but with the later addition of a Racer Brown Cam and lifter kit, C&O Stick Hydro, it was getting there in reserve power. The idea of racing at Lions would have put us in a Gas Coupe and Sedan Class, where we would be competing with the lightweight Willys coupes and Anglias.

So, just cruising around all of the great places that there were in a pristine 1958 Chevy Impala was just perfect for me. If we happened to encounter a couple of brash teens or 20 somethings in a hot Chevy, well that was just fine. There was more than enough to get out in front quickly and stay there.

The thought of adding a Paxton/McCulloch Centrifugal Supercharger crossed my mind several times. It was either that set up or the addition of some custom stuff. It was the crossroads for turning the Impala into a faster car or add some custom car stuff and wait until I come across a faster car. That never happened, so I bought a set of Buick Skylark wire wheels. Now, the custom axle mods allowed me to be the only 58 Impala in So Cal with Buick Skylark Wire Wheels. The admirations were there and it sure looked good cruising by the myriad of huge plate glass windows in our local cruising grounds.
thanks, @themoose

Jnaki

By the time I was ready to go off to college, the Impala had seen its days and nights happy adventures. So, my friend said he would buy it, if I would help him with the tricks of driving the Impala. By this time, the Impala had black Buick bolt pattern steel wheels and new tires. (due to the theft of the Buick Skylark wire wheels) He did not care as he had always liked the Impala and how it ran, drove and looked. He was a happy camper and I went away to college…