Outstanding! Most of us have been saying all along that you cannot have a true hot rod without a Go Fast attitude. And then there's this, most of us have been saying this also:
I lived near Pearl Harbor as a kid from 1956-62, there were cool cars and sports cars everywhere. Stock car racing at the old Hula Bowl downtown, too. And custom car shows. A drag strip was starting up. Lots of cross culture between there and the mainland. One of these days, I'm going to make it to Cruise Paradise on the Big Island, whenever that starts up again. At one time, you could even rent street rods in Honolulu.
The amount of hot rodding history here always surprises me. Even on Kauai... It's sitting around like litter - being ignored by most, but cherished by a few. Sort of reminds me of the mainland scene in the early 90s.
Wondering if living in island paradise makes you want to own a woodie wagon? Seems like a natural extension of the lifestyle.
Not yet anyway... I like woodies as much as the next guy, but the cliche aspect of a woodie on the beach doesn't suit me. A '40/41 pickup on the other hand? Out fit the bed to haul all my diving gear and I'm in business!
My grandfather lived on the big island in his later years. We visited him in '84 for his 70th birthday. I was so happy and surprised to see alot of old cars while we were there. Surprised because of the cost of EVERYTHING there. We cruised the whole island in his Cadillac and he showed me some of the car guy hangouts. "Ronnie, did you get yourself a beer?" Grampy, we are driving! "Grab me another from the back seat and get one for yourself too." Everybody knew him so that was pretty cool. I will forever remember him and that trip.
I found this in the weeds away from the gate and leaned it up for a pic. I should have kept it but didn't want to be "that guy". It got replaced by the next year.
Tardel and I found that sign 20 years ago after hopping a razor wire fence and dodging military police. We left it with the same sentiments… a friend of mine got it when they opened the track back up and now it’s hanging in her shop.
I don't know about the other guys but I love hearing about island hot rod life! I want to go some day.
Several years ago while on vacation on the big island, ran across cruise night at one of the Kona's store parking lot. Got to check out some of the local hot rods in the area. If i ever was going to move to Hawaii- Kona would be the place. Where else could you get Bill Gates to take you and your wife and daughters picture? It happened that vacation!
Here you go. Just have to get it from SoCal to the islands. 1941 Ford truck pickup rod shop flathead 1940 - $15,000 (Carlsbad) https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/cto/d/carlsbad-1941-ford-truck-pickup-rod/7339536380.html
Hello, As a teenager, it was heaven in photos and surf, but money/air travel was out of the question. As 20 somethings, Hawaii was the goal, with some money saved and the opportunity arose. Getting the urge to move was stronger as my wife and I wanted to be somewhere else. The whole USA mainland was going cuckoo and it was strenuous to say the least. But, we stuck together and planned our first relocation after spending our month in Kauai with some friends. It was completely different than the everyday rush of So Cal. Nothing wrong with the everyday rush of So Cal in the coastal areas that we always lived, but going to different places was eye opening. Kauai had eye opening places in every corner or curve of the island. Overgrown covering leading to the South shore surf spots(military base surf spots included) and coastline. Perhaps, it was the new surroundings for a month and it did not feel like a vacation. It felt good just hanging around and going surfing down the block. Also, the areas we found all over the island were much different than California coastal areas. The excitement was from finding those places. A secluded beach with a narrow access road between the thick jungle growth on both sides, opened up to a white sandy beach on a point break with the bluest water we had ever seen. It just seemed like heaven... Not only was the white sand in contrast to the green forest/trees/bushes growing right down to the ocean, but it was the quiet and seclusion we enjoyed the most. It was fun surfing in some outstanding waves, coming up on to the white sandy beach and taking a long nap. By the time we were finished with our naps, it was glassy and pumping great waves again. Jnaki For us, at the time, we had planned on getting some jobs, buying a piece of property a block away from the ocean and close to our friend’s homes. We already put some money down on a prebuilt wooden cabin that would sit 6-8 feet off of the ground surface. Then everything crashed down on us. The local Kauai banks would not allow us to take a small loan on the property. Due to being out of state clients. Then our local So Cal banks that we had been doing business with for 10 plus years would not allow “their” money to be invested in “out of state/country” property. We were caught in a hard place. So, we devised a feeling of, "It was just not in the cards" and went on to our lives living in the So Cal coastal areas. In search of the next level of our 20 something lives. So, here we are in our pandemic infused lives looking back without any regrets about how our lives got impacted with “Kauai fever” and then calmed down to a great So Cal lifestyle. Afternoon traffic on the main highway along the coastline in Kauai. A lot better than the 405 Freeway or the I-5 freeway at 4 p.m. everyday and worse on the holidays. But, it was not going to be the life ending decision for us. We adapted, we just got along and moved with the flow of our So Cal lifestyle as much as we could afford and enjoy. So, the mantra was: "Kauai is a nice place to visit, but we would not want to live there..." YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
