My first was a $65 ‘40 Ford deluxe coupe in gray hot rod primer with a rebuilt flathead that I added a Thickstun 2x2 and Edelbrock aluminum heads to. I was only 15 so I couldn’t drive it for a while. I have an old B&W photo of it somewhere but I haven’t seen that photo since I moved 11 years ago.
'53 Chevy BA Hardtop. I was 16 years old in 1978 and paid $500 for it- it had been nosed & decked and four extra grille teeth added. I drove a tractor at a plant nursery for $2.10/hr and earned enough for new tires, chrome & upholstery. My mom cut & sewed the carpet and a friend painted it in return for my help with a house remodeling job. In 1980, I drove it from NE Ohio to Indy & back for the 1980 Street Machine Nats. I sold the car in '85 to finish paying for college.
My first old car was a 1932 Ford 5 w coupe that I bought when I was 12 years old and I owned it less than a day, long story. My first hot rod I built in the early 70's, 1930 Model A pickup. HRP
I had 3 cars before I was legally able to drive but living in the country made a license just a mere formality. My first running car was a 59' Volvo 544 with a 283 corvette engine and powerslide ("Baby 46-48 Ford"). I used to "borrow" my brothers 9.50-15 M&H slicks from his Mopar which fit perfectly (Mopar/Ford/Studebaker/Volvo). That car would have been the perfect bracket racer, especially with a 4-speed.
This is what was left from my first car -- a stock 1930 Model A Pickup. I raced the truck at Colton -- took X Eliminator, beat a Willys station wagon and a GoKart whose chain broke. A couple of years later my partner and I built this car. It wasn't a record-breaker by any means, but was a fun ride. Three cans of spray paint, decal letters that were too big and free headers from Scotty's Muffler -- which started off longer than this and kept cutting them away until it didn't make it go any faster.
My first hot rod is (and I still own it) a 1938 Chevy coupe that I bought as a basket case in 1973. I was driving it by the late 70's and by the mid 80's it was "parked" (a long sad story until about 10 years ago. It has real patina (1984 paint job) and the next owner can fix the deterioration after I go to room temperature. I look at those pictures and wonder who the young guy is?
My older Brother Tom gave me an early T Bucket body in 1963, when I was 14. I dreamed of being a Drag Racer, and wanted to run D/A with a Flathead. So, I scrounged parts and had one with all of the speed goodies. I bought a Model A frame, and used a 40 Ford front axle, and a 50 Olds rear end. Along the way my Stepdad Jack, gave me a 53 Cadillac, so My oldest Brother Jerry, helped me get the 331 and Hydro mounted and running. I was blessed to have some good family to support my rabid interest in Hot Rod building. Here are a few pictures and a video of my humble beginning. https://www.google.com/search?q=mar...ate=ive&vld=cid:19a80bc6,vid:2GkdhGCTORw,st:0
I was 17 yrs. old, and had a friend who wanted to sell his '40 Chev coupe. All stock, no seats in it, and sprayed satin black rattle can. He wanted $50, and that was in 1968. I couldn't get my money out quick enough! I drove it home with a lawn chair in the driver's seat, and began toying with ideas to make it into a hotrod. The next year before I could get started I got my draft notice, and was off to the military. When I came home on leave in early spring I went out to look the '40 over and the old 216 six had cracked full length on the lower block, even though I'd drained it ( I thought) but water sat low in the block and froze. No big deal, since I didn't care about the 216 anyway. When I got out of the service my best friend's dad had rolled his '59 Imperial, and I bought it for $150. My buddy and I dropped the 413, Torqueflite, and rearend into my '40 Chev coupe. It was a fun ride with the big block Mopar 413! Way too heavy for the front suspension, so it didn't drive well, or handle well. But sure went fast going straight!
My first hotrod is the 1947 Mercury I bought in 1967 for $85 running and driving. I put a 392 hemi in it in 1974. Still have it
The Jalopy Journal
