Hot Rods Quotes to live by...

JNAKI, you mentioned looking at old people and thinking of never being one, well old people were old back then! At least in Oklahoma! I remember seeing my grandfather, an old broken down farmer at age 68! He had worked all his life, a lot of it behind a horse and plow! He had retired and just sit around in old people clothes and smoked his pipe, watching life and his life fade away!
I am now two years older than my grandfather was at that time. I throw parties, just went to Arkansas for five days four wheeling, am planning a trip to alas Vegas, just got back from a drag race and we are building a bomber class race car for next year…..with me as the driver! And a few other things!
Age is just a state of mind! ( and I had a real easier life ,than my grandfather)

Hello,

It is not that we thought of being old folks, as teens, it just seemed so far away. I met a ton of older grandparents of my friends and they just seemed light years removed. But, as 20 somethings, we had a 90 yr old grandfather and his 91 year old wife as family, at our small wedding. So, for us, it was the old and the new that started us off on our eventual track.

Over the 20-30 something years, it was a pleasure to meet and see a couple of relatives from Norman, Oklahoma visit our house in So Cal. Our son had a great comment about the 92 year old other grandmother that came for the visit. “… She is old…” We chuckled, but knew where it was directed. Ha!

Jnaki

All of these years later, we are in that category and look back to the years of growing up thinking of the far out distance of being old. Now, look at us, adapting to the pandemic, retired, having a 16 year old granddaughter that is as close to us as anything and she loves her grandma and grandpa, even as old as we are…

That, in its self is a good sign. We are old, but not so far removed from what is happening. Growing up is similar, same stuff, same results, just the time periods are different. We all learn from our experiences…

 

He said : "I am going get rid of my cars and stuff, I don't want another asshole enjoyin' my stuff ."

She said; "what makes you think I am goin' marry another asshole."

not many houses of Prostitution in California, Too darn many freeways !!!

 

One of my favorites is this, Never make a woman angry. EVER.

 

If a guy's mind isn't continually thinking about T's and A's ,
he's just not concentrating...


Words I never thought I would say: Hey, she's got a study income, real cute, and only 66

 

Never take down a fence if you don`t know the reason it was put up.

 

“Life is what you make of it.” Anonymous

“If you don’t like something, change it… if you can’t change it, change your attitude."
Maya Angelou

Hello,

The two quotes are related. When buying an old hot rod, we had experience to do our own changes. So, that is what most hot rod folks do to the running coupes/sedans with new stuff added and modified.

My brother loved the stock Pale Yellow 2 door Oldsmobile Sedan. But, he had ideas that needed to be expressed. Teenage hot rod ideas and showcase on those daily drives to school and cruising grounds. By the time he was ready for a new adventure, he had it painted a Lime Green and his friend bought it on the spot.

When we got the 1940 Willys Coupe, it was stock, not running and needed some basic mods to get it ready for a complete build. We decided that with a hot 283 SBC motor, 3 speed trans and running gear, it would be a competitive street hot rod. It would also be a good runner at the nearby Lion's Dragstrip competition.

Throughout our build, we did the best with what we had to spend. It was solid, we did the build correctly with minimal mistakes and the running hot rod was a pleasure to drive. So, hot rod job was at a good stage for us, to see how it would perform, before we completely finished the project.

“If you don’t like something, change it… if you can’t change it, change your attitude."
Maya Angelou

We did not know it at the time, but change it we did, as much as possible. But what took place, was that it was no longer envy of other builds and to do what we did best. We were able to adapt to the situation and worked hard at doing the best for us. With the knowledge gained, we knew we were on the right track.

Jnaki

Despite what happened by sheer chance, we continued to adapt to our family situations. We changed to the attitude of "no pity," but to make something else just as important... Family relationships, as a part of life's continuing saga.

 

When assembling a precision engine never assume anything, speedshifter Greg White

 

nabor said : If she's worth doin' once, then do 'er agin !!!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A guy was sobbing, cryin' at a grave marker: " Why, why, why did you have ta die?

Couple going by, ask if it was his wife? He replied "No, my wife first husband.."

 

“You’ve got to make time, not excuses”

 

"The only tool that is more dangerous than a utility knife is a dull one." Grampa Greenie.

"I cut it twice and it's still too short." Me.

 

Words lie, deeds don't.

 

" Figures don't lie, but liars figure! "

 

"The Pessimist complains about the wind; The Optimist expects it to change;
The Realist adjusts the sails."

“Life blows us to change at any time in our lives… we have to adapt to get along.”


Hello,

In real life situations, we do need to “adjust the sails” to get along in life. In reality, if no adjusting is done, the sailboat will be over powered and would flip over, despite the keel below. It is getting the trim just right to enjoy sailing as fast as you can safely go and feel the salt air blasting on your body and face. The thrill of battling and adjusting to nature is paramount to having fun every time anyone goes sailing, whether in the ocean or lakes. Adjusting is the key.

As far as life, we have all adjusted to everything that has been thrown at us from our teenage years throughout the 20-30 something years and it gradually gets difficult as time moves on in our lives. The way we adjust will have the consequences that go along with the change. If it does not work, then we adjust again, until a satisfactory place is found. A compromise of sorts is always handy.
sold to adjust to family...

Jnaki

In our lives, we had to adjust to the changing society and the way most looked at illnesses, war, war protesters and prejudice. Throw in being lumped into local hot rod designations as well as being those scruffy, “surfer world kids” was something we all had to get over and adjust, to see the inequalities of the whole way to see things.

As we got older and wiser, things we once thought were important at the time was just a bump in the road to make us adjust to that situation. Teenage angst, Hot Rods, 20 something freedom, 30s family life and all that those times brought to the forefront. Life moved on and we all had to get along to live another happy day. The choices we made got us to where we all are today. The pandemic notwithstanding.

Stay Safe… The next wave is already here... so adjust to help with all of our health issues.

 

A clean shop is a sign of a sick mind. Greg White

 

You never step into the same river twice.

 

“A life well lived amounts to a series of compromises based on those around you with individual needs and idiosyncrasies, which can’t be tailored to one’s liking.”

Hello,

For all of the years since being impressionable teenagers, our goal was to be self sufficient and not be relying on our parents for support. (although a full ride surf trip after high school was just up my alley goals, but the “support” just laughed.)

The supposed support was a means to put off going to college for a couple of years, to get a perspective on what is actually out there. But, wiser heads prevailed and off to college I went, nearly living on my own, with responsibilities abound.

I really wanted to go to a local LA university for a football scholarship, but that fell through. Then I made the decision that if I had to go to college, I wanted to go to UCSB in Santa Barbara for access to some of the best surf along the coast. Ha, good luck with the H.S. grades and pre college test scores. So, compromises had to be made.

The struggle to be accepted and move along to the 20 something years was difficult as there was no specific goal, other than just graduate from college. Some of my friends got married, (too young) some went off to join the Army, some just took a chance to got to work and worry about the draft. So with the different directions and spaces in life, it pulled me all over the place and the summer was spent doing what I thought would please everyone.

Jnaki

After struggling on the plentiful decisions to graduate and make money, in our final years of college, I met a girl that changed the whole outlook for both of us. She came from an overbearing father figure and wanted to individualize her own life and methods. I came from a different overbearing mother that wanted the best for her youngest son and literally forced college on me. But, thank goodness that happened.

Together, my girlfriend and future wife had melded together with ideas for our own future. Making gobs of money was not that important, as was the way we looked at each other and our lives. If we were happy, then what else was there to achieve? The whole world was ours to create and enjoy, together.

We were minimalists and narrowed our choices to what we could afford and enjoy as a couple. We had enough saved to play with some toys, but the life that we started together and the way we lived surprised plenty of our friends and relatives. “What is the matter with you guys?” Some friends became lawyers, some powerful businessmen and others just wanted to equate success with having a ton of money and living in a large house.

We were just getting by, living in a small 700 sq. ft. apartment with our minimal furniture and stuff. So, ideals were tossed around and our happiness was more important than trying to keep up with our upwardly mobile old friends from high school.

A new adventure awaited and it took the both of us on the same page to get to the point of being together. We were against all odds from the beginning, to be happy and enjoy our long lives to this point, pandemic or not.

 

Wow, JNAKI, small world, my mother graduated from UCSB at age 19. My father, a high school drop out, due to hardships, commanded that all three of his children finish high school and get a four year degree. And we all three did! My father was in charge..of the ranch and our world. We kids rode for the brand! We still ride, going to the ranch in a few hours to have Christmas Eve with my remaining sister and my Mom….for the 64 th consecutive year.


Merry Christmas, to everyone!








Bones

 

“Truth Lives In Consistency”

Hello,

It was one thing to meet my wife in college and had the times of our young lives literally growing up together. Once we met, the daily situation called for being on my game in all situations. I had to be consistent in everything I said and did while we were together. I realized that what I was trying to do was already built in and it just needed some reminders with a swift kick in the butt to make them happen.

For me, this new “couple” thing was a different horizon. As we were older than just the teenage era, what we said and did, made a difference. No beating around the bush, it was an open book as far as I could imagine, if one was to “follow your heart.” Everyday, as I drove home, I kept telling my self that this time, it is for real and “she was a keeper.”

Our ideas and principles were always together and that made things great. It was not always smooth sailing, as we both had our own ideas about how life has been and how it should be in mind.

Jnaki

As we kept being together, traveled together and were with each other like a married couple, things were strengthened by things she said to me. I was consistent in all of my ways to see life and the personality was one of being the best one can be. I was a true person that lived by certain individual standards, whether it was in a group of friends or by ourselves. My wife has always seen me as a person that sticks by the rules we grew up with and by our selves, it still rings true.

The feeling of being at one with your own ideas and truth stands out, when you realize that no one is looking or is around to notice what you are doing. But in reality, it is how you live by your principles. Most of us don’t think twice about not running a red light. When it is 3 a.m. and you are sitting in an empty intersection, do you cross the street or just wait? Is life too short to stay with doing the right thing or do we break rules as we see fit?

The incidents were there, but having someone next to you, makes standing by your principles all the stronger while going through life. There was no one to impress or see how I reacted to the job at hand. It was just using the truth in reasoning for all of those involved.

One time, we were getting gas at our local station. As I was getting gas and needed to fill air in our beach inflatables, a couple of $20 dollar bills came flying by the air station. It was right in front of our station wagon. My son was watching me fill the beach toys. So, after I gathered all of the flying $20 dollar bills, I went to the station manager and told him it was just flying by and I picked them up. All $100 in total.

So, at the time, we certainly could have used the “free” $100, but I told the manager that if the owner comes back to get the money, great, otherwise, I will be back in several days. When I went back the manager said someone came back for the money and that it was gone.
Later on, my wife said that the manager was a little shaky and he probably kept the money. But since our whole family was witness to the transaction, our little toddler told me that I did the right thing. A lesson learned from a different outlook in life and the future. Consistency pays off in many dividends… YRMV

Now, in this time of world wide health issues, it is more relevant to do the right thing and put in as much as we can to help as part of the solution. It is/was not supposed to be a long standing problem and continue this sad chapter in the world’s history. YRMV

 

“Growing up, we rarely thought about the past. What is surprising is that photographs being those past recollections to actually feel like it is happening now.”

Hello,

When we have one of our photographic searching trips in person or in our files, there were/are a lot of missing photo sections. It could have been that we only remember a certain amounts in our memory blanks, but being involved as much as my brother and I were should have been documented back then.

Realizing that we did not have a point and shoot small camera of any kind and only had our dad’s 4x5 inch Graflex bellows camera maybe the reason the “anytime” family and cars photos were missing. The large camera was not your average point and shoot. It took several minutes to unfold it, pull out the bellows/lens and open the back for the film to be put in place, etc.

So, those family instant photo shots were not recorded. The majority of our family photos were posed and a photo shoot was only if the large camera was already open and ready. (Did I say anything about the sheer size and weight of the camera?)

I have nothing but respect for our dad. He was able to record some photos during our times as little kids living in a small trailer as our first home. Sometimes just sitting around and other times, with his 1941 Buick Fastback sitting outside in the parking lot. When we got our first real home with a white picket fence, he also took some great shots for those years.

By the time we were in our last Westside of Long Beach home, we were outside playing all day and there were a few shots taken in the back yard at times. But, that whole era (including the hot rod/drag race building days) was relatively photo free, except for birthday parties. No point and shoot camera for anytime photos.

Jnaki

Our recollection was different from my wife’s family. They had a small film camera as the whole family shot whatever they saw, as a point and shoot situation. Now, our family history has two sides to growing up in the 40s through the 60s and it is an important part of our memories. When we have those off chance encounters with something that strikes us as similar to what we used to do back then, out pop the memories, as if it is happening right now.
Manhattan Beach 1955 point and shoot...

We have been told that striking up those memories through photos and recollections, helps the “Big ALZ” stay away. So, memory books/journals abound and are now as close as a digital file on our devices. There are even separate journals for our granddaughter and son. What about the old photo albums? They are still on the shelves, but all photos are now categorized in digital copies and folders.

Safety in preservation? The albums are fun to look at like reading an old book. But now, those photos are preserved forever and can be taken out of the house in any fast, getaway emergency situation like a wildfire blasting down the street.

The saving grace can now be in your jacket pocket (small external hard drive) or emergency grab bag. Or called up when sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean on our devices. (or anywhere we are in the world...) The old, does the new for history...YRMV

 

“Memories are simply your stories, their value lies in the way they reflect your attitudes.”

Hello,

It is somewhat funny, but if you look at your own old photos, there is a resemblance to how you have seen, reflected the feelings you had and how you see things. Having lived and adapted to the So Cal beach lifestyle when it was important to both of us back then, has played an important part of how we see each other and the world.

For some, So Cal is not where anyone wants to live, let alone stay close to the beach areas along the coast. But for all that we have done over the years, we have adapted to our family ties and the lifestyle that is a low key type that does not bother anyone around us. It is a low key lifestyle and it bothers no one. It is the basics, just a little different from what we have adapted to and as my mom used to say, "Endure."

The times for the last 56 years since we met in college, our lives have been a total continuation of how we both felt back when we met and grew up together as young adults. It seems like it would be the same for most anyone. Find something you like, make the best effort to adapt to the changes and live a nice low key life with the following generations.

My wife even had the great eye for good photography shots and set ups, too. That was definitely a plus in our relationships and ideas. Nowadays, her photography is done on high powered phones and the results are in the eye of the beholder.

Jnaki

Our lives would not have been any different if we had lived elsewhere. Our individual family photos are different as the locations, OKC and Westside of Long Beach. They somehow became a part of how we saw each other and our minds did the old Star Trek “mind melding” throughout our lives so far. The Pandemic is just another way to adjust and cooperate with others in the same health issues.

But, how can we turn our backs on our cool So Cal lifestyle and history? They “reflect our attitudes…” YRMV

 

Once a job has begun, never leave it till it's done. Be thy labor, great or small, do it well or not at all.

 

“It is all clearer now, than it was then. Vivid fabrication of the aging mind. It is the clarity that comes from aging. From the natural process of releasing the mind from imagined futures, and allowing the present/past to take their rightful place at the center of our attention.”

1957

Hello,

Time is coming around in a big circle. As teenagers, no one thought we would be as old as we are now. Also, to be situated in life as it is and the history that our families have shared. Back then it was live/enjoy the trials and tribulations of being a young/old teenager, for some, the wonderment of owning a first car. The current crop of teenagers have been more exposed to the ever changing world and they have to learn to adapt.

We were teenagers a long time ago and when we got our first car(s), it was a wonderful moment. The aspects of that first time involvement with hot rods and old cars was just the first step. For those that had the inclination to make something others would approve of and get as much enjoyment of the hot rod, it was a fun road to travel. Our teenage surf adventures took us all over the So Cal coastline and into Baja, Mexico. It was exploration at its finest, while enjoying a funky, Flathead powered 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery.

But, as we age, we have learned to cope and adjust to what lies ahead. We have learned that by using some common sense, life is certainly going to treat us well. Whether we have multiple people in our families, or just one child. It remains to be the same thing, adapt to the situation at hand and help others as much as we can. We learn from others as to what to do and what not to do, so in essence, we are making our own roadways and paths to our future.

Jnaki

With the worldwide pandemic hitting us for the last several years, nothing is going to change unless we make a concentrated effort. If it takes isolation, learn to deal with it and do something creative. Plan on getting your current build complete to the next level or get started on something wild as a Nitro Revival build for a great looking showcase. The old drag race cars have more appeal to our history than watching the million dollar teams only go 1000 feet.

October Friday Art

Build a hot rod, cruise around, but isolation is still the safe way to healthy living. Put aside those thoughts of missing out on “stuff.” It will still be around when things are safer to get back into the picture. Health is the important item from our history and will continue to be in all aspects of living now and in the future. YRMV

 

"People with palm trees should have a roadster."
- @daylatedollarshort

 

Don't let a happy past steer you towards a miserable future.

 

Budget yourself enough time to do the job twice. It is going to take twice as long as you think it is going to take to do it properly.

If you do the job more quickly, you likely did not have do it properly, and you will need that additional amount of time to do it over.

 

Another one of my favorites is this, if you can’t fix it with duct tape you haven’t used enough.

 

"Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you" - Ward Cleaver

 

This reminds me of what I always tell my boss that’s always in a hurry.
“Why is it we never have enough time to do it rite but there’s always time to do it twice “

 

It takes a lot of money to look this cheap. Dolly Parton