Folks Of Interest Want to become an old hot rod or custom guy?

Take care of yourself. I do not want to disrespect our older members, but when many of us found this place 20+ years ago we were in our 20s, 30s, and 40s. Now many of "old" the retired guys were the age I am at now (52+).

These recent threads got me thinking https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/age-and-hot-rods.1262690/

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/are-you-that-guy.1266072/

I know a few of these above folks personally and respect them all. But, the posts make me sad. I know at least in my area of the Country fitness and getting outdoors is a huge thing. And, the generational trends are pointing that way all over in spite of the media. I had ridden mountain bike and skied along with my car stuff since the early 80s as a teen. My dad is 76 and can throw down a 12 hour day of framing, drywall or other work with me and give me a run for my money.

My point is, we see all these posts of friends that can not enjoy the hobby as they get older, have hoarded so much they can not even get out in the shop or yard and sell....etc

Get out, walk, ride a bike like a kid, eat better. Walk the dog. Drink less beer (oof!)

I HATE seeing "MEMBER EMERITUS" under our fellow HAMBers names. And in the immortal words of Spock "Live long and prosper!"

 

Well said @Tman I used to be an active SOB, damn where did the years go? Always good to get a wake up call

 

I know what you mean. The last year and a half the message board is turning into an obituary board .

 

How Ironic,
We've only just walked in from attending a funeral of an old friend [ "C" got him at 66 ]

One thing I observe at funerals is you are never remembered for what you owned, but what you did!

We also looked around at all the "living dead" at the funeral .
Many were swapping "war stories" of other people's achievements while they were chugging back on the booze.

As a couple we both made a pact to live as long as possible without losing any dignity. So we both sorted out our diets [this is the most important] and quit alcohol. We started walking more and purchased a bench and a few dumbells.[52 lbs max]

All it took was 4 months of determination [as in Goal setting] to reset our bodies , and 2 years of taking it easy [a lifestyle we will continue forever]

Apart from a few injuries when we did stupid shit [young and bulletproof] we're both in better shape now than when we were 20.

And guess what........we have more disposable cash, because we no longer have the desire to buy alcohol, or junk food .
Crap like Macca's and Pizza's have been hacked from our brains.

We have no desire to eat at diner's but now prefer quality time together with home cooked food [we also enjoy picnics at the beach 4+ times per week instead]

This was valentines day [that is not wine but Bundaberg Ginger Beer]


What old age has taught me .......Slow down and learn to enjoy the moment [it is what you do together is more important than what you own]

In case you don't believe you can turn back the clock. This is Mimi after 4 months of clean living and light resistance training.
She is 54 years old . [We'll remove this photo later as it is not appropriate here]
View attachment 5423008

Getting into shape is easy and quick. Most of us look at ourselves in the mirror but don't realize it usually took decades to get out of shape.

So get out there , put down that bottle , clean up your diet and start walking

Stay healthy [then you can enjoy your cars much longer]
Death should not be feared. It should be postponed as long as possible.

 

It's also really important to take care of your mental health. First to admit here that depression is real. Inspiration from my HAMB brothers helps to keep me on track. Avoid negativity! It's a trap that steals your soul. A few recent threads here made me draw back a bit. Before posting I try to ask myself if my comment is helpful, relative, and answers the op's question, if any.

 

Well said Trent, right you are. But I am afraid you are preaching to the choir. We are creatures of habit, and being habituated to no exercise and/or bad nutrition is extremely difficult to change, especially at an advanced age. I think the average guy here needs a very personal wake-up call, like a best friend dying too young, in order to find the proper motivation to change bad habits.
But it is helpful to remind everyone that no exercise in your daily routine is a bad habit, and one that will surely knock years off your life. And speaking of mental health, it is well documented that physical exercise keeps the brain functioning better as well.

 

When I retired 4+ years ago, I told myself that my new job was to get in shape and take care of myself. I lost weight and I get on the treadmill 3 days a week, plus I walk some when the weather is good. I work in my shop most every day or go to a car show/cruise in. In other words, I am active most of the time. Because of that, I am able to do the things I want to do and expect to be able to do it for a good many more years. I am now 68.

 

Good post Tman.
Turning 70 in January.
215, tall and lanky but carrying a midlife bulge now. Still very active. running a B&B and antique shop, keeping my cars and old house up, bicycling 2 times per week usually at a 25 mile ride each. During the winter we travel to a better climate and are even more active because of the good weather.
Hardly perfect, I don’t watch my diet and I don’t commit to a daily exercise routine.
Slow down and you’ll soon allow old age to creep up on you.

 

Be sure to wear a jumpsuit to keep your workout traditional though.

 

I'm 71 and I've been dealing with higher than the doc liked A1C levels for a while. About a year or so ago I started to get more serious about it. I''m up to a 6 mile walk with hand weights 5 days a week (most weeks-got a bit lazy and missed a couple of days this week) The result is that I've lost 30 pounds and I'm now under 200 again. A1C is coming down. Still not under 6 but not over 8 like it was when I started walking. Now if I could just get serious on my '54 Ranch Wagon project all would be good.

 

Good post @Tman !!!!!
When I sold my coupe, most of the guys I know had thought I had lost my mind. What I lost was the ability to get into and out of the car without pain. I had lost the ability to handle the exhaust sound and smell. I got the car when I was in my late 50's. By my early 70's , sadly, the fun was gone and now so is the car.
Car in question

 

Nice post TMAN

Me and my wife just hit our 50's and like you we have always been active with sports & weight training. We live on a horse farm now and don't do so much sports but are active every day with the horse chores.

In the last 6 months our family has lost 5 friends and family members. It has been a tough year I tell you.
The biggest hit to me was my dad. He had health problems for a few years. We had a family farm so he was active when he was younger but he was always overweight. In his mid 40's he developed adult onset diabetics, later he was cursed with nerve damage that attacked his lungs. For the last 10 years he stopped doing almost everything.
He was a hot rodder from the time he could drive and taught me everything. I owe him my love for cars and credit him with my career in the automotive world I have now. I attached a couple pics below. The first was his 65 Sport Fury the second was the last rod he built in the early 2000's. He was a pastor with Rodders For Christ so maybe some of you guys seen him at some events. He and my mom went all over the country doing that. They did the power tour twice in the model A. He loved to dress like Santa so he could tell the kids the real meaning of Christmas.

 

I was watching a TV show with a woman talking about all these fun things to do. Turned out I was watching a religious channel and she was going over all the different sins.

 

Everybody's different. Some people don't suffer from arthritis, heart congestion and other common maladies. A lot of it has almost nothing to do with the way someone lived their life or how well they took care of themselves or not. Sure, you can poison yourself with the intake of foreign substances. But so much of it is simply hereditary.

So we can take care of ourselves as well as anybody, but the effects of old age will always win. Sooner for some, later for others. Devastating for some, not quite as bad for others.

And I know that all this talk can distress some of you younger guys. But please understand that I think it's mainly our way of making sure that we're not alone in all this. And that helps.

 

But yes... of course...
As Tman says...
Take good care of yourselves.

 

Genetics sets the max. Lifesyle controls how close you get.

 

Yeah, me too, I didn't have control over my issues, I needed a heart valve, mine wore out, I'm 67, and I had two minor blockages they weren't gonna do anything about. Sloppy cardiogram test left me with a large blood clot in my right lung, so I had to wait an extra four months for the knife. Total time waited was nine months and I was almost too weak to be cut open, but thankfully, they did, while they were in there, I got a double bypass free, and a new valve. Immediately, I felt better, but recovery has been slow, operated on feb 24, still have some nerve pain in my chest, but, just getting up and running down the street is not quite that easy. Point is, sometimes shit happens that knocks you back, and it takes time to get back to reality, some have a harder time than others. So, in my fifties, I was at the top of the world, but as you age, you have less control over your fate.

 

yup....so you might want to get a head start on taking control over the stuff you can take control over.

 

Depends on the individual , clean living , exercising , eating right may yield nothing more than an overall physically fit corpse ! Its all a crapshoot !

 

Maybe we can get @povertyflats to chime in here. Paul is doing wonders getting back in shape and resisting the pie and ice cream!

 

A timely reminder for us old farts to take responsibility for our physical health, thanks Tman.

I turned 72 this year and had my yearly wellness visit with my doctor yesterday, she was pleased with my blood pressure which has been chronically high my entire life, obviously a family trait.

I quit drinking years ago and I have never smoked a cigarette in my life, I can work all day in the garage if I pace myself, I don't go wide open anymore.

I was doing really good at going to the gym and working out along with walking a mile every day. then along came covid and the gym closed for a while , I got lazy and added a few more pounds, I'm back to working out as much as I can and walking every day, I am back down to 220 and at 6'4" and my blood pressure is 140/60 so for me and my history that is fantastic.

Old injury's take their toll but I'm doing my best to stay active. HRP

 

Good advice, a few years ago I decided to make a change, lost 130lbs. Suddenly everything became easier…

 

Yes! Without getting touchy feely new age holistic this is great advice.
And as far as recent threads, it is VERY hard to judge a persons angle w/o inflection, intonation and facial features like you get in a face to face conversation. My offer is always there to sit down over a cold one or a coffee with ANY HAMBer and shoot the chit

 

The big thing about being active and saying I can’t do that anymore or I can’t walk that far or any other excuse is our bodies will keep going it’s our mind that quits.

 

My take on this is, keep busy doing something/anything..give yourself a reason to get up and get going every morning.
I agree with @X-cpe

 

What was the question? Yes, I ride often.

 

My Dad had a quadruple bypass at 53, then a triple at 76. Doc gave him a lifetime guarantee on that one. He lived to be 89, a fall and subsequent brain bleed did him in. I am 68, get out to the garage for at least a few hours every day
but cannot do what could even a few years ago. At 63 I built my garage 24 by 30, subbed out the concrete and had
a buddy hold the other end of the rafters, otherwise did everything from framing, siding, roofing, sheetrock, insulation, wiring and mini-split. My spirit is still willing, my knees not so much. I do not smoke, have an occasional beer but even that has become rare, and run about 210 at 6'2''.

 

I was doing fine until that covid crap hit. Thank God I had it before they knew what it was and applied proven remedies that knocked it out quickly instead of all the experimental stuff. But the effects linger on, I stay tired, I now have COPD that I feel was enhanced by it . But I've always been active, and still am, I just can't hold out as long anymore. All day jobs are now work half a day and rest, get back to them later. Don't have the strength I had before, just can't pick up as much weight as I once could. But sitting down and quitting is not an option! I retired and went part time last year, wish I could have done it years ago. Plenty to keep me busy 8 days a week. But sometimes we need that break time to reflect on what's important. A day watching old westerns on TV can help the mind and body. Stress is a killer just like heart disease or cancer.

 

Yep, genetics determine predispositions of outcome. Environment drives those outcomes.
The trick is to not trigger those predispositions. They're all individual. Know your trigger and don't pull it.

Joe

 

Yeah yeah...

"Keep moving."
"A body in motion stays in motion."
"Use it or lose it."

Until you can't. LOL

I work hard.
I push until I can't.
Then recuperate.
Then hit it again.
Recent health issues.
Heart
Torn rotator cuff surgery
Covid, twice
Decided to start getting younger
No @#%÷&mfn smokes for 9 months now
Getting stronger!