Folks Of Interest How about a thread for the "Old Timers" who are still getting it done.

Now that just flat out bad ass!

 

Lol if you guys are classifying 60-70 year olds as old timers then just go ahead and scroll the hamb in general to see what they are up to. The median age of this site ain’t 25 lol

 

It was 20 years ago, but the real point of this thread is to show, give credit and respect to the guys who are still out in the garages building, racing and hot rodding.

As a opposed to the new trend of threads about the gloom and doom of getting older.

 

It is what it is! Better than the alternative. I lost a good friend over a year ago and he loved doing this stuff. I think of Jim often. I even ask for his approval when I’m building something. His hot rod spirt is always with me.

 

Ed signed my hat and poster at the Nitro Revival in Irwindale last November. A great guy. Still have his Isky cam in my 1949 Buick Straight eight race car. He did the grind in 1961.

 

He is old school! He likes the hacksaw and torches, I have grinders set up with cut off wheels but his weapon of choice is the hacksaw.

I prefer the torches to the plasma cutter too.

 

Another family friend hot rodder and racer LeRoy "Bud" Hinman

1969 Mid State Speedway Track Champ. Mossis NY

1972 Watertown Speedway Track Champ Watertown NY

Central N.Y. Stock Car Hall of Fame Member

Bud at the age of 11 on vacation with his family in California, the first hot rod Bud ever saw.


Bud and his brothers first attempt at building a hot rod 25 Chevy.


Bud's next hot rod


Bud traded the roadster for this channeled 36 Ford Cabriolet


Bud sold the 36 to fund building his first stock car, latter Bud would turn this car into a "Cut Down" or "Bug" and would win the 1969 Mid State Track Championship


Bud in victory lane at Mid-State Speedway


Bud's roadster found and put back on the road by Eli English


Bud reunited with his hot rod at the 2016 Race of Gentleman



Bud restored this 1958 Hillegass Sprint, Small Block Chevy power and ran with ACOT, Bud was banned briefly from on race activities, for breaking the ACOT speed limit.

To quote Bud. "I got bored, I wanted to race!"



Bud's 1969 Championship winning Bug


Bud with his Bug

 

Uh oh @Robert J. Palmer you called @mike bowling an old timer!! I'd be scared!!
Seriously though, excellent thread topic.
Mike would definitely qualify for this as since I've known him he has built no less than 6 complete Model As, a Bantam, his 40 coupe, a 34 sedan delivery, and now a 34 coupe, and countless others that had new homes before he completed them. It's hard to keep up with him!!

 

I would also like to give a tip of the hat to all the members of the Camsnappers, this club was formed in March of 1952. All the current members are very active in building, helping others, and cruising. Most members are WAY in their 70s with a smattering of 80 somethings. I am 56 now and we only have a couple members younger than me. Meetings and cruises are an absolute joy hanging and learning from these guys

 

That's what I wanted to do with this thread give respect to the real deal older guys, who get out in their garages build hot rods and racecar, drive and race their cars.

 

gotta love that one

 

My Guide Roger Building A Deuce Coupe At 80...

 

Great read Rob, These gentlemen have made this a hobby. A generation of skilled men thank you!

 

Man, i know this feeling. Lost my best car bud 2 yrs. ago and haven't been the same since. He'd always say "ain't gonna make that brick faster" when i'd make a change. We were both vets, every veterans day i go into the garage alone with a drink, look at my heap and give him a big toast for our friendship. Something in the air though, my eyes always gets damp.

 

I'll ask a friend of mine who's quite a bit older than me...
"Tom, how you doing?"
Every time, he says...
"Still doing stuff."

But at some point, my dad said...
"I found the difference between difficult and impossible."

I think that most of you gentlemen here probably push yourselves just as hard as you can. It's in your nature. It comes with the territory.
Props to those who can still do it. Also to those who used to but now can't.

 

My friend, Hank, is a member of the Sunday morning, senile and surly car club, coffee cruise-in bunch and about once a month, we have coffee at his shop. A couple of months ago, he had a brake job done on his daily driver, a Ford Lightning pickup. Coming back from the shop, the new brakes went out and he ran into a wall in his parking garage. It totaled the Lightning. Took him six weeks to recover but he's on his feet and coming to the cruise-ins again. Hank is 92 and, my inspiration.

 

Another shot of the 3 window that's keeping me going !

 

I'm 74 now and still putzin along keeping busy, it seems keeping up with house, yard, dailey drivers, OT hobby cars (sold my 51 Merc last year) I seem to be busy but don't really accomplish that much. I grumble when working on things but I enjoy doing it, last few days I worked on a sport/ski boat I bought last year in fall, going to take it out in a few days, for many years we always had a boat, fell down, hit my head and bought another one. LOL. I go to the local races on nice evenings, still working on family Midget restoration, slow progress, admire men that raced well into senior years, I got out at 44. The only Vintage racing going on here in Wisconsin are the old style modifieds that I'm aware of, I grew up watching them, but that ship has left port, sailed and sunk on the subject of strapping on any type racer. Going for a 3 day race weekend with friend, a kid (51) has a limited engine Sprint car, I'll see how that turns out, fun or too much work ? I believe it's Important for all of us Seniors to keep busy.

 

Genes' always got a girl near by, smart guy.

 

I really got to get motivated and finish the Whatever so I can recreate one of the cars Jim and I raced. I love the look of the 24. But it needs Hilborns!

 

Well Tom Petty said, " Never slow down, never grow old".
Words to live by...
r

 

I am reminded of a story about my Dad we were at a hot rod event and ran into an acquaintance of ours (the same age as dad) a stock car racer turned hot rodder.

I was telling him about my vintage stock car build, engine and camshaft specs etc...He guy said "I so over all the racing high performance stuff.

Dad looked him square in the eye and said "Holy Shit I hope I never get old!!"

 

Not as active today as he was years ago Richard Petty id still a team owner and is at the track as much as he can be

 

Roland Leong

 

I'm always working alone, and always have. So taking pictures of my builds is easy, but never with me in the pictures.

 

King Richard is a class act!

 

I'll be 84 in a couple months and am just finishing my Last Refuge ( did I say a swear word ) RPU. Started 12 years ago and am just a couple electrical hiccups away from the road.

 

Enjoyed a cold one with Ed right before his 100th B-day.

 

Have to shout out our buddy Bob Ida, still getting in the shop and getting stuff done. Bob was kind enough to respline a steering wheel for me a little while ago for a project of mine. Great dude, and extraordinarily knowledgable. The Idas generally are just really great people the hobby is better for having. Bob campaigned what is likely the first blown 409 drag car, then built this insane Hemi-Healy, among countless other builds and automotive endeavors over the years.

 

Red Farmer