History Looking back on Hamb history

I remember that look

 

My friend Tommy Mills kept telling me about the place so I finally joined. I miss Tommy.

 

I was in Quality Control back then managing a metrology lab. I was used to dealing with Bull shiters, bullies, liars and thugs. To me it was just another Chinese vender to deal with. I remember sneaking onto the hamb in my spare time. I became addicted.
Caught hell from my boss many times.

 

Quite a few of us lurked for a year or more, afraid to jump into the maelstrom of closed-culture Alpha-speak. As an FNG you had no right to speak and it was understood that you were an ignorant idiot intruding into Big Boy discussions, into which you were not invited.
The labeling created distinct classes of folk, and the FNG's were the Untouchables . . . the Old Skool Hambers were the elites. It appeared to be an uninviting, intimidating whirlwind of posting dominated by callous, street-tough thugs - or so it seemed to me. By the time you got into "Member" status, you were able to realize that the majority of Hambers were car guys and hot rodders first and foremost, and it didn't take long to understand just how special this Ryan's World is.
Long Live the HAMB!

 

......Fun description @BrerHair .

 

It came down to proving your knowledge without "proving" it.. answer a question that no one had answered yet, get it right, and you was in like Flynn. It helps to be "of a certain age" now.... maybe... snap, crackle, and pop isn't for breakfast, it's the sound you make getting outta bed

 

But then I showed up, the clouds parted, the sun beamed warmly, angels began to sing, the beer, whiskey, Kool-Aid and doobies began to flow freely... and pretty soon, everybody was too fkd up to argue.

 

FINALLY... definitive answer as to why the HAMB made such profound transformation...it was RICKY!!!
Thanks buddy

 

The HAMB has changed a bit since then, but in a lot of ways, it's still the same.
Sometimes I do miss the banter that occurred. It definitely was a little rougher around the edges back then. But with a couple of decades below our belt, I think we’ve all mellowed some.

 

Remember this one?

 

I remember that layout. The early days were fun, lots of shit talking. Lots of hangouts and good times too. I made a lot of friends from this site, a few enemies too. I had a lurker account on here for about a year before this one. I lost my AOL email membership and lost access to my email login info, so I had to make a new email and a new HAMB name and this was it. That was 19 years and 360 days ago!

 

Can’t have this discussion without HAMBAndy.
Never saw anything like it before or since

 

On the contrary. at BTT50s for our first HAMB Meat and Greet (which you skipped after being kicked out with the Globe Hopper ) Bob K introduced his self with : "Son, hello, I am Bob, I am a STREETRODDER" he was still driving his scalloped 40s Chevy sedan, which was VERY street roddy, which he later redid as a Mild Custom. That was our tongue in cheek joke until he un 90'd the sedan

 

I used to stop by as a lurker 2-3 times a year and thought 'MAN, what a bunch of FU#*ERS!'

I finally joined in '07 and wouldn't trade you FU#*ERS for nothin.

Best place ever!

 

Come to think of it, I'd consider a trade for a '40 coupe though.

 

In remembrance of all the grenade inspectors...

 

Hard to believe that some sites still use that same format.

 

Maybe, maybe not.. but I know alot of the cars on here then were closer to Rat Rods then street rods.

Also you had a big share of Kulture guys here then as well, not necessarily car guys.
Think the first Billetproof and Paso Shows

 

You are correct. That 98-03ish time frame had a lot of the lifestyle types around the "scene"

 

I never understood the kulture guys and likely never will. I only play with cars because I always have. Not sure what else I would do if I quit playing with cars, so I'm thankful to have a place like this where we all sort of think similar...or something like that.

 

I told this story before, but I lurked here for a quite a few years because I'm not really the joining type (square peg syndrome). I finally wanted to ask some real questions and had to join, so I waited until some semi huge blowout happened and snuck in the back door......no intro. So here I am now many years later and still awkward AF.

 

Hah, I never did one either. I joined the day after Trailer-Ed and everyone was so busy busting his chops that they didn't really notice me.

 

The newbie thing wasn't really as bad as many folks believe. I think the biggest issue is most folks were new to the internet and didn't know the newly evolving etiquette. Barge into a strangers garage while he is drinking beer with buddies and start off with some oddball question and you would get a reaction as well. This place has always been like that garage.

 

The early days was a riot .... Viva-la-HAMB !

 

Originally I joined on Aug 7, 2004 under 50dodge4x4.
I too was a lurker, but not for very long. The main reason I joined was because one of the prominent members had a question I knew the answer to. I joined to share what I knew about that subject, and my answer was just what the guy needed. I never did an intro, and I never faced the new guy grief many other newbies faced. Even though I was at the fringe edge of the HAMB guide lines (things were less strict back then) I was pretty active, between 2004 and 2016, I had 3,535 posts.

In 2016, my computer died and I lost my password. By then the truck that was my handle had already been gone for 4 years, so a name change, with the new computer, and the new password, got me started from scratch. My old HAMB handle was in my signature line so people would know it was still me. My current join date is listed as Oct 28, 2016 and I have 3,430 + posts since then. I'm probably more on the fringe now then I was when I 1st joined, but I still post on things I think I know about, and try to help other people as much as I can. I believe I have experienced a lot of really strange automotive experiences over the years, so I believe that insight may be helpful to others that may be facing those things now. I want to share as many of those experiences as I can while I'm still kicking, because when I'm gone, all those experiences I have not already shared, die with me. I am Gene Koning, its been a fun ride that ain't over yet.

 

All I can say is it's been a lot of fun. So many I have not met here, But would love to. It's sure a lot different place in so many ways. But I sure like seeing the guys here I have bantered back and forth with over the years every day. I get up in the morning and this is the first place I go with my coffee to see what you all are doing today. I agree it's gotten to be a lot gentler place but occasionally I will say something and leave a smiley face off my post just to annoy someone. And of course one of you will catch it and go into attack mode. I love it. Lippy

 

So, that's really a picture of you in your avatar, huh?

 

I came here after hearing about it on the FTE site. I was warned/cautioned, etc. never joined just searched for stuff for a long time.
I don’t recall why I actually joined though.
You know what I find pretty cool? I do a Google search for something that is related to the HAMB. I don’t put a “HAMB” etc in the search. Always get results from HAMB posts.

Reminds me I gotta pay my dues when I get to my laptop.

 

Pretty much. I'm older now and have less hair.