What Car Started Your Jalopy Journey!

My dad started me young, very young! He owned a '32 chevy 5 window coupe since '64. My first memory of the coupe did not happen until I was about 4yrs. old. When we went for rides he would wedge me behind the rear seat and the back roll down window (nobody used seat belts to go for rides back then). I remember watching him push in the clutch while grabbing for the short style white knobbed hurst shifter. I was king shit with full view of his Dash. It was an old engine turned cluster which housed his black faced/white lettered old mismatched stewart warner gauges, sun super tach and a wicked cool white rim 3 spoke chrome steering wheel with holes in the spokes. Back then he stripped a wrecked vette of it's fuelie small block, 4spd. trans and 411 solid axle posi...this car would really haul ass with all the duntov speed equipment....I can still here those solid lifters tapping threw the windshield...On the '32, the windshield would lift up a few inches for fresh air...I remember being with him at the local speed shop when he purchased his first set of crager ss wheels for the coupe. Seems like we would visit the speedshop weekly for some go fast goodies and bs with some local rodders. Funny to think about today but, he would let me help dress the tires with tire black (paint brush and all) long live armorall...God, I love that old coupe...Check out those cool tail lights! I also remember my dad going to the local lumber yard to weigh the '32, 2696 lbs. with us out of it.. That car. "The 32" is really what started me on my gearhead life as I know it today. My father many years later sold the '32 and I still keep track the owners...waiting for my right moment to buy her back.. We got alot of catching up to do as well as introduce her to my kids....What got you started...John
P.S. The pics were taken in the late 60's, he took the fire chief in our local parade, stick on red bubble and wash off lettering! Thats my goofy older sister, Wendy the cool lookin' little guy is me, John Jr. and my very cool grandpa John with his '61 Chrysler parked in front of the '32...and last is my hero, my dad sitting on the rear bumper of the '32 and his stock appearing '37 plymouth, but that is a different story Enjoy
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LAST TIME I GOT A PIC OF THE COUPE IT LOOKED LIKE THIS..I REALLY NEED IT BACK!!
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At the age of eight years old I stepped of the plane from England onto the sunny shores of Australia. We were picked up in a salmon pink and white EK Holden it was all fins and chrome. I was on my way. The hostel we stayed in for the first six months had a manager called vic who drove a 68 Caddy 2 door, so I had no hope.

First car when I had my licence MK1 cortina, gold , moon caps, whitewalls
I thought it was as kool as f##k

 

mine was when my pop brought home a issue of hotrod with a blown yellow, full fendered 32 three window on the cover. then he said he knew where some old cars were sitting. i was 10 when we brought it home 1985. it had been sittin since 1953. he put some diesel to sit in the engine for about a week,new points and plugs and a tank clean and it ran up until a few years ago. now its patiently waiting to get my ass in gear to fix the engine. any good rebuilders out there???

 

my dad always braged about his charger and how he raced it, till mom told him me or the car i guess. well we never really had a hot rod or drag car when growing up cause dad was laid off in the 80's from ford motor co, untill 2 yrs ago i put together a drag car, then bought a 69 fastback, last month i ran into mopar bruce on these forum and met up with him and talked for a bit and the rest is history as now i have a 29 ford to play with

but thed big thing is i cant wait till its done, so i can get the old man in the car and go crusing

 

mine was a picture of the jack calori roadster my old boss has a real picture of the car on his wall when the thrid owners had it two brothers there last name was sutherland one of the brothers worked with my old boss's dad a boeing he told him he used to have a hot rod and gave him the picture and when i saw that picture i said to myself i'm going to build that car. here i am 7 years later getting close. billy

 

if i was closer to ya i would, love to play with engine of all sorts from mild rebuild to full out race motors

 

my first memory of a hotrod was when i was about 8. we went to my uncles in colorado and he had a T sedan he was building and i thought it was the coolest thing ever. but what really got me started was when i was about 13 my dad bought a baby blue and white 55 chevy. from that point on all i could think about were old cars and when i turned 15 i went out and bought a 57 chevy pickup.

 

My whole neighborhood was great for hot rods and muscle cars when I was a kid. The house next-door had a black '64 Olds with dual exhaust and chrome reverse rims. Two doors down there was a guy with a '62 Corvette, and that guy bought a new 440 Plymouth Roadrunner a few years later, and then next to him was a guy with a '69 Pontiac GTO "Judge" with a 455 and super loud exhaust who drag raced up and down my street daily (the coolest car on the block), and a guy across the street who built a T-bucket in his garage, and tons of cool lowriders in the neighborhood -- a lime green candy '58 Impala, a black primer '58 Impala, a bunch of '63, '64 Impalas... As a kid, it was cool to just hang out on the sidewalk and watch all the cool cars cruising by. I liked looking at the cars, but the sound of all those cool V8s also really got me hooked. Whenever that guy with the Pontiac "Judge" GTO floored it, I always ran outside to watch him fly by. When the guy with the T-bucket floored it on its maiden voyage, he made an awesome burnout like nothing I'd ever seen before -- about half a block long. I was pretty well hooked long before I was old enough to drive.

 

I was 1954 and my Dads daily driver was a 34' Ford Sedan. Then in 1960, he had a 49' Ford Coupe. In 66', my first car was a 54' Buick Super.

 

My earliest memory, from when I was two years old (1964), is going out into the country to the old farm with my dad and my uncle, and pulling my great-grandfather's '26 T touring out of the barn (BARN FIND ALERT!) and riding in it back to home in town. I've been hooked ever since.

 

my earliest HOT ROD memory was drawing a red dragster when I was in the second grade. (1967) I have no idea where the image of a dragster came to me, there were no gearheads in my family or neighborhood.

in 1972 I wanted a subscription to Street Chopper magazine for my birthday. my mom got me a subscription to Street Rodder instead. the rest is history

 

hate to say it, but it is a O/T 1970 Dodge Truck... it was all i could afford, but im trying my hardest to make it a "hotrod".... one day i will own a older "fitting" car to become a alliance member with...
hell.. im only 21 i still got plenty of time left

 

I bought a Monogram customized '49 Merc and gave it a suede paint job in burgundy, by accident. Something was wrong with the Testors can, but it was so smooth and perfect that I just left it that way. This was about 1977 or there abouts and I was 12. I loved anything with WWW and trad styling since then, even during my Mustang days.

 

My dad's friends and my grandfather's friends had some cool old cars, but I never cared enough to learn about them.

Later on, wo houses down from me was a '69 Mustang coupe with a 6cyl. I was only 13, but thought that was the coolest thing ever. I really wanted it, but it was pretty wasted.
I started getting into cars after that. Found a whole cache of Hot Rod, Rod and Custom, and other mags from the 50's and early 60's in the attic, and that's what got me into hot rods

 

I'm not sure where I started, but lots of HAMBers have cars that keep me going!

 

When I was little I'd stand in the floor of dads stock '29 A and peep out over the dash as he wound it all the way out, down hill in third gear. I know, it wasn't exactly safe but, it was before the federal gov stepped in to protect us all from ourselves. It's my earliest memory. Then there was sitting there in the passengers side while he power shifted the M22 in his slightly ;D modified '67 GS400. Hey, atleast that one had seatbelts! Same scinerio when he brought home the LT-1 Vette only with the top down this time. I got to drive that one on his lap a time or two. I guess I was a gonner from day one. Dad was my hero and I still miss him every day. All you guy's out there with young kids or kids on the way take note.

 

My earliest memories of going to shows and cruising with my father was when i was maybe 6. He had a few that he was rockin at the time including a 68 Imperial coupe, a 63 Plymouth post car with open headers and a bigblock 4 speed and a tail dragging 64 galaxie 500xl with lake pipes and 60 dodge caps. when i was 15, i bought my uncles old 65 dart covertible, and now i'm 12 years older, 5 cars deep, and the dart's still not done... i think i take after my dad and his bad habits way too much!

 

my intro was when i was 6 yrs old (68) at george rays wildcat drag strip, my dad took the whole family to see the races. much to the same as it is today, we stood at the starting line and watched them leave. i remember one car was unusually loud and i covered my ears as it hurt them,when they took off i remember asking my dad what that was and he told me a chrysler. too this day i don't know what type of car it was or what engine but the loud sound and the smell of burning rubber sure made a lasting impression.when my son was six i took him to the track, stood as close to the same place as i did years before or as close as i can remember and hopefully started a lifelong journey for him. please do the same with your children.

 

my mothers 32 Chev coupe in 1965,( 18,000 miles)

but it was all the rods cousins and uncles had which got me interested in the "trad" car and have held me ever since 1958 which is as far back as I can remember.This is some of my uncles and one of mums sisters back then( all have since passed on ) with one their rods,a lowered Chrysler roadster with long block F6 ,triple carbs and planed head.

 

My fathers 1938 de Luxe moredor that was bought new by my grandfather. my memories of it are from around 1963 and I can still remember the lovely noise of it. I can also remember how he would throw it around on gravel roads and his face would light up.

When I questioned him about it many years later he told me that it had Edlebrock heads and inlet that some American he'd met through the war sent over labelled as printing machinery parts as it was near impossible to get permission to import anything down here in those days. He'd also fitted Ford Pilot (English 22HP Ford V8) exhaust manifolds. Couldn't understand that one until I recently had a 36 Cabriolet that was a old rod from SoCal stored here for a few days. It had what looked like Fenton Headers on it but it turned out they were off a Pilot. Not sure how effective they where but they looked grouse. My love of flatheads started with that car and I still get a tingle up my spine when I hear a strong flattie.

 

My pops dragged Westhampton in the late 50's/early 60's. In the mid 60's he and his cousin had an Anglia gasser that they ran in E'Town. I remember seeing that ride, under wraps, in a car port at his cousin's home in Brooklyn. So dad was (and still is) a motorhead and I was the son that took to it.

I then remember one of my first friends, has to be when I was 4-5 years old - his old man was into some mean chops - the elongated, raked front ends and flame jobs on the tanks...since my old man was a biker too, I used to love riding with him (no helmet, still only 4-5 years old...try getting away with that these days!). Anyway, this friend of mine, his dad owned a Deuce coupe. Painted in a flake green...my father realllllly wanted it and made many attempts to buy it, but the guy wasn't selling. I think that stung my dad, but those 2 cars got me going.

One of my first cars was a 1959 Chevy Sedan delivery....348 ci engine, 3 speed on the column. Everytime I drove it, I would think about the Lincoln "Deathmobile" from Animal House and D-Day screaming "ramming speeeed!!!"...the Chev was a boat that had some nuts, but would waddle around like it was on the ocean...good times...

 

I would have to say that it was my fathers 38 ford coupe that he got ripped out of while hauling it back from Denver to NY . The F%$^&*$ Ohio State police decided they were going to hol;d the because it was being towed with a tow bar and not leagally on the road . So he had to leave it there to get us back hoem . When he went back to get the car the following week they gave him an un godly bill for storage . With this being said he never got back his coupe and to this day does not have a rod yet. I am trying to find something for him though. That is the car that started it all.
My fiirst car was a 41 Plymouth Business Coupe that I bought in New Mexico while I was visiting my sister . I hope that this is the one to start my childrens jalopy journal.

 

I can't remember all the cars that I would point at out the window when I was a kid, I do remember some of the cars though that I thought were cool, like Jag XKEs and BMW 2002s. When I saw a '30 or '31 Ford roadster for the first time I realized that old cars were definitely cool, though I will admit the bug really didn't bite hard 'til later. As many teenagers did though I got into European cars (and some of the snobbery surrounding them) and didn't really find that true calling until I got to drive one.

The first one that I got to DRIVE was Henry Astor's '32 Ford Tudor. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. And I will always be indebted to him for allowing me the opportunity. However, I sure wouldn't call it a jalopy . His car is put together so well and drives fantastic. I wish I could have kept it.

Now though I have my own '29 and I love it. A superb car, thanks to Boones.

 

I spent most of my first 10 years rattling around in the front seat of a '56 Ford big back window F-100. At 13, when it first came out, I saw American Graffiti and Milner's car sent me on my way. I remember my Dad trading a '57 Chevy for a shotgun, cuz he was a Ford guy and wouldn't have a Chevy in his driveway! I bought a '51 Ford at 16 and still have it.

51FourDoor

 

Watching 77 sunset strip in about 58 and seeing Kookie's car. That did it.

 

The first vehicle that got me into the automobile kraze was the first car I got, unfortunately that car was an early 90's honda civic... I did everything to my ability to make that car my own. After about a year I started going to car shows to see what other people were running. I walked down the street where all the early hotrods and kustoms were located I saw my first 1949 chevrolet and was aw-struck. I couldnt belive my eyes when I saw those sexy body lines and the (what i called at the time) way-old interior. I got up close and personal with the ride, i met the man who drove it everyday to work and he let me run my hands down the side of the car i thought i would need a wet-nap to say the least. Within 3 days i was searching magazines and local car dealers in the hope i would find a 49-54 chevy for sale.

I found one near okabogi (spelling?) iowa. A 49 chevy fleetline tudor hard top. I worked at a mechanics shop then as an oil changer, making 5.15 an hour which is horrible horrible wages, i didnt have much to pay for then since i was still living with my parents, but i busted my ass for over a year to pay of the 600 bucks i needed to call her mine (i had a bit of a drug problem at the time). But im over that now and the car sits in storage waiting for me to unwrap it, i live in a duplex that has a shared driveway so working on it here is out of the question i can only hope my neighbor down the street will let me use his driveway this summer.

I've been in love with the 49-54 chevies ever since, panel wagons, station wagons, suburbans, even the pickups.

 

I don't know when it started-it's just always been there. My dad ran the body shop for a small town Chev dealer (one man body shop) and we were always up there on weekends. While he was doing whatever, I'd be poking around the new and customer cars to see what was up. I remember running the battery dead on a 54 Chev with the first power windows I'd ever seen, and waiting for the big day in October when the new cars came out. The 56 and 59 "unveiling" are always remembered. Since I was only about 6 or 7, I started building models and then a neighbor kid gave me a few little books and I was off, learning everything I could about rods and customs at 7 or 8 years old. The first hot rod I ever saw in person was a emerald green 40 coupe with whitewalls, rings & caps, down in the front and dual chrome tips. It was stunning, and even when I saw it again years later it was perfect. I still want that car.

 

49 Ford I bought when I turned16, 50 bucks

 

the illness started very early for me.my dad raced a d/altered '55 chevy until i was five. his best friend had a '56 two door wagon until i was 25.
i have a picture of myself standing beside the '55 holding a class winner trophy at the age of three. the lettering in the rear qtr. window clearly says; owner-duke massey. my all time favorite picture.
dad sold the body to a friend when i was five. i tried my best to shoot the guy but my bb gun didn't have the range as he towed MY car away.
since then there have been drag cars, street racers, street rods, low riders,kustoms,hot rods, boats and all manner of dumbass automotive projects.

 

Seeing the beach party movies at 13 in 62 did it for me. John Monteiro's full fendered red 27 T touring was the one. Been car crazy ever since. Even built a 27 tub to replicate John's tub, now in my daughter's hands and she is enjoying the heck out of it. The tub was her dream car at 6, now at 33 she drives it everywhere in the summer. Lots of good times. Pat.