I was reading Yellowrr's story of letting the autistic kid sit in his "Bluesmobile" at a car show and thought it was pretty cool, And know that the parents appreciated it,What is your best "Sharing" story about your car and a kid? I was racing with a Top Fuel team as a clutch guy at an IHRA event in Rockingham NC when a family approached our pits with a son who was about 9 years old and blind as well as challenged in other ways. Our driver, Josh Starcher, who was 19 at the time was at the ropes signing autographs and was talking to this kid when he did something interesting, He brought this young man into our pits and proceeded to let the kid feel the rear slicks while explaining that those were the tires. We all stopped what we were doing to watch for a second and then one by one we all gave the kid a "tour" of our area of the car, After the tour our driver put him in the seat. I can tell you the kid had a huge smile,And his parents were both a little moist around the eyes, As were a bunch of old crusty drag racers. Anybody else want to share a "Made A kids day but might have gotten more out of it than they did" story?
I picked up and painted a '92 Honda Civic for my mom one year for Mother's Day. Ok, it might not be a hotrod, but mom's broke and needed a car. I towed it home to give it to her. While unhooking it from the car dolly, two neighbor kids came over. They were maybe 9 / 10 years old . . . We spent the next hour going over every inch of the motor in the Honda. They identified all the major components, and started figuring out how it all worked. Turns out they wanted to help their grandfather work on his Mustang, but needed a certain level of knowledge before he'd let them work on it. After our little lesson, their father came over and let me know that they were really close to getting in on the resto action.
One of the gals I work with had her son staying at my house, so he could go back to school later that day (I live closer to the school than she does). When it was time to leave, I asked him if he wanted a ride. He said no thank you since the school was so close. I told him, "Listen kid, if I take you in one of my cars, I guarantee you'll meet some girls that way. Which one do you want to go in?". He couldn't make up his mind so I took the '32 3 window. I dropped him off in front of the school in front of all the other kids. After I left, everyone wanted to talk to him. The next day at work, his mother said he was raving about how cool I was.........
When this little guy showed up at my shop to hang out. Little guy changed my life. Talking with his parents, and things they said about me and how I influenced him. What it's all about, giving back!
I had just painted my 36 Chevy pick up, it was the weekend and my son that was about 7 yrs old and me took it out cruising. On our way home, I stopped off at a k-mart to grab something from automotive and when we came out, there was alot of people around my truck just checking it out. I noticed 2 little kids with their parents a brother and sister all about my old truck. I asked my son....do we have room for 2 more? I sat those two kids on the bench seat of my old truck and told the parents I was going to take them for a spin around the parking lot. when we got back the same people were still standing there and you couldn't have pryed the smiles off their little faces. Some older ones wanted a ride but we had to go. My son looked at me and said "dad that was cool" Thought I would have to extend the height of the cab from that comment. Good memories all the way round!
Not my experience other than was a witness. Was 3 or 4 years ago at the Goodguys show in Puyallup. My wife & I had parked the car & was walking the fairground when a bobber style mid thirties pick-up comes through the front gate by the fountain. A kid about 8 or 9 goes crazy telling his Grandad how cool that hot rod is. The driver hears him over the exhaust, stops & asked if the kid wanted to go for a ride around the fairgrounds. Grandad looked like this was not cool, but before he can say anything the driver says bring grandad along. Grandad jumps in the box & the kid jumps in the front seat. I do not think I have seen a happier kid before or since.
I always let kids sit in my car at shows and cruises. It usually gets a big smile from them and hopefully a good experience to remember. It's one of the things I look forward to each time I go. I guess I get as much out of it as the kids do.
My now 12 year old daughter was 7 when I got my 55. She my older daughter and my wife all laughed and called me nuts when they saw it because there wasn't much car there. They'd visit the shop on occasion and just shake their heads until the day I drove it home. My 12 year old loves that car now and has asked how this or that was done to make it work and can't wait to ride in it and wants to go to every cruise and show with me. Every time I even think about selling or trading it she has a fit and wants the car left to her no matter what. I think she's turning into a motorhead and I'm ok with that.
Late 80s, probably '89. Stopped by the beauty shop one Saturday morning for a trim, and the gal that cut my mop had her son with her. He was about ten, Spina Bifida, in a wheelchair. He went nuts over the Corvette I had at the time--red 73 convertible--rolled up by the door and stared at it. He was really diggin' it, and his mother asked if he could maybe sit in it. I told her he and I should take a ride around town for a while, so we helped him in and away we went! "so where ya wanna go?" I asked, as he hung on the door with both arms like a happy dog...... "Go by the high school" he says---"there might be some girls there"
HambAndy cruise to the Hospital in Seattle. Takin His picture by all our cars. The most courages Young Man I have ever seen in My entire life. God Bless HIM FEDER
I took my 5yr old daughter to the scrap metal recycle yard and dropped off some cans. While standing at the door of the cash booth she spotted a steel ball. I pay the man and picked it up and handed it to her not knowing it was a cannon ball. She then spotted an old car tag from 1969. Since it was the year I was born I paid the man and added it to the collection. I bought a rear window from the scrap yard for a pick up and we headed home. As soon as we get home she wantes to help with the rear window. She puts on a pair of mech gloves, while I wrap a string around the window and hop in the bed to set it in the hole. She climbs in the cab and grabs the string, with me pushing and coaching she pulls the string untill the glass slips right in. We spent the next 30 mins high fiving and yelling to her mom about what she can do, and how much of a helper she is. I think the biggest sting she pulled was the ones in my heart.
The Jalopy Journal
