Hey Folks, You ever have that feeling where you just wish you JUST HAD YOUR DAMN CAR! Either you've been working on it for years, months, whatever, or spent the money to have it worked on, or in most cases in here a bit of both. You are just fed up with everything, and want to start her up, and go for that cruise.. THATS WHERE I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My man Rick, at Extreme Kustoms is kicking ass with my car, and doing everything right, and I'm happy as a pig in Slop. After spending so much money, equivalent to you guys working a full time job and working on your own car when you can, or both. YOU just get to that point, where your head is going to explode.. I guess you vent, you release it, and then you get right back into the fun mental game of thinking of all the things you want to do in your Rod when it's done... I can't wait for the destination, but I think I'll love the journey just as much...
Remember when your car broke down Friday night from street racing and you had it running in time for school on Monday morn????????????????
You must be reading my mail cat!! I'm with you 100%!!! 3 years into it and more money than I care to admit to. Heartache,bloodshed and endless frustration, but I think it's how we pay our dues to earn the right to call ourselves hotrodders. I'm gonna be honest and fess up here. My car is currently in a freinds shop right now being finished for me because I just hit this last wall a little too damn hard.(That and this guy is a drag tuning fiend!!) Wife was getting frustrated with me being out in the garage all the time (every day off last 3 years) and had enough. She's cool and very understanding, but just got tired...hell so was I! Oh yeah man I understand what your saying.
DirtyJohn, Dont feel bad. To me anyone who has to make an effort to make it happen is a Rodder.. Like you, you can work on your own ride, and your able to pay someone else to finish it up. The guys who have close to no money and are getting thier rides, they're are Rodders. Guys like me who can't work on thier own rides, for numerous reasons, but have to work their asses off so that they can pay someone to make their dream rides they are Rodders. We are all Rodders.. Some just put in more time than others..... The guys who sign checks, and just let thier builder and/or designers do all the work. THOSE GUYS ARENT RODDERS........
The guys who sign checks, and just let thier builder and/or designers do all the work. THOSE GUYS ARENT RODDERS........[/QUOTE] That's quite a generalization...we have several disabled RODDERS on the HAMB that aren't able to work on their rides, but I would certainly consider them even more of a RODDER than most, simply because of their tenacity, and their determination to own a hotrod...
I think everyone has unique situations/obstacles to overcome to make their dreams happen. I was in no way trying to say anything negative when I made the comment about earning our right to call ourselves hotrodders. The more I mess with this stuff the more I think that only the individual can decide when he/she has done enough to feel proud of their acheivement. There does need to be some type effort from the car owner though if they ever want to look at their ride and truly feel worthy of saying that's mine. I also find it really interesting how our identities become linked to our rides. I know more about a lot of these guys cars than I know about some of my own family members lol. Truth.
That's quite a generalization...we have several disabled RODDERS on the HAMB that aren't able to work on their rides, but I would certainly consider them even more of a RODDER than most, simply because of their tenacity, and their determination to own a hotrod...[/QUOTE] Thats me, I don have the knowledge, space, or ability to work on my own Rod, but I am involved. I check on my car every chance I get, and if I can't check I'm activily involved with the design, as well as purchasing parts either through ebay, or other online stores. Involvment is what I mean.. Saying to a guy "Here's $$$ I want to win a Trophy at the Grand National Roadster Show" is not a Rodder,,,,, IMO
Guys that don't build their own cars are....what? Hirohata comes to mind. A car that everyone likes and who cares how it was built. By the owner or by the owners money. Very little difference. Get over it.
Hey, I just PAID for my car a month ago and it's still not here!!!! I wanna go for a ride (and start working on it)!!!!
Dude Rick Erickson is building your car. Let me repeat that, Rick Erickson is building your car. The end result will be well worth the wait. In the mean time find a hobby or something.
I hear you, but I read somewhere he worked on some of his own car, as well as he was invovled in the build with design.. I'm not knocking anybody, I'm just saying the check writers, who dont do anything but just write a check, arent Rodder,,, IMO... Funny story, my man Richie works for so-cal speed shop. We are at a car show, and they're delivering I think it was a $280K-$300K roadster. I over hear the owner who has friends around, and is grinning ear to ear, "I looked for the right guy, forever, and I begged them to make me roadster"... That passion, makes him a Rodder in my book..
I'm totally frustrated with the guy doing the body work on my car. I've been strung along for almost 4yrs. I've assembled and disassembled the car, hunted for the parts, laid out the cash, bought the daily free cofee and done all the other work with my buddy and still excuses why its still not in paint. I can only do so much until its in paint. The shop is a dust bin cause the owner is just lazy. A guy that complains he needs money but doesn't finish the job. His work is good he just has too many issues. I've made the decision that come Sept. done or not its out of his shop and into storage. I want to drive my car while I'm still able to. I have spent a ton of money and to not be able to use it. We have had several discussions about this and its obvious to me it won't be done for the trip I've planned for 2yrs. It sure tells me it was a big mistake to rebuild it.
Here We Go.... This is my Rodding Part: I had a design in mind. After looking through hunderes of pictures, and purchasing old mags, and books.So after I knew what I wanted I asked Rick if he thought it would work, and if he said yes, I said then lets do it.. So: I found and bought the 1955 Pontiac front bumper with Winglets I found and bought the 1953 Kaiser Bumper guard I found and bought the 1956 Packard rear Bumper and bumper guards I found and bought the 1958 Corvette 13 tooth grill I found and bought the 1955 Pontiac Side Trim Among finding my interior guy, and designing what I wanted with him.. I also found my engine guy, and designed what I wanted with him.. Everything was consulted with Rick, but I designed it, and put in the leg work to make it happen. Oh yeah, I also drive to Ricks shop which is 83 miles one way, through Los Angeles and it wonderful traffic, at least once a week.. Dont tell me I'm not helping build my Rod.....
Hey Historynw I had a knob gobbler for a bodyman too! That can be VERY frustrating when you can't even pay some slob to get off his ass and work. Hell, I even had one guy too lazy to give me a bid. Had the car a week and couldn't even get me an estimate of what it would cost to have it painted! I yanked it out of there pronto!
You've done more than others have. I've seen guys leave a car at the shop and say call me when it's ready. Just make it Red.
well i paid for my chop my floors and the patch work, why cause i cant weld, and i dont have time to learn. but i will wire, and get the motor fired up and installed, and every thing else that come with building a car. and im right where you are at, its not done yet. call me what you want, in the end the car is mine and ill be driving it whether to a car show, or up the coast on highway 1. when that day comes it will be the best day of my life! i cant wait!
Not that I really care, but you do sound a little defensive.....even though not a single person other than you has said anything about who is and who is not a "rodder" Again, I don't give a shit, but you are buying parts, and specifying a "look", same as those other guys who write a check for their car. No need to defend yourself, or overcompensate on the internet. I hope it's everything you've dreamed of, I know the feeling. My 55 really could use rings, bearings and the heads gone through, but I'm nursing it through the summer....I don't have the money to fix it right now, and I don't want to NOT drive my car this summer.....who cares if it smokes a little, I'm driving the 55 chevy hardtop that I have wanted for more than 20 years.
I want to drive my truck, hell i want to work on my truck.. but I am working on everyone elses car.. santa maria?! (I still call it paso) I want to go to you but it breaks my heart not driving something old so I am staying home. Can someone pay me to work on my truck? Because then.. it might get done.
Well, usually people tell me it stands for asshole.......but sometimes I actually try to be a decent guy...
yep im ready to go for ride but i still got tons of work to do but im getting closer!!!! it does get frustrating at times having to do and redo things i guess if it was easy every one would have a hot rod.
I make a pretty decent living, but I can't afford to have anyone do anything to my car. If I don't do it myself, I have no ride. I'm jealous of the guy who can "pay to have it done".
I if I did it myself I would have no ride... hahaha.. I'm hoping this year to learn how to change the oil....
Just come back from cutting a check for my new Fab 9 rearend with Detroit Lockers, 35 spline Moser axles and ladder bars with adjustable coil overs. Oh yeah and rear disc brakes. 30 hours of labor to boot. Anybody want to help a fellow HAMB brother out?!? LOL p.s. I pay for this sort of thing because I want it right. Like to come home to my family after a day at the drags and not have them visit me in the hospital...or worse.
I'm kind of going through a state of disinterest in my truck. I've come a long way and have a long way to go. People tell me I should leave it the way it is, but I think it looks like shit. It's got a couple of problems that I don't feel like dealing with at the time being, and don't really have the cash anyways. Kinda tempted to put a 302/C4 combo in it, and I know if I do that, it'll turn into an unfinished project. Long story short, I'm just gonna let it sit for a while and not stress out over it. That's the best medicine for me. When I get motivated again, I'll pick up where I left off.
This is funny. When my Drivetrain is completed and the Body is on. I Wire that baby to Start. Then I take it for a spin around the Block and give my Neighbors a few spins around the Block. That gives me the incentive to finish that baby.
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