I have been fortunate to have called many people friends in my formative years I associated with kids with like interest in my teens playing in a rock & roll band took center stage but cars were a big part of my life and of course girls. As I grew into a adult and got married cars replaced music and although the friend were still around my friends with the same interest increased. Brenda (ladyhrp) asked me last night did I realize just how many years I had been obsessed with hot rods and that I don't have any friends outside the the car hobby..the friends from the past have ether moved on or passed away. I'm think probably a lot of you younger guys may not relate to my observation but how about you guys that have paid your dues? HRP
Hrp ,me too . All my friends are car nuts. I had few friends before that didnt understand the whole car thing .
I just got off the phone with a friend that I met at the Mighty Mo in 1969. I have friends from the early 60s that I see at car shows from time to time but we have lost that close friend thing. My life revolves around hot rods. If you like hotrods I will most likely like you. When I started in the hobby we could trust people. The kind of people that I like. The quality of the people has gone down hill now that money has become such a big deal. I don't have any close friends that are not into cars. Not all HAMB friendly but hey get the car thing. Some of them think I'm crazy about my alternator/electric fan phobia but we just laugh.
Oddly enough most of my friends are outside the hobby. Even the guys I work with in the trade have outside interests. That why I find myself here on the HAMB a lot.
That's OK I'll forgive you. My buddy that converts my Mallory's tried like hell to talk me into an electric fan. Didn't work! I called him to help me get my new engine started before I wiped the new cam. I was scared of the new oils. He got it running. He lives an hour away but came over the bridge and he got it started. Friends like that are hard to come by. He's such a good mechanic that I can never repay him. I used to inspect all his cars for him for free but that has been years ago now. Old friends are special and a big part of the hobby for me. Hotrods and old friends it don't get no better.
That's ironic HRP. I was reading the obituary column in the local paper this morning (which I seem to do more and more as I age) and saw the name of a someone who thirty plus years ago was a good friend but he wasn't interested in cars. He still lived in this community but I had not seen him in ages. I could only call him an acquaintance now. But my closest friends now are car people. It is a close knit group and we can depend on each other for assistance or advice whenever it is needed.
The friends I had back in HS all think I've been nuts since I graduated in 1961...couldn't understand my obsession...since I wrote my books, a lot of them now do...but the friends I've accumulated over the years are all car people -they get it. And I wouldn't trade any of them for friends that hang out at the country club...everyone of my car guy friends " have my back." That's a great feeling to know there's friends that you can count on. R-
My close friends arent car guys but they try to understand and are willing to be drug around swap meets for hours "looking at rusted stuff". The real close car guy friends got me interested when I was very young. They have since died. The one man in particular, Art, was taking me to the swaps when I was 9 or 10. He was my dads age and I was closer to him then about anybody in my life. I started fixing up his 56 t-bird at age 11 or so and got to drive it to my jr. prom in high school. I owned it many years later. Great memories. The hamb has really helped me connect to guys that sort of remind me of Art. I feel like I am making many new car guy friends that will last a life time. I hope to be inspiration to a young guy like he was. Best way to keep our obsession alive. Great concept HRP. Interesting to consider.
My wife and I were at a cruise in one evening and a fellow looked at my 32 roadster and said " 32 Fords are rare " My wife spoke up and said " Not really ... all of our friends have one or more " That got me to thinking and what she said was true. Almost ALL of our friends have 32 Fords. 3 Deuces, 32GNU, HRP, Merlin, 325phord, Seadog, Scott H are just the ones here on the HAMB. The friends we have that do not 32's have other old cars or the interest in old iron. Almost ALL of these 32 Ford owners are friends of mine. The ones who are not ... it is most likely the fact that I do not know them.
Can't swing a dead cat without hitting one. I was following this guy around the streets of Baltimore last fall. Some guy from South Carolina....
The Rodders Journal show was a real blast. We have made plans to go again in 2013. I LOVE your coupe. Flames are PERFECT on a 40 Ford. I want another 40 Ford coupe. AND My wifes says we WILL own one again. Randy
Most of the folks I call friends around my home don't get it. To them it's just an old jalopy. My 86 year old neighbor is about the only one who appreciates the hobby; he helped me finish my build and likes to go along on some of the gatherings, although those days may be numbered due to some health issues. The HAMB and the folks I've come to know here are a valued resource and help keep the fires stoked for me. Years ago I was involved in the sailing community and found the friendships and associations to be just as tight as in the rodding community. I guess it's probably the same whenever likeminded people get together around a sport or hobby. Summer's coming, fire 'em up guys.
I've lost a few good friends over the years and most of them were car nuts. I think the one that took the most out of me was losing my best friend from my High school and drag racing days. These days I'd say it's a 50/50 split between friends that are into cars and friends that are into another hobby I am hip deep into.
Thanks Randy. It was nice to meet you. This old hobby is all about hanging with old friends and making new ones.
I agree with you Merlin. I am hip deep in way too many hobbies as well. I have lost good car buddy friends along the way all we can do is remember the good times.
funny this should be posted .i was thinkin about the same thing the other day. where are all my friends.thats when it hit me. i dont have any anymore.atleast not that come over to hang in the shop with me.i no longer have friends who are into hotrods or older cars.i do have one but he is in bad health so he stays close to home. and i buy a hell of alot of car and parts from him.so he better stay my friend..lol. but even my so-called brothers dont show up anymore. when i turned in my cut they were still comin around.for a couple yrs anyway. but now it seems they just faded away.gets awful lonely out in the shop nowdays.and when i get rteady to cruise, therte is no one to cruise with.oh poor me....lol.
Most of the things that I do lately revolve around cars. Of all my friends, car and non-car, I seem to be in contact with the car friends much more frequently. I just dont seem to have as much common ground with my non car friends anymore. Maybe I have a problem? Lol!
Luckily I developed a group of close knit friends during my high school years (early 60's) and with exception of a couple that have passed on we're all still in contact and get together every couple years for the Old Farts reunion. We had 18 people show up at our last reunion. We were all motorcycle riders back in high school and almost all of us are still riding. We usually have an old farts ride every spring and again in the fall. Just went to a motorcycle show and swap meet this past Saturday with an old high school friend and ran into another one at the swap meet. All of us in these photos are still riding.
The Jalopy Journal
