Hey. I was 15 when I bought my first car. A '39 Ford standard coup with a '49 Merc in it. That was '58 I believe.
I was 9 or 10. my first car was a zepher.had a bunch of galaxie 500s and lincolns bought and parted out . use to pay about 30-50 dollars apiece for em
I'm told I went nuts when I was three and a new '53 Corvette drove by. Got my first car at 12, a '39 Chevy I hid in the woods and rode my bike to it everyday after school.
Pretty much my whole life, can't really say it ever "started" at a particular time. I was surrounded by it. I bought my first car when I was 12 & had quite a few before I turned 18.
My interest in cars (mostly Fords) started as early as I can recall, and because of my dad. I remember looking forward to his monthly Popular Mechanics magazine, and almost monthly J.C Whitney catalogs, where pictures of flathead Ford speed equipment, glass and steel pack mufflers, and all the drawings of hot rodded and custom Fords and Mercs mesmerized me, silly as it sounds! The next progression was riding my bike to the corner drug store and reading/buying some of the hot rod comics, then Hot Rod magazine, along with the paper backs written by Henry Gregor Felsen in the early '50s, especially Hot Rod! I've read that many times, and still have a copy. Dad built my 1st car in 1957 when I was 11, during the time "side walk" gas-powered cars were transitioning into Go-Karts, and still have it today!
I think it was about 1952 when my dad took us to the local dirt track. Later on we were visiting relatives in Defiance, Ohio and got go to their track. The drivers gave the kids a ride around the track at intermission in their race cars. Man, I was really hooked then.
My Dad was into car's, so you could say I was exposed to it at a very young age. For instance at a young age there were lots of car and truck toys, then when I got a little older a pedal car, and it just continued from there.
I was 10 when I fell in love with Willys Jeepster , my little league coach had one , I rode in the back seat and the rear window was flapping ,hitting me in the back of the head, first car I bought was a pair of model A ford basket cases , I was 14 , paid for them with my paper route money, now after 40 plus years , I bought a 1949 Willys Jeepster that had been stored in a barn since 1980, here we go! I hope the spousette is ready.
I must have been around 8 years old and I knew most all makes of the passing cars. Setting on Dads lap steering the family car at 11 and building Model cars from AMT kits. It has been a life long obsession for me like many of the guys on this HAMB site. I am of an age now that it appears pretty certain that I am not going to be able to grow out of this car sickness thing.
I hope my daughter can post this pic some day and say..."I was 1 year old and I owe the habit due to my dad!" Lol Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Came home from the maternity ward in a '63 Falcon. Drive a '60 Falcon now. Since about day-one, or there abouts, I guess.
Pretty much from day one , srarted out with buddy L toy trucks, then on to model cars, then slot car racing , then go carts , finally real cars , then dragracing, on to car shows, now I'm back to building a nostalgia front engine dragster.
My Dad was born in Austin on Bluebonnet Lane, about a stone's throw from Austin Speed Shop, in 1916. He was always playing with his cars, starting with a '30 Willys roadster which burned to the ground while he worked on the Capitol as a carpenter's helper. Then a '34 Ford 5-w, a '37 Ford moredoor which I rode home in from the horsepital in '47, a'47 Willys station wagon, a '53 Ford Ranch Wagon, a '55 F-100 with a 292, overdrive and A/C. I was more than ready to get down and start building stuff when in junior school, but by that time my Dad was out of gas when it came to messing with old shit. I remember him painting and doing body work on many of his cars, tearing down and reassembling four of his cars and three for my older brother, but I was too late out of the "hole". I am attempting to carry on his legacy until I push up thistles.
I was born into it, been at the drags and tripping around the country in cars since I was born. started collecting parts with dad for my first car at age 8, started building the chassis for it when I was 12 now were painting it. imported a car last year for the first time (18).
First old.car was a 29ford coupe set up for drag racing...own it with a friend...sure had a lot of fun racing in union grove drag strip back in 64
I was 2 yrs old in 52. Rode on the arm rest in the back seat of a 48 Buick Super. Ma said I could tell the names of al the cars. Used to drive around all the car lots with Dad. We always looked in the back row, that's where the cool old cars were. Dad was car crazy, so was I. First car was 1950 Ford sedan. got it in 1962 when I was 12. The addiction to cars never left!
Brenda's (ladyhrp) infatuation with car's was jump started at a early age,her grandmother bought the wagon in the photo from Blue Ridge Ford brand new when Brenda was 1 year old and it has been a part of her life ever since. The wagon was used in her grandmothers flower business and Brenda grew up and learned to drive in this car,then her dad owned it and then it was given to her. A lot of memories are wrapped up in the car and I got it back on the road after being parked in our bard for over 20 years in 2012. HRP
I bought my first vehicle ('47 International panel truck) at 13 yrs. old, but was into cars way before that! I can't remember how old, or when I wasn't a car enthusiast.
At age 5 I remember my dad working on the family's cars. I would always come out and ask him if he was going to get his hands dirty. I wanted to use go-jo so bad at that age! I helped him out, fetching tools and cleaning parts and what not until I got my first car in high school. Then began my obsession with buying tools and car parts! Now I have a problem we all face: A long list of tools/equipment we want and not enough money/space
Very young. But then I got into guitars and playing in bands until I was about 30 and left it. Around 30 I bought a 68 Cougar then eventually found the hot rods/customs and have not looked back these past 17 years.
Best I can remember I begged Mom for my 1st slot car set at age 8. That's my earliest recollection of being bitten. 1st car, 57 Chevy wagon at age 14 (some 600+ cars ago!)
In1955 I was 13 and a couple of 19 -20 year old guys had a Model A roadster and a 32 coupe, both Rockel Olds powered in a garage down the block from me. I started hanging around there. They let me swept the floor and clean tools and parts. The next summer they took me with them racing at Oswego drag strip. I was hooked. Within two years with their heip, bought my first car, a 34 Frod 2dr. sedan with a caddy motor. Been working on cars since.
When I got out of the Army I had a 56 Plymouth 2 door HT. I got a job at the Lorain Ford Assembly Plant. One night I was reading a newspaper and a 30 Model A for sale. I went to a phone and called him. After I got off work I went and looked at it and bought it. $1200. He trailed it to my house and put it in the garage. I stayed up all night playing with it then went to work. Could not get it out of my mind. He said the motor was in good shape. I bought a battery and put some gas in it clean the points and it started right up. Someone told me about Snyder's Auto parts so I called them in 1963. I drove that Model A to work for 5 years. Then in 1972 I sold it for $5,000. Since then I have has 20 Model A's. Today I have 4 Model A's, 4 Model T's, 33 Coupe, 35 Pickup, 2 39 Fords, 50 Ford and my 49 Ford Conv. I am sure glad I never got hooked on old cars. Dad always said he got a dam junkyard at his house.