Any old guys(65 +) still build not buy their hot rods??

I'll be 65 this summer, I currently have a '41 Chevy and a '57 Chevy in the works. That's what I bought all those tools for.

 

hay I still enjoy building my hot rods, it just that it takes me longer to get anything done, Seems like I do a lot more planing now than I use too. I had my last car at the HAMB Drags a few years ago, and for the last few years spent most of my time putting a F-100 togather. oh and I am over 70 but under 75.

 

Was going to wait until march to answer this thread with a 'yes'. but I finally found the right motor for my 37 Chevy Tudor and just had to get started. This will be my best build ever. I did concede to a MII front suspension from Heidt's. But I traded it for a Quick Change so guess it's traditional cause I swapped something I do for something a fellow hot roder does well.

Retirement is great but i still haven't got the shop organized.

 

I work in my shop almost every day at 68 years old. I retired six years ago and have build some interesting projects during my retirement. At the moment I'm building a 55 Chevy Gasser and it should be completed some time this year. I've built two different type T Buckets over the last few years and a few motorcycle sidecars. I still have one of my hydroplanes from the 1970's to rebuild and I'm hoping to start on that project in the next few months. I work on more more than one project at a time and today I'm slow but before I go out into the shop I think about what I'm going to work on and some day's I get a lot done in a short period of time and on other days it seems like I got nothing done. I enjoy my retirement and every day feels like a Saturday. I even built a clubhouse for all of my buddy's and myself but the problem is all my buddy's died off one by one over the last six years;I'm the last man standing. 2006 it was 427 Cobra reproductions and in 2007 I sculptured a 50 Mercury Lead sled. I still get calls to sculpture different projects and in 2008 I sculptured a Motorcycle Trike for the Victory motorcycle although not a traditional Hot Rod project it was still an interesting project

It only took fifty years for me to start on my own T Bucket with so many things to design over the years and businesses to build and run. My T Bucket is completely hand built I even built my own molds for the body and sculptured my own grill shell. The 3D Flames are a one of kind and should be different when painted.




The old buck still doing it.


Little T was built for car shows and parades. It's powered by an electric motor and will do 3 MPH. I steers with a joy stick and the Hemi is one of my
fiberglass display engines. The sidecar body in the background is a new old design that I developed forty one years ago and still looks good today. Again not a traditional Hot Rod, but I built 450 of them and keep a few around for fun.

 

yes i do thats the fun bart off hot roding

 

My ol' man is 66 and just finished this. Hemi went in this last weekend. If it gets Ryan's blessing it will be at Hamb Nats this year.

 

I turned 75 last Sept. Since 2001 I've restored 55 Stude President back to org., 69 ply. Road Runner, 53 Ford 2dr., 53 chevy Bel Air. None frame off but lot of panel replacements, floor pans,etc. Keeps me busy and enjoy it. Oh I have a 3stall garage w/lift which I love. Keep the old cars going

 

I am 67 and have building my own cars for 50 years. why stop now?

 

im 66 and still at it.........i just hope i dont loose the desire....66

 

62 this july,have a 46 dodge pickup I,m doing,a 71 SS chevelle,I just got done rebuilding the engine in and getting ready to drop back in.I still race oval track in a ford ranger pickup(takes a lot of time)Got a 07 vulcan that i ride whenever its nice and I can.Had some stent work done a couple years ago,this year had a heart that wouldn't come out of A-fib(raced the whole season) and had to have heart abultion to fix it after race season was done.Doing our bathroom over this week,new shower,tiolet,sink etc.Still cut and split our firewood(not this year thou).Have been a truly blessed man thur out my life.

 

69 in June, still pluggin' away. Not fast, not slow, kinda halfast. Spouse has some health issues that keep me close to the house, but I still get out there when I can. Resigned to the fact that I will not live long enuff to finish all the started projects. Son and grandson not the least bit interested in this 'ol shit. Told the wife if I go before her, have a hell of a rummage sale. Some of these cars are done, some are done but need small repairs, some are in progress, some have just been started and some are still on paper with an accumilated parts pile. Projects are: 23 T, '29 roadster, '51 coupe, Bantam altered, '48 F1, another '29 roadster, pro streeted Rampage, some Cushman scooters, Dodgem bumper car, reverse trike, and enough mini-bikes and go karts to supply the county. Now I know why things don't bend or move like they used to........

 

Coop I'm with you, too many projects will Never finish all of them and my son will have a real mess on his hands trying to match up parts for projects.
I'm just a pup at 62, I've kinda screwed up I have to have rotater cuff surgery next month and I understand that I will be down for a while so nothing will get done during that time, I hate that, but beats not being here! I'm thinking about sending my body work out in the future, I really think that is the hardest job on a project.

 

I'm 62 and by friend is 65. We have two projects going. 55 Chevy and 37 GMC Pickup.

We can't stay up as long but we can jump as high as we ever did.

 

Neat thread.

I will be turning 69 this summer as I get my 460 shop truck project on the road, not moving as fast as I used to, but already starting to do the research / planning on the next project.

 

I'm 64, finishing up a 29 AV8 brookville roadster, and a 54 4dr. rolling project. Hope to get the roadster on the road by mid summer, if all goes well. 3 more model T's and a 28 A coupe to do yet.
JJ

 

I'm 70 and just started a new frame for my 47 Ford Deluxe Sedan.
Corvette front suspension and parallel leaf 8.8 inch Explorer rear end. 3.L73 Code D4 out of a 97 Explorer. Damn thing was heavy, we had to take the springs off to get it out from under the truck. It's my third car, the first was a '30, 5 window with a 350/350, The second was a 35 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery, with a B&N blown 350. Mustang front and Corvette rear.

I hope to finish it by July.

 

68 and starting on my 40 Tudor soon. Fortunate to have no physical ailments slowing me down, however, I still have the same lack of talent and skill I have always had. Tenacity and hard work has gotten me thru 5 previous builds, counting on completing at least one more.

 

67 Years and spent 35+ years building and paintind cars for a living ...Now I'm retired and build and paint cars for my own pleasure.hear are a few examples...

 

dad's still building, has 2 going right now.

 

Had no idea when I started this thread so many old guys still build their hot rods.. It's great, just great....

 

Age 72 yrs and I still build em. I never bought one someone else had finished but I've bought some partials that previous owner gave up on. They were mostly bad experiences and I quit doing that. Too much work to go back and do quality control. Lots of bad welding out there.

Most recently finished is a 36 Chevy with C4 power and suspension on which I learned computer controlled engine and trans technology mostly for the experience and to stimulate my then 68 year old analog/carburetor brain. (Yeah, I know computer controls and FI are an anathema to lots of HAMBers.) I do pretty much what pleases me. It's intended for cruising so has lots of creature comforts.

Current project is resto-rod 47 Olds convertible 455/700r4 carbureted but with later electronic kickdown switch for trans. I'm doing a convertible because I always wanted to own, rod and drive a convertible before the Sheriff took my license. All of my hot rod buddies have given up building. I think they were basically always into the driving more than the building.

In 1956 I had a 29A roadster highboy and then a 34 Ford pickup and then I built a 51 Shoebox. All flatheads. Sorry but I don't have a lot of nostalgia about Ford flatheads. I couldn't wait to move to OHV V8s. In all I've owned something over 75 cars and pickups and probably 20 of them were modified.

 

I'm 65.retired and still garage crazy

 

I'm 67 young---Still building rods and tricks--I'm working on a 34 Buick 2-door w/ 350 buick. we've always had rods and bikes in the past--Know its "Incloused cars and triks". The trike in the pics on the left is a 1928 dodge with a porch power,--You might be getting older --(BUT YOUR NOT DEAD)

 

I'll be retired in a year and a half, finishing the coupe this year in may...driving it with my son to Speed week at Bonneville. Bucket list stuff. once this stuff is in your blood, you will forever be hooked...and it dont matter if you are 18 or 80..that shit is still there driving your brain. Your body might slow up a bit but the mind stays young, or so it seems with me anyways. Now, get out there in that garage, pet the dog, and sand some bondo, ya bunch a fogies

 

67, did the floors, doing the trunk area.

 

My dad just turned 65 in December and he's still steady workin in the garage. He's currently bouncing back and forth between three projects - a 32 Ford Roadster for himself, a 32 Ford 4-door Sedan for my mom, and my uncle's 32 Plymouth Coupe. He has still got a few other projects on the back burner as well.

 

Yep....(69) and still stumbling along.....
Here is my current project...
Cheers...
What I Started With:


Current Progress:

 

I'm almost 68 and just began a ground up Rat Rod 27 T sedan with my grandson. We chopped the top 9" and are now rebuilding a 49 Lincoln 337 cu in Flathead with Hydramatic trans for it. Work in the garage at night keeps me out of trouble in the house. 27sedanratrod

 

Please, no mention of RR word on this thread.. Thank you...

 

73 this month, Started on a 1957 GMC that I just had to save. Was a PA truck and in answer to the popular question "How much bondo is in it?" all that was necessary to pass their "no rust, no holes inspection". I have no clear plan, I'll make it up as I go along. First stage is getting it roadworthy, need to get wiring for lights traced out; Engine runs, it is a mid-70's 292, does this make it a "street rod" or is this like changing over to 12 Volts - still original period correct. Brake cylinders gone through, cleaned the fuel tank to eliminate the "lot drive" milk jug fuel cell, and rebuilt/repaired the fresh air inlet boxes, one had a football sized gob of expanding foam to block the cold air! No fault with who did it, no doubt it was a work truck and/or basic affordable transportation. Driveway garage shut down til spring.