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

'You know i'm 68 and noticed the same thing!My wife of 48 years, tells me its the hunt.not the build that i enjoy the most. Guess she'd know aaayyy bob


I have built and finished 24 kars.Have a full kustom 50 merc, and 2nd owner of a henry steel 32 3-window.built several m/c s. I still....... after 43 operations[no accidents did this]I would still do a 55 2 dr chevy.as long as it wasn't like the rest [frame offs].I make more mistakes than i used too it cost me more , because i do this . get hurt easier .or so it seems. But the minute i walk thru the storage area and see my kars as i uncover them, i am 17 again,least in my mind She says build what ever you want.now how many guys;....... can say that. Then give me the time to do so. merry chritmas to you all bob s

 

I hope I will still be able to build them when I am 65,I am 51 and feeling the effects of a nasty car wreck 33 years ago but not going to let it stop me.

 

I'm 70+ and working on a 28 roadster. Also have a 56 F100 on the back burner. I wouldn't think of having someone else build something for me. I'll either do it myself or it wont get done. I think its a shame that so much of the street rod scene is dominated by check writers who have no f---ing idea what makes a car run. I still enjoy making things work and take pride in my work, bad as it may be: its always the best I can do at the time. I do wish I had a warmer shop for the winter ;<)

 

I'm 76 YO, or will be, if I live till Feb 17, 2013. I started this 30 roadster AV8 in mid September 2012. I plan to have it moving under its own power by Jan 3. I leave here Jan 4 to go back to Florida to do property maintenance and cannot return until May, 2013. I plan to have this car tagged and on the road by September 2013. I have a little help from time to time, he is a 70 YO biker that works cheap and likes fooling with hotrods and harleys.

 

The Cragar OHV four conversion was four a '29 A convertible I had. It had hydraulics, rear fuel tank plus electric pump, custom rod and marching bearings. It was balanced by Howard Johannson who new the tricks, to within 1/2 gram and had Joee Hunt Magneto plus Jahns pistons and pins. For a banger it got some real looks. No spin starts at the line made some think twice.Most were wondering what it was and how fast it would go. They got their answers in short orders,but I wanted to go faster. So, on to a 216 inline Chevy and I found a Wayne twelve port heard to it. Again, great fun and performance. Every farmer who is there has tip for you. Hot well built and driven sixes still get their fair shre of the Trophies. Look at the Trophny Rack out what won that one. It is amazing. Ike Iaccon has a GMC twelve port head fuel 302 and all he did waa work hard, diak in the power and drive it right, Tropy's weekly. The car is in the NHRA Pomona Museum. Inlines are a lot of fun. Build one, race it and beat a bigger v-8 of any kind. They ere in awe. Tghe current 4200 Chevy inlines are about to make a big name for themslves soon. Glen Self from Durant, OK has one running cranking over 800 engine dyno hoursepower and he is just beginning.
Notbc9

 

What's that got to do with building your car??

 

Just a 17 yr old in a 74 yr old body. Just completed roadster.
deChrome

 

At 75 still building hot rods. also built my own over head cylinder head for a Model A engine, a couple of years ago.
Here are a couple of pictures of my truck.

 

Going on 68 and glad to see those 70 and older still building cars. Gives me hope. I am just finishing a 47 Caddy for my wife..472 with a 5 1/2 chop in front and 8 in the back..18 feet of car. I want to start on my 29 roadster and my wife gave me an account for nuts and bolts at the local hard ware store. She's a Keeper. Old guys rule.

 

I'm very lucky to work on Hot Rods most every day of the week with two other friends .We are all in our mid 60s, retired and work on each others rides and we try to pick up side jobs on other Hot Rods for extra cash to spend on our rides.Retired life mixed with this ain't half bad.

 

Turned 71 last August and I am building my '40 pickup by myself. When I am done with that, my '40 coupe is next and when that is finished I plan on building a '27 Roadster. Thank God for Aleve.

 

I'm 64 and just pulled a 62-1/2 Falcon into the shop to build a hot rod out of. The SBF 302 engine is at the rebuilders looking for more power right now. The plan is to have it done on my 66th Birthday. Hopefully not to much life gets in my way on the build.
And my Shop is the Metal Health department around here - the best place in the world to get away, and I plan on working out there until I'm unsafe.

 

I,m 64 and building a 56 f-100.wouldn't have it any other way.

 

i still like to build im..........just not as fast as i was at one time.......

 

My dad's still building . Will be 68 in March. Just finishing up a Model A.

 

Great attitude JEff!! thats the same thing i thought.....i'm gonna go on building til i die.Its who i am.But........when you get up in the morning and a lot OF dIfferent things hurt you.Especialy when the things hurt that never did before........you will see what happens to your drive, Hopefully you can build as long as you want...................i can't. I'll still dabble abit ..........because of the love ;.......for the old Kars i have. bob s

 

Dad just turned 74 and he was here for 10 hours on Monday, thrashing away on my 35. If He ever stops building stuff, he will die. He starts the new bathroom renovation next week.

 

I'll be 68 in March and working on my 55 Chev, 37 Ford, and a vintage stock car. Won't have it any other way.

 

I see a lot of people my age (mid 60s) and they don't look too good. A lot of them barely moving around, needing help and looking pretty haggard. Then I see the old dudes that build hot rods and they seem to look healthier and get around better. I think having a purpose with a passion keeps a lot of us healthy that would otherwise stiffen up, take ill and rot away. Maybe crawling around and under cars keeps the joints limber and keeps the weight down. I don't want to sit around and watch TV in a recliner getting obese and stupid. I will probably die out in my garage messing around. I am a lot slower, clumsier and don't see as well, but I enjoy it. I just hate this time of year when the weather gives me a chill and I can't shake it until spring.
Lets get out in the shop now..

 

i will be 62 in june, and dont know any other way to do it. the only thing i dont do myself is upholstry work

 

I just turned 60 & still spend a lot of time in the shed with 2 A models a '56 Nomad & a '58 Apache to tinker with, but a good friend of mine who is 65 is just finishing a '64 AWB Plymouth nitro burning cackle car. I can't see him stopping anytime soon.

 

Hey Guys, 63 here. two projects underway '48 Cad, and '27 T sedan. My Wife tells me to check my date of birth, when I start another project.. Some guys have tomato gardens, I have a GARAGE !!!!

 

66 and still doing my own work. Built a 38 chevy truck, frame,complete brake overhaul,hard lines etc. Left the truck in it's original patina. Fired the 216 and drove it around the neighborhood. I get complete satisfaction from fabing my own parts and to fire that engine for the first time after not running for many years trips my trigger.....

 

Of course,we still build em! But there is nothing wrong with buying a nice ride either. I currently have 9 old cars, 4 of which I built, 4 of which I bought & one 1930 Model A sedan that I will start building this March on my 67th birthday.

 

I always thought how nice it would be to buy a completed car. already painted, nice interior neat wheels and tries the right stance, maybe a 40 Chevy, coupe, And all Id have to do is keep the oil changed, service it, wash and wax it,........ but Id have no storys to tell about it. It would not be "mine" it was someone elses, So at 65 I still go out in the garage and continue working on the 53 Ford, that the wife hates and woun't ride in, says "It not cute"......(Oh Brother) but if and when I ever finish it , it wil be "Mine"......and if I bought one what would I do with all my tools???

 

Hmmmm...Just turned 65 yesterday. So, I was Young(er) on Tuesday and OLD today. Didn't feel a thing during the transition. Working on my 40 Coupe! last one? I hope not.

Murph

 

I will turn 68 this year. Am still building hot rods. Not only my own, but i own a shop and do whole cars and piece work for others. If I quit, I'll probably die, so I keep working, I think that is what keeps me going.

 

In Feb. Ill be 75. Where did the time go?But looking back i feel I done it all.Circle tracks=56Pontiac,389 street rods,showcars,40Hudson\coupe Pontiacpowered OSSA,Sachs,750Norton motorcycles,Yamaha snowmobile,engine swaps,paint jobs,engine rebuilds,couple body off frame projects,12 years firetruck +ems vehicle care,back in 72 the EMTs would burn the brakes and rotors off a Dodge Van in less than 1000 miles. I surly do enjoy reading you folks build posts. I collect screenies and do a few Paint Shop fixes to my liking. Keep-up the good work guys. I ran 2 accounts in CITY of HEROES game 8 years +.It closed down.I found H.A.M.B. I like it. Thankyou All .Tnomoldw
''I wanna go where the lights are low where I can go'n spend my dough an dance with the dolly with the wooden leg''

 

Amen 1gearhead !!!!

 

I think you hit on a great point.I'm 70 worked hard all my life now retired.The real fun is in building cars,been at it all my life.sure theres akes and pains but let get at it.Normally I try to do one at a time but this 32 got in my way.the chevy truck has 2006 gto ls2 motor and it runs.I'm one of those gus that loves the old as well as the new as long as its USA...I still drive my 40 willys 150mph what the hell.Got alot of old freinds that sit around and complain.life short so enjoy the thing you like to do.