After a couple years on this forum it is obvious who some of the "builders" are, and we are blessed with a bunch. Sometimes I feel a little ashamed that all work on my hotrod has been done by friends and shops, but if you son't have the space, tools, etc. it's what you need to do. I am just as proud to drive my car and when people ask, did you do the work?, I give credit to my associates who helped me with no hesitation. I think thats what makes it all go around, it's sad some times when I hear posers say they have done work performed by others, but what goes around-comes around. Guys like Kev are on a pedestal for me and I applaud thier skill and feel lucky to see some of thier great stuff on here. I'm always amazed at the generous posts by the "builders" that benefit others seeking help. VIVA-Los-ARTISANS-Sololobo
That engine was deisgned and built by a Frenchman if I remember correctly. I think it was called a "Rhone" or something like that. I saw one once in a museum.
Where does that place those of us who are ambidextrous? Does it mean that we use both sides of our brain?
I think Nosurf is on to it. Our society no longer values the kind of genius, (that's the word we need to use here) creativity, critical thinking AND execution these guys (myself NOT included) can string togehter. Hats off men, we stand on the shoulders (and some of you get to stand beside) of giants.
I know, three posts to the same thread and you're out.. Anyways, what I hate about guys like Kev is that they make my best work look like shit! I can be all fired up about some dirt dobber welding I've done and as soon as I start a thread about it, Kev comes along with more of his snooty tin work, or louvered this and louvered that, blah blah blah.... I'm gonna go pout now!
By the way, I'm right handed, the thing I'm best at is Mickey Mousing stuff to get by. Every time I take on a plumbing job (house) that looks simple I end up taking all day and everything ends up covered in silcone to stop the leaks! But at least I have this thread now to show my wife and prove that I really am good for something. P.S. Please don't inspect anything of mine up close, you may be dissapointed. I'm far from a perfectionist! I'm OK at basic stuff but but wish I had the patience for the intricate stuff. Let's talk about some guys who really know how to build. They are many notches above me and there are several on the H.A.M.B. Jimmy White, Littleman, Rolf, Cole Foster, Bass, C9, etc, etc. I don't know if they are highly educated but I doubt it. They look like a bunch of dropouts to me!..................just kidding!
I agree, the amount of education really isn't a good indicator of intelligence. I was a bum at school, joined the army and became a Medic, kinda easy anyone can do it. I realised that I just didn't know enough (In my opinion) to be really good at my job, I thought there is so much more I wanted to know, to do for the guys and girls who had what it took to offer there lives for the people of my country. So I went out and did more education, Degree in Paramedical Science, Diploma in paramedical Science and Associate Diploma in Aviation Medicine, Degree in Education (So I could Pass on what I knew). This led me to the world of Special Forces and here I learned that true 'Intelligence' is not an IQ number or a piece of paper with some gold leaf printing. The most valuable I asset is basic is Common Sense and a Love for your Job. I have seen guys that were thrown out of school go on as mature age students to great things. Those little bits of paper mean nothing to me anymore the common sense and ability to think on my feat were my greatest assets, so to are they for guys like Ryan who created cyberspaces finest achievement (The HAMB) and Kiwi Kev, Plowboy (I don't have the space to name everyone I admire here) for the imagination and degree of lateral thinking that sets them in a place that I would dearly love to reach but know I will never have this amount of talent. We can all be great at what we want, provided it is what we want. Doc. PS, OK Doc (The real one) is a smart guy, Trauma physician?? Now that is on the smart list with a bit of paper. (Hey he bought one of Plowboys creations!)
Kev and I were talking about this thread today at work--I had missed it. If you guys think some of his car stuff is cool--you should see some of the stuff we do at work---I shouldn't say "we"--I come to him for my trouble cases. But I will say this: when the "bosses" need anything that is---"not normal"----they end up talking to me or Kev. It's not cause of our vast amount of "edumacasun"--but it's because a lot of people can't visuallize a concept or mental picture of the finished product. All these guys in the "front office"are college-educated --the're not dumb, just can't relate to some things at a different level. It's not all bad---our big boss is a car guy--even has us put on little car shows at the shop---and Kev always makes the trophy! I am really lucky--I get to go to Kev's and watch the stuff he does--I wish I could do half of what he does--but I gotta be happy with what I CAN do--I'm not ALL thumbs. Besides---I gotta kiss his ass a lot more---I got more work for him on my current project---and I know he's dreading it!!!
He he G'day ol mate!. Spoken like a true Papakura boy!( or was that Drury..LOL!) .I guess what you do today is better than building those friggin horse floats eh?. ...and hey we all left school at 15 in those days because workin' was the quickest way to get a car and get mobile..remember the ol 56? ,not a bad car for a 17 year old!!.And hey yanks! Us Kiwis always had to build our own stuff 'cos the cost of most ordinary common stuff was beyond our meager incomes. Kia kaha Bro,glad to see you makin' out so well.
Mercmad, Lots of us paid our dues that way - I know I did. Growing up with very little cash - meant you did your own work - whether you wanted to - knew how - no matter - you did it because you had to. For me THAT was just the beginning to a personal satisfaction having built it myself. Fast forward 20 years - married with kids and I STILL have less dough than I'd like and so goes it - build it yourself - save the dough for things you absolutely have to buy. Not such a bad way to enjoy the sport. To the bigger conversation - I work in an Engineering environment - I work with some really smart guys - in every way. I try to pick up anything I can from them because adding some "book smarts" isn't a bad thing. I know alot of guys like to bash the pocket protector wearing engineers - but if you find a good one - you might be surprised how much you can learn from them. I worked with a Mechanical Engineer who emigrated from China - turns out he was a pretty dam slick fellla - yes he had a different way of looking at things - he also had a different way of solving problems - I learned from him - and he learned from me . We often argued (and it was common to hear one of us yell "bullshit" in the middle of a discussion) at work and people who didn't know us thought we hated one another - quite the opposite - I respected him enough to tell him "bullshit!" when I thought his designs were astray. He was never offended and preferred people to call him out on his work - he made no bones about defending his design and if you didn't like it he wanted to know why. This whole "us or them" mentality is really the work of morons - whether it is for different car people - educated people - whatever. The mark of an educated person is NOT what degrees they hold but their ability to recognize their weaknesses and improve on them. Much like my definition of hot rodding - recognizing a deficiency and improving it. Building cars can be a school of learning IF you want it to. Shlocking together a heap isn't quite the same.
The Jalopy Journal
