Projects How many of you has this happened to?

Can't buy groceries with that.

 

When I was 6-7ish My dad was teaching me to weld. We put new patch panels in a local guys truck and did a lot of work on his frame. He was overheard at lots of shows telling everyone how he did ALL the work on it and how his fenders were steel. Well, I wasn't shy at that age so I once reminded him that the wide fenders were glass, and that I did most of the welding on it. I don't remember it, but dad and his buddies all still laugh at how the guy choked when a 8 year old reminded him he didn't weld his truck, but the kid did.

 

Hello,

When someone else does the work, credit is definitely due. Regardless of the situation of ownership or past ownership, the work was done…it needs to be given credit. In my case, when I saw the “Racer Orange” 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery with black rims cruising into the Grissinger’s parking lot in Bixby Knolls, it instantly raised my heartbeat. That was a very cool surf wagon.

Not only did it portray the surfing scene in my mind, but the sound that came from the big 348 Chevy motor was the icing on the cake. Now, I could have a fast car built for taking long surf trips up and down the coast with ease. It probably would hold its own at the Cherry Ave. Drags, just down the avenue from the drive-in restaurant.

So, negotiations came into play. The cost was way out of my teenage pocket book. The owner was an old friend from junior high school and high school, as well as living on the Westside of Long Beach. His final offer was within my budget. Well, I bought the Sedan Delivery, but the guy who built it, replaced the 348 with a stock Flathead. He did all of the work and made sure it ran well. Afterwards, I was a happy teenage surfer and hot rodder.

When anyone asked me if I built the Sedan Delivery, the answer was no, and proper credit was instantly given. Despite the Salmon Pink color that was supposed to be Racer Orange. (trials and tribulations of late night, driveway car painting when tired…)

It did not matter that this sedan delivery was a slow as molasses, it started, ran well, (except for oil usage) but had no leaks or groans anywhere. It was just a slow poke that needed help going up those steep hillside Coast Highway runs down in Orange and San Diego counties.

Jnaki

If I wanted fast, there was always the 1958 Chevy Impala sitting in my garage being used by my mother for shopping/grocery cruises. Ha!

The final look of the sedan delivery from 1960-65…not much changed except for the beauty trim rings. The car/motor ran forevcr, without any work, except for a gallon of reclaimed oil, (daily and weekly) if a long surf trip was planned.

Addendum:
When I sold the 40 Sedan Delivery, it was to a young guy from Bellflower, that happened to buy one of my first longboards back in 1962. By 1965, he had the backing to open up a surfboard shop on Main St. in Huntington Beach. So, one day, we walked to the shop from the beach and my old 40 Ford SD was sitting outside in all of its glory.

Inside, the owner was telling a bunch of surf bunny groupies, how …
“he built the sedan delivery to be the ultimate surf wagon” for his business. (not one thing was done to the 40 Sedan Delivery since I sold it to him.) My old sedan delivery was like “a bunny that takes a licking, but keeps on ticking…”

At least the real surfers we knew, all understood the truth about the origin of the 40 Ford Sedan Delivery. They all chuckled at this poser, despite ownership of a surf shop.

Addendum 2
For a run back to memory lane, tomorrow, Saturday, July 14, 10am to 2pm, George’s 50s diner in Bixby Knolls will be having a grand reopening and car show in the famous corner parking lot. A car show with hot rods/cruisers and Tommy Ivo’s newly recreated single, injected Buick, FED will be in the lot. This is in conjunction with the Historical Society of Long Beach’s opening day exhibit of “Chrome,” a look at the role Long Beach played in our hot rod culture, happening just down the street.

 

Sometimes we wish we could handle it like this:

It's not reality but...

 

Ahh, understate, a Brit. art form using words!