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Hot Rods I have no desire to drive my just finished Jalopy....

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by mikec4193, Sep 27, 2024.

  1. lostone
    Joined: Oct 13, 2013
    Posts: 3,217

    lostone
    Member
    from kansas

    That thing needs a old gravel back road and a couple corners and then give her that maiden voyage, heck she deserves that !!

    Then after letting her breathe and stretch her legs a little then decide if it's time to start another project or drive this one for awhile....


    ...
     
  2. IMG_20240918_095457812.jpg
    I call the old girl Judy...
    IMG_20240918_095552957.jpg
    I gotta push her outside and see how the old girl looks in the sunlight...
    I am hoping to sell a 1948 Willys Jeep in the next month so I can put this in the carport for the winter...then come spring decide what I want to do with her...
    IMG_20230731_073855345.jpg
    She is cool old girl too...makes me smile every time I see her sitting in the garage...
     
  3. Fogger
    Joined: Aug 18, 2007
    Posts: 1,863

    Fogger
    Member

    I didn't drive my '32 Roadster to the last LARS. Neal asked me if I drove my Roadster or the 3W. Nope, drove my 28 year old GMC Suburban. Since 2008 I have driven the Roadster to the LARS and have experienced the danger of driving on the freeway. Too many close calls. When I drive my '32s it's out on the roads and highway away from the 80+ mph insane drivers. One of my oldest friends left California for New Mexico and has enjoyed the lack of traffic and wide open roads where he lives. I talked to a number of attendees at the LARS who also didn't drive their Roadsters because of the dangers on the freeways. I understand the reluctance to drive because of the insane speeds and out of control drivers.
     
    Sharpone likes this.
  4. No reason to worry about driving the OPs ride

    that beater is built for contact
     
    CSPIDY, tractorguy, squirrel and 3 others like this.
  5. I’ve gotten tangled up with deer in two of my old cars in the last year. Both are fixed and I keep on driving them.
     
  6. Most of my driving is on the freeway, and nowadays it is a risky deal with bias plys and drum brakes.
    I’d rather be working on them, too.
    At 78, I have little need to drive very far except to keep it running with some regularity.,
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2024
    tractorguy likes this.
  7. partsdawg
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,635

    partsdawg
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Minnesota

    I build nothing. I enjoy the hunt and as soon as it's on the trailer the fun is over and it's time to sell the dream.
     
    The37Kid and tractorguy like this.
  8. Bullit68
    Joined: Sep 16, 2009
    Posts: 174

    Bullit68
    Member
    from Verona, PA

    I only hope I never lose the interest and fun of driving… IMG_8253.jpeg IMG_8253.jpeg
     
  9. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,262

    AHotRod
    Member

    Get in it and go for a spin ... stop procrastinating ... old guys are to be brave leaders.
     
    Driver50x and Sharpone like this.
  10. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 57,557

    squirrel
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I took this picture Thursday morning, at the beginning of a mostly impromptu 1000 mile two day trip.

    I think it's what makes all the working on the car, worthwhile.

    driving04.jpg

    Then again, for the first 500 miles of the trip, I did not see one other older car on the road. So I guess I'm one of the very few that actually gets a thrill out of driving an old pile they put together?
     
    TERPU, Ned Ludd, pivir123 and 25 others like this.
  11. chicken
    Joined: Aug 15, 2004
    Posts: 604

    chicken
    Member
    from Kansas

    I agree. I fix 'em and get dirty, bloody,tired and pissed off so that I can drive the wheels off later. Makes it worth it!
     
  12. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,838

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    The OP'S front springs are too much, looks like upper arms are bottomed out or close to it. He had fun building it, now wants sympathy. HO trains would be better.
     
    Fitty Toomuch likes this.
  13. Hey Seb funny thing my dad had HO trains back in the day...
    No sympathy needed buddy...just no desire to drive this old project...I have rebuilt and driven old Jeeps and old AD style trucks before...there is just too much traffic to enjoy the vintage vehicles around here...
    I think I got spoiled by growing up driving old German cars...

    Thanks for all the insight guys...
     
    seb fontana and Sharpone like this.
  14. When I first built my '34 in the '70's I drove it everywhere in various stages of completion and loved it. Then in the '80's I tore it down to the frame to "improve" it. By the time I got the improved version going 25 years later, it wasn't the same. The thrill was gone. Put about 20 miles on it and sold it.
     
    Just Gary and Sharpone like this.
  15. I got to load up some scrap in the 61 this week.
    I’m fired up just thinking about driving the old flatbed loaded.
     
  16. choptop40
    Joined: Dec 23, 2009
    Posts: 5,604

    choptop40
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    the fun is in the build..sell and build another one
     
  17. MCjim
    Joined: Jun 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,182

    MCjim
    Member
    from soCal

    I concur, having my daily late model pickup in the shop(due to my stupidity), I was forced to use one of my "classics" until my rental was available.
    It was very nostalgic; I went back in time when all I had was a not-that-old then classic, the thrill of sitting and sweating with the windows rolled down, inhaling too-rich exhaust fumes from a poorly tuned "performance" carburetor(s) with mufflers too loud, while everyone around is in air conditioned solitude. Next, the excitement of having to anticipate every move in traffic due to inefficient brakes, cooling system and suspension that has been obsolete for decades, all on outdated tires listening to outdated music on an outdated sound system. I had no options in my wasted youth...now I do. These old cars are fun to work on and modify, restore, race and so on, but only toys. As far as driving, only when conditions are perfect.
     
    Tow Truck Tom and RRanchero Rick like this.
  18. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 31,685

    The37Kid
    Member

    If I had a finished car on the road earlier my opinion might be different, I don't have any motivation to have a licensed street legal vehicle. I have had the joy of looking at other peoples vehicles over the past 63 years in the hobby, had the honor of working some really fine cars. Never had any reason to test drive a paint job.
     
    Ned Ludd likes this.
  19. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,838

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    I have found you have to pick your roads and time of day to avoid most of the crazy's. Took me 5 yrs to fix what was wrong with a "restored" 1947 Crosley in between other projects. I was afraid to go on the road with it but thought I should poop or get off the pot. So I registered it, made it to DMV and home without incident. In a ten year stretch me and the Shepard put 10k miles on the car till engine burnt a valve. Yes there was some "experiences" but we survived. Last 4 y years I have been playing with rebuilding/modifiing the Crosley engine, can't leave anything alone. And yes I will have to improve the brakes. I'd drive it; heck you might find something to improve/fixe/ignore. Choose your venue. IMG_0130.JPG
     
  20. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 5,013

    alanp561
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    During the course of my working life as both a Boilermaker and a Teamster, I was gone from home much more than I was there. I had six kids and a wife who needed providing for. I tried a couple of times to start building cars that I thought I wanted, and each time work kept me from finishing them. I wanted a roadster, and finally settled on an OT Italian sporty car that was a blast to drive, but still not what I really wanted. Shortly before I got hooked up with the HAMB, I made the decision to build a car just for me. It was going to be a '27 T roadster, but in my haste, I really didn't have a plan. At the age of 73, I was literally starting out with this hotrod thing as if I were 17. I had acquired a few skills over the years, but not enough to get me to a finished car. The first frame I tried was off topic and just wasn't going to give me what I wanted, so I changed that. The first engine, a 289 Studebaker, seemed right at first until I thought about the parts problem if I were a long way from home. I grew up driving flathead powered cars, so that became my engine choice, and I was fortunate in finding a machine shop that worked with them regularly.

    I bought a stock '29 A frame and things started to go together a lot easier. Everything was working until I realized that I was no longer that 17-year-old kid but an old man who had gotten larger. I just wasn't going to fit in the T. I think I gave in to desperation and bought a running, driving '46 Mercury four door and hauled it home from Texas. It wasn't what I really wanted, but with a little effort, I would finally be on the road. Turns out that the Merc was going to need a lot more effort than I had thought, so about 4 years ago, I found a front half of an A phaeton and started on an A roadster using the frame I had already built.

    Shortly after that, my wife of over 50 years got very sick and it seemed that all my time was spent taking her to numerous medical appointments. I'm not complaining about that, it's what I signed up for when I married her. Since she passed away at the beginning of this year, a good part of my time has been taken up dealing with her estate.

    A few months back, I was fortunate to find a fellow HAMBer who was willing to part with a very nice '48 Ford Sedan Coupe. It has a few issues, but nothing that can't be fixed. Hopefully, it will be on the road prior to the Dawsonville, GA Moonshine Festival. Then the plan will be to drive it to Oregon and meet Marty Strode. If I can find and meet other HAMBers along the way, that will make the experience even better.

    I've driven over the road trucks for a good portion of my life under every possible condition imaginable. For me, the car is a time machine and the idea of driving an old car over the same roads doesn't bother me. What bothers me is the thought of not doing it, not looking out at the world through the windshield of a car that is only slightly younger than I am. I pity those who have lost interest in using their unique vehicles for what they were intended.
     
  21. I guess I am just fortunate to live in a part of the country where it is easy to drive old cars even as daily drivers. Driving this junk is what keeps me wanting to work on it. But, I get that we all have different passions when it comes to this hobby,
     
  22. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,665

    goldmountain

    It seems that the older I get, the more apprehensive I become in driving. Watching Derek on Vice Grip Garage go on road trips with unproven cars really helps getting over this paranoia. Then I take the car out of the garage and start whittling away at the little quirks to make it a legitimate road warrior.
     
    Tow Truck Tom likes this.
  23. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 57,557

    squirrel
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The only way you're gonna make the car into something you can drive reliably, is by driving it, and fixing the stuff you need to fix.

    Start with short trips, then keep increasing distance.

    I have a week until my next trip, which starts with a little 1200 mile jaunt to the midwest, then gets interesting.
     
  24. Squeaks and rattles
    The smell of that small carb leak
    A hint of exhaust smell
    The sound of gas sloshing in the tank
    All the window and cowl/side vents open.
    No AC or radio, crappy heat
    Crappy wipers
    Smelling like a mechanic everywhere ya go

    does the gas gauge still work? Maybe I’ll check it with a stick at the next stop.

    dang my clutch knee popped again.

    that seat spring broke again. Cool

    man this thing smooths out after the tires warm up.

    welp, drug that rear bumper again. Oh well.

    I dont care if ya pass me, have a great day.

    man those lifters and exhaust sound killer.

    sold my 67 f100. Been driving a newer truck for a couple years. I miss driving old crap every day.
    It’s too quiet and comfortable
     
  25. I love building hot rods and driving them is always a plus. HRP

    [​IMG]
     
  26. mohr hp
    Joined: Nov 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,172

    mohr hp
    Member
    from Georgia

    This might not help, but I gotta comment on this idea that these cars are toys that seldom get exercised. I drive the Willys in my avatar nearly daily into Atlanta, and am now rapidly approaching 100,000 miles. Lotta close calls, and I'm more cautious than ever. But once in a while I take my '05 truck, or my daughter's Camry. While I do appreciate how well they drive, They just don't suit me. Just another soulless spectator in life, passing the miles away. The Willys has quirks and oozes character, and the 2 times in 15 years I've taken it to a shop for help were to get the front axle re-cambered at a big rig shop, and to charge my homespun AC. The point is, it's my car, it's what I drive, and I don't feel comfortable in modern stuff. So if you don't want to drive your car, maybe it's not the right car for you.
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2024
  27. At 77 I also like building more than driving. One reason is people on the road today are not paying attention.
    I always have my lights on , day or night. I also curse. All I can give you for advice is, Go Man Go! Life is short, very short.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2024
  28. I’m almost 70 and man I dread the day that I’m not allowed to drive my cars anymore.
     
  29. Baumi
    Joined: Jan 28, 2003
    Posts: 3,159

    Baumi
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Load it up with your buddies and go visit somebody. The weekend before last we went to the Red Bull Circuit in Austria and watch other guys race their valuable cars. My favourites were Reini‘s Cheetha and some CanAm Lola Chevrolet or so. Still getting goosebumps.
    d22022d6-1ff3-4525-bac7-51e032191623.jpeg 87efb168-960e-49e8-b52a-b1133ba52867.jpeg 2A0509B7-FF33-4C1E-ADB7-CAEE390AD742.jpeg
     
    Ned Ludd, Tow Truck Tom, rod1 and 6 others like this.
  30. b-body-bob
    Joined: Apr 23, 2011
    Posts: 622

    b-body-bob
    Member

    Same here. Finally broke in the engine in an OT car, don't even want to start and tune it. I'm going through some medical stuff that might be an influence but it seems like it's been coming for a while now.
     

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