Howdy all, My name is Eric, I'm 37 yrs young. I grew up in Ontario, Southern Cal. I have been into anything with wheels most of my life. My pops has a pic. of me hanging off a prybar, trying to get the head off an old flathead, when I was 6. That was his 31 p/u. I grew up helping him with his cars and toys. He had a 57 ranchero with a 312 Y in it, a 65 327, 4spd vette, a T bucket with a 383 and a 4spd, a 57 T-bird, 56 F-100. We also did a lot of drag racing, but we did it in the sand! We both rode 100" WB laydown 3 wheeled drag bikes, with BUILT/N.O.S. 1300+ CC street bike motors. Our best time ever was 3.24 sec./ 97mph in the 100 yard track. Top fuel dragsters run at about 2.4 sec./ 125mph! Those were fun times! Traveling with my dad, and haulin ass! We quit racing in 91, Pops was getting too old, and family life and a mortgage took up my time. After an ugly Divorce in 99, I moved up to Morro Bay, Ca. Man-o-man is it beautiful up here! I got into rock crawling, and built a knarly rock buggie, with 38" tires and a 175:1 gear reduction/double transfer case. Did that for a couple of years until late 01. Thats when life as I know it changed for ever! I've been working my whole life as a plastic injection mold maker, which is just a fancy way of saying a VERY high tolerance machinist. When I moved, there wasn't any mold shops here, so I took a job as a master machinist in Paso Robles. In Nov. of 01, at work, I herniated 2 disks in my lower back. Thats also when I found out I have degenerative disk disease. The pain of this injury is unreal! I've been out of work since then. It used to be that vicodin worked for the pain. Now I'm on methadone, and waiting for surgery. I sold my rock buggy, can't do that type of driving anymore. I got my hands on a 31 5window coupe. I also got a 70 GT Ranchero,351C, FMX, Posi 9", and it runs like a raped ape! I've been wanting to build a hotrod for a while, and I guess this was the time to do it! I'm gonna use the rancheros running gear in the A's chassis. For now, I'm just gathering parts. Can't really do much till after I heal from surgery. I've been reading here for a while and looking at(and lovin) the style of rods represented here. I realy don't care for the billit and B.S. that "street-rodders" roll with. This is my kinda place!!!!!!!! I'm the type to build it, instead of buyin it. I've got excellent machinist skillz, I can weld ok, and need to learn some sheet metal skillz(among others). I would love to meet some HAMB ers from my area, and abroad. Introduce yourself, talk about cars and trade skillz, thats how we can keep the trad. alive. I'm a young-un thats eager to learn. Wow, kinda long winded, HUH? Thanks for readin, Eric
Welcome from Australia. Priority #1, get that back sorted out! Hope the surgery does the trick. Cheers.
Yeah, sorry bout the long-windedness. I'm on some pretty strong meds at the moment. I do think of this place as my new home. I used to frequent another message board, back in the rock crawlin days. I like it here a lot better. Surgery would be nice! Work Comp. is such a screwed up system anymore. Good thing I got a lawyer involved when I did! Thanks for the warm welcome! See ya around, Eric
WELCOME, WELCOME...Sorry to hear about your disease, but it sounds like you are taking it with a stiff upper lip... don't let it get you down buddy! You've had a lot happen in your 37 years, glad to have you here to share the next 37 with ya!
Welcome to the HAMB from Oklahoma! I hope your surgery goes well and that you experience a speedy recovery, so that you can get busy building that rod. Cathy H.
Anybody else in my area? I am going CRAZY waiting for surgery, sure could use some one to talk to. I've been drivin my woman NUTS with all my ideas for the coupe. She likes cars and all, but she's getting kinda tired of me talking about nothin but cars. I think the methadone (pain killer) is fryin my brain!
Just trying to up my post count! LOL Welcome to the Hamb and this area. I've got a 31 five window also.
Welcome, I also came from the rock crawler side. Had a 84Toy. I know the 4x4 other message board your talking about. Everyone here is way nicer.
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