Hot Rods Quandary

My Dad is 85 and into International/Farmall tractors.
Met him and Mom today for lunch and he had just bought another tractor to restore.
Every year he says he won't do another one and then buys one.
I hope he keeps building them until he hits 100.

 

As I've gotten older I've gone from slow to dead slow, but I figure there's a reason why God made tomorrow. If tomorrow doesn't come, problem solved.

 

That's a bummer. I'm sorry to learn that all your work was not appreciated. I can't imagine how disappointed I would have been in the same situation.
My only grandson isn't old enough to know if he is going to become a gearhead or not, but my youngest son is totally involved in the hobby, and he is a real help with heavy work around the house, and we work on the toys together.
Bob

 

Hello,

As someone with access to a black 58 Chevy Impala in my teenage years, I can say that despite the multiple coats of Blue Coral, shiny wheels and a bright red interior, the car did blend into traffic. Back then there were the usual colors, but there were a lot of grey, white and black cars roaming around, so my brother’s Impala just blended in…with style.

We never thought of turning on the headlights to draw attention to the Impala. It drew its own attention with the look and sound at a stop light. But, my 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery never needed attention drawn to it. The red color (supposed to be red, but in actuality, it came out Salmon Pink from the previous owner) made the sedan delivery stand out anywhere. In a field of blacks, whites, greys and some blues, it stood out.

But, by the time I sold it and bought a 1965 red El Camino, there were more people on the road that had the headlights on during the daytime. On my high speed runs going up north to college and home, I had the headlights on during the daytime. That called for safety on the long road trips. That did have some negative consequences, too. On the Grapevine, it drew the attention of those sneaky CHP patrol cars, hidden in the most unusual places. So, I had to remember to turn it off on those runs.

Jnaki

When we started our episodes of desert motorcycle racing, those very dark roads needed some extra lighting. It was to keep the car going where it is supposed to go to get to the race courses and pit areas, safely without running into some nighttime creature.

I bought some super clear, high beam lights that fit perfectly in the dual headlight positions. That made those night time, Mojave Desert roads “shine like a diamond, in the daylight.” This was during the era of random vehicle checks all over So Cal. Consequently, they pulled me over and decided those headlights were not stock.
stock not so stock
After changing them back and forth, they served their intended purpose. I was a good 20 something and never used the high beam portion on the surface streets. It would have been a total blinding effect and dangerous to all. But, those desert critters were lit up like a prison break at night. But, in the daytime, the regular lights were on, just to keep us, the valuable cargo in the back, and the El Camino, a sight for others to notice us “tooling” down the road.

In our 2nd 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, my wife’s second complaint was driving the sedan delivery at night. The rake of the car was lower in front, the beam of the headlights were adjusted for the correct light pattern on the road. But, even new bulbs just did not get the brightness on the road. Immediately, I thought of my 1965 clear headlights I installed on my 1965 El Camino. But, that item wasn’t going to work on the 40. So, I was trying different ways to keep the stock look, but brighten up the headlights for better night vision.

We had seen many woodies and sedan deliveries with small yellow bulbs mounted on the bumper, but we never saw clear ones in the same location. Was it necessary for the bright lights at night without drawing attention from the local CHP?

During the early 60s and into the 70s, various car owners had this “thing” about ownership and friendly approach to others driving their make of car or hot rod. If the high beam switch was available, a flash was given when sighting a similar car coming toward you in the opposing lane. If not, a friendly hand wave was given. Brotherhood and all of that stuff that goes along with that topic.

Even on the long stretch of highway, like Highway 395 in the Eastern portion of California, the high speed flashing lights to other of the same make, sure made thing fun, as we zipped by the other cars. On the 65 El Camino, when those high beam lights were installed, even in the daylight, they were very noticeable.