Hot Rods Quotes to live by...

“Chronological age is meaningless, it is the age of the soul, spirit and mind that really matters”


Hello,

In looking back, my brother was ahead of his time. At age 15, he had already saved enough from his afterschool jobs to buy his own first car. He was one of the youngest teenagers in his high school class, but that did not stop him from eyeing his friend’s hot rods and fast Chevy sedans as they went to school and cruised around Bixby Knolls.

To him, age was almost a non factor, but legally, it was. He could not get his license to drive until 16, but, our dad co-signed his first hot rod sedan at age 15.5 years old. So chronological age is set by society, but it does not affect how we feel at the time.

Actually, he was pretty specific in most things he did. Our mom always told me that he was smart and could do anything he put his mind to in school. Boy, we have all heard that statement… it must be a standard “mom thing.” But, he got good grades, played football and enjoyed fishing, camping and anything outdoors.

We both liked old cars, starting with going with our dad to the liquor store for his newspapers (3 different editions) and our entry into the multitude of magazines in the huge rack. This was the starting point of seeing custom cars and hot rods in those magazines.

I had my comic books and he had his hot rod/custom car magazines. Different but similar in reading tastes. Until I started borrowing his car magazines... Then, I could not get enough of them to read and add to my stockpile of re-read magazines.

Jnaki

As we both grew older, the limits of age played a big part in our lives. No more two on two basketball games, drag racing was fun and exciting, but we went to our last drag race together in 1961. But, something drew us together again and it affected our soul to the core. The surfing lifestyle seemed like it was low key, enjoyment to the fullest, and satisfying new adventures with each long distance coastal road trip. New places, new friends and new skills advancing with each surf adventure.

It was/is a lifestyle mind set...

When my wife and I took our son to his new dorm in Santa Barbara, it was a fabulous place. It looked good, easy access to the school, just down a few blocks and a great view from his desk area looking at the ocean. As we were sad in leaving him there after our good byes, we were wandering down the hall looking at the facilities. All of a sudden this older guy (a senior at UCSB) asked us if we found our dorm room and/or if we needed help moving. We chuckled at that question and that made our day… college kids...HA!

“…it is the age of the soul, spirit and mind that really matters”

 

JNAKI I agree with you. My Quote to live by, { I may have to grow old. But I don't have to grow up. } When I married my wife she was just 16, and I was 21. They said it would never last. Married now 47 years, and counting. It seems that now we're getting younger. Only in spirit! lol

 

chicken ;;; the only critter you eat before its born, and after they are dead..

committee;;; a body that keeps minutes and waste hours.

dust ;;; mud with the juice squeezed out,

hankerchief ;; cold storage

mosquito an insect that makes you like flies better ,

raisin ;; a grape with a sunburn,

secret;; a story you tell one person at a time,

 

Hey, Its only temporary, unless it works.

 

Jnaki, mentioned having a car at 15. 5 years. While not actually having a car, I started driving at 8 years of age……. Driving my Dads 1937 Ford ton and a half from the gate in the middle of our ranch to our home, 1/2 a mile! Any body beat that? While it was 62 years ago, I remember like it was yesterday! Amazing thrill for a young boy!

When I took my driving test, eight years later, the instructor asked me how long I had been driving! I said , 8 years! He said it shows……you already have several bad habits! Lol



Bones

 

Hello,

Well, to keep the record straight, it was my brother who bought his first car at 15.5 and drove it to work and school. I happened to partially own a Model A coupe with my brother at age 14, could drive it around the block, but was not legal. He was always 2-3 years older and had all of the first child/oldest child advantages.

I had an early start at 4-5 years old. When we moved from a trailer park where we first lived in East Long Beach, in 1946, into a “real” Craftsman House on the Westside of Long Beach/Wilmington border, it was night vs day. We had a huge yard, the house was bigger and we had our own bedroom. The back field behind our garage was huge and bordered on the Terminal Island Freeway. A virtual endless exploration field with super tall grass and lots of fort material areas.

I used to walk to the corner, a block away to meet my dad when he came home from work. It was my daily thing and back then, it was safe to walk anywhere, at any time or age. All neighbors looked after each other and we knew who lived where, etc. These days? Sheesh, a bullet proof vest is a clothing accessory…

My brother was 3 years older and never walked with me to meet our dad. He had other “older brother” things to do. So, it was my time with my dad. At first, he picked me up and drove back to our white picket fence house.

Then one day, he allowed me to stand on the seat to grab the steering wheel and steer the 41 Buick Fastback back to our house. He controlled the car, I steered. He took over and did the final parking under those huge palm trees.

As I was allowed to steer almost every day/night, I got better and finally, he allowed me to steer to the curb to park under the trees. Those days, we all parked facing either way and it was not against the law. Besides, we were on a relatively empty street, near the end of the Lion’s Dragstrip.

So, technically, I was not using the gas and brake, but steered the big 1941 Buick Fastback and learned to judge parking/distance. Then in late 1948, the same story in a huge 49 Buick Roadmaster until my mom saw us one day and to quote: “…The $#1111 hit the fan.”

Jnaki

By 1953, we moved to another nearby larger Westside of Long Beach home and that is where we all learned to grow up. We enjoyed hot rods, drag cars, learned to drive, and being teenagers to the last sad time in 1998.

My brother's 1951 Oldsmobile two door sedan in the garage of our newish 1940s "tract" house.

 

skeleton ;bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

toothache ; pain that drives to extraction

tomorrow one of the greatest labor saving devices of today

yawn; an honest opinion openly expressed

wrinkles ; something other people have .. similar to my character lines

in youth, days are short and years are long, in old age, the years are short and the days are long

beauty parlor ; place where women curl up and dye.

friend of mine said she is having an affair, I ask if she was havin' it catered,
That is the " definition " of old age..
;

 

“The universe is not stupid. It gives back exactly what you put into it… sometimes with force.”

Hello,

Have you ever wondered why something happens that you have no control over? Or that it is hard to understand what is happening around you? Some answers can be solved with “it just happens.” Other times, it is a mild form of “you get what you give…” We have seen plenty of times in our world, once an a$$#@@@@ to people and places, it continues to come back to them, at one time or another.

How to control your life is difficult, but to be able to adapt to any situation is always preferrable. It helps to know how to change or learn to take a different track to get out of that hole or action for better results. It takes a while to understand what is the right way to react to the stimulus.


Jnaki

Overall, once you are able to adapt to just about any situation, then your lifestyle will function like you had originally planned or just “go with the flow…” Through all of the trials and tribulations of our younger days, we have learned to adapt. Now, we are comfortable like we were when we were changing, but the whole relaxation scene just adds a bigger smile to our faces… living a low key lifestyle helps… YRMV

Perhaps this Candy Apple Red 1940 Ford Sedan will help out in the long/short run…

 

Several of us were discussing the merits of tearing apart something that might go OK or could turn into a real can of worms. It's been so long I don't recall what we were talking about but I'll never forget my ol' buddy Chuck's trenchant comment; "Treat it like a sore dick. Don't f**k with it."

 

My daughter-in-law's dad once referred to a relative who is an engineer as "An engineer that don't hear the woo-woo."

"An engineer will crawl over a mountain of naked virgins to screw a technician."

Apologies to any engineers out there.

 

Or you look at it another way…… You can’t beat it”!




Bones

 

“This is history, this is life, things can’t last unless they begin…”

Hello,

Back when we were in junior high school, the history classes were to me, a little boring. The idea of needing to know what happened, when it happened and why was worlds apart from our little enclave in the Westside of Long Beach. I was more interested in the new found friends, older girls, and different kids we met from other schools. They had stories that were different from ours and to me it seemed very interesting. Especially the older girls that walked around thinking they were the 50s Queens.

But, like in anything else, when one thing hits you in the head, it is like a light flashing on and it called for more investigation. Drag Racing. We were lucky as our sports team activities and competing games against other schools was a Saturday morning/afternoon thing. Our Westside of Long Beach location of the junior high school was the closest school to the actual drag strip. (other than an elementary school north of us that was close, but did not back up into the farmer’s field and dragstrip.)
Our Junior High School, across the field and past the towers. Tapia Brothers in the fast FED at Lion’s Dragstrip.

After the school games, we would take our lunches and sit on the railroad track berm to get an elevated view of the dragstrip just across the farmer’s planted fields. When it was between planting seasons, it was a giant, empty dirt field that went right up to the return road for the drag racers. The viewing from the railroad berm was obviously free, but to walk across the field to get a close up view of the action was also free, as long as we stayed on the farmer’s field.

Jnaki

We enjoyed our introduction to drag racing and those cars that made tons of noise, blasted by us in a blur and when we saw them up close from the farmer’s field, we waved and were totally impressed with this new found activity.

We wanted to know where they came from and who made those fast looking machines. At the time, it was the history that was just a part of our inquisitive minds, but not in our school books. The look, the noise and the action was pretty fabulous for a little kid. So, from that point on, it was magazines, artwork, drawings and hot rod adventures.

It wasn’t until our 10th grade year that our cool history teacher came up with a similar quote about the historic facts he was trying to get us to enjoy and remember.

“Without history, there is no today.”

The class was an eye opener, due to the wonderful friend (girl) sitting next to me. History was making inroads into our lives and it was up to us to see where or how it affected us.

 

“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are
moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it,
but sail we must, and not drift or lie at anchor.” -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Hello,

Some old sayings pertain to sailing and those same quotes/meanings also can be used in daily life. As we were growing up, we did not know we were going with or against the wind. At the time, it was called what society was deeming, the way to live and become a good citizen.

We always heard our parents, teachers, firemen, policemen tell us little kids to be nice to others, live a happy life and help others in need. So, in essence, “we must sail with the wind…(society’s ways) to get along with others.

As we got older, we found out that sometimes it was “sailing against the wind…” or the way the tide was flowing. Society was trying its best to have everyone work together, but as individuals, we all have different ways to get to point A from point B.

In high school, my first hot rod was a flathead powered 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery. It was different than all of the other Chevy-Ford sedans that filled the weekend drive-in restaurant parking lots. At first, it was a hard sell, especially to those that did not know what it was. (A sedan, a truck, a van?) Those were questions that all came from everyone, including parents of the girls we were friends with and hung out together. (My daughter in a panel van???)

Finally, as 20 somethings, we learned to bend to some and go against the flow at other times, to get along in this complicated world. When my wife and I got our big project, 327 powered 40 Ford Sedan Delivery, there were still chuckles at what we were driving to events, beaches and family affairs. What is that sitting in our driveway??? We did our best to lead a good life, not harm others and hope that our morals led to a good life in the future for our son and later on, our granddaughter.

Jnaki

“but, sail we must and not drift or lie at anchor…” is/was a good way to see how we lived a simple life got involved, and enjoyed the society as much or as little as we did. YRMV

 

"Now remember, when you jump out of bed in the morning, do it feet first."
........a salesman at a place where I worked 55 years ago

 

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal…Love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

Hello,

Whether it is in the love of ocean influenced activity, sailing, surfing or being into hot rods, your date, your girlfriend or wife, love leaves a memory that is intense. It comes when you are not aware of it, it just happens. Then, it gets intense and becomes one track as to how one can continue that great feeling.

All of the activities are limiting as physical harriers show up at the wrong time and places. So, the thought is the strength that carries on that love, like for 56 years of being a close couple, together and adjusting our lives to make things work. We were always accused of being a team.

But we both knew it was forever as we were just starting our 20 something lives and allowing ourselves to get involved with each other. Other things took second place and never faltered in their position. Being together was number 1 and stayed there for all of these years. AND... the topper was that she loved hot rods and could stand drag racing if she were in a fast car.

Jnaki

So, where does something like surfing and hot rods come into play? There was a love or sense of love for all things mechanical. Then learning to adjust those things that could be learned the right way. Hot rods for us was a good way to develop ideas, ways to do things and enjoying the fun it took to make things. It all culminated with having fun hot rods and cruising sedans to make things enjoyable, which led to intense relationships that have lasted over a half century.

Death is the opposite end and can affect the love of just about anything. But, we can all adjust to outside influences, learn to develop skills to keep the attention going in the right way, and allowing a certain amount of grieving to take place. We are old and have been out of our hot rod/drag race scene for many years, but the photography, the writings and research from our backgrounds still lingers on during this pandemic situation.

Then the first part, “love for something or someone” helps in the whole process or at least gives some support to be able to make those necessary adjustments. YRMV

 

takes two happy people for a marriage,

BUT only One pissed off person for a divorce..



I AM NOT A PERVERT

I AM An A-preciator

 

“Intuitive sparks are a function of creativity and analysis, rolling against each other.”

Hello,

When we see those attic boxes piled up high and do our due diligence for the family archives, some surprises are going to pop up. As far as the new found items are, despite the value of the items, it is not just value that needs appreciation of thought. Sometimes, despite the item itself, it just isn’t going to be a part of the family.
Wichita, Kansas 1941

We found some stuff and decided to give it to my wife’s sister. Her sister does not need any more junk, but because it was part of the storage of boxes from her mom and dad, it holds value. For us, it held nothing, as we could not use it, store it or give it away. The items just did not fit into our lifestyle. But, one might say, what about your son or granddaughter?

Well, if it is written communications, books or photos, we can get all that we need to enjoy those bits of data from a long time ago. But to see a ceramic ash tray with a dog on it, is out of the question for us, for our son and granddaughter. I can see them chuckling if they saw the ashtray sitting on our table somewhere. It holds no family value, who knows what or who got it where? So, it is not the continuing family archive material.

Jnaki

Some of those old photos give all of us value as we can get something from them. Information from others, historic archives and other older family members still around. The we can use the old information to make it have some form and function for the next generation of family members.

Every time we get up into our own attic, we see a memorabilia box. It is stuff we think is our history from the time we met until now. But, we don’t use them, display them, so right now, they hold some value, but it is not the most important thing for us. My wife always says, we need to keep things at a “less is more” level and when we are gone, let the next generation figure what is valuable to them. While they chuckle at some of the items we now think or thought was family stuff.

If we had a third car garage, then we would have a hot rod in there for our enjoyment. But, who knows what the next generation thinks and what their situation will be… They did that??? with the hot rod? And, chuckled as they put it up for sale… YRMV

 

From The Boss...

 

I have heard if your looking for sympathy its between sh*t & syphilis in the dictionary . but my wife once told me if you want sympathy call your mother . probably the funniest thing she ever said to me

 

A song by Joni Mitchell called “Big Yellow Taxi.” More specifically, this stanza:

“Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?”

Hello,

When my brother was in the University of San Francisco Hospital getting treatments for brain cancer, years later, I was able to hang out in the SF city, until the treatments were over for the day. Then, at his choice, we started our midnight talks about growing up in drag racing, hot rods, surfing and motorcycles. It was one way to ease the situation going on in the long stay of the hospital.

I was there for several days and we talked like we used to from the 60s through the early 1990’s. When we would visit his family in Santa Barbara and/or when they would come down to our OC house. After everyone went to bed, we stayed up talking like there was no tomorrow. One year, he rode his 1000 cc street motorcycle down and let me take it for a spin. A Harley Sportster for us, yes, but the laydown angle of the riding position of this sleek street racer and the big tank was not the most accommodating thing. But, it was instantly, fast and faster if you had the twist.

Jnaki

The motorcycle visit was different as he was having the time of his life, going on 3000 mile road trips with his riding friends, all over the mountain areas and into the neighboring states of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.

Those stories were inspiring. But, as usual, the talks always came back to our roots in the Westside of Long Beach, growing up in hot rods and drag racing. Our builds, little dinky speed shop, racing, modifying and perhaps talking about our future in the industry. Then when those were winding down, the surf adventures and desert motorcycle racing took over. It was an endless conversation that always had something new we did not talk about the last time.

My wife always chuckles at any of the visits. She says we have so many different ways to live, but the talks are always about hot rods, drag racing, surfing and motorcycle racing. To her, it sounded the same, but to us, there was a lot of different things going on in those days. We always had something new to talk about and laugh while we were enjoying the “good old days.”

“You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone…”
1940-1992

 

so there we were next to each other, her driving carelessly, putting on makeup, looking in her mirror, eating something, and drinking something.
Why she almost wrecked us, me trying to stay beside her, damn I almost spilled my coffee !!!!!!

 

they say : "The guys with the lowest pants in prison get the most sex.."

 

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your reaction to it…”

Hello,

Whether it is in hot rod events, situations, history in your teenage years, and even in today’s pandemic, you cannot control what happens, but, you can control yourself… and your reaction/adapting to the situation.

When I bought my first 40 Ford Sedan Delivery, I really wanted the 348 motor. That in essence would have been the top echelon in all of the teenage hot rod stories and events. But, that was not to be. The Flathead powered same sedan delivery provided me with unlimited (except uphill steep grades on highways/mountains) happiness, as it took me everywhere I wanted to go during those adventures.

Was it fun? With a friend or two, surfboards, plenty of food and drinks, what more was there to ask as we knew the destination of great waves, more friends in different places all made it worthwhile. The experiences allowed me to adapt to what was new and fun. It opened up a new way to look at our surroundings and as a teenager, thought this was as close to Nirvana as it would get.

Jnaki

Drag racing was winding down, hot rod cruising/racing was still strong. The So Cal coastlines offered plenty of new adventures for a teen anxious to absorb as much as we could, before we had to think of the future endeavors. Military, job, family, all loomed ahead and now that we were close to graduating, would hit us soon.

A lightweight 7' 6 " Lighting Bolt surfboard strapped down, in its time period of surf transportation.

We did control our reaction to plenty of outside influences and made the right decisions along the way to this point. My wife and I were able to adapt together through thick and thin. We came across plenty of “stuff” that just was not our thing and now, we are better for it. Healthy, wealthy (in family) and wise decision making helped along the way to our current lifestyle. YRMV
327 powered sedan delivery

 

"We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we can do anything with nothing."



Hello,

Working as a teenager, working with others and then as we were able to adapt to all of the arrows pointed at us as 20 somethings, then 30 somethings, something had to give. Luckily, it was not us. My wife and I have gone through plenty of barriers and difficulties during our lifestyle in So Cal. Families come and go, but, trying to fit in to the area and lifestyle brought all kinds of situations.

Starting out with the hectic year of 1968 events in the whole USA, we decided to stay together forever and do what we thought was the right way to live. We wanted to be on our own, doing what we wanted to do, without forcing ourselves on others. But, working with others was a difficult thing to do for us.

Jnaki

Our meager lifestyle was not on the big time money track, like some of our old high school friends, but we did not care. We had an El Camino, drove all over So Cal and into our forays up North along the coast. (We also made many trips below the BAJA border, too.) We enjoyed who we met along the way and knew we were on the right track. We learned to adapt…

So, to this day, we can “…do just about anything with nothing…”

 

I knew a gal once who said "If I'm not in bed by 10:30, I'm going home!"

 

“There are good ships and there are wooden ships. The ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships and may they always be…”


Hello,

Surfing, Sailing, and hot rods all have similar traits. It is the customization of each item that creates a bond between the object and person. Stylish details on designs and custom builds, all lead to individuality. Growing up in several different activities, one meets many different personalities. But the ones that click, remain friends to this day.


Jnaki

My best friendship was from 1966 through the good to terrible times in the USA. We lived through those times including one of the early versions of a pandemic. But this new pandemic has drawn us closer and the friendships still hold true. Our friends and family see us the oldest and hopefully the wisest in the family functions. That means we still have friendships in and out of the family, but from a far away as social distancing allows.

“If you smile at me, I will understand
'Cause that is something everybody everywhere does
In the same language…”

“Wooden ships on the water, very free and easy
Easy, you know the way it's supposed to be
Silver people on the shoreline, let us be
Talkin' 'bout very free and easy…”

CSNY

 

The passed is like a foreign country. They do things differently there.

 

Not my Monkey's
Not my circus

 

Mother Tresa had a saying very close to that statement!






Bones

 

"If you're going to wrestle a hog in the mud, don't be surprised if passers-by can't tell the difference."
-- Anonymous