Hot Rods The car that changed your life!

This car, and the man driving it, inspired me to do everything the best I could through out my life, to want to drive race cars, and be an honest, hard working man. From the time I was 3 years old, I watched dad race this Kurtis midget and beat cars of much wealthier owners. I also saw him sell this car he loved, to finance his first home and start his first machine shop, so that he could provide for his family. Thanks for the inspiration dad!

 

1953 Seattle Auto show, 14 years old with best buddie (actually named Buddy) and his dad who took us, and rebuilt most anything automotive in his garage on the banks of the Duwamish river in Tukwila for those of you from this area. Bud and I were just getting into cars and we just stared at this car. We had no idea something so beautiful could exist. let alone be built. I still really like this car, (insert " love this car", here for the ladies. Got this pic, posted in a special place by my '34.

 

Yea, that one too. But a lot of people didn't notice the imperfections and considering the time represented, imperfections in custom and hot rods would have been the norm.

 

The first hot rod that flutterd my heart was in 1967 in Kannapolis, NC at an old country store on Mooresville Hwy, it was a 1933 3 window Ford, bright yellow and was owned by a local black man (I was 7 years old) and I fell in love HARD and can't seem to live without them ( the "hot Rods" not the old men, Haha). Thanks for bringing up that old memory.

 

Famous cars? The Munster Coach and The Batmobile for the original TV series.
Real life? My cousin's 1966 Chevelle SS396, bought new. In 1969-ish, I made them promise me I would get that car when I got my license (I was 7 years old). That car was stolen in 1970. Replacement car? Brand new 1970 VW Beetle......I was pissed......

 

Yeah there "t" and I failed to mention this is Joe Balions " 41 Chev. Miss Elegance" I wonder though are todays rides "to perfect"? I mean I dig these creations as much as everyone, but sometimes they get just to perfect like the Riddler and some other cars are. I believe cars should be driven and the cars of back in the pre war and post war cars were driven, and these cars are the ones this thread is about, (mostly anyway). And they sure as hell don't put those perfect cars out there for some idiot to run into or worse vandalize. Hey now it is just an opinion that I have. Not worth bunching up your panties over HAMB'ers.

 

As far as famous cars, The Munters cars were great as well as the Batmobile. Wow that was a long time ago.

 

The AG Merc, Rebel Without a Cause Merc and Ca Kid.

 

Gary Kollofski's masterpiece.

 

In 1958, I bought my first car, a black 39 Coupe, but I didn't have the money to do anything other than drive it. I loved the dash on the 1940 more, but I loved that car, and kept it until I found a 1934 Ford 1/2 ton that I chopped and channelled.
I can't pick a favourite. I have had too many beautiful cars.
Nice car,
Bob

 

I grew up with Chevies, my uncle had quite a collection. My first car was a 57 two door 210... later on I helped a friend restore a 1972 Barracuda. After learning more about the engineering behind Mopar, I converted and have had many throughout the years. TBH, I like all makes, but there is something about the design and thought put into Chrysler products that keeps me loyal.

Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

There was two cars that developed my addiction. My dad's boss bought a brand new powder blue with white leather interior 57 Olds J-2 convertible. Was the best looking car I had ever seen. Still is the in the top 10.
My brother went to work for GM after he got out of the army and brought home a 1964 327-365 hp.
Corvette with factory side pipes and knock off wheels. I was about 14 when he took me for a ride. Ruined me for life.

 

ala cart

 

As a kid, my neighbor across the street had some cool cars. A fairly new white "59 Impala 'vert and a '58 Chevy 2-door wagon, with power windows. One guy around the block had a loud, low chopped '51 Merc.. flat black. A little later things came around like the Deuce on the Beach Boys album cover.

 

The Kid helped me gain a real liking for model 40 Fords. I doubt that I will ever own a Model 40 but it is on my list of cars to own and I really think that the Kid has influenced that desire.

 

not famous but ken helms little 28 rpu. in sea of stupid looking show cars in magazines this was a breath of fresh air . full fendered , flat black , low and daily driven for probably 40 years. used to see it at the bc tel office every time I drove through Keremeos. nice truck and a great car guy.

http://livingsignificantly.ca/2015/07/18/builder-of-unique-vintage-cars/

 

The car that changed my life to the great hot rodding life was my first ever car build and it happened to be a hot rod.
My Spittle & Son "C" cab.
This opened up a brand new world for me and through,
this car I met and I am still meeting all sorts of interesting people.
It lead to a great friendship with the late John Bonham. When he offered me Andy's Instant "T" , I was delighted that I could own the car, this lead me over to the Columbus Street Rod Nationals in 1978 where I met Andy Brizio, and the late great John Buttera.
This is also where I found and still have the car that will always be a part of me and has changed my hot rodding life even more and that's my Center Door Model "T"

 

Dick Kraft's former Roadster was a big influence on me, since I saw it on the cover of Hot Rod in '62.

 

A really long time ago, I sold the San Francisco Call Bulletin on the street corner near the Belmont train station. Across the street Healeys Pharmacy had a soda fountain and the soda jerk had a '32 Chevy 5 window with a GMC in it. Red car with black fenders. Chrome hood doors. I loved that car. When he went off to collage, he wanted me to buy the car. But I was way to young. I think the rest of my life has been effected by that car. I never could see why anyone would have a flathead when they could have a GMC. I did have a GMC in a Ford five window for many years. Red but no fenders.

 

For me as a kid, a late 60's style T Bucket built by local car guy Dave Seabrook that was owned by a guy down the road from me, a 34 ford coupe that was basically a clone of the California Kid built & driven by another local car guy Ralph Usilla - He would drive by as I was walking to & from elementary school & then the Milner Coupe sealed the deal when I discovered American Graffiti & made my quest to own a 50's / 60's styled Coupe a must have, never forgetting the local "legend" story about a frozen in time hot rod, sitting in a widows garage that I heard about as a teenager... and now I'm the proud caretaker

 

Fred,I drove my daily driver Model A pickup to the theater to see American Graffiti and was able to park not far from the entrance and standing in line to get tickets I heard someone say nice hot rod.

When we exited the theater there was a group of people milling around the old truck and when I walked up I felt like a celebrity,I was ask all kinds of questions and did my best to answer them all but the one I thought was funny was the lady that ask me were we part of the show and travel around with a car to promote the movie.

I honestly believe this movie,and others played a part in the resurgence in hot rods & customs around the country.

When the movie was show here,there was probably less than 10 hot rods & customs in and around Anderson. HRP

 

Man, this is a great thread. The answer about the midget racing dad that sold it to support his family actually choked me up a little. Keep em coming. This is what hotrodding is all about.

 

Remember the shot of "The California Kid" cresting that bridge, coming into town? Yea.... that cemented the addiction.

 

For me it was a front engine rail a guy was building in his garage down my block in Ohio. I used to walk down there every weekend to see if he was working on it. If he was I'd walk into his backyard and ask him questions and basically be a pain. After a few trips he actually let me help, simple things, wet sand the paint go-fur tools etc. The thing I remember most was when Kansas John Wiebe spent the weekend at this guys house and he let me ( I was maybe 10) let me see his rail, I remember him telling me it was a donovan engine. Well I was in awe when he let me polish the mags with semichrome, still use the stuff today. When I was done he gave me one of his tee-shirts it was a prize I held onto for years. Then of course there was dad he was a heavy machine mechanic for the Ford Cleveland plant, he always had great cars, 59 impala ss vert, 68 torino, javalin amx (sitting in my garage now) just to name a few. He was almost always under the hood of some car during the weekends. He always had a soft spot for vw's though, I'll never forget what he would say when working on one-----"I'm gona make a thousand little volkswagons outa this thing"

 

for me the cars that "Changed my life"
Holden Kingswood much like below as it was what I learnt to drive in. Ripping up paddocks and jumping small irrigation ditches like the dukes of hazard. Pic is not the car but same paint and body.

then my first car a 74 ZG Fairlane that I learnt car maintenance, and how to work on an engine etc. Also how to respect a worked V8 when you are young dumb and full of cum.

yes i really did have the scoop and note the disco ball hanging off the interior light... classy.

First car I modified was my next car just out of school. XY Falcon. Put in a Toyota 5 speed on the floor to start with. This taught me about the NZ Low Volume Vehicle Road Certification process and regulations.

had a skull shifter and bench seats that got used.

Was about then that the movie "Gone in 60 seconds" came out and I saw what I thought was a Caddy for years but really was a custom Merc. First time i had seen such a car and I was WTF that is Brutal!! I must have one one day /dream car. The car:



And those cars all started me off on wheeling, dealing, swapping cars, heck trading cars for brews even to get me to where im at today working on similar cars to the Merc above using the skills I learnt from my first old Fords & Holdens.

 

1968.Neighbor across the street had a '55 Chevy 2 door sedan drag car.Big block,tunnel ram,4-speed.
My Mom was hauling my 8 year old butt around in a bone stock '55 Chevy 2 door sedan.
I would look at his....look at Moms. Look at his....look at Moms.
Knew I liked his a whole lot more.

 

[/QUOTE]
Same here in 1967 but I was a little older and am doing mine with a 29 Vicky body on 32 rails,CRAGAR blown Hemi, Enderle bug catcher, Halibrand Champs, Goodyear Blue Streaks, the list goes on. Also at the same time Ed's MegaCycle knocked my socks off and made me realize anything is possible with a car.

 

First this local Hot Rod got me infected,


Then these two famous Hot Rods got under my skin, can you see a trend here?


How could you not like this view?

 

When I was,15 (1960) I was at the local drag strip with an older friend when a classmate drove up in the best looking 40 Ford Tudor I had seen. Now I was already ate up with hot rods (much to my Dads chagrin), but this was the one that started my addiction. A nice orange/red paint job, white rolls and pleats, hot flathead with white walls and smoothie caps. I wanted it so bad but unlike my friends Dad, mine would not buy me a car and he later kicked me out of the house when I bought a 40 Tudor of my own. It was not the one I dreamed of (far from it) but it was mine and it ran. I have had many 40's since, including the coupe I have now) but that one my friend had is what the Tudor project I have now will look like. Funny thing is when I saw him a couple of years ago and asked if he had a picture of it, he said no and barely remembered it. I can't forget it 57 years later.

 

Only 25 so it'll be OT, but my '99 Camaro Z28 was the first actually fast thing I ever had, so that was a pretty big deal...