The evolution of our taste in cars as we mature

I have always longed to own a 1957 Chevy, and I still do. But as time has passed I have grown more open to other makes and models. Now I love all cars, well almost all cars. And I love to see the many differant makes and models at the shows and cruises. I reckon life would be boring if we all drove 57 Chevys.

 

I have never changed my opion on the tri-five Chevys, I don't like them, never have and guess I never will. It's not that I hate them, they are better than anything new. I would just rather have anything other than a 55-57 chevy, a 55-57 Olds, pontiac or other GM would be fine. When my son turned 14 or 15 we went out looking for a car to fix up and we were looking for a mid-50's GM so I was lobbying against the tri-five Chevy.(not that we could have afforded one any way) we ended up with a 54 Chevy 150 sedan.

The one area I did porgress in was HOT RODS, I mean pre 48 stuff. My Brother -in -law was getting into the more traditional stuff, like what we here are all about, and I just did not understand, I just could not get the billett stuff out of my mind. How could you build a car and not have some chrome or mag wheels on it. With FAT tires! well, I'm glad to say, for the last 20 years or so, I now understand, how could I have been SO wrong??????

 

Kinda funny, but my tastes have actually gone backwards a time or two. I came about this a bit different than most in that I was born into a family that owned speed shops and cars were all that there was in life. I knew the differences between a '40 Ford and a '40 Willys about the time I started walking, and spent the first ten years of my life in the pits at a drag, circle track, or boat racing event every weekend. The family cars were "T" buckets (his and hers), a mild custom T-bird, A wild panel painted Ranchero, a Lathem supercharged Jag XKE, a Buick powered '40 coupe, and a other. So I kinda got it right out of the gate.

In high school I screwed together a '35 five window coupe when most of my friends were driving muscle cars. Friends racked up Road Runners, I traded for a '39 Deluxe with a 283. When high school came to an abrupt end and I had to go out on my own, it became readily apparent that I couldn't spend every penny I made on cars any more.

Retro grade #1... VWs In the eighties in Phoenix and L.A., High winding, high horsepower bugs were all the rage, and they were cheap compared to hot rods. You could build an engine in a second story apartment and install it in the parking lot so quick no one would be the wiser, too. I spun out and became addicted for about ten years.

Got my own house and shop space, Back to hot rods. Been there for the last 24 years now. But what about the stuff I missed back when? Like white letter tires, and traction bars, the goofy stuff I was too cool to do? I have to admit that Chris Shelton very passionately talked me out of flipping to the white letters on my Maverick's T/As out a couple of months ago... Always kinda wanted to do some of the goofy stuff I was "too cool" to do. That must be retrograde #2; ya think?

 

I built my first hot rod, A chopped & channeled Model A when I was a young teenager in the early 50s, then a 34 Ford. Then life, wife and family, mostly WIFE, got in the way. We split in 77, got back into street rods, now I drive a chopped 37 Terraplane. Always liked older cars.

 

FYI, that body style for Cadillac, Buick, and Oldsmobile was 1954-1956. If it's an El Camino or Corvette cool, but a '57 Biarritz trumps a '57 Bel Air no doubt.

 

My tastes haven't changed much, but have become more refined. I still love customs the most, but have moved towards more cohesive, finished, tasteful cars than the typical gaudy cruise-night custom with etched glass and 50's bolt-ons.

Kinda like how my tastes in beer have changed since college. Before it was whatever I could get my underage hands on, but now I enjoy a smooth porter or stout.

 

I was hardcore muscle car until my middle 20's when I disovered rockabilly and hot rods at a friends body shop. Got rid of My 70 ss 396 that i had to build a real hot rod. Then I got married and had a kiddo so still waiting and drooling over the cars here. I had a 50 3 window chevy p/u for a bit but sold it to help get a business going. Now im hunting an unmolested t coupe to get going.

Most of my taste in cars was from my dad. His first car was a 65 chevelle that he still has. Built a few in highschool. Fun cars just not my thing anymore.

 

I have found that over the years that the odd ball cars seem to catch my eye more often than not. Take a 63 Imperial for instance, 15 years ago, probably wouldn't even notice it. Now, i think they are beautiful! Don't get me wrong, Tri fives, A's, Mercs, ect...all can be made beautiful. Some of witch are beautiful untouched. But, they are everywhere! Every car show has tons of them. I guess I just like the under dog.

 

I had a '56 nosed and decked 2 door hardtop Plymouth,Merc cruiser skirts,conny kit, steel packs, and had the rear end dragin. That was in the late 50s. Early 60s I
got side tracked into racing sports cars. About the mid 60s I was into Vetts. '61 FI, '61 270hp. and then a '65roadster.. I hit the 80s with a '32 hiboy roadster. Wifes car a '38 4dr sedan with a Buick. Had a 48Chev pick up. Now it's a '59 454 BB Chevy Apache. I think i'm slowin down. Creature comforts and fenders are starting to look good to me. But I like them all.

 

when I was 14 or so there was a 50 Olds coupe in the neighborhood. it was an old faded HOT ROD even in 1974. nosed and decked, louvered hood, rusty chrome wheels with pinner whites and a nice rake. super faded candy red paint and the coolest red and white tuck and roll interior. it was in the driveway and a yellow 32 roadster was in the garage. it was equally old and faded with no hood and probably an olds motor in it as well... I knew it wasn't a chevy or ford motor. these cars were in the Glenmoor area of Fremont Ca, if any of you old farts rememebr the 70's maybe you remember these cars.

when I was 15 I saw the olds in the paper for sale. if he had waited a year to sell it I'm 100% sure I would have bought it.

at 16 I went looking for a 49-54 Chevrolet or a 49-51 merc. bought my 49 and still think they are great looking cars. I really like all cars from the early 50's... especially GM's offerings

always really liked 33-34 Fords, though never able to afford one.

most of the old cars I have owned were more based on condition and price than any love for a particular make and model.

so other than a time with muscle cars (69 GTO and a 70 1/2 Z/28) my tastes have remained consistant.

 

I grew up in the muscle car era but got hooked on the Jake influence in Rod & Custom at the time... wanted a T or 32... settled for a 33 Cabriolet which I channeled and later chopped (still have it)... but, my regular transportation was 57 Ford's... fast forward forty years - I have two 57's (one is a chopped Ranchero that is going slow) and a wagon... a 27 T on Essex rails with a Whippet shell getting closer to being done, and the 33 which has been finished since LARs in 91

 

I had all those obsessions and am grateful that I have been able to keep them. For me it's just a matter of setting a goal and working for it.

 

I'm old. But don't believe I will ever mature. So I'll answer as truthfully as possible. I DON'T LIKE OLD CARS.....I DON'T LIKE OLD CARS !

 

Hes been told a million times not to exagerate.

 

I'm 66. Started with the flatheads, mostly junkers that I could afford. Went to Harleys, went drag racing a Stude coupe & SS 396/427s, then British crap sports cars and back to 30s 40s cars that I now can afford. now I have a 34 Ford PU and a 35 Ford coupe
I think the evolution has to do with your financial ability.

 

I liked cars in general when I was a little kid. When I was 10, I saw a chopped 40 Merc with a Carson style top and a chopped 50 Merc owned by the same guy. To this day, I`d love to have either one. That started my love affair with Customs.

 

There arE a lot of things that affect our likes and dislikes. When I was a teenager my Dad just did not get it. He forbid me to own a motorcycle or a convertible. For most of my adult life I have kept a convertible parked next to my Harley.

Life is good, John L

 

when i was around eight or nine i wanted a corvette.then i saw an early mustang 65-66 and i was hooked. it is all i thought about. when i was 14 i bought my first one. it was a 64 1/2 some guys from the local mustang club checked it out and ran the vin they told me it was the 70th car built. i sold it before i was legal then bought a 66 no motor no trans. it was a v8 car the first was a six. never put a motor in it. the i bought a 67 by the time i had my license. v8 auto cool overhead console. i beat the shit out of that car!this was in 1990-1994
went through a short 4x4 stint.then i bought a couple suicide door lincolns (still love those cars). while i was hanging out at my cousins house he had his buddies 52 plymouth sitting at his house.we were all hanging out outside and i was a bored under legal drinking age guy.so i started waxing the old paint on the car. it was custom paint faded from dark plum to a light purple.it starts looking really nice. i spent the next two days waxing that fucker. owner comes by and says wow it looks great i guess i will sell it.clearly i was hooked. i bought it for 800 bucks.that lead me to rodders journal (the one with that baby blue fastback) that lead me to the big blue car website and in turn here.

i am now on my fifth or sixth 51-52 plymouth and still totally addicted to the hamb...

 

My dad only had 4 cars his whole life but i love cars since i could walk mostly gm cars, chevys 36 to 63,s my frist love is customs but i love ford shoebox,and old caddy,s guess i just like them all

 

If you decide you want to buy a '62 Imperial in Texas let me know. I saw a '63 in Vernon this year crusing, but I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner. Gotta love those headlight pods.

 

I used to think I didn't like hot rods much because I had no exposure to traditional rods. Turns out, what I really don't like is Street Rods. I love real traditional hot rods now.

With me it has nothing to do with age, but more so with education. I still like the cars I liked when I was young.

 

I have had muscle cars, Corvettes, 4WD trucks and even Volkswagons but ever since the beginning it has been street rods, I was one of the few in my area. My evolution has been from BBC, pro-street to traditional, traditonal I like the best

 

Born 1973. My dad & brothers built 30's rods & had 60's SS novas, & even a 65 & 67 Shelby. When I was a kid, I use to dream of my HotRods having SBC's with Webers, Jag IRS, Kugal IFS, Torque Thrust rims. Now, as I build Rods, I find my rods being more stock/original than modified. I NEVER though Id be driving a Model A with a 4-banger & digging it. But if I did have a SBC's with Webers & the right Torque Thrust rims, Id upgrade, the indepentant suspension . . . . maybe not.

 

I have NO plans on "Updating" my 70/80's styled car, though!!!!

 

i love a models A's but ill drive anything that i can afford

 

yes

 

I am an "A" guy now

30, 31 to be exact.....

 

I know how you feel

 

while long hauling on the 2011 hrpt i was reminiscing with my buddy i grew up with about how my dad offered me a chocolate brown fully loaded dodge monaco wagon if i got rid of my 68 firebird with dual quads thru the hood when i got out of high school. " dad i'm 18 yrs old who wants a stationn wagon?" 34 yrs later and i own two

 

The Hamb changed my life forever..... When that light bulb turned on, it has been shining bright ever since.