The HAMB: Where did it all begin? Give us a history lesson

I'm naturally a curious person- as most of here are. I was reading the message HotRodPrimer started on how he got started on the inet and how other's got their start.

Well, when it's cold outside you start getting a warm fuzzy and nostalgic feeling.....that is, when you're not in the garage trying to pick up tools that are too cold to hold on to, and gloves make everything awkward.

Anyway, I want to hear from you HAMBrs that were here in the beginning. How did it start? Who were the members? Do you have any screen shots of what it all looked like? Was this a "club" before it was an inet forum? Tell us newbies some history. I think we should all know our roots, especially since we're appoaching 10k members....

And, I don't want this to turn into to, "I like the old HAMB much better"......I don't want Ryan to close the thread.

Also, I really want to hear from the people that have a join date of 2001 or older.

 

I can't really speak to how it all got started but I can tell you how I got started...

I started by browsing the internet for cool car pics. I used to check out Mart's site a lot and Kustoms by TSR etc...

And I read the Jolopy Journal quite a bit. But I got bummed that new pics didn't pop up very often.

I also checked out the classifieds quite a bit.

BUT I THOUGHT THE IDEA OF SIGNING ON TO A MESSAGE BOARD WAS KINDA GAY!!!

I thought it was for chicks or wierdos or both.

But I signed on and had a few different usernames back when 5 people were logged on at a time... One of those people was Ryan!

-Mike- was on all the time and a few other fools.

I gradually warmed to the idea via the flathead groups and signed on here as "40Phil" and the rest is history.

That was about the time this place really got booming mostly because of Germ and all his LOVERS and HATERS...

I'm older now... And I've learned a lot here.

It's not really that different than the "Old Hamb"... Just bigger.

 

I am not one of the original guys, but this is the fourth version of the HAMB I think. I signed on ver. 2 time period

 

damn, it's been like over 5 years now. I just remember DR J, C9, and Roothawg from "back in the day"

 

I used to read the jalopy journal a lot too, i'd get all excited when the intro/flash page changed, and that big 5 spoke wheel with the funny shaped buttons all around it... wasted a lot of my high school/early college there. I didn't come to the hamb until much later.

 

kilroy aka 40phil. I first found the hamb fromt eh hot rod deluxe website run by aaron "von knuckles" at the time. actually he didn't have the knuckles till car kulture deluxe was rolled out but thats ok. It was in a form similar to the fordbarn is. Then it transformed. Into something similar to what it looked like prior to this last update. It was a smaller group back then but it has grown a lot.

 

I guess I'm wanting to hear how Ryan was at a Goodguys show, sitting in a Port-a-jon and thinking how much like-minded hot rodders needed a place to share ideas on traditional hot rods. When all of a sudden his prankster buddies pushed the port-a-jon over and it all became very clear to him.....

 

First there was like dust or dirt or something. Then there was a flash of light and this dude called Adam ate an apple given to him by some ornery snake. Then some chick called Eve decided that they needed to get some clothes, so she invented the shopping mall.
And then some descendent of Adam and Eve's called Al Gore invented the wheel or something and then all these strange folks with marginal social skills started yakking about obsolete modes of transportation over tin cans connected with string.

That's it in a nutshell.

 

Well, the Boss laid it out for ya.

It's been a cool ride, and man....have we seen allot of changes in people and cars.

I still love beaters, death rods, scarey old drag cars, gassers, altereds,....just plain old HotRods.

Stay tuned to this station, and you will be amazed !
Glenn
Old-Timer

 

Shouldn't it be in a nadshell?

 

Now that's funny!

 

I remember when i found Jalopy Journal i was in computer class in 8th or 9th grade i ate this shit up soon after the HAMB came around but I thought it sucked monkey balls. even though that didnt stop me from signing up as tikkisurf but i hardly ever posted then when hamb merged with H R Deluxe i thought a bunch of posers came out of the wood work (more bitching than resolving) so i soon lost intrest then forgot my password (seeing how we were issued them). I lurked around for the last 7 or so years sticking my head in once in a while to see whats going on now im back and loving it. its like whisky gets better every year

 

my grandpa used to drive a Nadshell

we don't talk about him much, but man what a car...

 

I think I started looking at the jalopy journal when it was pretty new before the HAMB. I stumbled across it in college for graphic design. We were learning how to make animated gifs and I still remember showing the teacher the smoking girl on the main page.

I graduated from that school and started working. I didn't find out about the HAMB until a few years later.

 

I can't add much except oh yeah I remember that. Probably late 1999. I sure was proud when the sport coupe was added to the Readers rides section. (it's still there! I just checked)

I lurked for a while. I didn't get all the soap opera drama. When the talk got around to cars, I couldn't keep my mouth shut. The changes were always a hoot. Everybody trying to figure out all the new features. I also remember the panic when the changes were made. What if it never comes back!!!!!

They never gave me any shit. I don't know why. I just started to butt in when I thought I could help. I was always paranoid of Officer spellcheck. Nobody has overtly told me to get the hell out of here...so I've stuck around.

 

1997. gawd i gotta get a life.

I only bailed cause all this bill paying stuff started!!!!!

 

Where's the part of the story mentioning the initial stock offering and everyone involved making billions and retiring with one of each car ever made?

Isn't that the way this Google/ Yahoo/ Ebay/ HAMB Web Site stuff is supposed to work?????


Thanks for the 10 years of effort Ryan. Thanks in lieu of the billion in stock options.

 

I'll second that................big thanks!!!

 

This is good stuff......keep feeding us!

No wonder you get tired of the "Boyd sucks" threads, it becomes cliche'!

...even though he does suck! JUST KIDDING, don't let this one spiral out of control and don't close it.

On behalf of the newbies- 2002 to present- thanks for what you do/have done and keep reliving some history here.

 

Yes sir, I'll third that!

FWIW, I was on a Ford V8 site, where all the restorers get thier panties in a bunch because someone put dual exhaust on a stock '35, or god forbid made it 12v, or how the correct whitewalls should look, but they havn't been made in 75 years, and they went on to complain about how awful the hamb was. So naturally I figured, hell I'll fit in a lot better over there, I'd better find this hamb place

 

This is Ryan's gig and he is doing it his way. I commend him on that. Man it just doesn't seem like I've been hagin around here for five years though. It's been the best time I've ever wasted

 

In 2000 I was on a streetrod site that had a couple of HAMB members on it. One actually showed me the HAMB and put it in my favorites BUT I thought to myself, 'man those dudes are so mean to each other' and that it certainly wasn't the site for innocent me to hang out on.

I did lurk off and on for over 2 years, moreso even after I purchased Project Big Olds from HAMB member Just Steve. I read all the stuff written by guys who had never met me who were giving their opitions on what I was going to do to Big Olds and the shame I was going to bring to the project.

I was internet pals with Germ and he finally convinced me to give the HAMB a chance, that it really was the place for me. I knew I had to do an intro like no other. One that would state the facts of my car related past and my plans for the future of Big Olds. It took 2 months to write but when I was finished and I posted it, complete with LOTS of photos, well lets just say it was something I was proud of and it blew away anyone that had any doubts about WHY I wanted to become an active and productive member of the HAMB. I owe my HAMB existance to my pal Germ and I do miss his regular posts. I'll tell you guys a secret. For a couple of years I thought Germ was Ryans alter-ego. Really, I did. I was finally convinced they were really two guys once I personally knew someone who met Germ in person. Of course now that I know Ryan better I realize how silly that thought was.

I do miss alot of the "old" personalities from years ago and often wonder what they're up to. Did they just get tired of the HAMB. Did their computer crash and they didn't bother to get it fixed or replaced. Did they die? Certainly makes me pause and reflect.

The "HAMB" has done more for me and Big Olds then I could ever begin to repay and for that I have Ryan to thank. xoxoxo

 

TEN YEARS! Wow, and I only have been around 5 of them!
A guy by the name of "Cword" (Mike) sent me an email back in 2001 and said, "You should have a look at this place. It looks like it could be a real HOOT!"

Well, I wandered in; typed my first message all in CAPS! (my dad was a publisher and typed everything in caps because the shift key was broken on his old Underwood and I got in the same habbit)

Boy, did I ever get my reins pulled up! QUIT SHOUTING everyone said.

I actually have had the pleasure of meeting many of the members here on the board. Carps, av8, just to name a couple. Then there was all of you who came to Bonneville when we brought North of '49 to the salt.

The HAMB is like a second home. I check-in every morning while slurping my first coffee; if I don't, I get the shakes by noon!

Dave

Thanks Ryan; don't know what I would do without ya! (and the HAMB)

 

I've been here since about version one. Less than 200 people then. Didn't even have to sign in then.

THem were the days when a new guy got haded his balls to see how he would react! I still can't forget the bad time lulubelle had when he started.

Actually have met Germ.

I think I found a link here from the old Primer board. Just kinda snuck in and didn't get too harrassed, now you can't get me out of here.

Sure has changed alot.

How many can remember the "flame wars" with the RRT?

HRLC that would have been the SRS?

Or who can recall the great "choke contrversy"?

So many memories, so few brain cells!

THANK YOU Ryan for the playground!


jerry

 

Gosh- I've been bugging people here longer than I thought- since Version 1.0! It was a lot different in the beginning with way too much chest bumping and such, but it was fun. When I started I had just left "Sport Truck" magazine and was looking for something more in tune with what I was into rather than sporttruck.com and the Chevy truck message boards. Sam, Germ and aV8 all gave me a good roasting and eventually I would become friends with them all and met them all in Sam's garage. And if there was anything I learned it was you can talk a bunch of crap on a keyboard, but when it gets down to meeting these guys in "the real world" they have all been really great serious rodders that know their stuff. The HAMB is the pulse of the side of rodding I'm most interested in, so glad I found it when I did- sorry to all those that just never got the jokes

 

I second what jerry said and yeah Thanks to all for the history and fun w/ pokemon in the ole days LOL . I joined up about version 2 after jerry told me what a cool place it was .Jerry is right there was an initiation of sorts back then .Makes me wonder what ole mud is up too , germ always had/has us bustin a gut .i do not think it can be said enough
THANKS RYAN .