Hot Rods The necessity of our old car hobby

Nothing will make you more stressed, more worked up and saddened now than turning on the TV or reading the paper. Put them asside enjoy your old cars, your families and friends. Sorry needed to say that this morning Gene in Mn

 

Very true. Probably a good time to give every member of your Family one more hug.

 

Truly a return to sanity, a trip out to the garage or down to the shop and get to work on a project car.

 

It's nice to do something that you know you have control over and can see the end result. So much of what's going on now seems beyond our control and, like it or not, will most likely effect our lives in some way. Enjoy what you've got while you can.

 

Unfortunately, not all of us can hide out in the garage. As much as I want would like to, that ain't always the way it works. Someone has to hold that thin blue line.

"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night, only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Quote attributed to George Orwell.

 

HOT ROD'S are what keeps me sane,as the world spirals out of control around me ,both here and abroad,my hot rod hobby is not only my passion but the one thing that always holds my interest. HRP

 

TV is only good for watching hot rod movies.
I try not to buy into the news, although it's hard to tune out to recent events, I focus on my work and cars as much as I can.
In fact, I've just been watching Bakini Beach for the first time.
The cars are great, the acting is a little hard to watch, and who the hell is wearing that monkey suit?

 

Couple hours in the garage I can reset my head and be right with the world for a little while.

Sure is better than my past practices, drinkin, fightin, fuckin in continuous and completely random order was a lot of fun but didn't net many positive results overall. I'll stick to cars.

 

Danny and Don, I know all too well how much hot rods can hold your life together. I became caregiver for my wife in 2009 and today must be with her all the time. However she is still mobile and just a trip to Market Basket for milk and bread in the '40 is like taking a Prozac (which I refuse to do). I get up in the morning, get her settled and then sit down at the HAMB for my morning coffee time. We are celebrating 50 years of marriage in a week, having eloped in a modified '65 big block vette and we've had a hot rod through it all, the good and the bad. From buying the little books at the United Cigar Store in the 50s to now being able to get enormous amounts of inspiration and information at the click of a mouse, what a great trip it has been. In my search of hot rod blogs for '40 pics for the anniversary blog, I found this and it is appropriate for this thread.

 

Happy 50th anniversary a week early, OlCurmudgeon....

 

Blazedogs.This is true. That why I took my state trooper clone car in to town to go food shopping. I started sweating a little when the sheriff that was sitting on the side if the high way pulled out behind me on the way home.He pulled up beside me and checked out the lettering on the car. When I turned and looked at him and waved he gave a nod and turned around. He had me sweating there a little bit. LOL. Bruce.

 

Gene,

Thank you for the wisdom.

I think one of the main reasons that I like cars and mechanical things in general is that they make sense to me, they are logical, and I can fix them. People often don't make sense to me, are often very illogical and I certainly can't "fix" anyone.

If it weren't for my faith in God, my beautiful wife, and the ability to tinker with hot rods this world would be a very discouraging place.

 

I call it garage therapy. It is the best thing for washing away negative energy.

 

Oh hell, we call it hot rod aerobics.

 

A warm night + a cold beer (or beverage of your choice) + some "workshop therapy" = mental harmony

 

I love the hobby, but ignoring the world around me won't make the world any safer. It'll actually put me at a disadvantage. History has shown that an "isolationist" approach, usually doesn't work too well.

 

I don't consider it ignoring as it much as escaping from it in the garage zone. If only for a couple of hours in the shop it helps my attitude get better. Its like a place you don't have to think about the rest of the world and all its craziness.

 

Cmon fred, there's nothing like getting in a car you built yourself, piloting it down the road knowing NOBODY ELSE has one like it. It's the only one, you can't buy one at the car store, that's the thing about hot rods, they can't be bought at a dealership, they're unique, driving one is medicine for the soul. If you don't think so, take a non hotrodder for a ride. I especially love taking 40-50 year old girls, they have orgasms in the seat right beside you, best thing ever.

 

The world is slowly spinning into a very dark place. When people care more about a phone than other people's well beings. I like turning everything off and go make a mess in the garage even if it is just to move stuff around. And I work on vehicles all day, 6 days a week, 55-70 hrs a week. All makes, models, years. The love for keeping cars on the road for my customers or for the family is definitely the only thing I'm good at.

Put the phone down, turn the tv off, shut down the computer and go and make something even if it's just beating on metal with a hammer.

 

Gotta agree with Fred, keep you head out of the sand but drive the hell out of your hot rod, every chance you get!!

 

You sure you understood what I wrote? I didn't say anything bad about Hot Rodding, I love it, but I don't use it to escape or ignore what's going on around me. It's a very pleasing distraction. Hot Rodding is just a part of who I am. Of who we all are.

 

Solid advice...

 

As far as the world goes,
There's no sense in worrying about any of it unless you're going to really do something about really fixing it.

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

 

I like this thread. We live in a messed up world for sure. God, Family, Country, and Hot Rods! That is the glue that keeps me together. And this is what I do for stress. I will get in the Hot Rod at about 3:00 am. I will do a few burn outs. Out in the country where there is no one to disturb. If I don't break anything the stress is gone. If I do , I will call the wife to come and get me, the stress is gone but I will now have a big Headache lol Ron...

 

I love this
I didn't realize it until reading this banner
At 15 I started racing motorcycles, it sure kept me out of trouble. I raced short track and TT here in the Bay Area and my older brother and I along with a few friends raced 4 to 5 nights a week. With the bike prep for that schedule there wasn't any time for monkey business.
Wide open throttles has worked for me.
Thanks alcurmdgeon


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

 

I have spent the last 25 years working my ass off in the mortgage industry. One year in this business is like a dog year so that translates to 175 years, or something like that...I'm not good with numbers.

After a day of toil and not actually making any measurable headway at the office it is my therapy to return to the sanctity of my garage in the evening where "lefty loosy - righty tighty" actually apply and a little effort can be easily quantified and appreciated. It's like couch time for me without an analyst and a box of Kleenex.

Oh, and a glass of bourbon.

 

I was reluctant to post this thinking it would be deleted since it's a bit off the subject of old cars and could be considered controversal. I was venting a bit and it helps me. I am 72 yrs old , have a lot to compare with.I have experienced a lot,done a lot and never have I seen the world as it is today. The Wife says I'm down and seem angery all the time

As I read your posts I guess I'm not the only one that gets down. Many good responses.... I worked out in the shop all day making templates and cutting sheet metal. Yup , and I do feel better now than I did this morning Gene

 

For those worried that the world is going to hell, allow me to offer this: The future has never been scarier, because we have never had more to lose. I know there are shitty things going on all the time, but if you compare the present day in which we live with any other time in human history, we have never had it as good as we have it right now. This obviously won't apply to anyone who has had a significant personal loss, but western society, in general is better than it ever has been. We fear loosing everything we have, because we have a lot to lose. If you're scared of loosing that, that's good. That means we are paying attention to the pitfalls. How we gonna avoid them all? Don't know. I think we've got to get back to valuing our neighbors and get better at communicating with people we think we disagree with. My guess is we all have a lot more in common than our frustration leads us to assume.

The thread title meant something else to me, and that's one piece of evidence for my theory just stated. I recently realized why I am addicted to old cars. My grandfather worked on old cars as a necessity. He could only afford old cars and had to keep them running out of necessity. His young family depended on him to do that. It was hard to find work returning from WWII. Eventually, auto repair became his career. When you're a kid, nothing is better than hanging out with your dad. If your dad is working on cars all the time, that's how you spend your time, and the association leaves you enjoying cars as much as hanging out with Dad. That's how my dad learned to love working on old cars. For the second generation, it was not a necessity, but a way of enjoying life. I am privileged to have gotten my habit while my dad was recreating and not just eeking out survival.

When I think about my kids' future, yes I'm scared that their standard of living won't be as good as mine. Knowing how to fix a car might help them if everything goes Mad Max, but connecting with other people is the only way to prevent the Mad Max scenario in the first place.

 

This thread.......I awoke to an epiphany at 4:30 AM.

Not an "Eureka!" moment; more along the lines of "Hot Rods and the Meaning of Life" revelation.

Consider this a placeholder - I've not yet had my first cup of coffee (oh, you all will rue the day I start gabbing).