Art & Inspiration There once was a time when it was cool and meant something

A Friend of mine once had a fine collection of Case crossmotor tractors. The Case logo of the Eagle sitting on the World was cast into every part. The rocker arms had the Logo .
Companies once had pride in their products .

 

We've dabbled in that too, but it's mostly industrial instrumentation systems like sample analyzers and our stuff is used to control temperature of the sample, either heating or cooling. The mundane one of the left just injects water into a drain to keep it from getting too hot but it's mostly brass and looks a bit cool. The one on the right is used to freeze protect locomotives since loco's don't use antifreeze.

 

I'm going to expand on this a bit, and a bit O/T and maybe depressing... But am I the only one who has noticed that "cool" is an endangered thing in general? It's not only design and parts and such, but just in the way folks carry them selves and the choices they make that presents them to the general public...

Dumb as it sounds I thought about this the other day when I saw a younger guy (lets say 23) ride a woman's bicycle up Central in Phoenix the other day. It was pink too! He was just comfortably pedaling along like it was no big deal. 25 years ago at that age you would have had to put a gun to my head to get me to ride that bike!!! I would have walked, dead serious, and still would.... No cool no cool what so ever! Sorry, I had to vent.

 

Hey,,,,,61chev ,

Them old Tractor Seats work great mounted on A Shovel !!!!

I guess my thing is Old Locks & Keys, They were
designed with PRIDE also.

Good Day to ya....

 

I know there must be many guys on here that just don't get what the fuss is all about. I kinda feel sorry for them.

 

Hey guys, thanks for showing us your cocks...

I guess the way I look at it is the part has to be correct for the purpose FIRST, cool second, cheap third. The coolest looking valve in the world is still wrong if you have to use 6 adaptors to fit it into your line...or you didn't need one in the first place. Just keep an eye on that old stuff if you're using it with modern gas.

Weasel, you're not actually swapping IN a Lucas electrical part, are you???

 

I went and pulled that ign switch I was talking about earlier, soaked it in WD-40 for a bit and it now works like new.


Here are some other small bits I am using on my Av8, both purchased right here on the HAMB

Rochester Mfg. gauge. , I like it because its from my home state, and it looks a bit more classy than the SW gauges everybody is using.


No clue where this little gem came from, but I think its cool as hell. I'll use it as my headlight switch. simple pull witch with internal fuse, 3 posts on the back labeled "HEAD" "BATTERY" "TAIL''

 

I was passing a local airport one saturday morning and notices a sign that said "auction today" by a hanger so I went in to take a look. The auction was 4 hours off and the auctioneers were moving things around and I realized that the guy that owned the hanger was a WWII guy and had been collecting stuff every since. I went home, got the pickup and a couple hundred bucks and ended up having to make 3 trips. It was like being in a bank vault filled with gold, jems, artwork and an auctioneer saying "comeon, somebody offer me $5.00". My wife thinks I'm crazy, but fortunatly I have a big metal building.

 

I'd have to agree with you. People roaming the streets in sweat suits.
Is there a single item of clothing that says I'm a schlub louder than a sweat suit?

Remember when Rock stars and Actors looked like stars? Plant, Hendrix, Dean,McQueen.
Now they look like they dressed to cut the grass or some such.

Ah well, what the hell do i know.

 

old electric drills are a weakness of mine. I have a 1/4 black and decker holgun like this one I still use from time to time. and with most of these it seems they are pretty hard to kill other than just looking cool

 

Hey Hillbilly4008 I can use that switch if you want to sell it Been looking for one and that's cool

 

No sir, this one has a home waiting for it. Any clues as to what it came out of?

 

Actually, he's cool because he doesn't give a shit what others think about it. He's cool because he had to be somewhere and was man enough to make due with what was available. If McQueen had to be somewhere and that bike was there, he'd have rode it. And if someone laughed, he'd take time to hop off and kick ass.

All of the responses in this thread have been about basicly one thing, "taking pride". That includes taking pride in self. If you're comfortable in who you are and whatever you represent, then that's being proud. That also includes being able to handle the bullshitters with closed minds and views on the world.

For every person that gives you the thumbs up for driving an old ride, there's 50 people who think you're an old fart, 10 years into a mid-life crisis. But you drive anyway and would fight to defend your choice to drive an old piece of shit. Pride.

So, the guy on the bike probably wondered why you would even give a damn what he was riding. And THAT is cool. Doing what everyone else is doing ain't cool. It's a lemming waiting for the next big thing.

No appoligies for the rant.

 

Since it came up, I'll tell a little story.

I was in traffic court yesterday for a speeding ticket, first time I've been there in years. I was amazed at how people there dressed. People actually went to trial wearing sweat pants, and t-shirts! If I was a judge I'd make sure they get the max penalty....

I'm 29 so its not like I know how things were "back in the day" but I know this shit didn't fly.

 

Won't fly in a Houston court. I've seen guys tossed for that shit.

 

Nah, I still vote for oblivious! And, being cool is way different than being part of the latest trend. Just like the valves and switches and stuff being shown here it's a matter of taking pride in the WAY you do things, and the impression you leave. We have tons of hipsters to show us the latest trends around this neighborhood whether it's wearing the most ironic wool hat or riding an equally dorky men's bike. That's not cool either. I just have noticed thast the younger generation has lost the clue that "cool" exists.

It started years ago when I saw a bunch of young kids getting out of school and piling into white 4 door front drive sedans and not thinking anything of it. Now it's the younger guys standing at the light rail stop at the end of my street carrying computer bags that look for all the world like purses, where as the older guys my age (I'm 48) are carrying the same stuff in a brief case so it doesn't look, well, uncool.

Maybe I'm going too far off track with this little rant of mine. tfeverfred, I mean you no personal insult, it's just that's what I have been noticing.

 

Couldn't agree more.

And that valve is a piece of
functional art, Lucky.

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

None taken. This place is for talking and opinions. Even if they hi-jack the thread a little.

 

Some of you guys are funny. Like it or not its not about being cool. It's about what moves you as a person. A time when industry cared about making the best product they can. That's it! No more, no less. For me personally I could give two craps if you like what I choose to put on my car, form or function I build my cars the way I choose the way I like. I'm not sorry if you don't like them or and I do not care if you think, "ah man the car was cool till I saw that vintage valve that belongs on a airplane." Truth is is if your passion tells you to build the same exact car that everyone else has built then that's what you should do. My mind is not narrow....

 

Thank you tfeverfred!!

 

Fred, I am starting to think you are one of the wisest people on the H.A.M.B.

Doc.

 

i chee wa wa, thats nice.heil?