I count myself lucky in many ways. I wasn't meant to be here... but her I am. In saying that I am doubly lucky to be here and share my passion with my wife. We each have different tastes in cars but appreciate (and enjoy) each other's chosen cars to own. I feel that as we move from working full time to working less and less it is how we choose to spend time together that really matters. While our enjoyment of motoring is only one of the hobbies we enjoy together, I have to admit it is a fairly consuming one. Who else has people in their life who enjoy their love of Hot Rods, Customs, and classic enjoyment of your motoring passion !!! ?? Post up your photos (HAMB friendly) of you and the people you share that motoring passion with !!! '39 Merc at the Drive In. Show & Shine and dressed to impress. Cruising in her Roadster !!! Checking out Rock & Roll George's GM Holden at the museum
This is the lady I get to share my passions with. I don't think she really got it at first but now that she's seen what goes into building a car from the ground up she definitely has more of an appreciation for what goes into it. I think that she likes it more because it makes me happy and I'm pursuing a passion that has been so long a part of my life.
Lucky guys, my wife doesn't get it and doesn't want to.....not to say thats bad, we agree on most things, do everything else together. The car thing? She was previously married to a guy who would spend grocery money to race, literally, and 50 years later, still harbours some resentment, when we met I still rode, we went everywhere on a bike, but kids got in the way, so, I built a car, which she tolerated, I built it out of my own pocket, and have all 40 years together. She tolerates it less now, too hot, too cold, messes her hair, other wives are catty, it's boring and stupid......you get it. It's my time alone, whether in the shop, or out on the road, time I value the solitude. I also ride again, too hot, too cold, messes her hair, etc, but she reminices about the good old days on a bike, she's getting old and I'm desperately trying not to, I'm sure like a lot of guys here.
Although I probably only have one son that is as crazy about this car stuff as I am (in the front seat of the pic), I have tried to make it fun for the whole family. I am not sure my wife knew what she was getting into when she married me although she did have a 64-1/2 Mustang at the time. Anyway, she has had a few other old cars over the years, but I think she has decided that this hobby is more mine than hers. Me and my four kids (one no longer living at home) have gone on several road trips in my 56 though and I hope they consider them as memorable and fun as I do.
Photo by Vnak Hello, I met someone when I was in my last years of college. The whole world was going through some great times to some awful times and we felt safe together. Our worlds changed while being together. We drove thousands of miles to see things and participate in things out of the norm back in Long Beach, in Los Angeles, and all along the Westcoast of California. Our friends/family just did not get, how the aspect of us being together, was so important. From lunches sitting at the water’s edge in the local, Alamitos Bay Harbor, just minutes away from campus and dreaming about living on a giant boat…yeah right! One other wild idea was for us to be the nanny and driver/mechanic for a small family. That would have been something! Traveling to as many places as possible to see the wonders of the world and coastal beaches, everywhere. That was the life we looked forward to living. Everything seemed to click when we were together. College experience was the key, as it started molding our minds to growing up together and facing what was coming at us, anytime. It was wonderful having someone so close in mind and thought. Sure, we came from different backgrounds and families, while melding those into our own lives. But, it was the idea that together, we would have the strength and ideology to get along in life, along with growing up together. We have been doing this ever since 1966. From young 20 somethings to retired old folks… it has worked well so far. It has been through 3 generations in this hectic period of time. Our hot rod lives started with countless hours in the 65 El Camino traveling all over the Westcoast and Baja for our photo opportunities. Then as we continued the road trips, we decided to modify our own hot rod for ourselves and our fledgling business. A 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery was the one, while it took us several months and different experts in the various fields to get the whole sedan delivery to be safe and handle correctly for us. We modified plenty of things to make it safe and fun. My wife actually enjoyed driving the sedan delivery as it had a nice sound 327 SBC and drove well, when we got all of the modifications and repairs done. The surfboards were now short enough to fit inside the large cave in the back. (Along with tons of photo equipment and accessories) The big thing was, we never had A/C in any of our cars, so this was killing two birds with one fell swoop. (A hot rod and one with our first A/C.) That worked wonders for our relationship... a cool arrival to anywhere or event without worrying about the dry heat of the Spring/Summer days and nights. Jnaki Driving all over So Cal helped us grow our hot rod familiarities together. At first, it was part of our lives, the business, the ease at which it drove. Then it was the odd stares and comments from our own families, it just made us stand out as different from their lives. We went our separate ways from the family for many years… Even when we visited my mom and dad back home in Long Beach, the comments about hot rods and drag racing always came up as a reminder of our history. We had moved on, but our mom still harbored daggers at us for having a cool hot rod sedan delivery. We continued to enjoy our own hot rod and business, the coastal surf lifestyle, too. In between, a small family began to grow to complete the idea we started back while we were young college kids. Being all together to adapt to whatever comes our way. “PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHY” came to mind for some advertising and a nice tax write off to help out in any way it could. (Or “Photographic Works, Laguna Beach,”) Our goal was to have a hand painted sign on the sides of the sedan delivery as it had a perfect place for such art. We were, "Happy Together." Courtesy of the Turtles.
I’m a lucky man. My wife is a car gal, her own ride is off topic but she loves to drive our T modified or go cruzin in the sedan. My in-laws have two hot rods currently and as a child she grew up with some sort of old car or truck in the driveway.
Ok, I will be the different type guy here.. I love my wife, but now that we are both retired we spend way too much time together. When I talk about going somewhere with a bud to a swapmeet or racing or something she wants to go and usually that is great, but sometimes you need some space.
You are a lucky man! My ex never understood “working on or driving something old”. My oldest daughter who’s 27 now has a passion for cars, but OT for here. My middle daughter who’s 25 likes 4x4 diesels. I still don’t know why. My youngest who turned 21 recently, the past few months she’s starting to get the itch to do some mods to her OT car. That’s as close as I’ll get to me and ladies enjoying the same hobby
My gal Molly, not only loves crusin in my hot rods, she will get down and dirty digging a future project out of hiding!
Old cars and old trucks, have always been part of the life my wife and I have built over the last 46 years. Cars are still part of our life together. We have 3 vehicles, a 48 Plymouth coupe, a 49 Dodge pickup, and her off topic car. Her car is the only vehicle we have that seats more then 2 and its been part of our family for 17 years now. We put nearly 6,000 miles on the coupe this year, probably 75% of those with her by my side. The truck has been driven nearly 4,000 miles, again, probably 75 % with her by my side. She loves going for rides and has supported me with every automotive activity I've ever been involved with (including 16 years in dirt track stock car racing). She doesn't drive either of our old vehicle much, the coupe has a manual trans and though she can drive it, she doesn't like to. The truck is an auto trans, but I need to adjust the seating better, it sits a little low for her, and she tells me it makes her feel like an old grandma (which she is ). I suspect if I raise up the seat a couple inches, she will drive it more. We don't do many pictures. The best I can do is my Avtar, that was taken in 2016, on our way to the summit of the Rocky Mountain National Park. The date was May 29, they had just opened the pass a couple days before. We were somewhere around 1300 miles from home, that round trip was 2900 miles. It was our 2nd vacation in 20 years, there have been 5 more 1500 + mile vacations and several shorter (700 mile) trips since then, all in the coupe. Neither the coupe or the pickup has a radio, we spend the driving time talking, or enjoying this country. I can't even picture not being in an old car or truck without her. Gene
My wife supports my hobby fully, she doesn’t love them like me. My three daughters like the old vehicles and have each spoken for one. No complaints here. Father’s Day a few years ago.
A few years ago my wife and best buddy Dani bought herself the cheapest early Suburban she could find.Of course it was a mess . She helped me fix it for her and now I have to beg if I want to drive it once in a while. Just kidding... whenever I tell her we need to sell a car or two because we ran out of space a long time ago she comes up with an idea like " why don´t you just put a second floor in your garage or buy a lift?? " Cause she knows I´ll be dragging home another car and maybe yet another...
My wife has been supportive of my car hobby since day one , including 12 years of pretty heavy drag racing, pushing the car through the staging lanes in 100 degree weather , to racing her own car ,an O/T '69 Cuda convertible. One day she cut a .005 reaction time with a 4-speed ! Now she goes to long distance car shows with me and has been along to drive the chase vehicle at nostalgia drags .
My wife and 2 daughters are very involved with my old car lifestyle. My wife often helps out and drives many of our machines frequently. The girls love them and both little ones have helped build ours and the 13 year old is building her own 1948 ford truck.
WOW mate... that is extensive.... So good to see others sharing the passion of motoring of old in this way. The way we like to enjoy it. !!!
A baby Bird... A car that My wife would one day like to own!!! Great shot and thank you for responding. May the open roads ahead be filled with lots of joy and laughter !!!
The Jalopy Journal
