Projects Hobby or ??????

First an obsession, then, an escape. Finally a Hobby.

 

I think I got some carbontet.

Some of the stuff that is still legal is pretty gnarly. The guy I got my coupe from is an old professional body man/painter. He can't work any more but still plays with cars. The xylene hardened his arteries. They cut him belly hair to adam's apple.

 

A hobby dictated by my lifestyle choices.... ?? I work on all my stuff, old cars, motorcycles, boats, instruments, implements, our house, whatever it takes to have the things I want & enjoy. The only way I can afford to have any of this stuff is to buy cheap and fix it up to something that suits our needs. Thats how I was raised so I guess that means its a lifestyle.
When 2020 hit and I lost my Pops I poured all my spare time, energy & money into his last project until I hit a wall mentally... I said "fuck it" & enjoyed the other hobbies for awhile. No carshows, no wrenching, swap meets, drag races, none of it. It was nice to have other hobbies to have fun & occupy my mind during that time. Now thanks to a little push from friends Im back to the cars again. In fact I just got Pops Elco project back together and running again this week.
Wait what was the question again..

 

I don't really know what it is. Guess I was just born with this mechanical need in me, and have always built, modified or changed stuff since I was a kid. Before engines we modified tricycles, bikes and coaster wagons. When I got a very old lawn mower engine running after it had set in an old shed for decades I was hooked on engines and worked on mowers for folks in our small town when I was 13. At 15 got a '61 F100 for a first ride and put a 392 from a '57 New Yorker in it that summer . Damn, that was fun! Worked all my life (so far) as a mechanic and drive old cars nearly every day to work and for fun as well. I fix 'em to drive 'em and am not too picky about body and paint, but do what I can to make 'em presentable. I don't spend a lot 'cause I don't have a lot but I do put a bunch of time into them 'cause I need to work on stuff...not sure why.

 

It might not directly destroy one's health but it sure contributes to a lot of ailments.

 

Turned 16 in 1964, already had a '37 Chevy with a sbc in it to drive. Street raced until the 70's,
got married, kids, you know the drill. Never left hot rods behind...had to pause a couple of times,
but never, ever lost my love of just sitting in my hot rod, or being in the garage. Love anything
with cars, favorites are old Chevy's from '37 to '72. Trucks, coupes, anything noisy that smells like
gasoline. Never had much extra money, but always had good friends and times.

 

More like therapy for me, just like to get out in the shop and make stuff.

 

Growing up in the rural south I was drawn to HOT ROD's at a young age, like a moth to a flame, first with the printed word and plastic models, then later the real things.
I eat, sleep and dream about ol' cars, and spend way too much time here! HRP

 

The ‘53 Plymouth wagon was my high school ride in ‘58. 1958 home coming queen rode in on a ‘58 Chevy. We had a student car show in ‘59 that had 50+ cars including at least a dozen Model A hot rods. I wrote a car of the month column for the HS paper. Sent a bunch of the columns to Dick Day at R&C and got an interview for the R&C editor job in 1959. Didn’t get the job, but met Barris and wrote photo captions for his coverage of a HOT ROD story on a San Diego show. Hooked up with an ad agency that specialized in the high performance market and wrote ads, catalog copy and press releases. Free lanced for HOT ROD INDUSTRY NEWS for five years, VAN, PICKUP & OFF-ROAD INDUSTRY NEWS and had a monthly byline column in FOUR WHEELER. Started my own agency in 1970 and my clients included Offenhauser, Crower Cams, Jardine Headers, W&H DuCoil, Per-Lux (now Petronix) JE Pistons and Husqvarna Motorcycles. Went to about 35 SEMA shows including the first one. For me it was business. I’ve owned a number of collector cars and down to a single hot rod. The lifestyle as portrayed on the HAMB is nowhere like what we experienced in SoCal in the 50’s. American Graffiti hit the nail on the head. Still a Beach Boys fan and will never forget listening to the Wolfman when he broadcasted from DelRio, Texas.

 

I can relate to every entry on this thread.............

 

For some,it's a book.

For me,a love, no one was ever going to buy me a car.
Ya! I talk to my cars. Is that straight up simple,an kept the first one,I built my self.

 

Talk to cars.

Bikes too. I have been known to sit in one or on one and make motor noises and say nice things to it. I shared a shop with a buddy back in the '90s. He has a son now a grown man named Thomas. They came into the shop one night and I was sitting in my project making motor noises. Thomas asked his dad what I was doing. My buddy said, "Sounds like uncle Benno is out of money or parts again Thomas."

 

Working on / repairing anything has always been a necessity for me , a lot of my friends , the same . Making them faster / cooler/ shinier was a way to feel good / somewhat superior to others. Something we could do that " they" couldn't , plus girls liked cars, hot rods even better ! If I wanted a car boat , motorcycle. Snowmobile, lawnmower , house ,I could afford a broke one , then make it better than new & still be able to afford to enjoy it !

 

I forgot to add that my cars are also stress relievers. Nothing relieves stress like beating the living crap out of 16-gauge material with a mallet.

 

To call it a life style for me would be an understatement statement, it’s more like an addiction. old junk (cars, machines, tools,bikes) is my drug of choice.

 

The cool guy response is probably “it’s a lifestyle”

This responsible guy with 5 kids says it’s just a hobby. If my kids or family are in dire straits, the cars and toys get the ax first, no questions asked.

 

It's just a hobby. I can quit any time.

yeah....right....

 

It's what I do .

 

There was a time in my life when it was an obsession and all I did or cared about. Maybe that made it a lifestyle or even life? However, I learned that no matter how cool of cars I built or how fast they were, etc., the fun was temporal. Anyway, I finally figured out that there were many more satisfying things in life like family and kids, etc. So, I figured out how to put cars in the right perspective and quit living for them. With all that said, I guess it is a hobby or something at this point. There was a time I tried to walk away from it a little over 10 years ago but never really accomplished that. It is what I enjoy spending my “spare” time on and how I met all my friends. So, not sure what it really is...

 

Lifestyle for me for sure, at least until a few years ago.

Mom tells me I attended my 1st dirt track race at the ripe old age of 6 months old. I was addicted to dirt track racing from then on. By the time I was 8 or 9, my Dad's buddy raced and I got to hang around race cars up close and personal. I became a useful hands on race car helper, and that drove me to peruse racing. I lived and died for dirt track racing, and that was what probably got me through high school, and into auto mechanics. I lived the dirt track racing life for 20 years, as a car owner. I discovered early that a driver I wasn't, but I was pretty good at making the cars go around the track. My very limited funding put me in the lower racing classes, we ran well in the low class this self funded guy could afford to run a car in, until I could no longer afford racing even in the lowest racing class. That was the point I turned to street cars. Shortly after that, I out grew the automotive mechanic life and expanded it into the factory maintenance, heavy machine repair. That paid much better, and the automotive part of my life became a very involved hobby. I was involved with some pretty hot street cars. I was living the life I always envisioned, even with a wife and two kids.

In my mid 30s a health crisis changed everything. The only related occupation that I was able to continue in was in the welding industry, and my life experiences learned during the racing years put me into the automotive welding part of the industry. There, all my past mixed into a carrier that provided 28 years of making a living doing what I loved to do. The kids grew up, my wife was (and still is) with me after all these 47 years.

About the time I reached 60, I encountered two different welding related health scares, one followed by the 2nd in less than a year. Neither was very serious on the grand scale, but I took them as warnings. I officially retired at 62 in 2018. I still tinkered a bit until Covid hit, that was the perfect excuse to hang up the welding helmet for anything except personal stuff.

The last few years have been the 1st time in my life I have actually voluntarily stepped back from 100% automotive participation. My current "hot rod" is a daily (year around) driver old modified truck, and I am actually enjoying the change of pace. Mostly what I do these days is act as an adviser. People call me when they have a problem, I point and grunt (explain what needs to be done and why), then watch other people do the work. Its a lot more fun then actually doing the work myself.

Gotta go now, we are getting up at 6:00 am to go to a car show, than to the dirt track races, where my son is helping his neighbor with his modified race car. I've been called in to advise him a few times this season, this week is Season Championship, the kid is 3rd in points in his class. Yea, I'm having fun.

 

What would you call an all consuming, burning, pathetic link to a time you are not from????. No one in my family (extended also) was into cars when I was growing up (just me and my 1 friend)......it was always there burning it's way to the surface. Sadly it's not just cars, it's everything (music, tools, stuff) just old...when funds permit.

It's cheaper to collect and build then to have a professional check out the attic.

 

1 Daily, 1 Hotrod...wish I could afford more...but that ole money don't grow on trees...

I am fulfilling a dream of Hotrod/Custom from my early teens, hanging on as long as I can and having fun while it lasts...tinkering with mechanical stuff and wrenching...a love really that's in my blood...I've been busy and away from here but that desire is deeply entrenched in my veins with this place aka The Hamb being numero uno for fulfilling that desire when I'm not driving the Hotrod. The Hotrod Car Culture here in my part of town is except for very, very, very, few select vehicles lame.

 

Philosophy, neurodivergent Special Interest, art form, political revolt, personal rebellion.
GIVE ME BACK MY TECHNOLOGY!

 

I'm "into Old Cars"

 

I am not looking to start an argument, but you can be responsible, and this can still be a lifestyle.

When mom and dad found out I was on the way dad sold the racecar, because he knew there wasn't enough money for a racecar and a family.
However, that didn't mean he wasn't still deeply involved, he built chassis, crewed on (weekly) short track cars and always took mom and me.

If there was a school function that bucked a race, he skipped the race, money was always tight, but we went on family trips to Amish country, Niagara Falls, etc. which were scheduled in conjunction with a swapmeet where he would sell parts to help pay for the trip.

I know there were several Christmases were paid for with parts or tools that were collected for projects he had planed.

 

Lifestyle here, I was born into it 3rd gen when it comes to t's and earlier. I am broke so I just do the work and modify to save money.

Money is worthless until spent, no matter how much you have there will always be someone with more.

Clubs and shows haven't been an option due to distance so we just drive and use the cars. My son at 8 is looking forward to hours driving at 45 with no AC in a period tow car.

 

I grew up around cars. It's not a life style for me as much as it is a hobby. I like building them. I like helping to build them. I like looking at car shows and cars on the road. I like loud car driving music and I sit in drum circles.
It beats mowing the lawn

 

Lifestyle. I am just an old greaser. Traditional Hot Rods and Customs. Mid century house and furniture.No trailer queens

 

Might be a lifestyle if...

 

For me it all started with model cars in elementary school and then mini bikes/go carts in Jr. High. Moved on to a $95.00 Model A when I was 15. Sold it for a motorcycle. Then onto a hoped up Falcon 2 dr. wagon and a smattering of English cars. When I was 20 I had a chance to apprentice in an automotive machine shop but Uncle Sam had a different idea. After that life happened and the GI Bill financed a degree and a so called professional job. All along I've had a thing for big ass trucks but after several '40 Ford big trucks I finally realized they didn't make very good daily drivers. Long story short, it's just a hobby/addiction that I still enjoy but now that I'm in my 70's it's not as fun as it used to be but it beats sitting on the couch watching Wheel of Fortune.

 

60 Years Of Doing It And Never Needed A Definition To Enjoy It...