So what years were the "hot rod" generation? the 40's, 50's, 60's until around 64-69 muscle cars. They all were IMO, build whatever and make it go. Mine was late 50's-late 60's-we hit the junkyards every Sat. and on Sat. night were at the illegal "dragstrip" to match 'em up. In my case, a guy 8 years older than me showed me how to mod. front ends, traction tricks, and how to do top shelf paint/body work... his youth was hot rods but he still showed a goofy kid how to be a decent hot rod type. Disagree, but i think when solid state electronics hit the scene the hot rod generations of old started to die.
I guess a guy would have to know what is considered a "generation'. A generation used to be considered a 40 year span, but it sure seems like a "generation" is spanning a shorter time frame with each new generation. I guess the young ones don't want to be connected with those that came before. In the car hobby, a Hot Rod generation could probably be considered ages from 15 or 16 to about 24 or 25 (some want it to end at 19 or 20, some don't ever let it end). They start with the first driver license, and end when jobs, kids, house payments, and paying bills becomes a higher priority then partying. At some point in the early 20s, life shifts the priorities for most people. Where I live, the nearest drag strip was 40 miles away, and the only beaches were a few spots along the river banks. We did have a dirt track at the south edge of town, and that played a big role in my life for many years. Hot Rod cruising (70-80 version, around here) was the 10 block downtown loop area (a 5-6 block one way going east on Main Street, and a 5-6 block one way going west on Stephenson, each 1 block apart), that was about the only place where there were bright lights past 8pm. The stores were mostly closed by 5pm, and there wasn't any drive in food places or usable parking lots in the downtown area, or with in a mile or more of downtown. The cruise loop went right past the police station. We had mostly the performance era cars downtown most week nights with an occasional tri 5 Chevy, or older cars show up from time to time, mostly driven by older guys. I worked at a gas station, closing shift every night but Sunday (Sunday night was dirt track night). I was the "mechanic"/tire repair & changer/pump jockey on duty, along with a trainee just pump jockey (no such thing as self serve back then and, at age 16, I was the experienced pump jockey). The station closed at 9 pm, that was the only reason I was able to participate in the evening downtown cruising. I had to have dad's car home by the 11pm curfew (my parents wouldn't allow me to have my own car until I was 18 and out of school, but dad's 64 Olds with the 394 was pretty fast for being a 4 door), I could stay downtown until about quarter to 11 every night except Sat night. Saturdays, mom & dad went to the lakes every weekend through the summer. I could hang around down town until around 1 am before my neighbors would rat me out to mom & dad. Those warm weather nights were the entire world for this teenage motor head. Working on cars at the station, the evening cruising between 9 and 11, and those Sunday nights at the dirt track helping some of the racers. The year I turned 19, I got married (no kids until 2 years later and still married to the same lady), built my 1st dirt track car, and bought my 1st house. The 10 years that followed that was my busiest time for being involved with Hot Rods. I wrenched on them full time at a real job, wrenched on them in my part time business at night after work, dirt track raced them, and street raced them. I built, bought, sold, and parted them out. I was a busy man living the life! In my life, it was all about cars. I don't know what happened to the rest of my generation, not many that were involved with cars during our high school years still are. As I race towards that age of 70, I'm not as involved as I was at 30, so maybe I'm finding out what happened to the rest of them, its just taking me longer then it took them?
I’m 80 now and married at 21 (still with her) and kids started 2 years later. I was too a car guy at parochial schools where that wasn’t important. Worked starting at 15-1/2 with the needed work permit from school. Only one other guy I’m still friends with is a still one too. We have HS reunions every 5 years because we have someone who cares. I’ve been to all but one. 30 years ago I showed up on a black HD Heritage, 20 years ago I showed up wearing my Bonneville 200 MPH sport shirt and everyone other one in some type of a car (hot rod, custom, none newer than 57) and they were always talked about.. Jealousy, who knows, but I dam sure had fun and helped my wife raise 2 great kids and prepared for retirement too…. I’m glad I grew in the 50-60’s and thought it was the end of the real hot rod life……it seemed to come back for some…. I just never left it.
My folks never drove, my older brother taught me to drive in his 64 Chevy pickup, 292 six cyl with compound low 4 speed, the few occasions I got to borrow it before I got my first car (61 Impala) it felt like being let out of prison, the world became so much bigger!
The Jalopy Journal
