We were at my wife's aunts birthday party the other day and the old folks were comparing aches and pains but he uncle was happy to be able to tinker on his projects and be able to put stuff back together. So then that same uncle kind of looks in my direction "unlike Kris over here who puts stuff together that was never ment to be together"
the difference between a restorer and a hot rodder, they think we ruin everything and we can't imagine why they want to leave everything stock....
It wasn't being said in a negative, just that I'm conjuring all these different parts together, from all kinds of different cars, to build one car.
Compliment for sure. Sort of like the person who has basically nothing in the pantry, but can whip up a gourmet meal.
Just explain to the in-laws that you're a modern-day Dr Frankenstein; assembling the best components into a single best car.
At the first family reunion I went to on my wife’s side she warned me that her uncles were a bit different. Different indeed- they were all hot rodders, each with on original henry 32, and then some pickup trucks, model A’s and a hemi 41 Willys amongst them. We left the party to traipse around through the barns and the bush at the farm. It has been an interesting forty plus years…
My extended family was of the mindset that nothing was worth building twice. Always in new cars and always in debt. Couldn't understand how I could manage to find, fix, and drive all the old cars I did.
My first Father-in-Law looking at my 32 the first time turned his head towards me and stated, well Son you sure don't think like Normal people do ya. He was a standard Shop Mechanic. The conversation didn't go much further at that time. He was pretty spot on and that's pretty much been my standing explanation since.
My in laws totally don’t get it. But didn’t hesitate to ask me drive bride and grooms in a number of family weddings…
When a non-car person asks about what engine your car has, and you tell them it's from a different make or model, and then you tell them what the other parts of the car came from, they usually think you're part alien, part genius, and part fruitcake. When I see what others build, I probably think the same, but in a good way!
Reminds me of my mother. Seldom does she come out to see me in the garage, but when she does. It’s always a question of if I know what I’m doing. I just say no, but I’ll figure it out. I’m the same one when something doesn’t work or she can’t figure it out, if dad’s at work. She will call me.
No matter what I'm driving I'm often asked, "what year is that"? My standard answer is, "what part? It has generated a multitude of different responses.
I consider myself a hot rodder, as I've never been able to NOT change something on one of my cars for looks, performance or just because. On the other hand, I also can appreciate a restored, original antique car.
The Jalopy Journal
