Old guys rule!! More free goodies!!!!!

So yesterday I'm laying on the couch getting ready to watch the Tigers and the sedan is sitting out in the driveway. I see a couple of older gents walking around it so I just fiigure they're walking by and stopped to check it out. There's a knock on my door so I go out and introduce myself and I see they've pulled up in a 35 Ford pickup with a 3 deuce Merc flathead. I got to talking with them and showed them the roadster as well. One of them notices the 36 dash in my tudor and asks if I have the gauges for it? I didn't so he tells me to stop by their shop because he's got a set I can have!!! So later in the day I go over there. These guys are brothers who've been into cars for the last sixty years so needless to say they had some awesome stuff hanging on the walls at their shop. I had a great time listening to stories and getting a little tour of their property. I ended up leaving with two boxes full of flathead ignition parts, really nice gauges, gasket sets, and a complete Stromberg 97!!!! I'm going back today for three nearly perfect 16" Ford steelies with beauty rings. I hope someday I'm in a position like these (and all the old timers I know) where helping out a young hot rodder is more important and satisfying than selling parts on Ebay.

 

yup, you suck.

 

Great story, old guys know what it's all about...rodders helping rodders.

 

Hell yeah... thats cool!

 

haha thats awesome. I to have had this happen to me a couple of times. Ya gotta love the old hot rodders. I guess I better start saving some parts myself for when I grow into a old hot rodder so I can give the parts to some other young hot rodder haha what goes around comes around.

 

That's really cool - that they gave you a bunch of stuff you could use. But what I really like is that you are acknowledging it to us.

It ain't no big deal but the thanks are hardly ever given.

Charlie

 

I kind of pride myself on being just smart enough to realize that I don't know much. When I can learn something from somebody whose been around better than twice as long as me, I take advantage of it. It doesn't have to be all about cars either, I listen to advice on life in general too. I think its sort of our (younger hot rodders) responsibility to learn as much as we can from the old guys. When they're gone it will be up to us to keep this thing going.

 

That makes you a lot smarter than a lot of people.

 

That is awesome!
Keep in mind... we don't have to be old to be cool. I have been trying (to no avail) to hook up with some local people to learn from etc. All the younger guys (under 40 or so) are assholes. I have yet to run into any older guys, but back in OC I knew a bunch of old school guys (born and raised in OC/LA - real hot rod guys, that lived it) and they were all cool as hell.

Congrats on the parts... just wanted to remind people that anyone can be cool. It does seem that old guys have it nailed, maybe age has a way of teaching it.

 

these guys are true rodders man you lucked out

 

Move to Kingman, AZ.

Lots of cool old farts here....

 

I'm a young punk ,38ish.I just sit back in the corner and soak up all the old timers stories.Hopeing one day to top there stories.Take all the advice they give.And respect the grey!

 

Respect and absorb all you can from these seasoned hot rodders. They have been there, done that, and have the busted knuckles to prove it. It breaks my heart when one of those grumpy old bastards takes his dirt nap, cause they are taking all that knowledge with'em. Soak it up while you can, and show them thanks!

 

Told ya those old timers rule. He pretty much gave me these wheels and then gave me some shit when I gave him a little extra cash Something about me not knowing how to count or something. Turns out he's a HAMBer as well but doesn't post too much. Now I know which wheels are going on the roadster. I just happpen to have one extra 16" steelie sitting out back.

 

Score!

 

That is why we were given one mouth and two ears, so we can listen twice as much as we talk.

I used to sit up as a small kid and sponge up all I could learn. No one ever knows everything, we all stand on the shoulders of giants. I still love to dig in and learn everyday, it keeps your mind and your hands useful and someday, you get the pride of helping other people learn what you have picked up. That to me is what rodding is all about. Brotherhood. If I have enough parts to keep my runner ticking, then if I have something laying around collecting dust pass it on it always comes back to you. Karma.

 

old guys rule!!! my father-in-law wasnt into hot rods or anything like that but he was in the "big one" and in the Pacific theater to boot so he has a lot of stories and history to listen to!! i love it when he comes and stays the week with us, he will get out to the shop with me and help tinker on the hot rod and tell me war stories. man what i would give to have been born when he was and to see the birth of hot rodding first hand!!
but thanks to the people here on this board and the "old guys" i can live a piece of that history now................

 

My wife says I hate people, and I do, except car guys they're just a better breed.

 

TRUE THAT !!!!!!

 

When I was looking for my first 392 Hemi, I met this older gentleman that had this built 392...I could not afford it back then. I had only just got my job.....So he suggested after he got to know me that I put as much money as I could down towards it and send him 100 bucks a month until I paid it off.........I remember driving down months later with the last 100 bucks and my wife and I bringing that bad boy home......I remember coming home everynight after working second shift and staring at it on my engine stand everynight before entering the house.........I still have it, the one I hurt in DeathsDoorStep.....I asked him when we went to pick it up why he let me buy it in such a mannor, and he said I could see it in your eye's and thats all he said to me...Littleman

 

just today i picked up my 52 chevy, on the way home this car honks comin from behind us n there r 3 older guys grinnin ear 2 ear, givin us the thumbs up. just thinkin of all the memories it must of brought back 2 them.

 

yep gotta love the old timers,i just got a flat head short block,from a customer who had it sitting in his shed

 

Scott, you've shown you are a smart guy and you listen and learn. Good for you to be able to be in that position. Congrats on the parts but congrats more on adding a couple more guys you can ask questions of.

 

its pretty cool when something like this happens , its not everyday someone gives their stuff to someone that needs it , it truely restores your faith in humanity ..... looks like you got a whole new source for information you lucky dog!!

 

This is a great post.

I make my living buying and selling car parts, building engines and ignitions and intake set ups. Let's face it, they can be pretty pricey and unfortunately that's the way business works. But there's no law that says you can't give back also when the opportunity presents itself.

Anyone that knows me knows I live a modest lifestyle and I'm ok with that, but I still find ways to give back to people. I have a nephew and his best friend who want to get into hot rodding so I made them a deal. Tear down all these engines I have laying around, clean parts, learn about flatheads while doing it and at the end of the year, I'll give them all the parts they need to build a killer flathead and I'll pay for all the block work and any new parts they may need.

So they come over every few weeks and spend a Saturday or Sunday working and learning and get a little something out of it too. But the funny thing is that I feel like I get more from sharing and teaching than the labor they provide. I enjoy seeing them learn something new, reminds me of all those years ago when I first started learning about flatheads from my dad...

Whether you're giving parts away, trading work for knowledge or just sharing stories about cars, engines and life...it's our responsibility to pass down what was passed down to us.

Just my 2 cents worth,

Matt

 

Most everybody knows from my posts that I hang out with fab32 and FuelPump quite a bit. I've said it before, my car would still be a vision in my head and not in my driveway if it weren't for these guys. I've also stated that I could never thank them enough for all the help they've given me. Their collective respose is they're the one's who have me to thank because its so much more fulfilling for them to help somebody out than it is to rest on their laurels or just sell parts to strangers over the computer. How humbling is that? These guys thank me for taking their spare parts, valuable time, and priceless knowledge.

 

Lucky,

Good thing you went outside to meet them.

If they'd known you were wasting time on the Tigers, they'd thought you were too dumb to give anything to!

Seriously, good for you man, no one deserves it more.

- RBR

 

damn... i wish i had more people like that around me.. not because of the free stuff...
i just wish i had people around me that would be willing to teach a young 21 year old a thing or two... i dont have much to offer... but im a quick learner and i try to spread what i have out to everyone. not many people want to sit down and try to teach.. but my ears are always open, and my hands are always ready to work.

thanks badass Lucky77 - congrats!!!

 

Great score man! You just gotta love it when old timers suprise you with a STROMBERG! Good goin- now get back into the garage and work on somethin'!

 

Oh ouch, that hurts so bad especially coming from Kentucky where the biggest sport is.....ummm......well.........something to do with horses. If you think its dumb to watch the Tigers, guess I shouldn't tell you what I paid for opening day tickets and they lost

Back to the car stuff, thanks man. I must be living right