History I'm curious-How long you been at this??

I'm just curious... How old are you, and how long has old cars been your passion? Have you come from another hobby (what), or have you done this forever (when did you start)? Also, any details pertaining to my original question that I may have left out. Thanks

I'm 53, was "bit" around age 8 (models, magazines, slot cars), bought my 1st car (57 Chev at 14), and never took a break. You guys/girls?? PS-my Dad was a carpenter, and wholeheartedly tried to discourage my passion for cars

 

I was born & raised into it by my Father. My naked baby pic's in the back of his 56 Nomad. Instead of Worlds of Fun for vacation, it was always Mokan & the various car shows from Joplin to KC. "There is a God." Carl Hagan

 

im 31...

dad raised me to love cars and bikes..

ive been buildin cars since 13 (first 13 years or so were newer cars show and race)

old cars i been playin with for about the last 6 years... still learning... never wanna stop

 

I'm 67, been doin this since I can remember. Brother was 7 years older than me, he got me started. I have pictures I drew when in kindergarten, all the cars have Blowers!!!

 

Went to the speedway on a regular basis from age 4. Started racing in junior class at 12. Ended my racing career at 21 due to a big crash and other interests prevented me getting the car back together. Bought a '57 Chev at 22 to rebuild...never finished it...moved on to other old cars and here I am at 41 and still have not completed a full build. Not far off though.

Pete

 

56.....and about 53..........

 

I'm 61 and been at it since some of these old cars were new cars. Little magazines, models, hot-rodded bicycles. Begging the older guys to take me to street races. All the classic symptoms. Haven't recovered yet and it ain't looking good for anytime soon.

 

I'm nearly 62....Fell head over heels in love with a Black '51 Chevy Coupe with radiused rear wheel wells and wide whites called the "Black Orchid" in 1956...........I've never been the same, and the passion never cooled....Centurion9

 

Admired old cars for as long as I can remember until wife surprised me with a Stude project when I turned 30. I'm 34 yrs old now, stude is sold and long gone. Yes, I'm still a rookie. Even as a rookie,I am glad for this site as I am able to differentiate well built hotrods and customs againts chainer rat transpobortion.

 

30, my dad and grandfathers always had cars, early ford V8s and muscle cars when i was growing up. My dad still has his 35 ford he bought in high school and my grandpa still has the 46 merc he bought when he got back from WWII that my grandparents got married in. I remember always sneeking out to the garage at night with my brother to sit in my dads cars and pretend i was driving. I learned how to drive a clutch when i was 14 in my grandpas 40 ford with a 3 on the tree. bought my first car before i could drive, and still have my car i bought in high school, and still need more room to store it all....
I guess when its in your blood, your bound to inherit the same traits the minute your born. And hot rods are one I am damn thankful I was exposed to at an early age

 

I'm a graybeard 58 years old and can't think of anything i have ever enjoyed more than cars,,well one thing but this ain't the place, ,,hot rods have always been my passion.

As a kid it was the printed word,,,and models,,then on to the real things.

I guess I must have the gene from my grandad,,,he had a Henry J with a caddy engine and was in the liquer business,,,not the taxed kind,,,he wasn't a big time guy just used the car and the liquer to get by,,,both the police and hard times.

My dad had a few fast cars but he never did and work on them,,,I learned most of it on my own,,,he made me fix it if I broke it and made me buy my own cars,,,I didn't like it at the time but now I'm glad he did. HRP

 

I'm 32. My dad was not into cars at all. Not even in the least. His "tool kit" consisted of a pair of pliers, a hammer, two screwdrivers, and a crescent wrench. no kidding.

I was always intrigued by anything that moved under its own power..trains, cars, boats, motorcycles, planes, trucks. I was nearly killed at 3 years old when I laid on a train track to get a better view of the underside of a locomotive. ha ha.

I bought my first car, a 69 AMC Hurst SC/rambler for $50.00 when I was 14 from the guy across the street. I got it on the road, borrowing tools from neighbors, friends dads, etc., and got my first speeding ticket at 15.

been downhill since.

 

I'm 57, went to the drags for the first time with my Dad at San Gabriel Drag Strip in 1958 and fell into a big patch of cactus, but the cars and noise made me forget all about those little holes poked in my fanny. Dad and I went almost every Sunday ay the Jalopy Races at Western Speedway in Gardena.
("Whoa Nellie"...you L.A. guys will understand)
First car was a $15 Anglia I found while I was on my paper route, then a four-banger dragster, and my first real street car was my Model A panel delivery in 1966 when I got my drivers license. Photos are all posted on my "public profile" albums.
Went into photography for 35 years and spent 8 years as a mayor/councilman. That was enough behaving "properly" and pretending to be responsible for me.
Retired from both, but still like photography, but on my own terms, now.
I've been real lucky to have been around cars and car people all my life.








My Dad was an Arcadia policeman....

 

Built my first harley when i was 13, used to get in trouble for reading service manuals in middle school, and built my first hemi when i was 15.

I'm 23 now and working weekends at a street rod shop and wrenching in all my spare time

 

14 years old, 1957, 34 ford tudor,wish I still had it!!

 

I got my 1st gear oil transfusion about 11-12 yrs old, when my dad showed my how to tune up & fix the family cars. Soon ,car maintainance became one of my "chores" around the house, along with mowing that damn lawn. (38yrs later, I still hate mowing the lawn)

Then came the endless parade of girlfriends, old cars, 4WDs, Mustangs, VWs, Porsches, etc, etc. Now it's nothing but pre-66 stuff in my world.

 

I am 32, Went to a "bad kids" school at 13, and ended up in the votech program under the tutilage of a guy named Lary McWright (who You often remind me of, Groucho-and that's a sincere compliment) who made me perfectly aware of 2 things...If I listened to him, I would "make it" as far as cars were concerned. if I didn't, I would end up in prison.

Lary (one "R"- had a twin brother Gary) was right. without him, I would be up shit's creek.

after I graduated, I worked at Kens Rod and Body, F/X sport trucks, A.C.S (high end euro car collision and performance center) and a cute little drag race operation called Ovaho Performance (which a few of You have heard of.) Once I decided to open my own shop, I not only realized how much of my life revolved around cars, but how oficially fucked I really am. So Yeah...My entire adult life I have spent on cars. Before the ranch, however, it was just thre usual b.s. under the shade tree in the back with my 2 strung out gearhead uncles. ( You know the type. Thoroughly convinced some guy's 305 headed 350 out of somebody's dirt track car was gona make his 75 Longbed chevy the fastest truck in the world.)

 

Grew up on a farm, learned to drive a tractor at 12, and then the farm truck at 13. Got hooked when my older brother did a light custom of a '53 Chevy about a year later(nosed, decked, fender skirts, a JC Whitney floor shift, and beautiful black lacquer). 59 next month, and am taking my first trip to Bonneville in two weeks.

 

I'm 65--been doing this since 1957--(14)1st car was 36 Ford pickup with loaded flathead. Dad had 41 Ford ragtop bought before the war and was our car after the war until 1950-51. Been doing it ever since--have had my 55 Chevy for 35 years and have built countless others--also ahve a 40 Ford coupe and 57 Fuel injected BelAir--don't intend to quit unless I get too old to do the work on them--that's the pleasure of it for me.

 

You bought a SC/Rambler for $50 in 1991? Or is my math that bad? WOW!

 

I'm 67 and been at it since jr. high school 1957. My girlfriends brother had a 48 Plymouth Coupe with a 283 Chevy in back then. Cars have been a passion ever since. I spent many a Sunday in the 50's at The Colton Drags watching John Bradley's Flathead Dragster take on the Chrysler powered cars of the likes of Cook & Bedwell. I later moved on to Fontana Drag City. Raced my 392 Hemi powered 41 Willys Pickup there. Been a cherter member of The Over the Hill Gang San Bernardino Since it was founded 35 years ago. I guess I'll be doing this until they box me up. I was real lucky to have people around like Walter Scott of Scotty's Muffler and Dick Patterson to help me out.

 

54 years young, started reading Hot Rod, Car Craft & Rod & Custom at age 5. Built model hot rods, slot cars, chopped my bicycle. Got my 1st car at 16, been building cars non-stop, just got my newest one driving, it's # 5.

 

Im 20 now. My dad used to take me to carshows al my life pretty much. He was never into building them though. The rest of my family on both sides is pretty much gearheads so its in my blood. Bought my buick summer after sophmore in highschool and just started tearing stuff up.

 

I got him beat- I bought a 72 442 with w-30 option for 50 bucks-under the conditions that I had to
A- get it out of there RIGHT NOW
and B come back the next day and help him put the fence back up.

455,4 speed, w-25 hood, in need of light body work fron and rear from wehre he pushed it through said fence with his pickup. (not to mention days of scrubbing white latex "splatter effect" paint off all the interior)

total repairs needed to the drivetrain?
1 38 cent freeze plug.

 

Started tinkering with HD's around the age of 10 w/ my father. (Into 60s-70s choppers) 16 started getting into cars I guess. A good friend had a '66 Galaxie that he talked me into working on with him. When we were done it had headers, functional side pipes, a floor shifter, Cragar S/S wheels and was jacked sky high in the rear. Not exactly HAMB material but I had to start somewhere.

Now 21, a diesel mechanic by day and I do kustom paint on the side. I wouldnt have it any other way.

 

My parents were in a car club called the Lancers of Long Beach in the mid 60's, named me Lance after their club? I dont think I had a choice. Dont think I could do anything else cause I dont know anything else!

 

Went nuts when Hotwheels first came out,bought first car when I was 14,wrenching for Chrysler since I was 20....now I,m 47. Where does the time go?

 

Sounds like HAMB material to me!!!!!!!

 

Since I got my first old car at 16 (60 Chevy) in the mid 70's.

 

I guess it's well over 30 years for me and I'm just 40. My dad always had some old tin laying round that I would help him with. In my 20's I got out of it for the most part due to getting established in my job, buying a house (s) having kids...but the past 10 years I've been hard at it again.