Cool Dads

Today is 8 years since my Dad died, and I have been thinking about all the cool stuff he did in his life, and the stuff we did together. There is hardly a day goes by that I don't use something he taught me. Growing up, I took the things we did for granted. Not until I got older did I realize that not every guy is lucky enough to have a Dad that did cool stuff with them. In the picture in the shop he is with his last project. It was a week before he passed, and didn't get to finish the 13 touring he was restoring at 83 years old. He wanted to do the 13 T because the first car he ever drove was a 13 T at 9 years old. He was 81 in the picture with his beloved Kurtis midget at orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino. He had just done about 15 hot laps, and I was never prouder of him. It was the last time he sat in the car.

Sorry if there has been a cool Dad thread in the past, but I was just wondering if anyone else had some cool memories of their Dad to share. I'll be OK tomorrow.

 

Sounds like you had the coolest dad. Me too. Maybe, if I can compose myself I can come back and do better.

 

Trust me, you'll think of him probably everyday for a long time. Mine passed away in 1979 at the age of 58 and I don't think a day goes by without thinking of him at least once.You'll hang on to those memories and be vary glad you have them.

 

As I've gotten older the stories I remember being told by my Dad get better, and the stories I tell about him get better and better. I'm not going to relate any here (I hear applause so quit it) but I've written some of them into short stories just so I don't forget.

 

Dads are the greatest people in the world!! Heres mine after getting my first project to run and stop on its own power!! he says it was A proud day!!! Im lucky I still have him.

 

Dean thanks for this post , my dad died 5 years ago at the age of 83 and there's not a day that goes by that i don't think of him or am reminded of something he said. he had a great love for hot rods and old race cars to. again Thanks

 

My dad died march 2nd 2007 and its worse on me now than it was before because I have had so much time to miss him and to think of all the great things we did. He had the same car my whole life. 679,000 miles and when I drive it I feel a bit closer to him. A good dad is something you cant buy or replace. Those of you that still have em enjoy them.

 

I lost my dad in 92, like everyone said not a day goes by i dont think of him. I seem to believe he"s my copilot.Wish he could see the Great Guys my two sons have become.

 

I know one of these days my dad is going to drop, and I cringe at the thought of it ever happening. One of my semi-near future plans is to get get his '37 Ford pickup - a truck tht was built and painted a piece at at time throughout my childhood - and re-restore it for him to the standard that he wanted/wants it to be. Unfortunately due to his constant working and chasing girls MY age, he'll never have time.

I just hope he's around long enough to see me do it for him.

Sorry for your loss, even though it was 8 years ago, I'm sure it still feels something like having that bandaid ripped off again.

 

my pops is the best!!! he ahs taguth me everything i know and i love him for it. and the greatest part is that i look just like him!!! when i was growing up he was always taking me to junk yars and car shows quizing me on what year that catr was and what year that one over there was. fast foward 24 years and i owe everything i know to him!! he recently gave me his 34 chevy 4 door sedan that he has had since 1969 and i plan on doing a update/restoration of the car in the near future.

 

My dad passed in 1988 at the age of 75. The man was a genius. He was uneducated because his parents died when he was young and he and his older sister were left to raise the other 4 siblings from the time he was 10 years old.
There wasn't a thing that my Father couldn't repair, from concrete work to electronics. It all interested him enough that he never let a problem intimidate him.
To this day, I still miss him dearly. Though we didn't see eye to eye when I was a teenage punk, I grew to respect a man no one had a bad word to say about concerning him. I too think of him daily.

 

August 16,17 years ago I lost my best friend . My Dad was 72 when he passed. He fought lung cancer 11 years and never complained a day. I am very proud that my Dad and I never had a following out. We did disagree but it was always me that was wrong. I think of him daily. I tryed to model the way I raised my kids after him. If I'm 1/2 the dad he was , I did good. Thanks for bringing up the post so I could brag on my Best friend "M y Dad"

 

My Dad was 86 when he passed in '99. He was a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast and passed that on to me. His Dad passed when he was a young boy and he was taken from school and put to work. Its the way it was back then. He never raced but encouraged and supported my racing. Sometimes on the way to the beach he would stop at Santa Ana and watch the drags for an hour or so. He took me to Colton a few times. I remember seeing the Speed Sport T and the Bean Bandits. Funny, I was about ten when I first saw the Bean Bandits. I had no idea and thought what a stupid name for a car. I reckoned it should have been called Godzilla or something like that. He bought me my first motorcycle and taught me self preservation on the roads. He also taught me that a mans only real possesion is his word. Without that you're nothing. Each and every day I think of him and what he taught me. For those of you who still have Dads, love them. You only get one. My Dad was, is, and always will be my hero. The sad thing is that heroes shouldn't die.

 

My dad got me started in hot rods. He always had time for me and was always there to help me. He will always be my hero. I just wish he could have been here when I got my 31 on the road. If it were not for him getting me started it never would have happened. I think of him every day.

 

My dad passed in 94. I think of him every time I get into the T. I have his work security badge ,with his photo taken a few months before his 60th Birthday, attached to the inside windsheild trim. In the photo, he was almost the same age as I was when I bought the T. He sure seems to enjoy the ride !

 

I dread the day I get the call informing me my dad is gone. I have had zero luck finding any of his old cars until about 2 weeks ago. I found his old dragster. It was officially retired by the current owner 3 weeks ago. Found it completely by accident. Sadly, he's not willing to part with it, but I think I'm first on the list when he does.

Pops is suffering pretty bad from diabetes, and that's put me into high gear on issue 5. I'll post more info on it in a couple weeks. Anyway, it will be compiled from a super secret stash of photos he took at fremont drag strip in the early 60's. They are insane!!!!!!!!!! Got to gett it done before he's gone. He's my hero for sure.

Here are a couple pics of his old rail. The cage was changed but it's an easy fix. He doesn't even know I hunted it down. One day it will be back were it belongs.

 

My Dad passed away only 2 years ago from cancer,he fought it for 20 years.He let me have my first car(an old junk 49 ford) when I was 12,never thought Id get it runnin.2 weeks later I was sneaking it out of the drive when he pulled in.Scared shitless that he caught me I got out of the car,looked up at him,and he had a smile that I still remember today.Damn I sure miss him.

 

My dad is coming in tomorrow from Indiana...haven't seen him for 18 months (last time he was here he stayed for 3 weeks while my little one, Gianna, recovered from a rattlesnake bite)...I miss being around him everyday and hope that soon we will all be able to be closer once we relocate to North Carolina...but as for now I am going to enjoy every second he's here on his visit and make sure I let him know how I feel about a dozen times...can't stand thinking about when he's gone...he has always been the "cool dad" that all of my buddies want to hang around with and now at 68 everybody still loves hangin' with him...I love you Dad

 

My dad died in '91 and several times every day I think of something he said or did and laugh to myself. Dad was a paraplegic from an accident at the end of WWII but never, ever let it slow him down.
I can remember sitting on a fender at the Tahlequah Airport dragstrip watching him race our '54 Hudson Hornet. I was too little to help much but he built a 42' stern-wheel houseboat in our front yard and for years I was called "the son of the crippled boy who built the big boat".
He ran several business's successfully. He was a hell of a fisherman, read prodigously and was used as the court of last resort for every trivia question me and my friends could come up with. He bought me and my friends an old pickup and rented a closed service station for us to stash our greasy old cars. When I was a kid my friends would come to the door and ask if I could come out and play, if I couldn't go out or was gone, they'd ask if my dad could come out.
He died slowly and painfully but his funeral was standing room only. Good God I miss him, I wish he could see how successful his grandchildren are and what a terrific great grand-daughter he has. Enough

 

Brother I am confident that he knows and judging by your kind and heartfelt words he knows what a terrific son that he raised too and is smiling that proud smile that only a Dad can smile

 

I can relate to all the posts above. It's good to know others share the same feelings. We are the lucky ones. Our Dad's may be gone, but they left us great memories, stories, and some great old sayings. My two brothers go to the cemetary from time to time, but I never go. They never worked with Dad, but I did, for over 40 years. To me, he's not under that bronze marker, he's in every square foot of our old oil soaked machine shop. I see him every day I open the front door. Hell, his old work shoes are still under his desk. I've tried, but can't manage to move them. I guess, as long as that old pair of Red Wings are under that desk, Dad's still around.

I thought a long time before I started this thread, about whether I should, or shouldn't. I'm glad I did. Thanks guys for sharing your stories, and memories. Cool to know you're not alone.

 

Saw this post and just had to comment. I lost my dad in '99. He was 53. It was the summer before my senior year in college. All he ever wanted was for me to graduate college and be happy. I've never loved or respected anybody in this whole world as much as I loved and respected my dad. I wish I was half the man he was. He was the hardest working, most honorable man I ever knew. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about him and miss him. I'd give everything I own or could ever own just to have one more minute with him. However, I feel that I am blessed that he did give me the most precious thing I have, his last name.

 

I talk to my dad almost everyday, I'm not sure where I'd be without him, in fact I just met him tonight to go to the local cruise night... He's taught me everything and I still remember handing him wrenches when I was 5 working on his 47 Plymouth, and I remember at 6 how many times I would sneak in the garage and take apart the wiper controls on top of the dash-I thought I was helping! Oh well, my dad has always been there and I could only hope I could ever be as good of a father as he always has been... thanks for this post, our dads are who got us involved and taught us as well as they could....

 

Very cool story Dean. Cheerish the memories. My dad left us in 1976 as he didn't pass away he just left and doesn't come to see us much at all >>>>.

 

I miss my pop too. He was born in 1892. He saw the modern age getting started. He taught me a lot, but the thing that I prize the most is the sense of wonderfulness he had. He had seen a lot and things still tickled him. Went from airplanes with cloth covered wings to seeing the moon landing. Yeah, I still miss the old fella. All these years later.

 

My Dad died of cancer earlier this year. when he would come here to visit over the years he wouldn't even look at my cars and would turn down offers to drive them or ride in them. Cars weren't his thing.

 

My dad was a sniper in WWII,drill instructor. Played in the Majors for the St Luis Browns. Life long Dodger fan. He umpired womens AAA softball. Loved cars,and would take me to test drive new models every weekend. Always wanted a new car,but never did get one. HUGE Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood fan! He was cool....
Born-July 4th,1923 Died-Oct 2005.
A day doesn't go by without thinking about him and my mom.

 

Good thread Dean

I lost my dad to cancer in 1968 while I was on vacation in Nam. He wasn't much into cars but I was. My fondest memories were him taking me & my friends to watch drag racing as kids. Imagine dropping off 3 or 4- 10 year olds at the drags until after dark w/ no adults today!


Hey Dean- I saw your car at the Pasadena Car show on Saturday. I saw the car but never saw you.

 

Dean, Don't move anything. I had the unfortunate task of having to sell Dad's house after his passing. Clearing out the house wasn't too bad but having to clear out his garage hurt real bad. I looked at things he had, knew what they were for but as he lived 6,000 miles away I couldn't bring them back with me. I brought a few things but the bulk had to be removed. I think as long as my heart beats Dad will be around. Thanks for starting this thread.

 

Where is HEMI32?
As for me, maybe, just maybe, one day my Son (2.5 y/o) will think that I was the Kool Dad.