My Dad just got here tonight from Indiana...been thinking about this thread all day and it was just awesome to see him sitting on the couch reading stories to the boys (twins Josh and Jake age 7) and the world famous Gianna (rattlesnake bite last year now 3 and half years old & recipient of alot of your prayers out there)...that image will be burned in memory forever. Tomorrow we will take a couple of the cars out for a cruise and then he can show me what I did wrong...tomorrow is going to be a great day.
Hello again Travis here, thought I would post up a pic of my dads tilt nose mustang I got to find a pic of the impala. Also if anyone on this forum sees this and knows about the car from 1997 until 2003 any history where abouts seen it at a show etc I would love to know being I wasn't around those years. It was with the other owner... Thanks Travis
My dad died in '66 he was only 53 but he always seemed old. He was a rancher,farmer, machinist, mechanic,well driller, Okie, hobo, migrant farm worker, alcoholic, and the best dad anyone could have asked for. I use things I learned from him every day. I wish I had payed more attention. I taught as much as I could to my boys,and I'm proud to say they use it too. I have a few of his tools, most were stolen. I have his machinist tool box from Douglas Aircraft from WWII and I just sent some lathe tools from it to my oldest son yesterday. My dad would be very proud of his grandsons! My folks got divorced when I was in high school but Dad came every weekend and we worked on stuff. My friends loved him. They would line the street to get his help and advice on their cars. Dad was not really a rodder but he could do anything with machinery. We built HOT flatheads & Chevy 6s. We reversed wheels, swapped trannys,and shortened closed drive lines. He rebuilt a wagon for me when I was little,a Cushman when I grew some, and a '49 Indian when I was in high school. Thanks for starting this thread and for reading about my dad. I miss him still!
I think this thread is great, makes many of us appreciate what we had and in some cases still have. Don't forget to tell them you love them them, no matter how sappy you think it may sound to you or to him. Neither of you will forget or regret it. My son and I can be "tough" guys and mumble those three words to each other often. As I get older they won't be as mumbled but spoken more clearly. Thanks again for starting this thread. I'm sure it's making many Dads and sons thoughtful and a bit happier to tell the world about good old dad.
Dean, All of you guys are so lucky to have had a great dad in your life. My real dad was never around and my step dad that didn't like me. My one grandfather died at 22 and the other when I was 4 years old along with my grandmother six months later. I only had one grandmother, a very nice quit lady who I miss as you do your dad's. I would give anything to have a dad to go fishing with ad teach me things. Oh,well................ CRUISER
My dads the best. We drag raced together. We attend races and car shows every chance we get. He helped me get my sedan delivery on the road in time for goodguys this year. Currently we are working on a 1930 model A tudor and we are hoping to do some drag racing again next year providing we can get my chevy 2 back together. This weekend we are driving our hot rods to the drag races at Spokane raceway on saturday then to the dirt track races in Northport on sunday then some more work on the tudor and maybe a few cold ones to boot. And all with my dad! Doesn't get much better than that!!
My dads an asshole. He hates old cars, and wont help me at all. I actually know more than him anymore. Hell, im even a better welder than him. And i learned that i can actually beat him in a fist fight. We're not that close
I couldn't have hit the jackpot better than I did with my dad. He's 83 and still in the garage every day. Never a hot rod guy but in to just about every other car you can think of. Here he is circa 1958.
You guys are pretty lucky!! my dad died in 89' and considering im only 21.. i had no time at all with him.. Just stories from his friends i ahve met and stories from the family..Pictures of him in his motely crue shirts sittin on his chevelle.. or him infront of his budweiser can pyrimid... His chevelle was sold when i was 4... for somewhere around 1500 bucks (71 ss)... wish i could find it
This one brings a tear to my eye. What a bitch. Makes me appreciate Dad even more. Thanks for sharing.
My grandpa was more of a father to me. He died 2 years ago of cancer, and i miss him every day. Thats actually how i got into the hotrod scene. After he died, i learned that he was a greaser back in the 50's. His first brand new car was a 54 Mercury, which was burned up by a 14 year old arsonist a month after he had it. His Ford The Merc
Marty, I'm digging that picnic photo with the 57, or could be 58 Ford and the 49/50 Merc in the background.
My dad was absent for most of my growing up. He was a Bomber pilot in the Air Force and was continually stationed over seas on Alert during the cold war. My grandfather was the father figure for me and almost everything I know that has practical application to "life" I learned from him. He taught me mechanics, marksmanship, and gave me an example of how to be a man that can be respected. Don't get me wrong, I loved my father and have great respect for him devoting his life to protecting our country and the way of life we enjoy. He just sacrificed his family life to do it. Frank
Dadship is serious business. For lots of reasons some guys just aren't up to it. A sperm donor is not necessarily a dad. A lot of kids are lucky enough to have a step dad, grand dad, uncle, or older brother to show them the way. I was lucky and had them all! Many aren't that lucky. Sometimes you might have to borrow a friend's dad like some of my friends did. No matter who our teachers were it is our task now to do the teaching. Anyone who can find this or similar sites where the interested hang out and discuss all aspects of rodding can hook up with guys in their area that that will help. ( Woah, that wasn't meant to sound like a Man-Boy add) What I mean is that there are "dads" out there. They may not be your very own but there are older rodders around that enjoy passing the torch. Being around newer generations who are continuing to expand rodding and building on what we've learned from our forerodders is good for us old guys too!
my old man and me fight like kids, but he's my hero. He grew up to a family that ran top gas and then top fuel, he drove the family fueler and then went on to pilot many others and even a funny car here and there...and damn all he wants to do now is build hot rods and go drag racing! its in the blood man, in the blood...
I hope one day to be a cool dad myself, until then I'm happy to have my cool dad. He's very humble in what hes done over the years. I did a post on what was a big part of my inspiration for hot rodding that he did. Worth a look if you have an hour or two. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165160&highlight=1966
My Dad wasn't a gearhead, but one of my earliest "car" memories was when he took me and my sister along with him to the auto wreckers to buy some piece for the '35 Dodge sedan we had at the time. Dad always did basic stuff on his vehicles like oil and spark plug changes and always kept them clean and polished. He was an excellent driver (did it for a living as a transport driver in his later years) and taught us kids lots about how to survive on the roads as well as many more of life's lessons. When I got into my teens and was bitten by the car bug and eventually got into oval track racing, he was always there helping out any way he could and when we couldn't figure something out, he would find someone with the knowledge or skills who could. I have many fond memories of our racing days together and thank my lucky stars for having a Dad who taught me so much about life. I was fortunate enough to be with him at the end and although he was not responsive and in a coma, with my wife's gentle coaxing I thanked him for all that he did for me and my sisters and brother as he slipped away. After his last breath, his face relaxed and a smile came to his lips. It was as if he heard every word I said. That sight is one of my most cherished memories of our time together and I can only hope that I go the same way.
My dad loved Hot Rods he had his since he was 14. It was a 1932 Ford 2 door sedan with a 283 Chebbie, he terrorized the Bad Lands of Lake Wood
alot of great memories of my dad, shooting guns, working on cars, surfing fishing, all that good stuff. im still lucky enough to have him around. i have him to thank for all my mechanical knowledge and inclination. when i was a kid he would occasionally bring old refrigerators, stoves, wahers, or dryers home. at first i would just take em apart. then by the time i was 9 or 10 he asked me "why dont you try to put one back together?" so then i started doing that. learning how mechanical things worked. learning how electrical circuitry works. i think id be as stupid as most of my contemporaries if it wasnt for this strange form of childrens entertainment. this is also how i learned that gashing your hand open on a jagged piece of sheetmetal isnt the end of the world, and that you CAN make you own band-aids out of papertowels and electrical tape
great post and timley for me too, I just turned 40 at the weekend and my dad would have been 80. He was a steam railway guy in a big way (my mum still reckons we're into the same thing just one with rubber vs steel wheels) been gone 13 years and I miss him heaps, even more now I'm a dad myself and my son is a fan of all things transport with a big leaning towards rail.
@Dean Lowe - Cool thread (pun intended) ... don't know how I missed it ... thanks for starting it. It's been 18+ years since my dad passed away ... soon after his 54th birthday he was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney ... unfortunately, it had metastasized to other organs ... and 5 months later he was gone. Like the rest of you guys, there's not a day that passes that I don't think about my father ... about all the cool stuff he did in his short life ... and more importantly, all the cool things we did together (both car & non-car related)! Looking back on all those years we spent together ... in the garage (wrenchin' on cars) ... attending races (Drags, Drag Boats, Bonneville, Sprint cars, etc.) ... going to car shows, rod runs, and larger rodding events ... driving cross country in the coupe ... etc. ... it really makes me realize how lucky I am to have had him as a dad! ... I only hope that when I die, my kids have half the respect and appreciation for me as I do for my dad (I'm trying my best to make sure that happens). I sure do miss my dad ... it's very difficult to put in words just how much ... though I'll fully admit that the H.A.M.B. has become a bit of a catharsis for me ... a way of remembering my father ... as well as sharing a glimpse of my "Cool Dad" with fellow HAMBers ... Most of my posts here on the H.A.M.B. are somewhat of a tribute to my dad ... I think he would be very pleased to see that "Traditional" Hot Rodding is still alive and well in 2008! I'm really having trouble writing this ... so here's a little blurb from my H.A.M.B. Profile Bio: I've been around hot rods all my life. My '32 5-window was built by my father ... he bought it (less 4-banger) for $40 in 1954 ... threw away the fenders, hood, bumpers, etc. ... channeled it 6" in front, 8+" in rear ... put a 1953 Chrysler (331ci) HEMI in it [hence the moniker "HEMI32"] ... and later he chopped it 2.5". In 1975, we put the 1958 Chrysler Imperial (392ci) HEMI and the 1969 Dodge HEMI Torque-flite that it still runs today. My father & I have had several other rods, customs & special interest vehicles: : : : Sadly, in October 1990, cancer claimed my father's life. In August 1991, his ashes were scattered over the Bonneville salt flats during the Speed Week event. That same year, Pat Ganahl & (the late) Gray Baskerville did an article on my father & his coupe. The article was entitled "COUPE-TINUUM" and appeared in the December 1991 issue of Rod&Custom ... it got most of the story correct ... just a few inaccuracies and some typo's (our family name is misspelled). That issue of R&C also had a feature on the '57 Chrysler Custom that my father once owned ... and an article about Speed Week 1991 which included a picture of the Thomas-Walsh-Walsh-Cusack "333" roadster that my father's ashes (urn) were strapped in ... duct taped to the roll bar behind John Walsh as he drove to a 2-way average of 213.853mph (becoming a member of the prestigious 200MPH Club). On my 32nd birthday, I became the caretaker of the "HEMI32" coupe ... the car will forever remain in the family ... I plan to give it to my son on his 32nd birthday ... and here's a photo I've never posted before: My "Cool Dad" and his HEMI powered, chopped & channeled '32 5wd Coupe (North Dakota, circa 1957)
My Dad was 91 when he passed, We lived in Southern Ontario and after I moved to AU in 73 we were not close for 30 years but I remember all the good times of my youth, borrowing the family 53 Plymouth for my first date, ... dont ask me how I know the old flathead 6 was prone to blowing head gaskets when rev'd out. Brought it home early on the Sat morning past midnight blowing all kinds of smoke! Did that twice till Dad said,'you better get your own driver, son!." It turned out to be a 56 tudor Ford 292 that Dad had his eye on for me, and we picked it up the next week. Dad was a mechanic and drove tanks in the big II . He was a quiet guy, didn't say much, and didn't have too. I never seen anyone do body work like him, and he could paint too. When i was a kid there was nuthin he couldnt do. He read Popular Mechanics a lot and I guess thats where I picked it up from. Caught him reading my old HotRod mags a bit. I guess he was keen to keep up with the younger Gen, but he never said it too me . Every time I finish something now I reckon 'this is the way Dad would have liked it'. As you probably worked out , Im an old fart now with 2 sons in their prime who look up to their 'old man' for guidence. Amazing how much they have picked up from their Dad. DadsEH.
I still got my pop...just talked to the cuss...still as wiry as ever You know, I was talking to my wife a number of months ago and told her that I didnt think that I was a very good father myself...she reasured me that I'm a fine father but have the same temprament that my son has....lacking in patience with a degree of perfectionism slathered in stubborness...all of which is contrary to my pop... I always remember my father as the patient, show you how to do something 10 times over guy that you cant piss off....if you pissed him off, there was GOOOD reason, only saw him mad twice in my life and it was scary...(specially for a pissy 14 year old.....me) I proudly can say everything know, I learned from my dad...even the stuff I taught myself, I wouldnt have been able to had my dad not taught me the concept of..."its only a car, wall, wire, pipe, piece of steel...etc, some guy built it....you can fix it or build it too." One of my fondest memories is right after I got my first race car built at 17 (worked on it all myself with dads guidance...pro-street, huffed 460 1979 LTD II) yeah it was a tank but it was a beast on the track....dad bought a olds W30 that had been vandalized...spent a weekend on the engine, threw some lexan windows in it and raced me...I was so hopped up racing my pops...you know the guy that can do NO wrong, I red lighted like 4 times in a row...I usually never red light...finally got the butterflies worked out and spanked him proper like...pops retaliated...built the hell outta that 455 and tubbed it...never once talked trash, after that I couldnt beat that guy to save my life....even when he worked on my car. He was good. I've scince quit racing, ($) as he has but we recently have been talking about building a non-hamb friendly door slammer to whoop it up with and start the family racing biz back up...my son is three now and I honestly believe that cars is what kept me outta trouble all those years. Anyway, off of my long winded rant, I often have to step back with my son and physically remind myself to be more like my father, slow to anger, patient and less of a perfectionist cause quite honsetly...my little boy is a curious active kid with a active personality...a terrorist, just like I was when I was growing up...I hope he remembers the same about me when he sits back and ponders memories.
I lost my step father 3 years ago August. I never had a real father and this guy came along and showed me life with cars. I miss him much and I wish he was around to see what I have been doing. I think he'd be proud!
Very emotional post, My best to all who have lost thier Pops, Tell their stories to all who will listen, and they will live on forever! I am lucky to still have my Dad, He still does resto's on T birds and Vettes! hung out last night showing him some computer shit. He has always said, "you cant eat an ice cream cone and drive a stick shift" I am still trying to prove him wrong! Dave
Sorry to bump up such an old post but I was just looking at a bunch and this one got me. Today would have been my Dad's 86th Birthday.........Like I said way back when this thread was fresh, he died in 1999. Still get choked up on his B-day and on the day that he died. Tomorrow my wife and I are going on Vacation to Mexico with her father and his wife. They have not always had the best relationship but now they get along really well. I still tell her to make sure she calls him regularly because the day will come and she can't and she will regret it. I know I wish I could call my old man one more time......
My dad is 74m and i'm 45. That's dad in the first pic.I work a 2 week on, 2 week off schedule. He lives 700 miles from me, but i try and visit on my days off. His dream car was always a 58 impala. Last year, we finished it! Now we work on mine. It's pretty cool, because my three sons are grown, and have family's, and they like to go too!
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