Folks Of Interest Hot Rods and the homeless.

In my cruising around, one thing that I've noticed, is that for some ungodly reason, the homeless guys at the intersection asking for change will know everything about my car. Most people haven't a clue, but these guys will pop off, "Hey! Nice T Bucket! Runnin' a SBC and a turbo tranny? Cool!". And when I meet 'em hanging around a gas station, they're the ones that I can actually have a good conversation about cars with. It never freaking fails.

Are these guys from "back in the day" who "get it" and just fell on bad times or circumstance? I'm almost positive this has not happened to just me, so..... chime in.

 

Its most likely the only thing that gets them back to "better times". Seeing or talking cars most likely gets their mind off their present situation. Cool on you for talking to them like a human being.

 

Stop n give em a ride! Haha! One of the best times I had with my T was when I went to Advanced Auto for a daily driver part. Old guy ( prolly 80) checking out the stroker Merc asked if I'd take him for ride. Told him to take me for a ride and threw him the key. Made his day. Learned later he was a WWII vet that built hot rods after the war. Good times!

 

Shows you what this hobby will do to you...


Sent from a pay phone

 

ha ha ha

 

Same situation. They seem to be the ones who actually voice what others maybe thinking. What's the worse that can happen, right?

 

Right......they get rubber in 3 gears, miss 4th and teach ya about the main reason we still live here....

 

I've gotten the same thing man. I was out earlier this year in my dads stock "A" phaeton and a homeless guy walked up and said "Nice Model "A"! Let me see what year it is.... A 31?" He was right.... Told me he drove one in the early 60's.

 

Ha ha! (the pay phone joke).

 

i always get the " if your driving this thing you can afford to spare some cash" they get pissed when i tell em everthing i have is in this car, so no i cant.

 

hope this thread doest turn into something just to bash on the homeless..in my old neighborhood some of the coolest people ive spoken to about cars were unfortunately homeless,some would even watch my car while i was in the store...always make you feel lucky for what you have

 

Its true in europe as well. At least in the UK, here in italy where i live now theres almost no homeless, in my town i mean.

The payphone joke was great.

 

I remember one time I was on the way to Gunnison, CO for their carshow in my Sedan and I picked up a hitchhiker somewhere between here and there. This was before I actually lived in Colorado Springs. I'm not sure if he was homeless or not but he had hitchhiked over 150 miles from Durango, CO just to pick up some parts for his Mopar he was building. Parts were in his backpack. When I stopped to pick him up he ran to the car and you'd thought he was a kid going into Disney World for the first time. It was a good time.

 

Same here. I dropped of a bunch of toiletries to the local homeless shelter just before christmas. Had a small crowd around me pointing out all the little details
Nobody aspires to be homeless. No sense in being rude. I'm finding that more and more of the homeless people around here are recently jobless with nothing to fall back on.

 

just about blew coffee out my nose!!!!!!

 

At least it is a lot better than the a**holes asking stupid questions about the gas mileage, how fast it goes and how much money it is worth.

 

On the way to Austin last year, we stopped to get gas just south of dallas and a guy was really interested in my buddy Mike's truck, started tellin us about his BB 69 camaro... he even went through all the gears (audibly) for us!!!

Then proceeded to ask for beer out of our cooler!! hahaha

 

Amen!
Or the assholes that ask if you paid for it, then drop theyre jaw when you say yes.

 

"WILL WORK FOR PARTS"

 

I've always felt that it is a fine line we all walk between "where we are" and "where we could be". You never know what has taken place in someone's life to put them in the situation they are in. Whenever I see folks who are down and out I think to myself, There but by the grace of God go I. It's always nice to have someone actually understand and appreciate our cars and our obsessions with them, wherever it comes from.

 

Like they say, some of us are just one pay check away from being homeless.

 

.....Well said.

 

That would be me...okay, maybe two paychecks away.

I was part of the house band at a nightclub a few years back. Sometimes when I wanted to get away from the crowds I would slip outside on my breaks and hang out with this old black homeless guy. I never did talk to him about cars but I was amazed at his knowledge about music. The point is some of these guys know a lot of stuff and are definitely not stupid. I guess they either hit on really hard times or have some psychological or substance abuse problem that keep them from a normal life.

I really enjoyed getting to know him over a few weeks. Unfortunately, one night he killed himself by walking in front of the train about 1/2 a block away from the club. It was a suicide, not an accident. I wondered if there was anyone else who mourned the loss or if I was the only one.

To get back OT. I'm not surprised that some of these guys know hot rods. Not surprised at all.

 

The middle working class have been hit the worst in this rescission look at where most things are manufactured theses day and then look at alot of the homeless. Most were hard working guys 10 years ago.

 

"Walk a mile in my shoes
just walk a mile in my shoes
Before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Then walk a mile in my shoes".................................Joe South

 

Wow...that is dedication right there!

 

So true. And really I bet the net worth of a homeless person is higher than a lot of people who are in debt.

 

what's the rest of the story?

 

Great story, Kevin! Thanks!