I have a few a events over the last month and a half that have made take stock of what is really important. I need to thank the people who made me who I am a car guy. The two I need to thank the most are my mom and dad (Anita and Willard) who had my in the pits at my first half dirt race when I was six months old. I would I to thank my father Willard for sharing his 40 plus years of skill and knowledge. A man who never let me take short cuts,or got mad or yelled at me as he was teaching me. Even if I was was having a meltdown. He taught me to do quality work on every job if it was a multi thousand dollar racecar or just a old winter beater. I also need to thank my Mother Anita, who never complained about every vacation involving a race, or a swapmeet. My mom never said a word about all the car talk at the supper table, and was the voice of reason when I was having said meltdown. Pointing out my dad had all that skill and knowledge and was giving it to me if I would just listen. Thank you very much Robert J. Palmer My dad building his first racecar My mom and dad with my 53
Nice Robert. You did good with the help of loving parents. I never did figure out who to blame for my addiction.
Yes, I am probably the only person who got a set of Snap-On wrenches for their second Christmas, and a Snap-On tool box for their fifth Christmas.
You are lucky.Every time I brought a car home. My dad would say Bruce. You wouldnt be happy if you didnt buy a car with out RUST on it..lol. Bruce.
My wife Gerit and I have the pleasure to know all 3 of these great people, and understand where this love and p***ion comes from. Car people are usually great, but the Palmers are about the greatest, kindest folks you will ever meet. We are proud to call them all friends. They really are special people!
Thank-You, very much Tony. I showed this thread to my Mother and Father, they were very thankful and pleased.
My son just got a new job welding SS at a firetruck building shop.He will be a FIFTH generation fabricator in my family.I have to say he is way better than I was at metal work at his age.Co**** he didnt get into the negative side interests either like me. Anyway ,Thanks Robert for reminding me who really is the ones to thank for my son,s success.Iam sure your Mom and Dad are proud too
My dad tells everyone I am a better welder than is, but I think he is a far better fabricator than I am.
nice sentiment Robert. you know when parents really love their kids, they raise them with chevrolets.
I hated that song at one time, now it doesn't bother me. I was named after my grandfathers, Robert on my fathers side, and James on my mothers side. Robert J. Palmer. My father also name me for Bobby Allison his inspiration.
The first family car I remember is mom and dad's 1934 Chevy 4-door. All the way to Oregon and back to Illinois at around three years old. Me...the car was around eight. After that more Chevy's.
My earliest memory is of my dad working under the hood of his truck, he was running the valves. I wanted to see what he was doing. So I got on a milk crate, than on the bumper, as I reached up to grab the radiator support and put my foot in the grill to use as a ladder. He saw me pick me up and put me on his lap so I could see what he was doing.
Good for them and you for recognizing that influence. My dad made me a car guy too. He is the smartest guy I know and I have memories of him setting at his work area wrangling over a problem using his Keuffel and Esser slide rule. He tried to explain all the equations and computations but I was at a total loss. I decided that I would do something he couldn't (or didn't), work on mechanical things including cars. He always had sage advice....'Son, anyone can take something apart but it takes someone special to put it back together and make it run again'... I got 100% support from both parents. I don't know your parents but I know who and what they are....thanks for reminding me about mine. Larry By the way, I bought dad his first set of tools and tool box.
Here is my slide ruler for those who may not know. It is a Post, Student model. Circa 1970. Hard to believe it got me thru Calculus I-II-III-IV, Differential Equasions, Statistics, Physics and Physical Chemistry! I could also program an IBM 360-30 and a Burroughs computer. In machine language! Damn, I forgot a lot!!! Back to serious. My Old man taught me a lot about cars 'till we lost him when I was 20. He was always off on Mondays, so our regular routine was to search the back rows of all the car dealers in town to find the old stuff! He never owned a new car but was friends with many of the car dealers (they were in school together before WW II.) They would often call him when they got a clean older trade-in. So we always had an older Buick, Dodge or Pontiac. He was as car crazy as I was and am. Shortly before he died, I found a '62 Corvette I wanted but could not afford. I already owned 2 cars. He traded a guy his 1964 Pontiac Bonneville Coupe so I could get the Corvette! I said "what are you going to drive?", Remember this was 1972, he said "I'll use your "52 Chevy Delux Coupe!" My MOM, (still clinging to life in a nursing home at 91) did her part also in kind of a strange way. When I was still very young, (remember this is early '50s) like 2. I was left on the front porch in a playpen or gated in. She claimes I could tell the brand of every car that p***ed on our main highway street when I was 3! This car crazy stuff does run in families. My grandfather came from Italy before WW I. He bought a Winton Super 6 before he had a license! Family really is everything! Man I'm windy tonight!
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