Hot Rods So...at what age did you have to give up building hot rods?

I am 72. I just finished a 46 Willys frame up and started a 40 Ford pick up frame up. The end will find me before I find it.



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..all these old timer stories are impressive !...after putting together dozens of old cars and trucks, my enthusiasm has tapered off on the build portion, mainly because I have too many old cars runnin n drivin now, it keeps me busy just maintaining what I have. But I live for drivin the ones I have and look for an excuse to get one out and go somewhere.
..still, since I have 2 or 3 projects waiting, I still think about digging one out and get going on it,...it's nice to be still able to do everything I've always done to get one driving.

 

Barry,you dad is a real hot rodder and sure doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. HRP

 

When it takes more than 3 people to pull you out from under a hot rod and get you back on your feet!

 

I'm 68, and I am slowing down. Still do some tinkering, and tuning, but the under the car stuff is out of reach. It takes me twice as long to get down, and it takes two men and a boy to get me back up. Working on cars has always been my passion, and will continue until the big dirt nap. Cars are cool and have soul!


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I'm closing in on 69, finally back to a 59 Corvette basket case I have had for 29 years that I stopped on for kids, house, career, wife....you know the drill. Finally got it to my son's metal fabrication shop where I can work on it on Sundays. Hope to have it together for its 30th birthday with me, Oct. 2018 ( I'll be 70). And no it isn't going to be a look at how original I restored it....it was a drag car, not much stock, so why try to put it back to stock. It gets new front and rear I.R.S., disc brakes around, I has a Tremec 5 sp, and Stan Betz mixed my color before he retired. Biggest issue with aging is losing muscle strength. Just have to wirj smarter and plan ahead more to find ways to get stuff done.

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Just slowing down is in no way quiting , it just takes a bit longer.

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43.

 

Turning 75 June 1 and hope to be stickered and street legal by then. I still play ice hockey on Thursday mornings all year...when I can get there. Don't stop doing anything just because you attain a "number". Stop only when your body (or mind) tells you...or forgets to tell you!

 

I will be 73 in April. Still at it. I will thin the heard a bit by selling the Willys in my avatar this spring.

 

I'll be 74 in a few months have always my own builds but find it more appealing to just tinker anymore on my 2 rods, don't see anymore full builds in my future.


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61 and on my last build.But my wife wants an old MG. Iam still messing with race cars too.

 

As a young buck I can say that I hope I pass well before I can no longer be in the shop. I'm 31 the first time I put everything on hold was at 25 when I sold my then current project took all my play money and bought a house for the family . Now five years later I'm still working on what feels like my first project with no play money and no time.

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I'll heartily agree with "41 coupe" although my energy levels are not too bad still. That said, I'm aware that I've definitely slower down a bunch! I turn 70 in June and have been retired since last August. I now have the time to finish my avatar and build another car which I have most of the pieces collected for, but the money is not there. At least not now. I realize my avatar has been dragging on for far too long (sixteen years - life keeps getting in the way) and now there is still a pile (work and money) still to do to finish it. Hopefully I can scrape together enough to at least get it running and driving....We'll see. Regards, Dave.

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At 74 this is my 6 year build on my 1948 Chevy 3100 Pickup. Had a 454 block/turbo 400 all mounted when a friend gave me a smoking deal on a LS engine/transmission. That was 2 years ago. Learning as I went along I did EVERYTHING myself. Started on the first try. To date I have put several hundred trouble free miles .

 

I'm 65 and have two sons; 6 and 9 years old! (These guys keep me young.)
I've also had 7 vertebrae fused in my neck, have 6 bulging discs and arthritis in my lower back, arthritis in both knees, and plantar fasciitis in both feet. Other than that I feel great! Like the rest of the "old farts" things have slowed down, but I am still able to do most everything I need to do on my projects.
I have a pretty big to-do list on my Dodge that I need to accomplish before May. (Need the car ready for the Ocean City cruise-in!)

 

I'll be 70 in a couple of months and have taken on a rebuild of my car. Taking my time (not as fast as I use to be). Fortunately my health is still good , so I should be able to see this one done. It will probably be the last project I would do.

 

I am 82 going on 83 still playing with my Mercury in my Avatar, waiting for
all the Snow to Melt so I can get to the Car.!
I just came back from the Dr. about the Pain in my Right Hand
and was told I have Arthritis & of course I am Right Handed
i was told there was Nothing you can do for it except Move to a Warmer Climate
mabey I will Move back to Tucson, AZ
what I noticed when working on my car is it takes a Lot longer to do
a 15 min. job.!

I was under the Dash last summer replacing The Speedometer Head
and was Told by a lot of Guy's its a Bitch of a Job
since I am a Gluten for Punishment I would Try it
first I moved the Front Seat Back, so I could lay down flat
put the tools on my Stomack wiggled under the Dash got Situwated
and was looking at the
back of the Dash & Guess what..............................................

I had to go to the Bathroom.!
so the Next Day I Started all over again
this job took me about a Week to do.!


Just my 3.5 cents

Live Learn and Die a Fool

 

i'm 63 had both knees replaced, rotatory cuff repair
the way i look at it age is just a number, all that matters is how you feel and why stop doing something that you love doing, no matter what it is
when i'm through learning then i'm through
Tinkirk/Terry

 

I have neck and back issues, a combination of a 2011 car accident and aging. Banging around in stock cars was no help. I have spinal stenosis, DDD (degenerative disc disease) a C5-C6 herniation, same with T6-T7. Official diagnosis is cervical and thoracic radiculopathy, meaning the pain travels. So far I've had one surgical opinion, surgery wasn't recommended, but I'll get another opinion. I've had about 18 or 19 ESI injections and a successful RFA (radio frequency ablation) that took care of my neck for now. Another option is a pain pump that dumps a small amount of morphine on where the pain is at a regular interval. I'm leaning towards this option more and more. I'd be 100% okay if I could get rid of the pain or greatly reduce it.

 

X2 work smart, not hard......

 

Sure no problem!
Randy


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I'm 76 and like others have had surgeries that prohibit doing any lifting or bending for long periods of time. I have a project in the frame jig and a driver that I work on if possible. I do hire some local talent to assist me but I have no plans to give up my passion of building and driving Hot Rods. The HAMB will keep my

"The mind and body become demented when not put to use!"

 

I'm 64 and have Psoriatic Arthritis and like many others here that have pain, yup, it sure gets in my way. If the job requires getting under or inside, it is going to hurt, that is reality! Getting under a dash is next to impossible and in my case will take several days to recover. I tend to spend nearly as much time in bed on a heating pad as I do working in the garage, but doing nothing still hurts and it will rot your mind too.
There are days that the reality of finishing my current project seems out of reach, but even on the bad days I can still dream about getting it finished and driving it, and that lifts my spirits. Hopefully I'll never have to say,"today was my last day in the garage." I can't imaging how that would feel!

 

Depends on the individual. '72 and just finished a 29 roadster. Looking for a Model A truck now. At gym every day, eat well, no extra weight, ain't ready to quit yet!

 

I am 78 and still working on cars. Not as fast as I used to, but sooner or later I get it done. I'm not building hot rods anymore, just old cars. Just finished my '56 Ford Victoria and am looking for a motor for my '50 chevy. Still have the urge to make things better!

 

I had to quit working on cars, ex wife said so. That damned roadster or her! Let's see, what would I do???

That was in '76, I was 34. She left. My '53 Vicky was my daily, nice mild custom. Roadster was a steel '27 on a Gennie Deuce frame, flathead, and my '55 F100 just got its engine and was getting changed to an automatic trans.
Then I met Joey...she was 22, she helped finish my truck and went to work in my new shop with me.
That last ex wife was the LAST TIME I quit.
Hell, I'm only 74! But I'm still cute.

 

What he said ^^^^^ Where does it say we are supposed to quit?? Everyone complains about getting down to get under hot rods ...I find getting down is easy ...Getting up on the other hand, requires planning .... Then you wait for the "spins" to stop, then you can retrieve the balance of what you need to finish the repair ...A list helps .....

 

71- I still do it from time to time- crawl about under a car- lean over a fender- pull a front clip- etc- but I tend to get a bit stiff and more sore more than I used to- not good for 8 hours at a time-

 

Bob, I hear you.. I have the stenosis and the spinal sleeves.. another CTI on March 6 so the surgeon can tell me if he can do anything to stop the sciatic nerves being pinched. It's a real b******* of a thing when you get down and cant get up, or have to do something when you lay on your back or work with arms extended. Got a malignant liomyosarcoma diagnosis 2 yrs ago at 66 and the kidneys are now not working. I am restoring an old speedway car and have it set up on trestles in the carport and when I can, I work on it.. It is therapeautic and fills in time for me.. Will it ever get finished?? Who knows and I an not bothered.. I love working on it and savour every moment. Not going to toss in the towel.. just figure out different ways to fold it. Take care mate..