Folks Of Interest HERES TO DADS

I felt like this is something that I needed to say about our hobby. I like many of you came up watching dad, and wanted to learn all you could.
Dad always has encouraged me to learn as much as possible about any machine.
I think the biggest lesson that dad has given me and will accept nothing less is pride in work. Machines are art and sould look as such.
Anyway, I was just thinking of dad, who is down south for the winter.
My love of old rides and his time and investment in me have made it possible to enjoy our hobby.
THANKS DAD

 

My father was not what many would consider a "car guy". That said, he walked out to the garage one summer afternoon where I proudly displayed my early prowess of exquisite auto detailing on the family "long roof 'squire" and he calmly asked me;
"so, does it go any faster?".
Since then, I make a serious point of it! Thanks dad!
God I miss him.

 

"HEAR, HEAR"...

 

In conversation with fellow old timers, it's about 50/50 on getting into car hobby, I was born into a racing/car family, my interest/passion from childhood through present day. I've always considered myself a lucky guy, had pretty good parents, not a perfect Ward and June deal, but I had a good childhood and a great life IMO thanks to my parents instilling the proper important values. I'm proud to say I have passed these values on to my children as they all are doing well, family/careers/etc. None of them ended up a carnut like me which surprises me some, they have their hobbies/interests and they definitely spend more time with their kids than I did with them, so far so good with the grandchildren. I have given thought, Did they turn out so well because of me or in spite of me.

 

I and my two brothers all inherited the old car disease from our Dad. He is my mentor and role model.

 

Where has the time gone? It's June already?

Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

My Dad is gone 20 years now. I owe everything I am to him. I miss him every day. RIP Dad, you're my hero.

 

My mom and dad divorced when I was 5yrs old, so he wasn't around much. Just had a natural bent for
anything mechanical, starting with taking apart wind up alarm clocks to see how they worked. Then
lawn mowers, mini-bikes, go karts and old cars. I'm fortunate that my two sons and I had and have
many hours in the garage. One is a Chevy guy, the other is a Ford guy, which makes it even more fun.
And, their kids are getting their hands greasy already and love to do burnouts. The car gods have been
good to me, for sure. Cars kept all of us away from drugs, alcohol and jail. Life is good.

 

I definitely got it from my dad. He and my mum are still with us, aged 85 and 86, and still married after 63 years. My dad is slowing down very rapidly after having had way too much energy all his life. It's sad to see. There are at least three projects he has always dreamt of but will never get to: '48 Chevy Fleetline, MG TC, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint.

 

Dad influenced me greatly. Early 70's car shows, saw many different kinds of racing at the Charlotte Motor speedway. To this day I still use tools from the set he bought me at 14.

 

My dad wasn't a car guy. But...he was a toolmaker. One helluva a machinist. He made the adapter for my T5 to Flathead. He made lots of cool stuff for me. He's been gone over 3 years now. Haven't sdone much of anything car related in the same time.

 

My Dad was a big band and studio musician with a thing for fast cars mostly convertibles, 35 Auburn Speedster, 39 Merc, Austin Bantum roadster p/u, 49 Ford, 52 Ford, 55 buick, 59 Ponitac, 64 Cadillac, then he ran a muck - VW camper bus. Lots of talk at the dinner table about the Auburn Speedster, flying thru small midwest towns with the cutout open and shooting his pistol in the air - those talks about them and Cords and Duesenbergs got me hooked. Thanks Dad!

 

As much as I love my Dad, I pretty much raised myself. I was third kid, and a surprise, so everyone was doing their thing. My two much older brothers were gone to college by the time I was Jr high. Mom and dad both worked long hours, so I was on my own. Dad did like old stuff, wood boats mostly. He was a machinist as well and I had access to lots of tools, so I just figured shit out as a kid. Took everything apart out of curiosity, etc. But as far as the hot rodding with dad, I'm the dad. My 6 yo loves the car and helps me work on it, and everything else. He really digs tools, has since he was a youngin. Here he is learning brakes on the wife's dd, and cruising with dad in the shoebox...

 

My Dad learned his trade on the ranch, piecing junk together to make a crop, during and after the Great Depression. He then went to war and was schooled on aviation mechanics. After the war he worked in Southern California at several mechanic jobs, then packed us all up and came back to the ranch in Oklahoma, arriving 10/15/57.
He taught me everything thing I used to be what is called “ successful “ .
But the thing he taught me the “ best” is in my byline. He told me that a good mechanic can take anything apart, analyze the wear and any problems and put it back together, fixed! I used that train of thought my whole life! I was the first to jump into something new that I had no knowledge of! Most of the time with a successful out come!
He was not much on “ hot rodding” as he figured it was a waste of time and money! He was more concerned about getting a vehicle running and working!
Together we built a lot of stuff over the years. From tractors to hot rods!
A great American patriot , that served in the Pacific during WW11, I buried him eight years ago, on Pearl Harbor Day!
I miss him every day!
That’s my big Sis, beside him and my wife behind him.






Bones

 

the earliest memory i have of my dad was out in the garage. i was only 3 or 4 and my dad had just finished changing the oil in the 60 rambler wagon. he used to cut the side out of a two gallon oil can to drain the oil in underneath the car. then when he was done, he'd unscrew the cap and pour it into a larger container to dispose of it.
he was still underneath the car and slid the waste oil can out to the front of the car. i stared at the shimmering black oil. i waved my foot over it and i could hear my dad say from under the car, don't you step in that. i wasn't stepping in it, i was just hovering my foot over it. again he said don't you step in that. RICK, don't you put your foot in that.
you know what happened next. i put my foot in it. he shot out from under the car and pulled my foot out of the oil. he pulled my shoe and sock off and tried his best to wipe off all the oil. go in the house was all he said. why did i put my foot in it?

 

My dad was a huge impact in my love of cars. He wasn't necessarily into old stuff, but was into cars most of his life from the time he was young. He taught me how to fix about anything including cars and about anything else that broke. I am definitely thankful for all the things he taught me including taking pride in my work. As much as anything, he taught me that I can figure out how to do about anything if I need to. I am trying to pass the same things on to my kids now. Pics are me standing by a vette my dad was fixing in the 70's and one of him by his t-bird when he was in high school.

 

Great thread
I just lost my dad on the 16th of December. He was 82, and a true hotrodder. I’ve learned the appreciation of cars and building my own cars from him
Hot Rod’s, motorcycles, whatever to do with performance, he was into it
I’ll miss him daily
Rest In Peace Jerry Cameron!!!
Love you Pop!!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Last of the true hot rodders!!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I lost my dad last February. He started me on the path to being a lifelong gear head. Used to take me to junk yards just to walk around and look at everything. Still one of my favorite things to do. I still have tools that he handed down to me and those he bought new for me. He taught me how to ride a motorcycle, drive a car and to say a few bad words as well. I think about him almost everyday and it usually makes me smile.

 

Love my Old Man, Miss him just as much

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/to-dad.604598/

 

My dad was a machinist turned engineer without ever setting foot into a school and to say that my addiction started early is an understatement. My old man didn't take us to ball games or go fishing we spent our weekends scouring swap meets and junkyards and I loved every moment of it. Just like most of the people posting on here me and my brother are continuing the addiction he has a 49 F5 and my 47 Ford coupe.

Sent from my moto z4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

This and my avatar

 

My dad has been gone for almost half my life ( I'm 65 ) but during the first half of my life he taught me most of what I know about keeping old jalopies on the road. One of my favourite ways I can still connect with him is by using one of his tools when working on my car even though I have many shinier, newer tools of my own. I remember when he passed on my mom told my brother and I to go thru his shop and take anything we wanted. My brother looked thru what was out there, and I remember him saying "it was a bunch of junk". I took everything.

 

Mine in about 62. That's his dad bent over fixing something.....

 

My dad changed the oil in his car and truck out of necessity, other then that, he wasn't much into cars. He did have a buddy that build dirt track cars, and he did take me to his buddy's house a lot of Saturday mornings. My car addiction came from my dad's buddy, and his son.

I don't believe my dad thought much of my car addition, but at least he didn't try to stop me, not that it would have done any good if he had.

I've done my best, along with my wife's assistance, to addict our son, and to a lesser degree, our daughter, and we (my wife, my son, my daughter and myself) have done a nice job addicting our daughter's son, and our son's daughter and son. Gene

 

Yup, totally my Dad's fault that I am what I am when it comes to the old car craziness. Thanks Dad!!

 

Dear Old Dad...waaay before me. His ride throughout the ‘30’s.

He made a deal with us boys...if we wanted something bad enough to save up 1/2 the cost, he’d match it. Musta hurt sometimes. Bless you Pop, Yer always with me!

 

My dad is definitely NOT a car guy. He always been, and still is an Airplane-Guy! So I grew up with a big airplanes addiction and passion. Always flew with him in his aircraft, always enjoyed it so much. Thing changed over the years and when I was 17 I started thinking about owning a car.. Well, I live in Italy, 3hrs from Germany so here we have big Stanced Cars scene and influence.. I wanted a 1974 Golf MK1, stanced and cambered like german guys does.. but I ended up buying a 1979 VW Bug.. I put on it 17" Porsche wheels, stanced it and I started showing it to car meet. Alway had passion for cars, historial ones especially.. and of course American ones!! VW Bug, we call it the small american sounding car, because his 4Cyl engine with no exhaust reminds the cammed V8.. I started showing the car to american cars meets here in Italy, and it throwed me into a new world.. and when a day I saw "two lane blacktop" movie, I decided I absolutely have to own a 55 Chevy.. I loved that car. I ended up buying my 55 in 2017, after 2 years of searching.. there are no more than 10 55s here in Italy, and I own one of them!

 

1941 Buick Fastback in 1948, at our first real home in Long Beach, CA.


Hello,

My dad was not a true hot rod or car builder. But, he must have given me a ton of subtle ideas towards having a nice car for daily drives. Besides, he chose me to meet him at the end of the block to let me steer his huge 49 Buick Roadmaster to the parking area in front of our Craftsman Style house, every day from 1950-52. (yea! I started steering a car at age 6. I think my dad allowed me to steer his 41 Buick Fastback around the trailer park in Long Beach when I was 4, but he took a lot of %$^#& for that move from my mom, so that episode is rekindled, but a little hazy.) My wife likes what my dad has given me because, she drives knowing that the cars are reliable, powerful, cool, and that she helped pick out the cars.

But, my dad’s idea about cars went to my brother, too. He took care of this cars like no other. Maybe it got to me a little stronger as I continued with a few more hot rods/cruisers than he did. But, he had more 900-1100 cc custom street bikes before he left all of us at age 51. but his hot rod knowledge and ideas were forefront in our relationships.

My dad always told us that “…if you don’t have a reliable car, you can’t get to where you are going.” He never had a side road breakdown in any of his cars. It was nice that his best friend in Los Angeles owned a garage and was an expert mechanic, with ties to Vic Edlebrock and other early hot rod people. But, his friend always helped my dad keep the Buicks in tip top shape.
Our dad with his 1936 Dodge sedan

Before the two brothers came along, he was an adventurist. As a teenager, he used to swim across the San Pedro Channel from downtown San Pedro to Terminal Island with his friends, play all day at Brighton Beach, and then swim back across. (that stretch of water is so impacted with traffic, today, that it would be impossible !)
He also played semi pro baseball after college and with his left hand pitching/batting, he stood out like a sore thumb. But, we feel this photo shows him with his “real” first car. He kept that for a couple of years.

But what stood out in all of our family’s memories is his string of Buick cars, starting with a 1941 2-door fastback. He would tell us that cars should be driven about 4 years and then it is time to get another one. From 46 to 49, he owned a 41 coupe, So starting in 1949 with his big black 4 door Roadmaster, every 4 years, we saw a new Buick roll into the garage. Mostly 4 doors until 1957. There were what we called his best choices: 63 Riviera and his road hog of a car, the huge 1968 Riviera.

The 63 Riviera was his best car with all of the styling and goodies in a stock factory design. The 68 was so huge that when my girlfriend (soon to be wife) and I drove it to Laguna Beach to get our rings made, we could not park it anywhere near Coast Highway for fear of sticking out to passing traffic. We had to park it across the street in a residential portion of the beach town.

His last Buick was in 1982 with a sporty Regal. He died just before the Olympics came to L.A. in 84. (41 Buick coupe, 49 Roadmaster 4 door, 53 Roadmaster 4 door, 57 Roadmaster 2 door, 63 Riviera, 68 Riviera, 73 Regal, 78 Regal, 82 Regal)

The only odd ball car he mentioned to all of us at dinner one night was the chance to drive for free, a new Turbine Car by Chrysler. Somehow, he got on a list of car owners that had the chance to drive one of the new Turbine Cars on the street and turn in an evaluation at the end of the time period. This was in 1962. He was excited, but my mom nixed that idea saying that we would not own that car, but would be “renting” it and that it looked awful. Actually, it was to be a loan for so many months, just for evaluation. He sat in the car in Los Angeles, but we never saw it except in magazines. It was weird looking, like a “Jetson’s” style, Thunderbird.

Jnaki

Maybe not a true influence about hot rods, but he sure loved his Buicks. So, yes, a true car guy. He did support my brother and me in our 1940 Willys Coupe build. He allowed me to use his 16mm color movie camera to record drag racing, as long as I was the editor of his “family” movies. For us, having a dad behind us, helping when he could, was nice. He even used his Los Angeles contacts to get us some speed stuff we needed. Like his undercover “secret” forays to the Seal Beach and Huntington Beach piers to film his sons surfing, he loved going to the drags by himself to film us when we weren’t looking or racing.

Me to my son? He had every available “car” influence: (wooden cars, plastic cars, Hot Wheels, models, Tonkas, pedal cars, R/C cars, scooters, bikes…etc.)


He even loved turning two steering wheels I bolted to my garage cabinet doors to pretend driving while I was working in the garage. A small 3 spoke mini wheel ($4 garage sale) and a larger 4 spoke wheel I had from back in the early days.

But his generation as teens and college age must have skipped getting involved in cars. He does confer with me when his family is looking for another family car. To this day, he still remembers those two steering wheels in the garage. Well, that is something.

Our granddaughter? She loves driving around with us and when we pickup her and her friends from school, they all love the sound of a powerful motor/exhaust coming from Grandma’s car. Oooh... But, to that youngest generation, cars get you where you want to go. They want a cool looking car, but it is just something rolling on wheels that is better than taking a city bus or the Uber ride, somewhere. Cars, to them are a part of the family, but not the most important thing going for them. Geeez…It got passed on from her dad.

Definitely not passed on by the grandparents, (US), that is for sure. We love cars, if they are hot rods, all the better. Powerful ones are the ones my wife likes. She wants to make sure we have enough power and comfort to go where we want. Shades of our long road trips back when we were 20 somethings. So, for our son, his dad was a hot rodder and will always have that going for a good story or two.