Folks Of Interest How many of you are second & third generation hot rodders or custom guys?

My dad had no interest in hot rods or customs, so I learned about the hobby from older friends and magazines, The day I picked up that hot rod magazine at Bryant's Corner Drug store in 1062 was the day I knew I wanted to be a part of the hot rod world.

I was out in the shop today and ran across a couple of old photo's when We took our twin girls to Columbus , Ohio back in the 80's and I realized that they had fun traveling across the country to shows but that's where it ended, they have absolutely no interest in the old cars.

How many of you guys grew up in the back seat or rumble seat of your dad's or granddad's hot rod or custom? HRP

 

I'm a second generation carnut as my Dad was a Midget race car owner 1948/1986 and a car guy so I grew up riding in the back seat going to races every weekend through my teen years also went to many races with him as he was also a big fan of all auto racing. I started out driving his racer, then my own race team 21 years total, later years he came with me and my family until his passing. I had my first car at 16, 1964 (My avatar) street raced, cruised, tons of fun, worked hard, played hard all my life, my passion is still there at 75, just mellowed. Ironically none of my 5 kids are car people, only one son raced a short time, lost interest, the others never caught the bug when I was dragging them all over the midwest during my time in racing. They all developed their own interests and hobbies not automotive related, they all seem to be happy successful people, I'm very proud of them. This car hobby has served me well, I'm a very Lucky and Thankful man.

 

Sure, sorta. My dad had a 1958 Chevy with a 348 that he cobbled up a tri-power for. Then he bought a 62 Impala, 409, the next car was a 65 Impala, 409 .
My "parents", owned a 56, dual quad, solid lifter Corvette for 5 or 6 years.

My dad got me started into porting cylinder heads, been doing it for extra money since about 1970.
So yeah, I guess you could say that I'm somewhat of a second generation hot rodder.

Mike

 

My father's interest in hot rods was with his buddy that ran dirt track race cars. Dad wasn't much of a mechanic, he had the basic understanding on how cars worked. He often helped his buddy however he could, and he usually attended races where ever his buddy ran, but dad always sat in the stands. I was really into the dirt track races, so as a young boy, dad dragged me down to his buddy's garage a lot on Sat mornings, mom probably made him do that.

So, dad wasn't much into hot rods, but his buddy was into dirt track racing. Dad dragged me to his buddy's garage which got me deeply involved with dirt track racing. Don't know where that puts me in this generation thing. Dad's semi involvement with his buddy's passion got me into it deep.

I've infected my son, and my daughter has some interest in car stuff. We as a family (my wife and my kid's families), attend a few dirt track races and a few cars shows every year together. Both of my children's boys are into cars. I've done my best!

 

My dad I think (RIP) was a closet hotrodder. When an engine got tired, he’d put a bigger one in it. The ‘57 Chevy PU he bought new came with a 235, when it was wore out, 283, when the 283 got tire he bought a wreck Vette BBC/TH400 went it it.
But he didn’t change cams/heads/etc. all just more engine. He did the same as a younger man with old Fords, when the FHs got tired, he’d look for and put on a Mercury engine.
When his old 40-something Dodge PU 218 went south, he found a 230 for it.
To him it was more power is better.
Like Gene, I have kids as well. Two of the 3 girls like changes. One just likes the “customization “ thing, the other both more power and the customization. (Neither anywhere HAMB friendly).
I think the key to passing it down to your offspring is letting them know it doesn’t matter that I either payed or helped you pay for your car, if you want to do something to it, do it.
I had to always run the “is it okay” by my dad, if he said no, then I didn’t do (most of the time).

 

Dad almost didn't get my mom to the hospital in time to have me. So I was almost born in the back seat of a brand new '66 GTO. Dad's a ''closet hot rodder''. Capacitive discharge ignition systems and dual exhaust found its way onto family cars in the name of economy. He kind of shuns my hot rod ways, shaking his head in feigned agony whenever he sees another project. But he taught me a lot, and sparked my passion for this great hobby. I'm gonna call him today.

 

Nope. Cars were necessary. Tools for home ( driveway ) repairs, both grandpops.
Black fingers were usual.
While on a long distance bicycle ride, a stop for a coke in a drug store netted a Car Craft.
I had kept track, for years, of spots that held pre-war 'hot rods'.
Mild customs ( Ford Merc newer Plyms ) always rolling by.
But holding that Car Craft as my property locked into my brain the feeling of desire.

 

My dad was somewhat of a hot rodder. My uncle owned a Gulf service station that was a hang out after hours for hot rods. My cousins had hot rods and some of our neighbors when I was a kid. The next door neighbors son had a very hot 57 chevy, he was a street racer. I have loved hot rods ever since I could walk. Hell, when I was a kid if I saw a hot rod on the street I would try to catch up to it on my bike just to get a glimpse.

 

Second generation here. Dad was into hot rods and circle track.

 

I am second gen uh, twice? My daughter is not really interested.
My oldest granddaughter built a few cars with me. She has raced off road and wrenches not only her own but other people's cars as well. She is forever going to a cruise or a race of some sort.

 

I guess I am a second generation……mechanic! My Dad refused to be a “hot rodder”! We had some friends that raced roundly round cars, my Dad thought it was a waste of time and money….especially money, as it was tight back then! But, I went to the stock car races and loved it!
But….he did repower his 1956 223 powered pick up with a 312 Thunderbird special! Awesome truck! ( still in the barn) Then a few years later we built a MEL 430 together and put it in my ‘55 Ford Fairlane! So I guess that did make him a hot rodder! Lol
I kinda inspired my son, we built a 351 into a 400 and put it in his OT 4x4 vehicle. So that would qualify the family as three generations…..but the grandson…..not so much!

Edit: As I read on down , a post reminded of one of my Dads other vehicles, one he built , before I can remember, but I remember it after he built it. It was a 1936 GMC pickup, he put a 302 GMC engine in it and a GI five speed unsynonised five speed overdrive in it! He sold it to his cousin before I got to drive it…..but I rode in it!


Bones

 

Nope, Dad said factory made it one way so leave it alone.

 

I'm a second generation Hot Rodder and professional mechanic . My Dad had a '37 Ford 2 door slant back with a'41mercury engine for his first hot rod in high school , had a '51 Pontiac with a hot 331 Cadillac , a 49 GMC with the 331 Cadillac out of the '51 Pontiac ,a new '57 Chevy 210 wagon that he ran in stock class at the drags , a '50 Chevy slant back with a hot 261 , a '53 International with a larger late '60s 6 with a custom interior and a/c , and a '66 Plymouth fury 383 4 barrel 4-speed.

 

My dad said that anything could be improved.

 

Dad was a hot rodder before they were called that I’m sure. In the late 30’s he drove a chopped 29 roadster with a Craeger over head. The car had a Chrysler grille shell and a smooth side hood. I’ve seen photos with flipper bar full moon caps also. He worked and lived in Glendale Ca, the hot bed of dry lakes racers at the time, and went out there with them at times. I carried out the tradition but ran my cars there and set records which I believe he did not. My first LSR car now belongs to our son which he put back on the street. He continues the tradition by building and racing his own 1/2 mile dirt car. Not any of my relations or siblings were or are interested in cars or anything mechanical as far as I know. We are planning a trip to Bonneville in August and my grandson is planning on driving our roadster against a record we currently hold.

 

My dad said when I was a teen, Jackem and stripum, that's what you dumb ass's do.

 

My grandfather on my mother's side owned a body shop when I was growing up. I often hung out there with him when I was a kid. Being the first grandkid and a boy my grandpa liked to carry me around everywhere with him while my mom was working. He was not a hot rod guy really. But you could say he did like customs. He was pretty famous for finding totalled Cadillacs and Lincolns and welding the salvageable pieces of multiple cars together to make one for him to drive.

My dad loves 50s and early 60s cars. Especially Buicks and Chevys. He is the one who taught be how to wrench on cars. When I got home from school I was expected to have my homework done by the time he got home from work so we could have family dinner then go work on his, or my, latest project until dark. He never did any major modifications to his cars, just V8 swaps if they didn't have one already. Typically as long as they had a healthy V8, 4 barrel carb, and dual exhaust he was happy.

 

My Dad, liked cars, and had a couple Model As he never finished because his Dad made him get rid of them. He vowed never to do that to me, which has in effect enabled me. By the time I came around he had a 69 Mustang 390 4 speed, and told me the stories of his teenage days, his buddy's 57 Bel Air with a 327, and his later 67 z28, that had the engine sugared, and replaced with a 350, that never ran as good, hence my love for 327s. His true love then was boats, and he loved his Mercury Outboards, but also told me about the Hemis, And Y blocks he worked on. ( Which, with my experiences made me not a fan). I built him a Studebaker, and gave him a couple others over the years, and only recently has he figured out what and why I was doing it. I hope to get his 65 C10 done before he goes, but the bodywork is taking way too long. My favorite story was how his cousin with a new 62 409 Impala one time burned both his tires flat hot dogging it up Mt St Helena towards lake county, before he got to the summit, and on another night made the hill in 12 minutes. I managed to run the hill in 12 minutes in the 90s but not having a 409 4speed Posi, I never had a rig to kill the tires in the same fashion.

 

Third generation.

One of my Grandads was very interested in horsepower.

He had two (horsepower ), but never owned a car!

On the other hand, my Dad modified whatever he owned with whatever he could acquire, just to keep a vehicle running.

Jon

 

We have three generations on my side, my pops me and my son. My wife is two generations her late dad and her.

 

Not me. My father liked to drive above the speed limit. He considered spinning the tires to be "deliberately tearing up the car". The last year my older brother was home from college, he and I both had 4 speed cars. One evening our father came in and said" I'm going to get a bucket and 2 tooth brushes and you 2 are going to clean up the black marks in front of the house. " LOL. Years later, when I became a serious drag racer with a top fuel car, I thought he might have rolled over in the grave every time I did a burnout.

 

Just my brother and I.

 

My dad said "don't f*ck with your transport"
I never listened to him back then

 

I suppose I am probably a third generation hot rod guy and second generation custom guy. That would make my boys fourth generation hot rod and third generation custom guys. Anyway, my grandpa was somewhat of a hot rodder always working on his own stuff mainly because he had to. My dad was a hot rodder in high school in a local car club, then started painting cars that turned into mostly corvettes when I was a kid. Then, both me and my brother got into cars. I started custom painting trucks and Harley's and me and my brother both got into drag racing some. And, now, both my boys are into old cars and also both like to go fast. So, seems this hobby can be passed on from generation to generation...

 

It sure does, but can’t be forced. I mentioned two of my girls earlier have some of the bug in them, but not for old iron. I’m fine with that. I didn’t mention one thing my dad said to me when I told him I bought a ‘32 Dodge PU. He said “ will it make a good hotrod”? I told him I thought it would, but my plans were to restore it right down to the wood spoked wheels. Lol. Then reality of cost to rebabbit the engine, go through it all, set in.. Dad has passed since, but it won’t be anywhere near restored in the future!

 

I am third generation. My grandpa was a riding mechanic on an open wheel race car in the early 1900s. My dad was a hot rodder, customizer and race mechanic his entire life. I followed in my dad's footsteps and my son is following in my footsteps and he will be fourth generation.

 

My grandpa rodded, but I think he got into fifties customs later on. My pops for sure did. I learned everything, but I ended up being a computer geek. I did all my own mechanic work but drag my ass on projects, like my merc, because it was a lot of work.

 

I am second generation. Maybe second and a half. My grandpa helped my Dad install an Olds engine in Dad's 40 Ford coupe back in the 50's. Does that make Grandpa a hotrodder too? Grandpa was a smart engineer who held patents for tools he designed at Sioux Tool.

My Dad has been building hot rods his whole adult life, and still does. He did migrate a little to the big cushy cars of the late 50's for a while, but his current builds are 32 and 34 Fords.

My brother has a son who is as car crazy as the rest of the family, so there are three generations of hot rodders there (three and a half?).

 

Two generations for my family. My son's first rod run in our '34 Ford was July '81. He was born in
March. My daughter's first, a week old, in our '47 Chev. Cam and Rachel, died in the wool hot rod and
custom guys. Cam worked as a fabricator for 7 years in a hot rod shop. Cal and Nikki are gear heads also and love the hobby. My grand daughter is almost 8 and loves hot rods and anything mechanical.
'53 Morris Minor convert waiting in the wings for her.
Dad was transportation only and didn't see the sense in what my brother and I were into. Rich was a drag racer then a hot rodder and back to drag racing and retired from that, but is a photographer and
can be seen at drag races and car shows. I'm 72 and Rich is 75. We've both been in the hobby since our early teen. DoUg

 

3rd gen I guess, My grandfather is a massive hot rodder, skipped a generation and then I am just as crazy about it.