Distraction, Loss of desire, Futility: Getting talked back from the ledge by a 5yo

My daughter will walk around a car show and say; "Look Papa, Flathead Motor."

She's done it since she was 3 and is very rarely wrong.

Thanks for all the encouragement guys...

I had hoped that the story would help some of you too.

I'd have to say as far as life goes, this was a pretty insignificant drama... But it did kinda take me by surprise. I NEVER thought I wouldn't finish my car.

 

NOT a joke i was cryin..........by ch 4 i know where u are comin from my little girl would come out to my shop and work on her hot wheels with me. ................i got a divorce and its hard on me to only get my kids every other weekend. but she keeps me going. we still piss her momma off squealin tires

 

I just back from the shop and teaching my daughter how to change the oil. She was 2 when I bought my F-100. Now at age 5 the truck is still hers. I couldnt ever think of selling it without her permission and she probably wouldnt let me any way. Great post.

 

Good post...I think a lot of us have been there in one way or another. Especially timely for me...show season's over and I feel like I should be ripping things apart like I do every winter, but I'm struggling for the motivation. I too wonder if a new project would help or hinder things...

A couple of months ago I pulled up to a friends house to meet up for a cruise...his 3-year old son came running out of the garage and said "Look daddy, hot rod!" Best compliment I've ever received.

Bryan
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I have many, many good memories of my daughter when she was small like yours. Everytime she heard the '39 fire up, BAM! the door would fly open and she would run out hollern' "Daddy, Daddy, Can I go? Can I go? We spent many hours in the car, going to events, or just going to Sonic for a Coke. When we were hit by a 16 year old driver, spun into a bridge pier, it was just me and the little one. When I regained consciousness, the first thing I heard was my little one saying "It's all my fault, It's all my fault". (She had left something at home and we were retruning for it.) I've been working for 8 years to rebuild that car, just to show her it's just a car, replacable, stuff, unlike her who is irreplaceable. Mine is 19 now, patiently waiting for me to finish my car before WE start on her Model A Coupe. You find your inspiration where you can. I'm very fortunate, because now my son has renewed his interest in cars after being away from cars for more than 10 years. Cars are cool, cars are my p***ion, cars keep me young, but my wife, my friends, (all car people) but most of all my kids keep my plugging away to see the 5 projects we have between us, see the road. So cars can be the vehicle (no pun intended) to have us together again, this time driving our cars together.

J.

 

I coulda wrote that 20 yr's ago. My kids grew up stuffed into a tiny back seat of a noisy, rough riding, frame dragging 39 pontiac coupe that they "helped" me build when they were still toddlers. We planned are weekends around car cruises and went everywhere in it. We even pulled a trailer and went camping with it. The car was built in the late 80's and is woefully out of style now, it's monochrome aqua which was all the rage back then but sure dates the car now, but my little girl picked the color, and it's a little hard for me to change it now yaknow? It's funny how life is, and it's really strange how we judge each others cars. I know that a lot of guys here would hate my car. There's no billet thank God, but it's just not "traditional" and people probably see me in it and think "God man are you out of it" well, there's more to it than just keeping up with the "cool" guys, there's going down the road in a car I built with my kids and over the years has become another member of the family. Hell, there's still puzzle books in the map pockets. Most of us get excited about an old rod with a "history", well if you ever see an "out of style" agua 39 pontiac that just makes you old skool guys wanna puke, being driven by a gray haired ole fart, be nice, that car has a history.

 

Kids have a way of doin that to you.

After all that hard work on that frame alone, you cant get rid of it. You just needed something to clear up your head.

Good luck.

 

Kilroy, kids always seem to be able to bring it back to what's important. And they look at the simplicity in it all . . . having fun with their daddy, uncle, etc. That's some great motivation.

RRR

 

Kilroy, Thank you ,thanks for putting your self out there.

 

Just markin' the thread I gotta go to bed and read it tomorrow!

 

I sold my 55 chev 2-door in the late 80's, broke my little girl's heart. She helped me with that car and I didn't know how much it meant to her. She was about 6 in 1980 when I first bought my T tub body and started it. I finished it a couple of years ago for her wedding. Couldn't think of selling that car. I gave it to her in June of this year and she drives the wheels off it. I love that car, but she loves it more. I think I created a family heirloom. Pat.

 

Odd how it's almost always the girls

 

my girl talks me out of selling my jalopy about once a month..... sick of not ever being able to work on it. but thats soon to change because itll be in MY garage soon, then ill be working on it till i p*** out! so close now i can taste it!

 

I know how you feel, too, even though I don't have kids. But in the reverse-I started a bike project, got it to the rolling ch***is stage and have since put it off and started TWO rod projects. Part of it may be that I became disenchanted now that the $1000 and under parts are all bought; it's silly that a two cylinder costs so much more than an automotive V8 (of course you can as much as you want on just about anything). Several of my friends have tried to buy the bike, but no way. I'll get back to it. Thanks for the post.

 

"I suddenly remembered why I was building a Hot Rod to start with...

I've never been into Car Shows. I don't like sitting in a park all day and shooting the ****, or listening to bands... I don't like feeling 'Stuck' there for a whole day.

I like finding open road and driving. It clears my head. Cars have always been about the freedom of the road for me.

I wanted to be able to share that with my kid even before I had thought about having one..."

That about sums it up right there. You've got to feel like you're doing it for the right reasons, and p***ing the torch to your child is a VERY good reason. Excellent post. Thank you.

 

Thanks again guys...

Yeah the fact that Harley prices have just gone nuts make the decision a lot easier...

I p***ed on a 45 basket case, complete, just apart for $1000 in LA a couple years ago... It seemed that anything older than an EVO was pretty reasonable... Not anymore aparently.

I was actually refreshed by Hot Rod prices after I'd spent a couple weeks looking at bike stuff...

 

Fifteen years ago I thought the Yuppies would loose interest in bike after a few years...not so. Thanks A LOT, ****scovery Channel! Oh well, back to traditional rods.

 

Great post, I too have a daughter. She just turned 5. She is the soul reason I have a tudor and not a coupe.

My first trip around the block to be sure it steered and stopped she stould in the garage and cried she didn't get to go. Little girls are special!

 

Man, little girls are all about daddy. I had to register, I've been lurking for a couple of months.We wrench on things,or cook together and it's just wonderful. When I was younger and more selfish, I was a W.C Fields type , now I'm the biggest softy in the world (and I suspect the rest of you all are too!)
my2c
flacoman (brokedown ol' qban)

 

Thank you, for not deleting it .................

 

Now Im not an emotional person but I have a 5 year old girl too and man that sounded like my little one, and to be honest I got a little choked. Good post.

 

Congrats on your decision to press on, Man!

Deluxe

 

An excellent post!

Don't forget there'll more than likely be grandkids at some stage. Or nephews and nieces.

 

Thanks again guys...

Glad you all dug the stream of consiousness.

 

Great post....I think we all can relate in one way or another. I was mad for a while when my dad sold his 65 chevelle. I still have a lot of memories of that car. It's the first car I ever did a burn out in, i'll never forget that.

 

I had jeeps in hs and college. My oldest got to ride in one in a baby seat. The boys ask me about them and what they did to make me tick. Now we have our stuff (54 Bel Air, 54 3100, 48 Sedan Del) and those boys love them. I can't sell extra parts of them without them getting upset about it. Like we might NEED that someday...

Great post. Thanks for sharing. I was just thinking about selling the Bel Air but today we did Ididit and saw LDNFSTs Poncho in one color (mine's 4) and this post...I think she'll stay another day.

 

Killroy

Seems we have all had some type of remorse - seller's, buyer's, and even builder's remorse. Seems like you may be a little burned out. But chin up, my experience has been that something or someone (5yo) will help spark that interest right up.

Working on your hot rod can sometimes be discouraging when you're approaching it without the help or company of buddies. I know that I could not have worked on or built mine without their tremendous help, encouragement, and company.

Hope to see some pics of it soon.

RGV

 

Took my daughter to the D-o-t-Drags Sat...

She loved it, chewed me out for not having my roadster done...

When the announcer asked the Flathead cl*** to go to staging, her eyes got huge and she said "Papa! Flatheads!"

My next post on this thread will be about progress on the roadster...

 

Your daughter is lucky to have your for a Father! This is one of the best threads I've seen on the Hamb. We can all relate if you've been into projects for very long. I drove my 50 Plymouth for seven years while doing what I could and still drive it. I took it off the road last year to do what had to be done to make it complete, safe etc. It's been a long year, no rides, slow progress, and another year to go before it's back together. And my daughter plays in it every time she's out in the barn, every time! Someday when she's older and off on her own I've got a 66 Triumph 650 to put together, but till then I'm like you, building a hot rod.