Hot Rods Quotes to live by...

“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the
right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”


Hello,
I learned fast in the “art of conversation.” I knew when I met my future wife that she was going to be a ‘keeper.” But, it was not her that needed to do things to get along with me. I knew I had to change the way I listened and to make adjustments to fit the way the conversation was headed. So, the term: “think ahead,” was a new way to converse with someone.

On our daily drives to the nearby harbor waterfront park for lunch during out last two years of college, we had great sandwiches from a local deli. (no college vending machines for our lunches…) We enjoyed the vast blue waters next to this giant cabin cruiser we had hoped to one day buy and cruise the whole West coast and down into Mexico’s vast coastline, too. So, our lunch was fabulous and the company for lunch was always outstanding. The more time I spent, with her at school, these lunches put a topper to the events. The sun, the water, the whole scene made my day.

But, the thing was I knew that “listening” to what was being said was the most important thing in any conversation. Sure, we all have our own way to look at things, but some of those needed to meld into the other person’s way of thought. It was easier for me to adjust instead of waiting for her to make changes.

Later on, little did I know that from my girlfriend, soon to be wife, was thinking of the same thing and was making her own changes without me knowing about it until we got married. Obviously, those long road trips up the coastal highways to San Francisco and beyond (+South to Baja, Mexico coastal areas) left a lot of room for conversation inside of the red 65 El Camino. A captive audience so to speak. A nice captive audience if I may say so… then and now.


Jnaki

So, our melded conversations worked out in our overall conversations, not just in our El Camino, but overall in our daily lives. Now, we were thinking on the same wavelength and that was a good sign to move to the next level. One day in Malibu, we were going to a concert in a huge beach park. On the way there, we both smiled, looked at each other and mentioned quietly… “…perhaps we should get married and get an apartment…” Yikes… a gold mine just discovered!!! And what an outstanding moment we both still remember to this day…YRMV

 

Father-Time is Undefeated...

 

“LOOK BACK THROUGH THE LENS OF GRATITUDE…”



Hello,

From the time I discovered this old photo of my dad and his first car, it was a road well paved with little crumbs here and there through boxes and old photo albums our mom saved.
A 1936 Dodge 4 door sedan. He drove it from Terminal Island/San Pedro area to Los Angeles for school.

After this discovery, it was a treasure trove of family history from those early times to the time when we moved away to start our own lives. My brother moved out first and in two years, I also moved out. now, not only was it our 4 person family history, but we were developing our own two person couple adventures.

We laughed at the “old folks” on both sides of the newly found expanding family tree. But are forever grateful for leaving us with a trail of crumbs with which we had to put together a time line of events that moved with our own childhood. At first, there was little to show as when our folks were young, there weren’t too many photos. But, as our family grew to two brothers, now the camera subjects shifted to include us, more so than just our parents. It was the same for all families, in most cases.

Jnaki

Now that we have spent time going through our own family histories from early Terminal Island/San Pedro for me it was a nice way to see the timeline. Then the newer stuff includes the addition of early southern USA states where my wife’s family originated and had deep roots. Going through both of the timelines as adults, left a lot of information empty as the “older folks” are now gone and that grouping of folks did not keep journals as much as we adults do today.

Our parents had family photos, but no information for such photos existed. Those memories came from family members to see in their own minds, what went on at such and such locations at the time. we tried to get our parents to write down their thoughts and add information as how they grew up and the timeline of their history. But, it was like trying to build a nice hot rod with $10 dollars. Not in this world.
No moment is too small or insignificant…
So, as fairly new grandparents we did not leave out any moment of our time spent with our granddaughter. Not only did we take photos, but the photos had information when made into journal books, with story lines to go with the day’s activities. When a new chapter included “action,” out came the camcorders and a new phase of recording history came into play. YRMV

Her history is now well documented from a different prospective that just worried parents with a camera they did not know how to use of compose. They eventually learned, but our involvement and daily activities with our granddaughter gave us visual recordings of what took place. So, the young parents enjoyed a different look at their daughter.

Our granddaughter is now a sophomore in college and when she visits, we always like talking about the “Days of our lives,” as if it was the way she grew up from 6 months to the teenage years being with my wife and me at our small house and coastal lifestyle.

 

“Anyone who has ever made anything of importance was disciplined.”
Hello,

Being as old as my wife and I are to this day, our old high school friends are still around, and some that were close are gone. So, we try, everyday to make it as nice as we can and have done so for over 58 years since our last two years of college, a loooong time ago. Through the USA history, we have seen some dumb stuff, anticipated other movements and have decided to live a life of simplicity, not a luxurious, over abundance of “stuff” like we are inundated with everyday on the local news reporting.

Who needs a 32 room house with 6 bathrooms and bedrooms? A kitchen that is so large that one needs The whole crew of “The Bear,” to prepare the meals for us or a whole family that stretches down the multiple seating table. That, to us, would be fine if they just prepared our meals for two people in a small house with simple amenities to allow us to be just fine in our normal lives.

Simplicity, was our goal during our college years. So, we like what we were doing and applied it to our lives as college kids. Then of all things, we got married and now, it was us against the world, mentality and the cause for simplicity was multiplied. Of course, 1968 was a hectic year for the whole of the USA. And we endured it as well as we could and if the term “dropout” had a better implication, we probably would have been the first two in line.

Jnaki

But, together, we decided to be in society, but separate in our way of living. A simple lifestyle, getting by with what we had and making our lives easier than the year before. then it multiplied and we were able to get by some of those difficult times. Barriers were there, but if the mentality to apply a simple lifestyle in our lives was important, we actually made it all for the better. Up to this day, it all worked out, with a simple idea that grew to allow us to be ourselves.

Note:

If our lives got a little scary, then we would have packed everything we owned, (very little possessions) in the back of the red 65 El Camino and would have taken off for the mountains or deserts to live a separate, but odd lifestyle. Yes, back then a coastal lifestyle along the empty beaches of the Baja Mexico coast was still safe and welcoming. So, that would have been an option, too. YRMV

 

I don't think too many folks out there know this better than I do!



God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

 

Jim
Transporting To Travel
Traveling To Share
Stories From The Road

 

Don't worry about old age...it doesn't last that long!

 

Find solace in privilege to pursue, most are crushed into servitude.

 

Jim

 

“There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”

Hello,

From the start of our hot rod adventures as a young kid, it was a happy moment seeing a custom chopped Ford Truck in our old Westside of Long Beach neighborhood. It was always parked on the main street and

My first introduction to custom cars was a chopped 56-57 F 100 truck. It was chopped at an angle to allow clear vision out in front, but slightly lower in back. It was not just a custom truck, but one painted a bright Tahitian Red that stood out from blocks away...
In an internet search, this is as close to the exact memory from those 1955 to the late 1998 year we sold the house.

Jnaki

If memory serves me right, no other custom truck we saw back in those days, or during our teenage/20 something days had a chopped truck that looked like that. Tahitian Red was a popular custom car color and this truck was parked on the main street of the Westside of Long Beach daily. It was right in front of a business the owner had set up and for us, it was a daily custom car show every time we visited the area.

Here is another version I found, but there was no history or information.

The original Westside of Long Beach custom truck had white tuck and roll upholstery done at a small shop near the neighborhood Mobil Gas Station. The Tahitian paint was also done locally. Chrome reversed wheels and a custom grille rounded out the “custom” truck look. It was lowered and sat nicely along the curb in front of his shop.

It has always been a starting point to our journey in hot rods and drag racing. So, what was the first car/truck I photographed for a magazine article? It was a Tahitian Red/Candy Apple GMC truck that was nicely put together, with chromed reversed wheels and black upholstery. It got rejected because it was not a “true hot rod” in the sense of magazine story parameters. It took many years for the street version of trucks to make it as a photo story, if it was not a full custom truck for shows only.

At least the owner was sad, but was happy since I gave him the color slides and a few mounted b/w photos in a custom wooden frame. It was for allowing me to photograph his cool truck. YRMV

 

Never go to the grocery store when you are hungry.

 

Runnin faster than Grant took Richmond

 

Here I sit broken hearted, came to poop but only farted.

 

"Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air"

 

^^^^^^^ the Eagles

 

“THE MOST SPONTANEOUS INSIGHT HAPPENS WHEN STEEPED INTO DATA…”

Hello,

History was a sore subject in all portions of schooling. From the "blah, blah, blah" rambling on, it just did not seem as important as our own lives at the time. Growing up in the Westside of Long Beach was fun, but, it was not for everyone. Learning to adapt was step one in life in the neighborhood and then applying it to the schools, plus friends helped simplify the whole process of growing up.

But, it was not until 10th grade in a World History class with a great teacher that made our (my) eyes wide open and seeing the possibilities. It also helped that one of my friends was the best looking girl in high school and she sat next to me in class. The teacher also let it be known that history had its own route to get to us at one time or another. We learned a lot in that class that began to open up our minds about the rest of the world and perhaps, our part that was just beginning.

Surfing allowed me to see what possibilities are there for the explorations and opened up a whole world of adventures. It allowed me not only to learn a new sport activity, but to get good at it for future possibilities. But, the one thing I learned was the ability to adapt to new situations and places we visited. Sure, a beach front is the same along the endless miles of coastline, water and sand. It allows one to be creative and yet learn to adapt to the new adventure with eyes wide open.

Jnaki

Education was important, but it took me in the middle of high school to understand that concept. In college, refining what we learned melded into the new stuff that was coming at us at a high rate of speed. So, paying attention to the surroundings was important. Without facts, it is just hearsay for most items in all of our lives.

Learning to search data for facts and how they play a role in our lives was a door opening scene. It helped to be with my future wife to see the road ahead to this 58 year adventure and all we learned to this date. So, pay attention to your direction in life and research facts as part of the process. Don’t be satisfied with the internet access to simple photos that have no meaning without factual representation. YRMV

 

As we drift into old age we learn the wisdom of the warning : "Never trust a fart!!!"

 

Jnaki, you mentioned “ Be aware of your surroundings “ ! This brought a smile to my face! It was one of the many pearls of wisdom, I told my son , over and over! He still quotes it today! Smile on my face!






Bones

 

nor pass up a urinal!

 

My dad in his nineties told me…” son, I either********….or looking for a place to piss, now! “



Bones

 

later on I took a chance tried to fart and pooped my pants

 

“MEMORY IS THE DIARY THAT WE ALL CARRY ABOUT WITH US.”

Hello,

When I look back to our childhood, the memories flow like a dam burst on the Colorado river and the flow rushes with tons of activity. I am not the only one that has that moment. Sometimes it comes in bits and pieces, but the more thought goes into a memory, then the results are flowing with the things that actually happened.

Recently, I connected with a memory from our drag racing days. My brother was the one that knew other folks from his days of high school. he was friends with a lot of Bixby Knolls families and all had classes together in high school. so, when we went to Lion’s Dragstrip to race, it was like old home week. There were high school friends working in the snack bar located in the center of the spectators side. It was huge and very busy.

But, the place we liked was the smaller one in the pits.

Willow Street near our old Westside of Long Beach house near the top edge of the above photo. The bottom edge is the Wardlow Road or 223rd Street entrance.

One thing that kept us grounded every time we went to Lion’s Dragstrip was the small snack stand all alone in the huge pits area. Sure there was a much larger refreshment stand that had everything and that included everyone in the two spectator grandstands. But, for us and other racers, the small hot dog stand, as we called it, was our home away from home.

Our favorite place besides, racing on the dragstrip was the little Lion’s Pit area snack bar stand. Our friends worked in both places, the large main stand near the sign on the bleachers and the little dinky wooden structure in the lower right of the above photo. (yellow arrow)

That little Pits stand was our second home away from home, discovering Chili Dogs, Cokes, Tamales and all sorts of teenage food, with great conversations with our friends, while they were working. Lunch and dinner was the norm, we could have driven home, (a short distance away) but who wants to leave such a great place to be all day/night long?

As far as the hot dog stands? Well, some of the best food and bench racing took place there, between the races and repairs. The conversations ranged from eliminations, record runs and build items necessary for the “big” win. Our teenage friends from high school were working hard, but always had time to rest and talk to us as if we were at the local driven-in restaurant parking lot in Bixby Knolls.


I am sure anyone who attended the Lion’s Dragstrip during those months stopped at the refreshment stand in the pits. That was “the” place to go and see our high school friends who worked there every Saturday, all day and into the late night. Then it was smelling like a hot dog, chili dogs or even tamales for the rest of the evening at the local Bixby Knolls drive-in restaurant parking lot(s) gab sessions into the "later" night.

As the years rolled on at Lion’s Dragstrip, two other small snack stands popped up nearer to the tower side stands, so those folks did not have to jam up the large main refreshment building on the spectator side.

Talk about Hot Rod Central, this was "Drag Race Central" !!! YRMV

 

Jim

 

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

 

HERE I SIT BROKEN HEARTED,
CAME TO***** , BUT ONLY FARTED.
THEN ONE DAY, I TOOK A CHANCE,
THOUGHT I WOULD FART,
AND***** MY PANTS

old original limereck !!

 

“ARE YOU ROLLING IN THE YEARS?” stowing away the time…

Hello,

It is the new year and that just adds one more moment to cherish. Almost 80 years of history that seems like it flew by in a flash. Looking back is fun, but where did those fun times go, so fast? At the time, we just absorbed what was being thrown at us with a smile, a smirk and sometimes a quizzical face to wonder why it was happening?

From a very low cost beginning apartment at such a low price that it was a wonder. Then multiple years later, half of the cost of a house was over half of our family income per month, but, we needed a place to live. No money for saving… what is that, anyway? We had spending money for our toddler son, but our purchases for ourselves came to a screeching halt and only the necessities played into the picture.

We had a chance to buy a beach front small wooden house for 34k at the time we were 20 somethings. It was so low that multiple bids came pouring in and the agent said we need to up our game. At the time, it would have been a buy of the century, a long wide lot with a cool old wooden house and garage. But, as the agent told us the cost is peaking and what was our next bid? Our limit was reached soon and we lost by a couple of 1000s. Now, there is a giant house on the lot and the listing price is over 3 million. Gee!!!

But, did we look at the future? Eventually with both of us working, eventually, a higher purchase price would be matched with our income. At the time, we were novices and since we were empty pockets after our limit was reached, we lost and an older couple, well established, bought the house and lot. Instead of remaining in the cool old wooden house and garage, they demolished it and build a gargantuan ugly house that everyone laughs at today. Our friends have a house a block away and can’t get over the styling of the build. Money does not equate to having taste.

Jnaki

At least, with our attitude over these past 30 years, it is fun to see how we did manage to live a fun life and point to where we eventually landed. On the beach living is nice, but overrated. Looking out at the ocean during the day is nice, with the deep blue sea staring back at you. But, at night, it is black as Bob McCoy’s 40 Ford Sedan without the flames. It is a wall of black, steps away from your house. Unless the coastal fishermen or lobster trap folks are out in the ocean at night, it is just a black space with nothing to see.

Our attitude for life has been the same for the whole time my wife and I met in college to today. We have developed a singularity of an easy-going lifestyle, with not too many worries to get to us. Sure, we all want world peace, but thinking that 50 years ago spoke to blocked ears. So, we just figured out to live a nice lifestyle, getting by with what we have and make do with simple things. Who needs a 32 room three story block of a house, on a cliff overlooking the ocean? And a 5 car garage, to boot? for three hot rod builds and two daily drivers? Not us…YRMV
We sold this + a custom motorcycle + several old surfboards to fund the purchase of a kid friendly yard, old house and the starting of a long time, low key lifestyle. Today, old age is a notion, if we just keep healthy and continue our enjoyment of life… Yes, we are reeling in the years...


“Your everlasting summer you can see it fading fast
So you grab a piece of something that you think is gonna last
Well you wouldn't even know a diamond if you held it in your hand
The things you think are precious I can't understand…”

 

“If you deprive a room of books, it is like depriving someone of their soul.”

Hello,

Growing up in the Westside of Long Beach was interesting. It had its positives and certainly negatives. Our last home was a “u” shaped house. Two small bedrooms on one side and on the driveway side, a kitchen, dining room and a connecting living room. Out of our back facing bedroom window, we saw the backyard and next to our room was an outdoor brick patio with doors leading to the living room. A “U” shape in its tract house finest.
1953-56 photo
A 600 square foot house. Add in the 225 ft den and now it is close to a 900 square foot house. Plus a normal, but small two car garage, and a rumpus room or backyard recreation room that we eventually converted to a opening garage door hot rod work place.
Casement glass opening windows, a set of french doors with glass and shiplap siding.
Then we converted the one wall of windows + the opening doors to a full size garage opening door. (we chalked in a large circle for our Howard Cam logo that was going to be painted on the door.)


Compared to a modern 60’s house with 1700 square foot of living space, that Westside of Long Beach house was very small. It worked well for two parents and two teenagers when the 15 foot square den was built in between the kitchen and our bedroom.

That was our teenage refuge. It had a door leading to/from our bedroom directly to the kitchen. The old stereo /am/fm/record player/reel to reel tape player was the central entertainment for the two teenagers.

The main wall section was a long bookshelf that held tons of books from encyclopedias (remember those World Book Encyclopedias we all bought from a door to door salesman? ) to our drag racing trophies.

But, as our magazine reading continued, they were stored between the World Book Encyclopedias and the divider, so as to keep them flat and fairly new condition. As they got read and re-read, they became backyard garage workspace entertainment. Sometimes a music playing, magazine reading, cokes and a snack sandwich was all that was necessary for a separate from parents sanctuary.

Out there, the magazines were put into a box on a shelf to keep them somewhat organized. But, it was valuable reading material for a couple of hot rod kids.

Jnaki

Since the back yard garage was now a hot rod/drag race workroom, that took precedence. But, it was also a sanctuary away from parents. No phones, just AM rock music, lights and a good magazine photo article was all that was needed. And some peace/quiet from the barrage of parental nonsense flying towards us.

There were two hardbound books, one was a motor rebuild book. The other was a book given to us to use as a tool or garage equipment accessories catalog, similar to the ones seen at auto parts stores. It was a start that led to a house, full of books later on when we were able to get a "real" house for our adult lives... YRMV

 

There has only been one perfect man. I am not him.

 

"Every man must believe in something. I believe I'll have another drink."
Attributed to W. C. Fields

 

I stole this one from a fellow HAMBER, but it fits in the business world! Never understood rudeness towards potential customers unless of course you don't like being successful!

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." Eric Hoffer, 1898-1983

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/