Hot Rods Big Daddy's 55 2 door wagon gasser

How's the wagon ? any progress ?

 

Well i opened the door and looked inside of it Thursday, raised the hood too lol... nah I haven't had time. Customer cars come first. But I'll start working on it in the evenings soon. The cold, dark at 5:30 crap, just kicks my ass. No motivation once 5pm rolls around.

 

Cold and dark at 5:30 flat ass sucks! Spring can’t come fast enough.

 

Well at least you looked at it, I am right there with you on the cold dark days of winter, they suck ! 38 days until spring.

 

I could have asked how are you , but I really just care about the car !

 

One of my old hot rod buddy's stopped by the shop the other day. Me and him used to build a ton of cars. We were always into something car related. It got me motivated. And i think it got him motivated also. I was showing him the 55, and told him I wasn't sure about my rear suspension. I like the leaf springs and shackles. He told me that he would run the leaves with the ladder bars, and ditch the coilovers. That would keep pinion rise in check. I agreed. Space is at a premium in my shop, and they raised my shop rent in January, so non paying work just can't happen lol... I really should hire help, but finding somebody with skill, and somebody you trust, is hard these days. Big Andy is talking about coming down in March to hang out and help me some. Waste his vacation time working on a 55 Chevy lmao!

 

I'm good brother, but I'll be better when spring gets here lol

 

I think all of us will be better when Spring gets here.

 

That is good news, I know how that body shop life is. I am retired and I show up at a local body shop once a week and take a biscuit and coffee break with the 2 guys left standing there. I have been hanging out in this shop for 40 yrs." The times they are a changing "

 

Hold the phone! It’s not a waste of time, I get to attend Lloyd’s school of Hot Rods. This is very important to me!!

 

Indentured servitude!

 

You either love me, or hate me but i never change I'm looking forward to seeing ya man.

 

Bunch of guys getting together in the garage was the best part of this hobby. At some point that part ended. Why is it so hard to get everybody back together? Man those were the best of times

 

Make no mistake, I love you Brother! I can’t wait to see you too!!!

 

Just an observation.........
The days of working free for people (friends) have dwindled considerably, I think some of this is because it tends to be one sided, I know I sure made myself available to people over the years, sure some have passed on, seems others disappear when the work starts.
I witnessed an interaction between two guys many years ago that I had assumed were friends, no, one was a small fab shop owner and one was a bit of a hang'r round'r.
The hang around guy seemed to be helping quite often but one time he needed something done and the fab shop owner told him it would cost $$$, guy responded "I thought we were friends" and the response was "I don't want friends I want customers", well guess what, the guy lost both!
Seems the way the world has changed.

 

I get it. I still help my friends. But after all these years, I'm good at determining who my friends are lol.

 

This is the truth man, all my car buddies live too far away!

 

Lane, I’m in the same boat. My closest car buddy lives an hour from me, but we work together, so at least we get to see each other every day.

 

Unfortunately, I no longer have any car buddies that are still alive

 

Brother,

You hit the nail on the head right there! I have so many fond memories of a handful of guys hanging out at my shop back in the 80's/90's some helping some watching & some just sitting around because they hated being at home with their Ol' Ladies!

I can remember charging "Beer Admission" on the nights we would be doing a complete paint. You had to bring your own lawn chair & a 12 pack to sit in while we were painting as payment to get a great buzz. A miracle we are mostly still alive...No mask with a cigarette hanging out of our mouths while shooting Lacquer or Catalyzed Enamel.

Nowadays I am basically 50 miles from my local friends from back then, so they don't visit very often which is sad, but I am going to throw out an offer this year to pay one or two to come out & help me get some of these cars done....I figure it is the only way all these projects will ever see the road again.
At this point in my life I can pay them decent to come out if they want.

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

 

Lloyd
Sorry if I sounded like I was pointing fingers, was not my intention.
Just one 70 year olds' worldview.
Now, about that 55.

 

No! Not at all bud. I started to type out this scenario at first, but deleted it lol... but the short version is that I've done lots of fab work for my buddies, custom paint work, glass work, etc.... for free. Then when they have something for sale that I need, and make an offer, get told that they can't take any less. So I told them OK, and enjoy that work that I did for free, and stay away from my shop. Yeah, I'm an asshole. But people have made me who i am. probably why I have no "friends" huh? Lmao

 

Not to derail your gig here but I got the feeling that that Comet wagon drag car you painted left you with less than a "happy ending".

 

Lol.... I did what I said i would do. That's what matters.

 

You should have done what I messaged you to do

 

I’m the same way, there are people around here who never contacted me again after I fixed their Harleys or put their piece of shit family heirloom farm truck back on the road. You are 100% right with people have made you who you are. I don’t have time anymore for these “friends”.

 

Lane,

EVERYONE lives too far away from you. Maybe you might move down here with all of us southerners...

 

Hahaha! You may be right!

 

You got us!
Dan

 

I thought of that, it just means that I hang out on the HAMB and connect on the web instead of face to face in a garage!