Featured Event Coverage Old Cars are Meant to be Driven!

Any day in a hot rod is a good day! HRP

 

People often comment, arent you affraid driving that ol stuff that long, what happens if it breaks down? I often reply, what do YOU do when your newish car breaks down? Probably I can fix mine along the roadside, and if I cant I just do it like everyone else, I call a tow.
Modern cars doesnt even carry a spare, what a joke, not too mention the electric toys stranded here and there

 

hmmm...last Saturday, driving home from a couple hundred miles away. I had what I needed to fix it.

 

I try and drive mine as much as I can. Nothing de-stresses me more than having the window down, vent window cracked, and the sound of my mufflers while cruising. This isnt my car, but I took the picture one day while running errands. I thought it was pretty ironic that "old" technology was at a new technology store.

 

Very first long trip, twenty years ago. Found out that the fuel gauge isn’t accurate.

 

Now I’m lookin’ at the world through a windshield..(tip of the hat to Del Reeves)

 

Methinks you be preachin' to the choir!
Great post though, and a fine reminder about why we do what we do.



Some of my own thoughts if you wanna waste some time reading:
The Fun’s in the Runnin’ – Terry's Garage
The REAL Reason…. – Terry's Garage

 

Man I love a long drive in my 46. Probably why the last few years have been so frustrating. After a good decade of put gas in it and go it was time to replace damn near everything from the first build. Years later I think I’m finally getting close to it feeling trust worthy again. following road dog @BigJoeArt down the highway hopefully there’s more of this in the not so far off future.

 

I am currently working to get mine drivable, but long ago decided that having a project is much more enjoyable when you also have one that you can drive. I tend to self-impose pressure on myself just because I am itching to get it on the road, and I think that is because I actually plan on driving whatever I have, not just letting it sit. I pulled my motorcycle out and clean it up last weekend, and the winter storage dust and cobwebs made me a little sad haha, Cars are the same way.

 

A pic from my first big road trip in my 56. This was the first year that we started the reliability runs and I decided to drive a round trip of 1500 miles to drive 100 miles with some friends. Took my four kids with me to give my wife a break.

Keep all the pics and comments coming. It is motivating me to take a good road trip somewhere this year. I really need to get the engine together for my 56. Kinda miss driving it lately.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/road-trip-oklahoma-to-st-louis-hot-rod-hundred.949123/

 

Sometime taking the “the road less traveled “ should be left as the road LESS travelled ‼️

 

this is making my feet itchy

 

By golly, you are right! I was on the way to Iowa to see my great, great grandson.
I thought I had a picture in front of your shop, but cannot locate same.

Ben

 

The back roads of Northern Michigan are calling my name...This is about 120 miles from home. Just decided one day to go to the cabin.

 

As soon as the rains stop I will be getting the A out and about for weekend trips with the wife! All at the same time I am finishing the floor pans in the 57! I am shooting for fall to get her on the road finally.

 

Me out driving mine.



My wife out driving hers.



About 1000 miles done in 2025

 

One of those good stories from being broken down on the side of the road. My son's first trip to the Gathering at the Roc in his Edsel. Coil decided to overheat and split in half. Thankfully there was a parts store just a few miles behind us and we had two cars.

 

Dang, that's sweet.

 

I believe that a car could be art sitting still but a car is so much more. The art is in how well it drives, accelerates, how it sounds, smells and it’s comforts etc.. Everything from rowdy stripped down hotrods, customs to full on race cars have a personality when driven and I believe that is also art.
In my opinion driving is the only way justify a project car…

 

Ed Roth's cars were beautiful creations, but most weren't really driveable. They would move for car shows. I saw a quote somewhere that said many had automatics, but Ed never put a neutral safety switch in anything.

 

If you ever find one that is accurate can you please let us know where you got it........

 

NOTHING beats rolling with my homies

 

Yup, nothing like a good drive in an old car or truck. This past summer we put 4000 miles, including a 1200 mile trip through southern BC, on our newly acquired 58 Dodge truck that had only had 600 miles on it since it was finished in 2003. Needless to say we found a few things that needed adjustment and dealt with major oil leaks (fixed over the winter) but we are anxious to do it again this year. I have been out for a few shakedown drives already this year thanks to great weather. Sort of ignored the 51 Pontiac last year but hope to get quite a few miles in with it as well.

 

Very cool. Reminds me of putting about 3000 miles on my 50 Buick a few years back that had not had more than a few hundred since the 70’s.

 

An old hot rodder heads on down the road one early morn
He's been drivin' his old hot rod since before we all were born
Bids fare-thee-well to his sweet old wife with a toot of his horn
And a hundred of his fine old friends
Listen to their engines roarin'
Yippee-i-yo
Yippee-i-yay
Hot rodders on the road

 

Was just reminded that I either need to rebuild the vacuum wipers or re-apply Rain-X if this is my daily.

 

I've always liked the Cragar G/T's better than the S/S's! Had them on my '63 Chevy2.I thought the S/S's were too shiny and everyone seemed to have them on their cars!

 

I’m kind of an introvert, sometimes it’s hard to take the car out cuz I’m not good with attention and speaking with strangers that the car attracts. Sometimes it’s a chore but when I’m finally out I enjoy it.

 

Well, you definitely have some beautiful country to drive in there Rusty even if you wanted to avoid everyone.