Hey guys, gals... Kind of a book here but please read on if you have the time. Just wanted to shoot this up here to see what kinds of things you all may have for a suggestion on a bit of motivation here... Before I start, I am looking for serious responses... Not sarcasm... read on.. I have seen a lot of cool cars here, and at car shows and all.... Well, My dad ( just turned 63 last month ) and I have a couple 36' trucks, four 46' trucks, and a 52' truck.. Fords of course.. We like trucks... Well, here is the dilemma.. My dad is getting no younger, and his health is not the best. I am having a hell of a time trying to figure out a way to help motivate him to want to build at LEAST ONE of those trucks. I have done things like "Hey pops" let me start by taking the frame out from under this truck type thing and talks like that, I have bought him a few really cool 36' and 46' truck die cast models that I thought might be a good way to say "see, we can make a truck that looks as cool as this or... In all seriousness.. I personally would love the build, but it aint about me... Its about my dad... My dad is soooo wrapped up in building starters for flattys that he "just dont have time" to mess with the trucks.. I have even told him "Hey dad, sell me at least one of the 36's" Nope... wont do it... Ok, so that didnt work.. I have a guy here who would be more than happy to start the work on it with, and for me to help get one going... I know there are avenues of getting something going, but I have been trying to think of ways to get my dad to loosen up on the starter builds, and get a bit more into enjoying something before its too late.. I dont want to be another "kid" (I am 35 now) that has his dads trucks p***ed on to him because dad never got the chance... you all know what I mean... Makes me nautious to my stomache to even think that way...but thats the way things are headed... Hell, I had to really get harsh a bit once and tell him to stop buying all these trucks and start building one instead! When he's gone, hes gone... and building a truck after hes gone is not my idea of a good time.. He REALLY likes the 46's, I really like the 36's that we have... BUT I already know we will be building one of the 46's first Hahah!! All in all, what are some of the things if you were in a situation like this that you would try to see what can motivate a person to well, build a truck that he wishes he had when he was younger.. A big part of the problem, seriously, I think he may be loosing some memory there... He has built TBirds and won awards all up an down the board with them.. Hell, FORD's designer that designed the 63' T Bird came to Grand Junction to a T Bird car show (back when I was 10) and had his picture taken next to the 63 T Bird that my dad built for my mom. Reason for the pic was that my mom's 63' was completely restored down to the last nut to as factory manufactured condition. Mint... So She got her pic in the news paper with the guy from Ford and a trophy for her car.. So yes, my dad has it in him to do some cool things with cars... But... I seriously think that he is for lack of a better word...slipping in the memory dept.. He dont say it, but I think he it a bit intimidated to start one of the trucks.. Trust you and me, the trucks we have now, are WAY easier to deal with than that car was way back.. that thing has about three times the amount of parts... Anyhow... I really dont mean to write a book here.. but just want some honest "what woud you do's " to see what I can do to help motivate my pops! I machine anything hotrod just about.. and have made a hell of a business out of it.. So another flip to all this is my dad sees the mountains of parts I put out of my machine shop for flattys and I always tell him "Dad, you can have some of these parts if you get a truck going!" Heads, manifolds, blowers...you name it.. there for the taking if your my dad! Still is not enough to motivate him.. So here goes! Your inputs? No smart ***ed comments please... I am serious about this and would never HACK your dads down...never... Thanks a bunch ahead of time! Lain BTW...please dont take this as he is lazy.. He's about the most "non lazy" person you will ever meet... Has WAY more steam than I do!
My dad is the same way. He is more into flying his '46 Indian Chief than restoring one of the '57 chevy's, or the Model T truck he has. Have you sat down with him and explained you would like to do a father/son project, and you would cherish the time with him? Me personally, I'm saving a '29 Ford coupe for my son. He's only 2 now, he thinks he owns my '33 Ford truck, it's where he hides from mom, but when that day comes when he asks, I'll be ready. I'm always collecting parts for it, I'd like to build it now, but I'll wait for him. Gary
Yep Gary, have had a couple of those talks with him over time, and it motivates him "at the time" but quickly slips past soon after... I am thinking about just "doing it" and start taking stuff from one of the 46's and having it done or something... I cant tackle the whole project all on my own as I do have a full machine shop to run, but.. I would always find some hours in the evenings or something to donate time towards it.. Thanks Gary for the response... I really want this for my dad.. I will have time in time to do one for me so I am not worried about me.
Goona throw this tid bit in here too... My dad just paid 20k for an addition onto his garage...yes, so its a BIG ***ed addition.. added 24 x 30 more feet onto his existing two car garage... So space.. NOT A PROBLEM! Hahah!! But now, the "new shop" has a few welders in it, a couple of crates, and a lawn mower... oh yeah... dont forget starters... Way more than enough room for a truck... So... Hahaha Do I just get ballsy and tow one in there and park it and say "Were doing it!" (which to me as strange as it may be to some of you, is a bit disrespectful of his space) if that makes any sense at all? Lain
Here is my '46. There are some VERY cool examples on www.carnut.com: http://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/tmp/124/124135.520.390
Step 1 - print what you wrote and hand it to him. If he doesn't want to read it - then read it to him. Step 2 - Start I'd give my left nut to be able to work on hot rods with my pops, but we have different interests. If your pops simply has lost interest and you aren't able to rekindle it - then look at some other mutal interest and see about having some good times there.
First of all, you're a pretty good son to want to do a build with your dad. It may be that your dad thinks he wouldn't be able to finish it the way he'd like, whereas a starter rebuild is a short-term project that has a beginning and an end in a relatively short period of time. I have a 46 that is an old farm truck. I drive it. It has a nice-running flathead, new wiring harness, new brakes, gl***, rubber, etc, but I am not planning on restoring it, nor am I going to paint it flat black. What I am going to do is get it in very good shape mechanically, and continue doing what I have been doing, which is drive it around town. It never fails to get positive comments from people, even more so than my restored Nomad.
Ya know the other "tatic" you might try is asking him when he's too old to do nothing but sit in a rocking chair will he be content to look back on all those starters he rebuilt or would he take more pleasure thinking about that father/son pickup project he did????!!!!???
I am definately liking what I am reading! Its a new twist on an old problem... I agree with all of you! Anyone else got something similar they are dealing with, and have found some things that seemed to crack the ice to get a project going? Lain
The Jalopy Journal
