just wanted to thank the guys who started this site. Without this and a few other sources I have found I would be at a loss when it came to advice on Hot rodding. Sure my dad owns a 67 GTO, but he bought it the way it is 9 years ago and has done nothing (except pay others to maintain it) with it. Hell, the one and only time I got "a hand" from my father. He accidently set my car on fire (no kidding). At age 18 i was riding back to my car (parked at a restaurant) in a friends car to find the fire department putting out the engine fire in my 57 VW. So yeah thanks guys for being the Hot-rod father I never had.
He's still your Father,maybe you should introduce him to the HAMB,so he can learn too.My 16 yr old nephew taught me how to use the computer,so i could read the HAMB.It changed my life,and inspired me to help him get a project going.Now i wish my project was more like his.
maybe pops knows your a disloyal lil **** and he set your bug on fire..i cant imagine why he pays others to maintain his goat and him with such a fine and thoughtful son as you..
My dad never helped me on my cars either. He raced and had hot rods but alwayes steered me away. But he helped me with food and a roof over my head. He said to always let someone else work on the cars theres no money in it. Boy was he right ..
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Well my Dad was never a car guy per say, but he supported me with my old hot rods, I guess I was just lucky. He also had some neat old cars that were new back in the day. Thanks Dad! Rags </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
I would have been happy to just have a dad..My father died when I was 10. I hope some day you become a better father than the son you are.
My Dad wasn't a "car guy" but he was still a great Dad. Unfortunately I never realized how great a person he was until he p***ed away. I just wish I could be half the man he was.
I'm glad you aren't my son.. my dad wasn't a car guy,either.. he WAS a helluva man,and a good provider for our family... I miss him.. hope YOUR dad never sees your post..
I think this post can be taken two ways. No need to give em grief, IMO the post was not to beat up on his pops for not being a car guy, rather a thanks to those on here for filling that void.
My dad STILL helps me with my current project. In fact, he and my big brother came to my house at 7:15 AM yesterday morning (Sunday) and woke my *** up to start turning wrenches. My 6 year old with thrilled to hand us tools and to listen to "pee-paw" give the both of us greif. He currently is fighting the big "C". I am gonna miss him.
Sounds like a young fellow who just is hopiing for more attention from his pop. Nothing wrong with that. Alittle disrespectful yes. But haven't we all been that?? Your pop obviously cares for you. Have you even sat down and explained to him what your ambitions and desires are? Tell him you want to do the work, you want to learn it and be proud of your accomplishments. That this is more important than just driving them. Most pops will be happy to help, I would. ..If my son asked me to learn a new trade just to help him I would do it in a minute.
My dad and I are actually pretty close and actually I am a father myself........ Mid life crisis? Well probably he bought the Goat with the inheritance when his father died. You'r right I am lucky to have my dad (and a pretty good one at that) and I don't forget that, he just has no clue when it comes to cars. So the reason (as pointed out by fiveofeen) that I started this thread was to thank those who have helped fill that void. I don't care who you are.... it's funny that the one time he tried to help he set my car on fire. I'm not bitter or ungrateful or even disrespectful, it's just funny.... he thinks so too. And while he thinks I should drive a reliable Honda or Toyota, I'm sure he see's the beauty in the cl***ics. Oh, and to clarify, I've offered to help with the GTO and been refused. Even though he never did any work himself on it, it's still his baby..... car shows.....car clubs....etc....
Your dad may not be a car guy but take advantage of every moment you have with him. I'd give just about anything to have even a minute with my Dad again. He died when I was 8 1/2. He was a car guy, and everything else mechanical. We were farmers and he had build several silage cutters and was building a 4wd tractor from scratch, and not a toy either. God gave me some of his mechanical ap***ude. I've been busy learning things while working on cars that Dad would have taught me for sure. It does make a difference in the kind of dad I am. I heard a lot of promises but never got to fullfill them with my Dad. It wasn't that he was a bad dad, He was earning a living and supporting our family. Defintely shaped my work ethic Generally I think about the sort of dad I wanted/ needed back then and try to do that. It's a combination of what I saw and what I wanted my dad to be. As an example, Travis and I are putting a mini bike together from a couple of cheap carc***es we drug back from a swap meet a few weeks ago. He offered a guy $13 ( all he had left) for a frame, rims, and tires. I knew mom would not be impressed but it's the sort of thing I always wanted to do. I sprung $20 on another that was missing wheels but had an engine and a clutch. He's been tinkering with me putting it all together. Got a mower friday that gave up it's carb and recoil starter. Fired her up yesterday. You should have seen the look on his face. Definitely worth the time spent!!! And hopefully he's learning. Started him welding some on the MIG about a month ago. He's ten and loving it all. It is pretty cool to come home and have him ask if he can do some welding. Color me proud.
"just wanted to thank the guys who started this site." "So yeah thanks guys for being the Hot-rod father I never had." Hey I think he is saying Ryan is our dad. Cool. Dad when can we come home to Austin?
Nice thread, thanks for thinking of it. One's father, or an older friend, can open the door to exploring the universe of cars. There is a great deal of wisdom offered here...we are richer for it. Experience will teach or affirm what you've read. I learned a long time ago that respect will open doors, esp. when the problem is mechanical, and the person you met can help you to build it right. In keeping w/the above, "thanks for the $20 dad!"
Consider yourself lucky. If dad has a GTO, at least he "gets it". Whether or not he fumbles with a wrench, you have no idea how much him "getting it" has made your life easier. Personally, I prefer to think of the HAMB as my crazy uncle. The semi reliable one who once shot a fire hydrant to death, but is always wrenching on cool ****.
So your dad doesn't work on cars, so what, I'd say most of us here learned on our own. Maybe your dad was too busy learning a trade and providing for his family to spend his time working on cars. If your dad has provided a roof over your head, and food on the table, clothes on your back, you're a pretty lucky kid, anything beyond that is just gravy. I'm so ****in' sick of seeing dads kicked around, we can do nothing right, turn on the tv and every tv dad is a *****. There's even a show called "American dad" that's aimed at disrespecting us. It's no wonder this society is in the shape it is. My kids can tell you every mistake I made, but never seem to recognize how hard I tried to do everything right. Someday you'll grow up and maybe have kids of your own, you're in for a big surprise, you're going to find out that dads are only human, and we're not perfect. Anyway, I'm glad you have the HAMB, we didn't even have that.
Dads are all so different.Mine never played catch,didnt teach me to swim and didnt see very many of my football games.On the flip side I rarely missed a Carl Casper car show or Autorama.He would take me to the car lots after church on Sundays and watch in amazement as I slobbered and drouled over all the cool muscle and he would buy me model cars if I took my time and did my best work.He even bought me my first Muncie four speed in 1977.I loved him then and even more now.Dads are cool even if they arent.
Uh, Dad???? Hey, I need to borrow the car to drive this girl to the clinic,,,,uh,, err,,, I mean Wal mart,,, yeah that's it, Wal mart......... Dave
My Dad wasn't a gearhead either but always did basic maintenance on the vehicles he owned and kept them clean and sharp looking, as did his four brothers. He was always there for me growing up and when I got into cars as a teenager it brought us even closer together. We did more in-depth work on his cars (and mine) and he was right there when I took up oval track racing with financial and moral support. Some of my best memories of our times together are car-related. I miss him every day.
i would give up EVERYTHING and never turn another wrench again for my old man back! every time i hug my kid he comes to mind. where the **** is doctor phil when you need him?
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