I've been around traditional hot rods and customs since before they were considered traditional...just hot rods and custom cars. At 61 years of age, I've seen what I've always considered a "garage hobby" turn into a mega trillion dollar excersize in one-upsmanship. It is good to see that hot rods have come full circle, back to the roots that I remember and can identify with. I grew up in rural Maine, and in that area of the country a 10-year old car was pretty well used up. Everything was rusty. It was never "if" it was rusty, it was always a matter of "how" rusty. So it was always a matter of restoring it first, then rodding it. I spent many years chasing a dream in California, but never seemed to fit in because my primered or home-painted cars were never considered "front line" material at rod runs. But we had a great time nevertheless, and put lots of miles on the old coupe (which I still own, by the way) as it gradually evolved from an abandoned hulk behind a Van Nuys gas station to a good looking and highly roadworthy rod. Fast-forward to Texas... I was out of rodding for a while, thanks in no small part to the billet phenomenon, and only learned of the traditional movement a couple of years ago. All of a sudden I feel at home again. I learned about H.A.M.B. from an offhand comment made by Bob Bleed on one of the Mad Fabricators DVDs, and honestly didn't do much about it at that time. I was too busy putting together my daily driver '64 El Camino to even check out the site. But that has all changed. After checking out the site on several very, very long nights (not planned that way, I just got so involved that I lost track of time!) I started looking for a new project...and a return to my old way of building cars. A week or so ago, Craig's List turned up a '51 Ford sedan that had great possiblities that I could afford... Attached are a couple of photos of it on the trailer upon my return to Burleson from Houston, where the car was located. It's a nice, complete car with very little rust in the body or floors...or so it seems so far. It does, however, have ruinous through-rust in the chrome trim around the front park lights and all the tail light trim so it will either have to be replaced or shaved. Maybe a H.A.M.B. member could help me locate some of these pieces. The flathead is complete right down to the last original piece, but has sat since 1970 with the heads off, so isn't much good. A smallblock Chevy will fix that right quick. New wiring and a few inches of altitude adjustment and she'll be ready to go! So anyway, here I am in the most beautiful state God ever made and back into the hobby I so love...and doing things the way I always have. I'm looking forward to becoming more active as time goes on. I know that Austin is a hotbed of traditional hot rodding and look forward to meeting some of the guys from down there.
LOVE your new project! Good idea on the altitude adjustment! I did 4 inch blocks, minus 1 leaf, drop springs, drop spindles, and my nose bleeds stopped
Hello from Carrollton. I wish I was say hello from Paradise, wherever that may be. It's good here. Have fun.
The Jalopy Journal
