If you could ask your Hot Rod Hero a question...

what would it be?

I had this neat idea.

And maybe, if it all works out... it could be archived in a special place here on the HAMB.

It's no secret that the HAMB reaches people all over the world... and I would go as far as saying that anyone who is anybody in the hot rod and custom world is only one person removed from a member of the HAMB.

We got guys that know Don Garlits for crissakes... and he knows everyone in the universe.

Anyway, here's my idea... we compile a list of ten questions... questions YOU WOULD like to ask your hot rod heroes...

Once we decide on a list of ten... yea, like we can agree on just ten... people can print that list out and have it with them at car shows or in their car.

If you get a chance to meet someone famous and spend a half hour with them... ask them if they wouldn't mind being asked a few questions.
Don't forget to snap a pic with the person so we know you ain't bull shitting us.

So what do you think? Could this be something that we could all learn from?

Ryan, are you game?

I'll start...

Question #1
How did you get into hot rodding/customizing?

 

Sure, Sam what do you want to know?

 

Hahahaha... funny.

Ok, I'll bite... So Tyler, how come I heard you were the burnout king... but last year in the parking lot just before the HAMB Drags... your car couldn't do a burnout?
Sam.

 

Its because I swaped rear end gears from 355 spool to an open 275. That whole driving cross country and 8 miles to the gallon at $2.50 a gallon. Can change almost anyones mind.
I also used to work at a tire shop and would get free 235/75/15 black walls. When I decided to run WW it started to get a little pricey to smokem down.

Tyler

 

Good topic Sam... let's see. To Pete & Jake, Lobeck, or Paul Atkins....

How did you guys make the jump from backyard to full time professionals?

 

There... I fixed it Tyler. I actually know who you are, I just have a brain fart now and again... sorry.

BTW, do ya got a question to ask me?
Sam.

 

Sorry Sam, but I don't have anything at the momment.

 

I would ask Gene Winfield why he lives in a dumpy trailer... I know the guy has money buried in the back yard or something!

 

Hell theres enuff well knowns here that I would like to bend their ears for a while...and some of the not so knowns that are very talented.

 

.......I already asked Clark (SoWhat) & ScaryLarry and I ain't sharing!!

 

<font color="blue"> Now here's a spin for ya Sam, take it one step further...
Ask your hero who their Hot Rod Hero is.
That is sure to be quite an instrumental question.
Just a thought.

And as an aside, this chap here was a pioneer..... and the hero to many, family included, if only he was alive.
Sir Malcolm Campbell
The main question to ask one of the/my many Hot Rod Heroes...
"What or who inspired you to do what you did or were you just born to push the boundaries?"

That's my NZD$1.00 = USD$.66c worth.

P.S. Petrol is also rising here, $1.26c a litre @ present (dependant on Co.).
Mind you, not as bad as parts of Europe.
Cheers,
C

</font>

 

I would ask, what was the single most important thing you learned to do that made the biggest impact on what you do.

hmmm does that question make sense?

I'm not saying who my hero is though

 

I would just say "Self, Let me ask you a question"

 

"How do you feel about the rat rod craze?"

I'd seriously love to know what some of the famous folks think of the phrase that gets so many people worked up around here. Look at the cool answers to that question we got from the Rides episode on rat rodding!

 

Thanks to those who answered my question!

I'm seriously thinking about doing this... so hopefully we'll get up to ten!

Sam.

 

i would ask you sam.................how can i be JUST like you ??????? ......... i miss you sammy..................

 

[ QUOTE ]
i would ask you sam.................how can i be JUST like you ??????? ......... i miss you sammy..................

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Donnie!

Your first step is admitting you have a problem...

 

good....i am on my way because i know i have MANY problems ......bad ass new truck by the way.....looks like a good hauler....congrats........xoxo

 

I would ask Butt Reynolds if he wanted to go to the bar!

 

Easy one....."Hey, Jeff Norwell.......can you teach me how to draw like you?"

 

I'd say.....so how was Jungle Pam in the sack?
Did I say that....?

 

Hey Speed Racer, aren't you pissed that your parents never told you that Racer X was your brother???

 

Boyd, why does Rashy want to buy your collection of Hawian Shirts?

 

...anyone want to ask any serious questions? Not person specific... just general questions.

What I was thinking was that this could be VERY insightful. How many of you jokers run into people like Barney Navarro, Vic Edelbrock Jr., Bob Petersen, Bob Peirson, Bruce Crower, Don Garlits, Rich Guasco, Ed Iskiderian, Gene Winfield, George Barris... and many others...?

The majority of us DON'T... but a few of us may run into one or two in a lifetime... and all can benefit and LEARN from it.
Here's what we have so far:
1. How did you get into hot rodding/customizing/racing?
2. How did you make the jump from doing what you do for fun to doing it professionally or doing it on such a high level?
3. Who inspired you to achieve what you have achieved or do what you have done?
4. Were you born with a drive to push boundaries?
5. What is the single most important thing that had the greatest impact on you?
6. How do you feel about the RAT ROD craze?
7. How was ________________ in the sack?
Sam.

 

What do you wanna do - that you haven't gotten around to yet?

 

i think i'd ask garlits how much actual 'study time' (researching other peoples work) went/goes in to every thing he does/did. you know like, why did you do x, y, or z. was there something you read somewhere that made you think it would be a good/bad idea, or did you just get a bug up yer ass and say, hey that sounds like a good idea....does that make sense??
don garlits=hot rodder to the bone!!!

 

will you teach me?

is there anything you wish you were better at?

 

I tried to think of questions that I could ask ANY builder. It is pretty damn hard to come up with ten GOOD questions. I mean they've probably heard it all by now, right...
And I have a larger interest in Customs than Hot-Rods so that was weighing on my mind when I was coming up with these - as I realized that there are builders on both sides.



1. When you get a new project car for your own build (not for a customer) - where do you start first?

2. Do you have a finished product in mind when you start or do you work "on-the-fly"?

3. What inspires your best ideas - music? the world around you? other cars?

4. Does a project ever take a turn in a different direction mid way through or do you stick to a plan. (this question might be moot if the builder goes "on-the-fly")

5. How much of the work do you do yourself - interior/ ext/ engine? What are you better at/ what is your favorite thing to do? (could be it's own question if the other one is moot)

6. Do you have a favorite make/model - and does it match up with your all-time favorite rod/custom?

7. If you had one last car to build (NOT forsaking the others already built) what would it be?

8. What's the biggest mistake made by amateur builders?

9. Do you consider yourself more of an artist or a mechanic/technition?

10. Do you try to keep your finger on the pulse of the hobby or do you just keep forging ahead on your own?



I was trying to find questions that would delve into the psyche/personality a little more - but what bears to most interest to other car-guys is how they think when they work - not what they like to eat and how they clean their asses, so that's what I went for.

 

For the customizers, I guess I'd want to know what was going through their mind right before the first cut. I mean it's not like they could call Cole or Guildner to fix their mistakes. Or their first fade, creating candy etc.

For guys like Guasco, I'd really like to know what it was like growing up with my old man. Racing against him, for him, having him as a flag starter, his outlook on safety, and so on. Dads a pretty humble guy, so hearing it from guys other than him would mean the world. Not than anyone else on the board gives a shit...but still!!!

 

I would like to buy Larry Watson a beer or 5 and ask all kinds of silly questions about where it was cool to cruise back then, his customers, that kind of stuff...