Where did you get the hot rod bug ?

Jr. Summers and his black cad powered 40 ford . the year 1955 ,he took a 15 year old kid for a ride that is still as clear in my mind, as it was that spring day over 50 years ago. I still give kids rides and I hope we all do.

 

My dad. And we still work on them together to this day.

 

My Dad, may he rest in peace, his brother, and his brother-in-law. (my uncles). My earliest memories are watching Nascar races with them at my grandmother's house on sunday afternoons in the late 70's. Dad did a frame-off restoration of a 63 F-100 when I was about 12. He later went on to Restore a 57 t-bird and a 65 Ranchero which he bought to be a daily driver, but ended up being his sentimental favorite. I went to shows with him and helped him with them as much as I could, and now they're my rides to keep running. He was into more straight restoration, keeping close to the factory, while I was the type to want to customize things, I think now my feelings are somewhere in the middle. I once saw a quote that said to move forward you have to look to the past...I guess that pretty much sums it up.

 

Mine started with plastic models. I would spend all the money I had on those things. Would exchange parts to make customs until I got bored. I then went gas hand controlled airplanes, stayed with them for a year or two. I then went back to the models and put the eng. off the planes on the model cars.
As years went on I evolved to gocarts---what a blast but never fast enough until I adapted a 305 Honda dream eng. on a cart---now that was fast enough at 3 inches off the ground.
I then went work at a wrecking yard, did I call that work? I was in heaven with any combo I wanted. Built a 53 Merc. with a 430 Lincoln motor-- again way fast enough. I've been hooked ever since.

 

From Del Clark and the Hamb.

 

....I really dont know....

My uncle is a mechanic, thats my best guess.

 

My Dad, My Grandad and my Uncle were all into old cars. My Dad and uncle raced gassers and slingshot dragsters in the 60s. Heres a pic of My caddy and the Rambler american I bought him for fathers day and we fixed up together, Hot August Nights 2008.

 

From my Dad and his cousins not too long after wwtwo-really got interested about 49 or 50 when I was 6 or 7 and they were playing with flatheads and our main car was a black 41 Ford ragtop with hot heads and twin carbs-he bought it in the summer of 41 before he went in the service. Also had an uncle about then with a hot 39 Chevy coupe with a Jimmy 6-later our next door neighbor was the Flagman at Madera drags as well and one of the orig. members of the Madera "Clutchers" I think.

 

Get asked that question a lot - sick of telling people it's an old Ford, not a GD Bug!

 

My Mom & dads genes!!

 

Myself I think . I love old ugly things ( my girl hates me when I says this ) . I m french , and there s no hot rod in France . I had 1930 bikes . Beeing now in Canada , I can play
For the rest of my family , I m a crazy guy

 

From my dad. He was a late 40's early 50's high school hot rodder and jalopy racer. Still has several old cars and plays with then almost everyday.

 

Started with AMT and Revel model kits. To make models more correct, started buying magazines. Then in 73 went to see a movie called American Graffiti, and this changed my life. Was hooked on american cars ( I live in Italy) and started buying them when they were cheap. My first was a cut down Model A sedan turned into a pick up. It was all downhill from there....
I can say I did all by myself, don't know where I got the influence. Must have been those early Street Rodder magazines that I found here

 

Genetically, it was actually from my mom. She was a schoolteacher and used to street race her students with her 56 Chevy on weekends. I still have that car. My dad still doesn't understand.

As far as the actual moment, in October 1977 (I was 5 at the time) my dad took the silage cutter over to his aunts to help with harvest time. They needed it for a couple of days, so that night he drove home my cousin's 1975 Camaro Z28. It was midnight blue with white Z28 stripes, white interior, and rally wheels with white letters, and dual cherry bombs. It was special ordered with no ground effects or spoiler because of Nebraska gravel roads. He had put a blue dome light bulb in it so it turned blue when you opened the door. I got to ride in it with Dad the next day to go help and it was all over. From that point on, I was a car guy for life. I still like those 2nd gen camaro's, even though I know everyone wrong with them and how trailer they are. You never forget your first......

 

Started out building model cars and lowrider bikes, then when I was 15 my grandmother bought me a 1964 chevy impala 2 door. I hung around guys that where older than me at that time one was a mechanic the other owned a body shop and would just hang around them as much as I could to learn everything I could.

 

Neighbor with a 55 chev @ Wall dragway, San Angelo, Tx. 1966

 

Trying to modify toy cars then I was given a carb to play with, had my first subscription to hot rod mag when I was in grade school, no one else in my family played with cars!

 

Always liked old cars. Then i saw the Milner-movie in 1979 in German tv, with German speak, and it grabbed me.
lars

 

No body in my family had any interest in cars whatsoever. I must have been born with the disease. My sisters tell the story that when I was barely old enough to talk they used to sit me on the fence in front of our house when company came over. I would amaze their friends by naming what kind of car it was every time a car would drive by.
I think I must have been adopted and they didn't tell me.

 

Born with it. No family members were ever into cars and actually didnt own one untill I got a hot rod in early 1950. Dad finally got a drivers license in mid 60's and actually hated my hot rods.

 

My dad, lived next to the pace car driver for the Charlotte Motor Speedway when I was a kid - went there a lot. Late 70's went to the Timonium MD rod show, watched 'em jousting on an improvised course. The spectators were protected by haybales. Loved it, hooked for life!

 

My friend, Ricky showed me his older brother's Hot Rod magazines. Right away I was hooked!
Here are the ones that knocked me out. It's all I thought about in school.

 

My Dad, My parents owned a gas station mechanic shop from the 50's into the 70's and we grew up there and seeing all the cars of the era come in for gas. I remember all the cars of the late 50's and the 60's crager mags and the three color phase paint jobs of the 60's, it was like growing up in Mayberry!

 

Dad just drove his cars and tinkered with his airplane. When I was little I started getting Hot Wheels and Jonny Lightning cars next it was a Go Kart by 13 I was getting HotRod mag, when I go into the High school auto shop it was a done deal. My shop teacher had an office full of trophies and framed covers of Car Craft and Hot Rod with his cars on them from the early 60's, by the time I was a senior better than half my day was in the shop.

 

You must be my missing twin brother!!