I became interested in cars thru an association of a friend who sold me a used Cushman Eagle motor scooter when I was in Junior High School. I sold that scooter after a few years of working on its mechanicals and appearance. I purchased a 1931 Model A Coupe which we had seen while riding our scooters in the country. That was while I was in High School. Between help from my friends, an old HOT ROD magazine and the local mechanic I was able to drive it to high school with a flathead motor. All this mechanical work was in line with my life's work and schooling. While enrolled in a 2 year technical institute (1963-66) I helped friends with their cars. I became friends of a fellow who was installing open drive lines in pre war Fords at his father's junk yard. I took that experience & installed a 1956 Ford passenger rear end under my Model A on visits back home. After graduating from school I started building a car which would compete in the B Street Roadster class-drag racing. After a year, I realized I could not afford to build an engine that would be competitive in drag racing. I finished that car after 5 years & attended the NSRA Nats in Memphis, TN (1971) After my daughter was born I realized how impractical a T-bucket was. I then purchased a Model A Sedan from a friend with the goal of using it as a second car. That project was stalled by building a 1953 Ford F100 to haul the Model A parts. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl after the oil crises so I took up a class mate's offer and moved from Florida to Oklahoma to work on a power plant project. I joined the Early Rods of Tulsa while in that area. That truck was our rod & second vehicle for 10 years. It went thru a rebuilding after I wreaked it in Kansas coming home from work one Saturday. While working in Kansas I purchased a 1956 F100 big back window pickup. It had been rodded with a 302 Ford engine. It was worn out so I rebuilt the motor. I successfully rebuilt the automatic transmission during the cold winters and a full basement to spread the parts about. After all the big construction projects which had served to keep me employed for 10 years died off we moved back to Atlanta, Georgia. I fixed up a 1965 VW for my daughter to drive during high school. I was employed by one company who went under after a year and a half. I met a fellow who sold me some VW magazines who put me in contact with a contract agency. That agency got me a job doing mechanical design work at the AT&T manufacturing facility only 15 minutes from my house. I worked, as a contractor, for 10 years at that job. I kept working on my Model A, my pickup trucks, & my daughter's VW. I sold my 1953 F100 and focused on my other vehicles. I came into some money & started looking for a 40 Ford. I kept working on the Model A since the search for a suitable 40 was slow. I eventually found a car that suited my requirements. It required a new paint job and engine. I am now retired & continue improving my cars as my energy & money allow. I have met Ron & Bad Bob on my travels to Los Angeles. I have also met Danny Berry and a few other HAMBERS at the last two Knoxville NSRA meet & greet functions. My friend who sold me my Cushman scooter is also a HAMB member as well as the fellow who built my '40 coupe. One of my Tulsa Early Rods friends is also a HAMB member
Well,well,you did back up your promise,, Welcome to the wonderful world of the Hamb,,but you already know about it after looking over and under the fence for the past couple of years,, The Buckster formally know as Luker for the past 2 meet & greets at Knoxville,Tenn NSRA NATS is seated third from the left seated between yours truly and seadog. HRP
We have enough scooter stories to tell that would fill a book, without starting to touch the rod era. Me smoking up the barber shop would be a good place to start. As the smoke thickened, it's a wonder we both didn't get our throats cut with a razor by Mr. Humphries and Mr. Reddick. Cushman Eagles still hold a special corner of my heart. Welcome to HAMB and now join in and quit just peeping in the backdoor. You really belong here.
The Jalopy Journal
