The hell your family has to deal with when you beat your wife every night. What happens to a life when a cooler and cheap is beer is your best friend. How to humiliate your son in front of his friends during the formative years of life. Do not ram your sons chevelle. If I follow his footsteps I will lose my family friends at an early age and die a lonely old drunk. The good, I don't think I would ever have been as great of a father and husband without his bull***t, my son will never feel my pain.
Dad left when i was 7 and my sister was 3 so not much there,but givin the situation of a bipolar mother and grandparents who knows what i would have done either. Lots of abuse and resentment there,At a early age i learned to watch and listen. My good friends had equilly good parents with traits i can say i have learned from.Mr plante is a fair man who works hard and walks his talk.After words have there say,you know what to do.Mr Christoffer set up race cars and taught me to analize it learn how it works then fixt it. Mr pellechia,my love for all things on two wheels,personal freedom at its best. Mr Sweeney,bow down to no man. and most recently,Mr Kelly,One of the smartest men i know,everything from being respectful to learning how to make something from nothing. If they knew it or not at the time not only were they teaching there familys these lessons they were teaching the quiet kid watching in the back. Like said before,fathers come in all shapes and forms of good and bad,be greatfull to the goodones even if they are not yours.
He taught me patience. He taught me to invest for the long haul. Re-building the 283 with my father, was like playing catch with him.
Use the right tool for the job. Dare to be different; don't worry about in-group disapproval; stand by your own merit. But (though I love my dad): If you don't succeed at first, just stop, otherwise you'll probably make a mess on the garage floor ...
dad....nothing..too busy being an asshole. But my paw paw everything farm related.we would plant a 10 acre garden every year. That man could grow anything. Also how to work on tractors . My paw paw was born in 1919 and passed in 2001.served in the navy from 17 till 22 and then worked as a machinist from age 22 til 54. Coolest man in the world!!
Mine taught me a lot of things. However two car related things stand out. One is that cars are the worst investment in the world. And Second was that if you spend more time fixing it that driving it, it's time to move on to a better one. Those two things have yet to sink in though.
Dad showed me you could take a head off of a small block Chevy without taking off the intake. Mind you he couldn't put it back together again.....
Let's see. 1.Keep the safety on until your ready to pull the trigger. 2.If your ever going to have anything nice, your going to owe somebody money for it. 3.Women are the best and worst thing that will happen to you. 4.Don't complain about your situation, nobody wants to hear about it and like it or not there is a decision you could have made that would have changed it. 5.There's no such thing as a mid life crisis if you do not deny yourself the things you want in life. Dad gave me a love of cars and bikes and things mechanical. He made sure I did not follow in his footsteps and got a better education than he did. I'm glad for the little bits of wisdom he shares. Love my Dad.
OH boy where do I start. Dad was an old school guy who believed in doing right, respecting your elders and working hard. He grew up during the depression and knew how to make do with what you have. Although dad did not have much of a formal education what he taught me was more valuable that any degree. What he called, "good ole horse sense" really does go a long way. Work hard and support your family Raise your kids to learn right from wrong. It will be tough sometimes Give it back better than you borrowed it There are only two things you "HAVE" to do in life. Die and pay taxes You have to give respect to get respect Learn how to do it yourself You can do anything you want to. You just have to want it enough. Your word is your bond! I was adopted (at birth) when dad was 37 and when I turned 37 he died. That was a few years back (2005) and I miss him almost every day. He could fix anything and would help everyone. Some would pay and some never did. He didn't care too much about that I guess he just thought he was doing what he could to make a living and they would pay if they could. I guess that has to do with his depression era upbringing. I now work with some of the smartest people in the country. However all of them could learn something from my dad. RIP Dad. Steve
Heard that. Sounds too familiar. My grandfather, may God rest his soul, taught me everything I know about mechanics, working with your hands and taking pride in what you do. I really miss him.
Well, my Dad was a garbage truck driver until my technical school years (and not the kind where they use this big claw to grab the huge plastic trash can from the driver's seat either... he walked into every yard and threw every nasty bag or dumped every smelly can into the hopper of the garbage truck and worked the levers...) and he also managed a bowling alley at night so that my mom didn't have to work outside of the home. But he was the best damn garbage man that I ever knew. It seemed like EVERYBODY in Pittsburgh knew my Dad and would light up as soon as they saw him walk into the room... I also had the privelege of working alongside of, or for, my Dad at five different jobs until I went to technical school. My very first job was as a mechanic at the bowling alley that he managed and he taught me that you learn more by watching the machines for hours and hours while they're working properly so that you can instantly see what's wrong when they're not (and that reading the manual BEFORE you actually know how the machine really works is time wasted. Read the manual AFTER you understand the basics.). He also taught me - about having a good marriage in how he treated my Mom (they've been married 55 years, and I've been married 27!) - about reading your Bible and knowing the Lord - to buy the best tools that you can afford - how to have fun on a budget - how to sweat pipe, sand brake drums, how to not be intimidated and to just dive in and try to fix something even though you have NO idea how. - that as long as you treat the people that are ten levels above you at work with respect, that you can still joke around with them like they're your next door neighbor or your buddy at the bowling alley. (I could tell you stories about my Dad and the REALLY high up's at the corporate hangar where he worked for a few years until he retired!)
My dad (God rest his soul) taught me that you're never too old to learn. And that you can learn something from everyone no matter what level of education they have. RESPECT
My Dad taught me that you can make anything with bondo. Anything. Before he died he was doing restoration repairs on fine clocks and figures. No one could figure out how he did it. Wanna guess? BONDO! I miss him.
This thread kinda hits a nerve for me. My dad is pretty sick, three states away and it tears my heart to not have the money to go see him as often as I should. There isn't enough room on the internet to list everything he taught me. Even though through my whole childhood he was an over the road trucker who I got to see 3-4 days out of the month, he did the best he could. A couple things that come to mind are: -A man should only break his word if he's dead -Family is more important then ANYTHING else -You may not be the best of men, but be as good of one as you can -Tattooed, long haired, outlaw type bikers and gearheads are some of the best people you'll ever meet -Never trust a normal person -People are idiots -People may not like you, but they should at least respect you -Work smarter, not harder -How to work on damn near anything -How to handle and shoot firearms -How to make your own black powder -How to melt down lead weights to make bullets -How to catch a fish with a hook, a string and a stick -How to build shelter from almost anything He taught me how to live, and how to stay alive
Iceberg- I hear ya, I'm in Florida and Dads in Pennsylvania, we talk every weekend but I wish I could get up there to hang out with him more. As far as "long haired tattooed outlaw biker type and Gearheads being the best people you'll meet".... Your Dad hit the nail on the head, those are the people that would do anything for you no matter what.
My dad isn't a hot rodder but he has a passion for vintage vehicles and restoring them. He taught me to take pride in what you do. Don't settle for second best, take your time, and spend your funds wisely to ensure it's done right. You're car is a reflection of your work and how much you care abuot preserving that peice of history. Treat others vehicles with respect; don't help yourself, and be polite. Learn from your elders, respect their opinions while garnishing your own opinions. He taught me to be willing to pass on the knowledge you gain...to others who are willing to learn. It's because of my dad that I am ADD over caring for vehicles and making sure they are polished and clean....even my daily driver. Caring for your vehicle goes a long way.
Smells like fish eat as much as you wish, smells like cologne leave it alone. The final words he muttered as he went out the door for the last time....
"Buddy, If you are not happy with the people you are with, you are sitting on the wrong pew." "If people don't like you way you are, they dang sure arn't going to like you the way you are trying to be." "If anybody else can do it you can too" "Boy, when you go to buy a car from someone always look at how everything looks around their house and how the other cars look. If the place and the other cars are crappy a then the car they are selling is likely to be crappy too. People are not going to sell the best car they have." "Always push on the file, lift it and never drag it back...dulls it if you do" " respect your elders, always say yes mam, yes sir, please and thank you," "Boy,take your hat off when you walk inside" "Never cuss in front of women and children" "take your hat off in the presence of a lady" I could go on for oh about 2 or 3 hundred pages here. Thanks Dad.
Pops grew up on a farm during the depression in central Nebraska. He kept nuts, bolts, switches & God knows what else, "just in case.." I inherited that from him, and about 25% of his ability fo make/fix just about anything with stuff you have on hand. Couple things he used to say that have stuck thru the years... " God gave you two ears & one mouth. He was trying to tell you something." He used to burn my stepbrother with "How come you always have enough time to do things twice, but never enough time to do 'em right?" Last thing he taught me was the importance of a career choice. We were in the garage one afternoon & i told him i wanted to go with him to a jobsite & see what he did, so i could follow in his footsteps. He leans over & tells me that i needed to stay in school & get an education, because his was a dying industry. Took me a couple of years to figure that one out. Pops was an Asbestos worker. The last thing i got to do for him was to pick him up & put him back in bed the morning he died. 40 years later, and not a day goes by i don't think about him, in one way or another.
"all those diplomas on the arent important,ALWAYS find a doctor with small fingers" "no such thing as a fat BJ" miss you dad
Those are the words of a man. The words of a man who is blessed with wonderful parents - and appreciates them every day. My parents are both gone - and yes, my Dad taught me many things. I wish I realized when he was here that he wasn't trying to be overly hard on me. I would not give in and I would not try to understand his advice or suggestions. As the years pass, I realize he just wanted what was best for his son. What I wouldn't give to see and talk to my Dad again. My Dad was a good father, a good man, and I miss him. Thanks for this thread. Eddie
My father wasn't a car guy despite the fact that he worked at Ford's Atlanta Assembly Plant for 30 years (started out in the body shop grinding lead, spent most of his career in the paint booth). For him, cars were just a way to get from Point A to Point B. The gearhead gene is from my mother's side, as all of my maternal uncles were gearheads. The most important things my father taught me: Integrating faith and life--the Christian faith he professed was not confined to Sunday morning at church but woven into the whole fabric of his life. Treating people with respect: He taught me not to judge people by how much money or education they had or the color of their skin. I grew up in the segregated south in the '50s and '60s with a father who exemplified a better way. On a vacation trip to Panama City FL in '64, we picked up a hitchhiking soldier, and Daddy drove about 50 miles out of our way to take him home. It didn't matter that the soldier was black, all Daddy saw was Army green, and he wouldn't take a dime of gas money because he had once been a hitchhiking soldier. The first man I called to be a pallbearer for my father's funeral was a black man who had been his friend since before I was born.
My Dad died when I was 5 weeks old. And although my Mom was the absolute best , I know what it's like never to have a Dad. So to those who still have their Dads , treat them well and cherish what you have. Do something special for them on Father's Day.
The Jalopy Journal
