It is over 100 here in ks, and as I pull up to the stop light ,baking in the sun in my old car, a lil kid sets in the a/c looking at my funny. What is he thinking? I ask myself, it could be what a poor guy, junk ol car dirty clothes.......or Man that dude is Kool, I want to have neat cars like that when I grow up....... That is what I hope he is thinking, thats what I remember thinking as my dad took me down seneca st. in wichita in his 41 ford when I was little. Which is what brings me to my current life. Dad is gone..... I still have the 41 ford that he built and gave me, and I still have the WOW factor that lets me continue to play with cars and build My own rides, I remember seeing titus bros. driving around the hood in cars they were building just down the street from where I grew up. Starbirds shop .....dad would drive me by to check out the new stuff those guys were working on.... which has all brought me to the place in life I am now, I'm proud to carry on this tradition, and this is the life I choose to live. Hell yes it would be easier to drive a new car, have a/c , cruze control and nice cushie seats, but not for me!
pretty much sums it up i had a 2004 mustang(for the fuel economy,haha) for 3 years i hated that computer controled p.o.s
A lot of kids love our cars, no matter how "junky" or unfinished they are, and some of those kids will grow up to be Hambers. For sure. That's all that matters. Here comes the can of worms: why not install air conditioning on your car? When it's over 100 here in Missouri I roll up to a stoplight in my black '53 Chevy with the windows rolled up and I see kids looking at me and I'm pretty damn sure it's because they think it's cool. (Mainly because they tend to point and jump and yell things like "Look at that car! Look at that car!") I'm not saying there's anything wrong with running no A/C, but for me it beats sweating. Of course, most humans don't sweat as much as I do, but that's a different story...
People yell at me all the when I go by in the sled. Problem is , I don't know if it's because they like my ride or something fell the fuck off again.
As long as your sweatin, yer still alive doin what makes you happy. We just spent 400 miles over the weekend in a roadster back tracking the SE Kansas tour you did. Except we started in Nevada Mo. and went backwards. No a/c in either car. We stopped alot for refreshments in Cool places. Only Bummer was Bucks BBQ was closed.
Hhahahaahahah , that a good one, I needed that! You have never seen my daily driver, It doesn't have floors or windows, so heat and a/c isn't an option, on this car anyway. but I do have a whole mess of cars with a/c but I am too dirty after work to drive them everyday, I can't bring myself to ruin a fatlucky's interior or two, maybe three........
I think the same thing while I'm screaming down the interstate beating and banging, all while only going 70. Minivans are passing me in their air conditioning like they are just sitting on their sofa in the living room. It's more work for sure, but that's what makes it worthwhile. Very strange indeed though.
Jeff - if it's any consolation, it's guys like you that inspired me to get into this way of life. So your no ac has led to the spawn of another car guy. Not to sound sappy but I and the guys in my club(all young) look to you the same way you looked to starbird and titus. It's good to have local heroes. So I guess simply I'm saying thanks for choosing this life.
And besides I have 10 cars ....you know what that would cost to a/c all of them! DANG, I can build a whole nouther car, speaking of I gotta get back to work, salina is coming up and I have lots to do......
I bought a super nice white '54 Ford Customline Coupe when I lived in Canoga Park, an old lady owned it. Dirty as heck, I asked if it was for sale. The old lady said I could start it, but it was making a "clutch noise". (Wow, super straight, white, and it's a stick!) I fired it up and shut it off. Broken crankshaft. She took $15.00 (Fifteen dollars! In 1967!!!) A nice old gent had a wrecking yard a mile from Vanowen St., a '57 Ford wagon gave up a 312 and a T-86 'Heavy Duty' 3 speed box. I was installing the 312 when a wiseass neighbor came over. "I don't know why you're working on that thing when you could just go buy a Chevy..." I said, "That's because you don't know. Lotta shit you don't know." He turned around and went back home. I finished the job, got it running, and drove to Tarzana for pipes & mufflers. When I got it cleaned up, I pulled up in front of his house and laid down a sizzling 45 foot strip of 8.20 X 15 rubber! My choice. LOL
HAHAHA Thats the truth I can see people waving me down out the corner of my eye but I'm scared they are gonna say "hey idiot your bumper is falling off"
My wife can't understand why I would sooner drive my truck with no A/C, than her car. I'll leave it there,,,,
yea I thought this old guy was sweatin my sweet chop the other night, nope, turns out my brake light switch died
My 6 year old would much rather take the 55 or even our little dunebuggy anywhere than ride in our avalanche or mom's 07 chevy car....if we're all crazy, it's rubbing off on him....that's okay, it's really not too bad if you roll all the windows down and keep it above 60MPH or so...
Don't you wonder if they understand that little shit eatin' grin while you're in the weather in what you enjoy drivin'? I haven't seen a minivan driver get a grin like that after accellerating.
We usta cruise with the windows up so people thought we had A/C. adamschumard,,,,carry the torch. You are my hero.
Exactly what I was thinking! Today, there is no reason not to have AC unless you do not want it. So many options available for the hot rod and some are easily mounted and take up little room in the cab of a hot rod. Sure helps mama and the kids enjoy the ride a little more.
Its guys like you that inspire me to finish mine. My ot daily driver dosent have air and its still a gutless wonder. I town we have an older guy in his 70 who drives a model a sedan daily during the summer. When he was back from flordia this christmas he was driving around in his a at 10 deg no heat now thats to kool.
THIS IS MY DAILY, not possible nor do i want to put a/c in it, a/c isn't the point, driving old cars living the LIFE, and just dealing with all the problems that go with it all. IT is a lifestyle, not comfort style.
Well, if you are like me, you didn't grow up with a/c and don't like it.I never lived in a house with a/c until I was 38 years old. I never run it in a car unless someone else is with me and wants it. But only my daily even has it. Never run it at home until someone bitches about the heat and wants it on. I like the fresh air and it looks like your car has plenty of it.
If I'm gonna drive it daily it needs AC. I sweat like a whore in church and I have to wear a shirt and tie to work a lot. Plus most of my drive is either city streets or heavy traffic, so the 60mph with windows down option ain't one.
for me, rods and hot rod bikes are a life style for sure! everytime a pass an "OLD" car i look at it! i want to see it and find out its history and grow my knowldge of cars from the past and the long forgoten engines like the olds 303 and 324 (just to mention a few)to me thats cool shit! it might not be Fast but its old and still around! A/C.. na =the Sleds got 4 windows to roll down thats my a/c and the radio!
This all sounds pretty romantic doesn't it. here is the deal, this is the way that I am. I have always been this way, I am only good at being my self. That brings us back to here is the deal.
Been there and done the sweating my butt off thing. Too me thats stupid. Why not cruise in comfort? Its been my experience that its way easier to sell a car with A/C and you will recoup the cost of installing it.
how to tell when your too old you only concider buying a car IF it has a/c ps,pw,pb cruise etc i have to admit i DO like cruise control especailly on those 100 miles plus trips but you can have the other creature "comforts"
Been there, done that and still do but after putting up with riding in the 48 cross country several times with no ac and no windows my bride of 42 years deserves a bit of comfort and a less crabby old man to put up with. Hence, this time around it gets roll up windows and ac and I could give a rats ass who cares or doesn't like it.
well we can have a radio , heater, A.C. ,and quiet pipes but i sure rember going to Salina the first time with the windows open quarter windows causing a tornado all the while running the heater to keep the car cooler, what a weight reduction program, turn off the stereo too much wind noise, that was my Flying Bullet the 1953 chev, but it sure was better than missing a lead sled program had a great time anyhou hey the "LOOKS" and all the thumbs ups and getting attacked at rest areas and gas stations make it all worthwhile kinda laughing about needing cruise for 100 miles Me and the OL did 2200 miles W/O cruise to CA for Santa Maria just stand on that petal and squirm around sometimes
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