Hey Guys, I have apparently committed a couple of faux pas. First, I never have introduced myself, even though I've been registered for several years. Second, I didn't realize there was a ban on pony cars and post a question concerning my 68 Ford (that has a four legged animal in it's name) and got DELETED. My apologies, and please let me tell you why I belong here. Born in 1955, I grew up in the the boonies, yet only 2 miles from suburbia, and 100 yards outside my back door was an abandoned airport runway. 1/4 mile long and 100 yards wide surrounded by acres of open fields. While other kids were playing baseball, football, etc. it was motorized madness for me. First it was wooden, 4 stroke "microds" then 2 stroke, twin engined go-karts and then my first 57 Bel-Air at age 8, unfortunately it got a few repairs and the sold for a faster go-kart. By age 11, I singlehandedly did a complete engine swap on my 63 comet wagon. My big brother was 7 years older than me and an avid drag racer. At age 12, he came over with his , new to him, 63 Plymouth Sport Fury 383 4 speed and told me it about time for me to learn how to "side step"power shift. We spent most of the day on the runway, burning first the rear tires of the car and then swapping the front to the rear and smoking them off too. The tires were new at the beginning of the day and not quite legal by the end of the day. Also at age 12, I started "collecting" 57 Chevys, much to my parents dismay, and by age 15 I had: >2 dr sedan/plain jane "210" 6cyl/3-speed-ran OK/smoked a bit >2 dr hardtop/plain jane 6cly/auto-ran great/no trans >4 dr sedan seized motor/solid body >2 dr panel wagon/victim of several hot rodding episodes. >2 dr plain jane wagon 265/3 on the tree >red, numbers matching Bel-Air convertible 283/4bbl/PS/PB ran rough but solid and complete >Piles of parts for all cars to be made driveable 3 months before my 16th birthday (driver license time, woo-hoo) the chemical company that owned the runway, in fear of possible waste leakage, overed my parents enough $$$$ to pay of the mortgage on their 1917 house anf enough more to buy a brand new house in suburbia. I realized I couldn't keep all the 57's but hoped to at least keep the vert and the 2 dr hardtop and at the absolute minimum the choice 2 dr hardtop. so I took all my tools, teddy bears, model cars and many parts and packed them in the trunk of the 2 dr hardtop. One day I came home from school and EVERTHING WAS GONE! My Mom hnaded me $150 and said "wel they were just old junkers anyway and you should be happy with this" Well I wasn't happy and the experience kinda soured me on Chevys for a while and I turned to Rock & Roll and Fords. By the way, besides the 57s there were at least 20 other cars that came and went in those few years. My first street car was a 63 Falcon 6 banger three speed that I fabbed in a 221 V8 from a 63 Meteor and then a bunch of muscle type cars and then the Rock & Roll took over and I started a small sound system rental company. My wrenching skills mutated from performance/hot rodding to milking 500K-600K miles out of old rust buckets. Now, after working a lifetime in the entertainment industry and paying my dues, I've spent the last 12+ years "getting back to my roots", so to speak, playing with resto-modding, fabricating and upgrading on: >59 Ford Custom 300, 289/automatic >59 Ford Custom 300, 428/4-speed >66 Ford Galaxy 500, 390/4-speed >68 Ford (Unmentionable), 302/5-speed >69 Ford F250, 360/automatic Parts & Trailer hauler >56 Chevy 3200 pickup, 350/4-speed All upgrades are done in a "home brewed" fashion as much as is feasible. I will BUY something or PAY someone else to do something, only after at least several attempts to make it/do it myself. While I understand that I've been away from this stuff a long time, I'm not truly a noob at all this stuff and I have the p***ion and spirit for old iron and the "can do" at***ude and truly appreciate the "caveman" mentality. To bring a bit of history, the thread that convinced me to become a member here, was a guy who made his own bell housing for a Cadillac Flathead V8. His work and spirit was inspirational. Thanks To All, Gene
i have no problems forgiving said mistakes...but if your post was any longer, E-books would want to charge for it! Never the less welcome aboard and what ever you do don't mention R#@ rods! keith
Welcome from New York. Wouldn't your mom have been surprised to to know what that $150 score was worth today.
Haha, you are damned if you don't and damned if you do, huh, Gene?? Welcome aboard. Lots of us have cars that are not welcome on this forum and I too have had a picture of one of them deleted when I inadvertantly posted it. No harm, no foul, not the worst offense anyone can make. You sound like a nice guy and we look forward to shooting the breeze with you now and then. Don
raymay, She already knows. When my big Bro & I were visiting a couple years back, she saw a copy of Old Car Trader on the table with a red 57 Vert on the cover, and asked "didn't you used to have one like that?" and I pointed to the restored not survivor price of $107,000! I didn't say a word and it was the end of the discussion. Gene
welcome,got my first car at 15 me and a bunch of the kids from the neighbor hood would cruze the field everyday after school. we carried a many a gallon of gas from the local station about 2 miles away in five gallon cans to keep her going not to mention all the work we did with an adjustable wrench and a pair of channel locks .became an expert changing rear ends from backlashing it,THEN the field wasnt big enough got to sneakin it out on the street and then the good ole OHIO Highway Patrol BUSTED no license no bumper bald tires loud pipes,and fisticous tags,Thanks to a Very Good Juvenile Judge he let me slide on all the charges but the old 61 chevy got sold for $35
Of all my stuff the parents would get rid of, they always knew offing my car stuff woulda got them killed. Welcome to the H.A.M.B.
Geez... can I get that intro on "Books on Tape"? Seriously... welcome to the best Tuner site in the Web...
Welcome hb, you are in the right place. I was addidcted to 57's myself and still wish I had my last one. Rock on man. ~sololobo~
Welcome aboard! Some of my emails have been "Scratched" too. To bad about the cars....mothers are like that, yea they are. My mom didn't trash my old cars However, she did flatten my motorcycle (She was short), as she pulled away from the curb. PS: I don't think you forgot to introduce yourself.... I think it took that long to write that email! HAAA!
Growing up with a runway behind your house....that you got to use......THAT MUST BE WHAT HEAVEN WILL BE LIKE.
HB, Welcome ! But of all the names you could have picked, you went with Horseballz !!!?? Glad you didn't go with Bullscrotum
Gator, Yeah I noticed after posting it in the wrong place. DAY-UM! And the screen name "horseballz" isn't meant to refer to equine genitalia so much as referring to the stuff that spews out of a horse's East end while he's traveling West, which is generally the same **** that comes out of the mouths and brains of many souls on message boards! Just a bit o' tongue in cheek humor. Thanks for the welcome, I think I'm gonna like it here. Gene
Hey Gene! Welcome! You know me by a different name on MMB and M&M. Look at my avatar on left for a clue and you'll know! Looks like you ought to welcoming me though, you have been here longer!
The Jalopy Journal
