I just came across another video that relates very well to the 'keeping a car in the family' stories I've shared recently. Of course with my luck, this video has already been posted [/... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
I don't know if this has been posted previously or not but it is a great story,,keeping it in the family,,gotta love the love for a old member of the family. HRP
I can relate with the car being the "first girlfriend". I still have my first car that I bought with paper route money. It is also the car I drove to high school in, college in, my first job, and got married in....It was my first love....(a lot of firsts happened in this car of mine...) I plan on keeping it forever as well, maybe in 40 or so years there will be a film about it...anyway.....just wanted to chime in, I have enjoyed these stories so much. Thanks for posting
Well the only way to keep it with you, or take it with you. I have my special rides over the years TATOOED on my back. I thaught maybe adding the vin under each ride, just so I CAN take it with me.
I thought that was an awesome story. I could totally relate to it, the feelings that grand dad had for the car, etc... At the end though, I got a little sad for the car because it sounded like there was very little left of the original car after the "restoration" I saw the coilover springs under the back, they talked about the new frame, and that they tried to save as much of the old car as possible. I'm not against anything they did. I like that it is brought back to life, but just want to open up a discussion point that if this was grand dad's car, and you wanted to preserve that, would changing out most of the car be preserving it, or more of an homage to it?
I think it's natural for a car to evolve. Not all cars can stay the same. I can understand why 99% of the general public would update the car....but I agree sad to see so many changes.
I agree with you Hitchhiker. I think their upgrades will really help their modern family enjoy the car more. I think you can enjoy a bone stock Model A just fine, but it is about the owner's comfort in the machine that makes the person happy to be it's owner. Grandpa was ok driving it across the US, but now people are used to more creature comforts and better mechanical technology, so I can really support their decision to make the car updated.
I can relate to the video because it reminds me of my wife's '54 "Ranch Wagon" that her Grandmother Jessie purchased brand new off the show room floor of Blue Ridge Motors right here in Anderson,South Carolina. It has stayed in the family since day one and was used in her grandmothers flower shop business for many years,p***ed on to her dad to use as a hunting and boat pulling work horse and then it was parked in the barn for more than 20 years. Sometimes a car is so far gone the decision has to be made to save it and as in the case with the wagon restoration was not to me,,after all,,I am a hot rod guy. Like these people the original character of the car was retained but was brought back where we and our heirs will be able to drive and enjoy the cars to their fullest. HRP
Very cool story! Almost brought a tear to my eye. That man was the same age as my Dad, both went into the Navy and my Dad came out of the war to work as an engineer for Bendix. Too bad My grandmother sold his '31 Chevy truck while he was away at war.
My dad sold his 1928 whippet coupe to freind when i was 11....i bought it back 30 yrs later....only to find out it was my dads first car....its now my sons first car...my grandfather had it last on road..1956...so it will be four generations that have driven it...plans to streetrod it with modern drivetrain...but keep as much original as possible....
COOL story, thanks. I am still looking for my Dad's '55 Chevy two door hardtop. He bought it new in L.A. w/235 straight six and 3 speed overdrive. Gave it to me at age 17 and I didn't really want it - fool. He later sold it for $450 in about 1974. Old California black plate no. GXB 909. I'd probably have to sell my house to ge*** IF it's still out there. It was cherry when he sold it.
what a great story, i wish there was a family car in future but no such luck....... keep um coming........
my great grandmothers first car a 67 camaro RS (i know OT car) is still in the family. my aunt owns it now and had it repainted the same color but put disc brakes on the front. i should really scan the news paper article about the story. im hoping i will be the next family member to inherit it
I almost relate. My dad's first new car was my first car, a 1929 Model A. ...it evolved as a survivor over many decades as my grandmother's car and was lightly rodded by me in the early sixties. I went everywhere with it when I was in high school. I came close to street rodding it in the nineties, but just could not take the final step of tossing out its soul and putting it back together with a sbc and new frame. ...so it sat in pieces for another decade plus. It is finally coming together now very close to its mid sixties style, mildly rodded and still with the A banger motor, original frame, & almost all it's original sheet metal patched up. I will be having fun with it again soon and it will be p***ed on to one of my grandkids in time.
At the end of the video Tina says of her dads A-bomb, "You can't be mad driving it." No truer words have been spoken.
The Jalopy Journal
