Any old guys(65 +) still build not buy their hot rods??

Add me to the "Old Guys Still Building 'Em" club !! 70 1/2 years young...

4TTRUK

 

Love this thread.

I'm only a tad over 60 so still a young un.
Not thinking about slowing down any time soon.

 

I will be 63 in a couple of months. Building 4 cars at once and fabricating most everything

 

Have a friend who is 80 and has 2 builds going right now.
My only adjustment at 66 is considering finding a painter for the current build.
Thinking about quitting my day job to get it done sooner.

 

I'm 62 (retired 2 yrs.) and recovering from shoulder surgery in the spring, and kidney stone surgery 1 month ago. Today I worked on the frame notch for my son's 54 ford that I'm helping him on (I hadn't had my tig in my hands since April & was surprised how good the welds looked), & last month painted an OT airplane for an engineer friend, and lettered a new outside sign for a local church. I have so many projects I'll never get them all done, but it's fun to try!

 

Still do my own work or it doesn't get done. The problem is not much is getting done lately. Since I still believe in Santa Clause I think he is bringing me a new spray gun for Christmas so I can redo the door and the cowl on the roadster. I have an El Camino on craigslist that I hope is going to finance a 50's merc hardtop or convertible project. I'm 67 now.

JohnL

BTW I did body, paint, fabrication and upholstery. The wife built the engine.

 

I'm on the back side of 61 spent my whole life fixing everybody's cars now I'm building for my self and selling old rusty parts for a living.Had to get back to what my first love was nothing but hot rods and old cars. I don't ever plan on quitting they'll probably find me dead in the garage pounding on sheet metal or cutting and welding.
Kevin

 

Well, I just turned 66 last month and get my first Social Security check this month (the day after Christmas much to my wife's chagrin) but I sure can't afford to go out and buy a finished car. Hopefully I'm a long way from sitting in a rocking chair on the porch and complaining about what I can't do.

I'd think that for many of us hitting a period in our lives where other parts of our lives slow down a bit gives us more time to build a car that we always wanted. Hopefully no young kids under foot except when the grand kids are over, slower work pace and demands, for many the house is finally paid for along with less expenses because we aren't going to work.
And some guys who are buying finished cars are doing so because they are downsizing and selling off a batch of "future" projects that they have been hanging on to for years along with moving to smaller homes with smaller work spaces sometimes in warmer areas.
Having never had my truck to the point where I considered it finished in the past 39 years since I first bought it and thrashed to have it to drive to the 73 Street Rod Nationals in Tulsa I can well see why a guy might want to buy a finished hot rod and just drive and enjoy it.

My best friend is two years older than me and his car is at a stand still because he has a pacemaker and can't weld anymore. Health issues for a lot of older guys keeps them from working on their own car but shouldn't keep them from owning one.

 

^^^ Well said...

 

I'm 65 and really thought I would be through with my drag car and racing again after retiring. But health issues with my wife have me caring for her 24/7 so I have no time for it and have gotten to the point that the interest is not there like it was. I know that I am not alone and that helps somewhat. Like some have said, I need a helper and one that will encourage us to get up and get it done. The younger crowd just does not understand what we older kids could teach them.

 

65 here It took me about 6 yrs but finally got the 39 on the road last month.

 

Im nearing 71 and still build and maintain my 48 1/2 ton roadster Pickup,it`s my avatar.

 

I am on the + side of 70 years and still have grit under my fingernails and a love for hot rods and customs. Pics show my car that I have owned since I was 17 years old!!

 

64..I find that I get my stuff done faster sometimes now..as I plan better and know where I am going with the days work.. Spend most of my weekends in the shop..and some nights after work..
Have an OT build waiting to do with my son.. Three cars to maintain and two motorcycles..all that don't like sitting around..

I do get to help the old guys around here..if I can keep up with them..lol

Best thing to stay in this..GYM..get in and work out..

 

Ya, I still do what I can at 62. Arthritis has taken a big toll, but what seriously sucks is trying to TIG weld aluminum. I was never really great at TIG but recently tried to do some 6065,,, I can't see the damm puddle, change glasses, turn on lights.... this sucks.

 

I'm 64.5 so I'm a little young to be responding, but I work on cars all day at our shop, then come home and work on my own projects. Unless the sun's out and the surf is good.

 

I will be 66 in January. Still put in a couple of hours most days. All of the past comments describe me, slower, aches and pains, fixed income and the list goes on. My friend and part time helper is 69. Probably never finish my phantom woody but it gets me away from the tv and the computer. A couple of my friends say it is a poor mans therapy.

 

I am 71 + and finally retired and starting on 3 builds that have been waiting while I collect parts--- a 27 hemi roadster, a 64 Merc marauder , and a slightly OT Ranchero that needs a redo of its tranny and its poked and stroked 351 (now about 380) windsor mill with some real small chambered heads so its good for about 12 to 1 .
Can't afford to buy em all made and see no fun n that anyway.

 

All the guys at the breakfast club still build their own and other than me(the baby at 53) they are all at least 67 and a bunch upwards of 74!

 

I'm 68 and have always built my own. A lot more fun and less costly
that way !!!

 

I'm 2 years shy of your cut off but still dabble in cars.
The last 2 cars I bought were finished cars because I said I'd never do a ground-up build again. Guess again. Wife thinks I'm insane- I'm quite skilled in the art of turning a nice car into a roller.
My back is killing me, my knees are shot so last year, I broke down & bought a Bendpak 4 post lift. Sure makes life easier.
My problem is- it's not as exciting as it once was. I've bought, sold, built cars for 50 years now & I'm getting tired. There's no "lifestyle" for me, no passion. Nothing new under the sun.
I could sell it all tomorrow & not miss a thing.
Haven't drove my car in 4 months- it's just sitting there w/ a full tank of gas & not much desire to go anywhere.

 

I'm 66 but my wife says I'm going on 19. Don't golf, and still building cars!! I enjoy building as much as driving.

 

I'm 65 now and going to 4 day weeks next year. With the extra day tacked on to the weekend I hope to make some progress on my projects. I've been collecting tools and equipment towards this for some time.
I plan to keep on as long as I can get to the shop.

 

I'm coming up on 71 and still building rods. You can see my 33 Dodge coupe build thread here on the message board and my "Tacoma to Indy" 2,400 mile drive thread there also. I removed the entire interior on the "Tacoma" wagon over the last two weeks, blasted and repainted the metal and am now replacing the floor boards before I put it back together. I have coffee every morning with a group of 6-8 guys, all Social Security eligible, who build their own stuff. We are slower than we used to be and don't work late into the night like we used to, but we make up for that with years of accumulated experience.

 

This is the irony of life for me... I've worked on cars my entire life and most of the old cars I've owned/fixed up/built, etc where done under a carport or out in the open. Gravel floors, crappy weather and all.

I finally reached that golden sweet spot in life where money is a little easier to find for hobbies and built a nice 1200 SF shop equipped with all the tools I've used and accumulated over the last 1/2 century and started enjoying the comfortable environment within which to build the cars I've always wanted.

The irony???? After wearing myself out for 45 years and finally acquiring the means to work comfortably and really have some fun....I'm too worn out to work

Only one more car to finish then, as I said earlier, my car building days will sadly end.

I'm not too stove up to keep me from drivin' 'em though

 

Be careful! You have to keep your eye on the young interns. They tend to really tear stuff up!

 

I might have posted on this thread yesterday, but I spent most of the day in the garage working on my bucket list coupe and didn't see it until I came back into the house. But then, I won't be 65 'till next month either...

 

Irony. That seems to be part of getting older. I posted earlier and while I'm not 65+ at 58 there are days I feel like I am.

I'm messed up from all the years of industrial constructiion and maintenance, I can tell you stories of doing jobs you would not believe or could not imagine unless you had been or were there.

Jobs in coal fired power plants that make Mike Rowe look like an absolute wimp.

As I mentioned I'm trying desperately to get back some of my physical strength.

The fact that I have been teaching my trade full time for the past 15 years has really helped.

I spent years working on my cars also in less than favourable conditions and finally have a heated double garage with some comfort.

What I would give for a tall ceiling and a 4 post lift

My 26 RPU is my first from scratch build,doing my best to build everything I can,but still have to buy some components.

I'm having a great time with it, I'm hoping that when I am 65+ home will be Vancouver Island and I'll still be healthy enough to continue having fun.

I've heard them say getting old sucks and then you die.

I'm not ready yet

 

I'll be 70 and semi-retiring at the end of this year, have done most of my own work and really thought the last one was the final one. Fortunately I have good health and now I'm getting the itch again so have started to build a garage to store the next "project". I'm sure this sounds crazy but I have found the absolute best tool investment I ever made was a used small forklift, I can lift just about anything especially when no one else is around and have saved my back numerous times- if you have the space to store one I think you will find it saves a lot of time and aches and pains.
I really am impressed wih the numbe of "old" guys responding, I'm sure someone has done a poll on here but still curious about what % of the HAMB are over 65.
hope you enjoy this hobby for many years whether you build or buy!

 

My dad is 70 and he is building this C cab. It has a 60 Impala 283 with a single tunnel
ram on it, it's coming right along.