That did it, I'm crying now.. I remember meeting Jay for the first time at a taco stand in Covina on the first jaunt of a hot rod and hot cuisine week before the LA Roadster's show one year about a decade ago, organized by Don (DRD57) Bob (hotrodbob) and Frank (Enjenjo) before tearing down the I-10 to visit Mort's "museum" and HopUP office out in Riverside. Jay was already there downing a breakfast burrito when I got there and I walked up and he just started talking about something we had been discussing a couple days before on the internet just as if we were life long buddies who actually had been talking about it in person. I'm going to miss him. John, DrJ
I don't what what to say, Gay...It's hard to know what to say when we are all so stunned. I'll remember him for his story telling and wonderful photography. We'll all catch up to him someday sailing the canyons of his beloved Arizona. Ride on, Jay..... Doug Hayes, Sierra Madre, California
We were thrilled to have Jay as one of the Old Farts' Club. Our whole group of gray beards will miss his deep thoughts and insightful wisdom. R.I.P. Jay
I am at a loss. I never meet C9, but I spent the first few days(feb2005) I found the HAMB board reading his stories. I was going through some bad personal stuff at the time, and his stories made me very happy, I remember looking forward to going home from work to find another story to read. I wish I would have sent him a pm to tell him how much his writing made my hard times better. I Always enjoyed his tech, and the wealth of knowledge. He was my online resource for slot mags. Godspeed Jay. My sincere condolences to his family.
I have a pair of 3-ring binders at home labeled "C9 Fiction" that are full of his stories he was nice enough to share here on the HAMB. He was a great writer, and a good source of hot rod history of Central California. I can tell you that the HAMB was a better place with him as a part of it. Godspeed Jay, I miss you already.
Wow! What a shock he helped me make a couple of tools and I always loved his short stories as we grew up in the same general area and around the same time. He was a true asset to this site and many of us. He will be missed. My prayers go out to his family.
I was fortunate to have Jay take me there a couple times. On the trip to LA with the Aussie boys, I was planning to meet Jay there so they could meet him, but a flat tire set us back timewise, and we had no time to do it.
Wow, Gay. My heart is so heavy. Jay was a class act in every sense of the word, so caring and so talented. Is there anything we can do for you???
No,,I just got a call from Sick50 telling me the sad news,,I hate it,,Jay was a wealth of knowledge and has helped me out on several ocassions. I had never met him and for that I know it is my loss. Gay,,if you happen to read this you and your family are in my prayers,,I can almost see Jay drivin' his heavenly roadster on the streets of gold. Godspeed Jay,,HRP
What a shame... I can recall reading some of his posts about what it was really like in the "old days", regarding wheel / hubcap choices, etc. Great stuff. Sorry to hear he is no longer with us.
I just read this thread for the first time. I'm in shock. I absolutely loved Jay. He was one of the people that honestly and truly made this thing of ours work. He meant a lot to me... and his books, ohh his books. Pinky was my absolute favorite. He just had a way with words that was so casual, but still had legitimacy. Man, I'm gonna miss C9.
So sorry to hear this... He talked me through more then one carb issue, and I was able to share some vintage scans of advertising for mag wheels that he hadn't seen before... I felt like he wanted to help everyone on here that he could. He's definitly left his mark and is going to be missed.
I had the opportunity to meet Jay on a visit to Visalia a few years ago. He was a true gentleman and gave me a shop tour and a ride in the roadster. I have his books and will miss his contributions to the HAMB. RIP Jay BB
Ryan, you took the words out of my mouth. I don't know what else to say. Jay and I swapped bits and pieces for at least the past 10 years. RIP my friend.
I never met C9 but his words in the stories he posted here always touched me. His tech posts were equally as inspiring. A mans true worth in this life is measured by the friends and loved ones that he touched. C9's worth was immeasurable. God's speed.
I'm devastated - a HAMB legend indeed and a wit, raconteur of tall tales and all round good guy. I had planned to look him up on my next trip through Kingman. Condolences to his family and friends. We'll sure miss him around here....
I have enjoyed reading Jays stories, he made me feel as if I were a part of them, and for that I am thankful. God bless you Jay, here's to the wind in your face
What a loss. If I can relate it to athletics it's like the sport lost an all star or a hall of famer. Alot of us probably didn't know him, but you can bet we have all heard of him. What a loss.
It's funny you should mention that. I too printed off each story and put them in a three ring binder. I use to read those stories out loud to Roadstar on road trips. Of course I read Pinky to him as well. I then gave that binder of stories to my Dad to enjoy. Fond memories of someone who was so generous with his time and tales.
Thanks to Retorq for passing the word along. Jay was something very special, made a lot of difference in his corner of the world, made a lot of us better at what we do by caring enough to help and setting us a high standard. I wish I had met the man, but still I feel that reading his words on message boards has made a positive change in how I view life. Godspeed.
Here's a short story from Jay that seems to fit better now than ever... Singin down the Kansas Flatlands - Mk 2 --- Just a small story. Could be true, could be not. Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Anyway, I'm not telling. --- There we were, singin down the Kansas flatlands, goin south along about twilight in a Hemi powered coupe. Just one of those soft summer days you get before the serious hot weather comes on. Even so, temps had been running just under a hundred earlier and even with the sun down it was probably 90. It was dark enough to see city lights off in the distance, and with this being a Sunday the roads were free of traffic. Made no never mind to us, with the windows down and the cowl vent open, the wind was flowing softly through the car and we were getting toward that kinda one with the universe feeling. Singin was the right word. Sometimes a well built engine running at the rpm it likes, and the car speedin along at the speed it likes and everything kinda getting into a Zen balance, a one with nature kinda thing, just flyin along in the soft, almost dark of night is a kind of magic. It's surprising, once settled in at speed and after cruising for a little while, you can hear all the different sounds and identify them individually.All you have to do is listen. Really listen. Once you're tuned in, you'll find that it's a lot like being the conductor of a large orchestra. No use asking Sweetie if she can hear that faint tick from the engine. At least you think it's from the engine. She's listening to her own orchestra. And maybe she's not as limited as you. Seems the guys are intent on the mechanical end of things, along with the navigating. The girls, seems to me, live in a world much richer than ours. They take in color, design and arrangement. If the design is done by nature, so much the better. Even so, she feels the hot rod is a pleasant little car, lots of fun to go places in, trusts your building skills, with her very life in fact, and also trusts your navigational skills, it's a time of ease and contentment for her. Lots to be said for just watching the world go by. What makes it especially good is to have a good destination. What makes it even better, is to have no destination at all. Just let the car flow through the elements and see what you end up with and where you end up at. Sometimes it gets downright interesting. Even running an old and familiar road, country two laners are much to be preferred, you see a lot more at times like this. I'm not sure why. Probably because there is no time element involved, no particular goal in mind, and your mind can just wander. Your vision seems much sharper too. Not so much the old can't see worth a darn and really should wear glasses vision, but the ability to actually see things. Not only the hidden potential of things you never saw before, but other interesting things. Every place has it's history. You see it and understand it better than you ever did before. No examples need be given, you'll know it when you see it. And if you don't, Sweetie can point it out to you. Late afternoons are the best times to start out on these little wandering through the world trips. The soft and not so harsh afternoon light allows much to be seen. Returning home after dark, and not always in a direct path, can be a whole other world and a totally new experience if you are only open to it. The world changes after dark, a whole lot and not much. Both at the same time. You just have to pay attention, but not too hard.If you try too hard you'll miss the good parts. A lot to be said for just following a pool of light cutting through a darkened world and seeing what you can see. Or what you can't see. A lot to be seen either way. Once you're in tune with the car, in tune with the mechanical sounds and best of all in tune with Sweetie, you'll find you're in tune with the world. Not the whole world, just this little part of the world. Your part. The part you're in right now. It may belong to someone else, but you get to own the memories. And memories in my view, are all you get to take out of life. May as well make a few while you're here. Just make sure they're good ones. They've gotta last a long time. When I think back on this little excursion, which was a long time ago, it was truly a night of music. From the pleasant mechanical sounds to the barely noticed sound of softly flowing air. No radio needed. Just me, Sweetie, the car, a smooth ribbon of black velvet road unwinding into the darkness and it all became one. Course having Sweetie in the car, makes it a complete experience. One of those memorable times in which nothing special happened, nothing special done and nowhere special gone to. Just a bright and shining moment and one that lives strongly in my memory. Sweeties too, I think. So there we were, singin down the Kansas flatlands, goin south along about twilight in a Hemi powered coupe......... You will be sorely missed Jay. Heavy sigh .. Happy trails old buddie, and thanks for the memories.
I'd always enjoyed his tech here, and his writings. I didn't know he wrote books as well. I'm sure gonna miss him.
For those of you that have not had a chance to read his stories, may I suggest you take a small trip to "The Writer's Board" on the HAMB community pages...there are several of Jay's stories there... When I was starting to write and post "The Friday Nite Reads" here on the HAMB, I'd asked Jay several times to help me find a publisher for my stories...he pointed me to the one I now have...I will miss his musings... RIP Jay R-
One of the great ones...fair winds and following seas to you C9 and thanks for making this place interesting. Condolences to your family and friends.
The Jalopy Journal
