Hot Rods Ever try to re-create that first hot rod

I just did, but made it nicer, having more skills, time, patience, and money than I had as a 16 year old kid. It took me five years and more than two thousand of my hours, and I don't know how much money, but it was a ball doing it.

The original was a 1929 Ford cabriolet with the same motor, but dropped with a Moredrop axle and 5.60x15s. The rear was 8.20x15s, all on 49-51 Mercury wheels. Blue green paint and white top.
The new is the same actual car, with a somewhat hopped up Model A motor, with dropped original axle and 5.90x15s with 8.20x15s in rear, all on 49-51 Mercury wheel cents and new hoops. Paint is dark blue with tan top and interior.


This version is so much nicer, and still fun to drive, constantly reminding me of the fun I had fifty plus years earlier.

 

Beautiful car,congratulations. HRP

 

Several that I would like to have again that I never finished, or even drove, including a 38 Chrysler Royal coupe, a 26-27 T two door sedan, a 35-36 Ford pickup, a 47-48 Ford coupe. My dreams always exceeded my skill level and bank account at the time. Helped build several muscle cars for others, but nothing for myself for a long time. Finally built a OT 74 Maverick 2 door like I would have built it when I was in school if I could have. Traded it after a few years for my current 47 Lincoln coupe, which I am now in the process of making it mine after driving it a couple of years. Had to do everything from brakes to wiring after I got it to be able to drive it, now it's getting a new engine/ overdrive trans, power steering, hopefully AC and new paint before it leaves the shop again. It will be what I want it to be, not what the previous builder did.....

 

I am in the process of re-doing the "T" bucket I did in the early '60's (it is registered as a '66 "Homebuilt"). I drove the car for several years with a 270 Dodge hemi and had a ball with it. I had made the frame from 2" square tubing since the guy at the steel salvage place on 1st Avenue North in Minneapolis told me it "was strong two ways". Boy, was he wrong. After a couple of years, it developed a definite "sag" in the middle. I bought some 1 3/4" round tubing, and literally drove is into the frame from the back. It helped for a little while, but the writing was on the wall. I put the car into a turkey barn across the road from a friends house, with the intention of "doing it right" when I had the time. About this time, I got divorced and wasn't able to get back to the car for a couple of years. When I finally went to the turkey barn, all that was left was the frame, rear end, and engine block. I have been dragging this thing around from storage site to storage site for the last 40 years.

A couple of years ago, when I retired and was able to obtain a real "shop". I have started working on the car again. I am building an almost complete new frame using the original front and rear suspension. Re-doing the hemi would be prohibitively expensive, so I am building this with a flathead. I expect to be done in a couple of years. Who says "you can't go home again"?

 

I REALLY like the dark blue with the narrow light blue pinstripe. Very nice.

 

Before they started to get real popular, like early nineties, I used to see a single headlight late Malibu on Coast Meridian in Port Coquitlam, used to see it every day, I was working there. It was the factory light metallic blue, blue bench seat interior, auto on the column, the factory full wheelcovers, and a rumpty rump 406. Man that thing was cool, still sticks out in my mind.

 

Yeah but with a twist...my first car was a 50 ford crestliner that somebody had removed the vinyl top from. I really wanted a 49-51 coupe but built a merc flathead for my crestliner and the body eventually went to the local junkyard.
Welp, in 1991 I found an affordable 49 ford coupe and built a strong running chevy 355 motor for it...did all the things I'd loved to have done in high school and I loved it....sold it at the Heartland Goodguys in 1993.
My computer ate my original 50 crestliner photo from 1964 but I still have the coupe photo

 

A 49/50 Ford Coupe is high on my list of car i would like to own,that was a good looking car Rocky. HRP

 

I haven't but yeah, I'd like to recreate my first hot rod. 37 Chevy coupe, built gasser style back when that wasn't cool anymore (late 70's). Straight axle, big block, tilt nose. Death trap. Took it apart to "build it right" in 82, got divorced, sold it in pieces. A friend has it, still apart sitting in the back of his shop, I've tried to buy it back. He won't sell, probably just as well. Lots of cars on my bucket list to own still, why go back? Besides, kinda like your first girl friend, the ride might not be as great as you remember.

 

I had a yellow 40 Ford standard sedan in 1972 that I sold & always wanted back. a friend had a black 40 deluxe sedan that I always admired, so my current build represents a mixture of the two. my friends son found his dad's 40 a few years ago & bought it back. its now in storage awaiting a rebuild.

 

My very first car was a 1950 custom sedan that I bought off of an elderly neighbor.
I never got to drive it legally as I was 14 when I bought it.
By the time I got it running & cleaned up I was only 15 or so.
It caught the eye of an old guy (he was quite a bit younger than I am now) & he just had to have it.
The prospect of making a few bucks on an old car was just to great & I sold it.
I regretted that almost immediately & have wanted another shoebox since then.
This fall I was gifted a 1950 custom coupe by my big brother.
It has been sitting unused in his barn for quite a few years & was kinda' in his way.
When I sat behind the wheel it was like I was 15 again. Like a time machine!
I am planning a mild custom on this car, utilizing the original drivetrain, 239 flat motor & 3 speed o/d.
Lower it 3" all the way around with steelies, poverty caps & beauty rings.
Just like I wanted to do with the sedan.
I can hardly wait!

 

My first car was an Ot 74 nova 4 door that was bult back in the mid 80's. It was a total sleeper. Had a built 355 in it with a turbo 350 that was bullet proof. Wrecked it when the throttle return spring broke, and could not negotiate a 90 degree turn. Would love to build another 68-74. Dammit Hot Rod Primer now you got me all nostalgic, and daydreaming...

 

An answer to HRP's question, is yes. I have duplicated a 56 BelAir and a 63 BelAir tudor post cars I had years ago. I also once built a 33 Plymouth PD coupe street rod that was the same car my Mom back in the day. You should have seen her smile when she saw that car up and running.

Gary

 

HRP: How did the lady and pickup in current pic end up looking better than the ones in the old pic, but the guy got worse?


Actually I don’t need to recreate my first car (black 1929 Coupe). I still have it and except for the wheels and hood sides, it is exactly the same as it was when it got painted in 1989. But if I was to build the car now, it would definitely be more traditional with wishbones instead of 4 bars, buggy spring instead of coil overs, an Olds Rocket (like it had in 1958) instead of a SBF, and a bunch more chrome.

 

I still have my first hot rod, started on it in the early 70's (it was sort of a kit car, it was delivered with the body on a trailer and the frame in the back of the pickup that was pulling the trailer, fenders and hood were thrown in the body. It will be sold after I croak. The first picture was either 73 or 74, the next was late 70's and the last was a picture taken last year. It was painted in about 84 and the reason the light is bad and I am a ways back is the paint is just too nice to look at up close View attachment 3368840

 

I wish!!! I had a '39 Ford Coupe. I bought it with an Olds engine with 3-2s and the '39 trans. $300 dollars in 1962, and it ran. It wasn't road legal but we, well by brother, drove it. Pulled the Olds and put in a SBC with a 4 speed. Never got it on the road but did win a trophy at Island Dragway, maybe Raceway Park in Englishtown.

Sure would like to have the car with the Olds in it!!

 

I still have my first hot rod. Not sure I would call it that or not. It's a 40 chevy pu. I got it as a stocker when I was 16. By the time I was 20 I had a 235 with dual carbs and Fenton headers. Lowered but mostly stock. A couple years later I installed a 302 GMC 6 cyl with a 6-71 blower and dual 4's. It still has that engine in it. Drove it lots during the summers. Eventually I got married, had children etc. A truck isn't a family car. I haven't driven it in 11 years now. My wife has asked me a few times why I don't sell it and use the money towards my deuce roadster. I give her the same answer: cause it means too much to me.

 

My very first car was a '33 Plymouth roadster body on top of a $3 Model A frame. I was 13.
My Mom felt sorry for me, and helped me finance my '36 Three window coupe. My 2 buds, the Donahue brothers were chopping the top on Pat's '39 Ford 4 dr., and channeling Mike's '41 Merc four door!
I had the bug bad, so I chopped my 3 window five-and-a-quarter in front, and six in back, sectioning in 3.25" in the center.
Had it all welded back, (oxy-acet) doors done, everything. Then I found the '30 roadster. Bye-bye Custom, Hello Hot Rod!
Kinda miss that severely chopped '36...

 

I still have it. Kinda ...
68 Stang. Totally rebuilt.
Bought it for my daughter at 16 about 30 years ago.
I gave her the title 8 yrs ago.