Projects Hobby or ??????

A seemingly simple question, but for some of us the answers are complicated. LOL. Some of it is habit, vocation, art, enjoyment, satisfaction, therapy and much more. Forgive my very long answer, but it's the best I can do.

I grew up working in my dad's shop in the late 60's and early 70's where we did engine swaps, valve grinds and oddly enough paint jobs. We really did everything and anything. I was a good little wrench and our drunk and raging father liked my work, so got much needed approval for that. Spent a lot of time in the shop when I wasn't at school or working (dad did not pay us, we had outside jobs to buy school clothes and pay for our own things) and usually had several motorcycles from an early age, buy em' cheap, fix em' and make a couple bucks.

Part of me wanted a nice car but I also had a very strong urge to ride motorcycles and really wanted to race after seeing On Any Sunday. That movie really changed my life.

First car was a '61 Bug that I thrashed unmercifully, then I bought a '59 El Camino from the Shell station my brother and I worked at, and completely redid that car before my senior year. It was a 283 power pack with T10 4 speed;




In the spring of my senior year ('72) my brother had already left for the army and my dad's outbursts were focused on me, so I left as well and couch surfed or slept in my car for quite a while. I also sold the El Camino to buy a '70 SL350K0, painted it with a George Barris candy apple red kit and thought it was pretty darn hot! I also bought a cheap and dilapidated '50 Ford pickup as my daily driver.

As soon as I turned 18 and could sign myself into the races, I began racing dirt track, and from there any kind of race I could get into. My beautiful candy red Honda took a beating, but I didn't care, it was a kind of rebellion against my dad who had forbid me to race;


So the bikes and cars (or pickups) were all kind of interwoven into my struggle to find myself. I worked at a Chevy dealer and after a six month struggle as an amateur racer got a Honda shop sponsor and went pro. The Honda shop found me a better rig to drive, it was a completely worn out but serviceable '66 El Camino with 300 horse 327 and 4 speed. I would dearly love to have that one back!

I rode another SL350 for that shop and we had a fair amount of success;


For about 3 or 4 years, my life revolved around work and racing. Worth noting; racing helped keep me out of trouble, when I wasn't racing alcohol and wild driving and behavior were the norm. The '66 El Camino was sold in order to buy a '56 Chev pickup, seen here hauling my Triumph to my last pro race (about 1977). this had a big crank 327 with a 3 speed and overdrive and was painted Cadillac Emerald Green Firemist;


A better picture of the '56;


When the pro racing had run its course (I was beat up, broke and burned out), still rode and raced (just for fun) when I could and also bought and sold rigs on the side to make a few extra bucks.

The racing bug was still strong though and in '89 decided to race the Portland Speedway Labor Day 300, a 300 lap enduro that ran half on the 1/2 mile and half on the 1/4 mile. It's supposed to be for jalopies or street stocks, but there were some pretty solid race cars running the event. My ride was a $75 Monte Carlo from the local bone yard;


We finished 18th out of the 51 cars entered, we were down many laps to the eventual winner, but just finishing was an accomplishment and I learned a bunch.

For the next decade I drove when I had money and crew chiefed when I was broke. I enjoyed the pit work about as much (sometimes more) than the driving. My best car was a metric Monte Carlo that started as a street stock and eventually became a pretty competitive sportsman car. The final version ran a de-stroked SBC 400, direct drive powerglide, 9" and quick steer. From the '99 season;


I finished my car driving career in 2004 (age 50) as a mechanic and part time driver with a younger friend on his open wheel modified.

Racing on bikes resumed in '06 with vintage MX and officially ended last September due to health issues. Not as young as I used to be. Ha!

So what I learned in the lean years of wrenching for other racers, was the shop was and always has been my refuge. It's my domain, it's quiet (except for my music), it's organized and non chaotic, and it's where I can create, build, fix, paint and satisfy my need to resurrect old junk into something usable or pretty again. LC Garage stands for "Last Chance", most of our stuff started out as junk that had nowhere else to go.

My brother and I have created a faux Shell gas station (like where we worked together in high school), we have the same model motorcycles we had in high school, we've built a '29 Doodlebug Model A just like we used to farm with in our teen years, and we love to have old cars to shine up and fool around with. We've come to realize we're sort of recreating our childhood, just with the love and fun that was missing in our youth. Thanks for reading.







Me, high school buddy Bill and my brother Chuck. All three bikes (SL350, SL175 and Kawi 175 Bushwacker) were built in our shop;


Happy Thanksgiving!

Just stumbled across this old Polaroid of my brother and his '58 Savoy, it had the engine and front clip from a '57. I believe the engine was a 301 Poly-spherical with a 4 barrel and had a push-button trans, painted metallic black (same as my El Camino);

 

Thanks for your story- good read!

 

Car Junkie , since 1974.....I blame a 40 Ford coupe painted yellow with flames....

 

Don’t know what it is. Dad would put me in the coupe at 5 years old to keep me busy while he worked on tractors. Rode with my mom in the push car at the drag strip. Later I rode with dad to help service fork lifts to keep my mom from strangling me. Got a 56 Chevy wagon with a bad clutch at 16. Helped Built a Willy’s coupe for auto shop (teacher owned it). Been poor so most of my crap needed work. So I don’t know what it is…(kind of like porn)

 

Hello,

With the current climate in hot rods seen on our So Cal roads, one wonders how far back does it go for their history. Some older folks have quite a history and have continued their connection to the hobby of building, buying or modifying just about anything related to motor sports, hot rods and customs of note.


These days, most give thanks for the lives led to this point, the families that have come and gone and the current lives that are just getting started in the long road ahead. But, seeing a cool hot rod or cruiser on the neighboring streets on a nice sunny day makes one wonder about the history of those cool cars and folks behind the wheel.


From the high dollar rebuilds or well kept original old cars, each has a story that would be of interest to all.

On a similar cruise to check out the waves and beach scene, our road trip included a photo op of a nicely running old Mercury Comet that has seen better days. The owner must have been listening to a bevy of cool songs as he was animated while moving along.

Although it is difficult to keep an old car pristine, if one is constantly battling the intrusive salt air always in the air. On most days, the proverbial West winds come blowing onto the land from the ocean and with it a layer of salt air kind of moisture, mist of sorts or a thick fog bank that lingers around for a while. We all know salt and metal or salt and paint don’t go dancing together in a happy mood…

Jnaki

So, for some, despite the long involvement in some sort of car influences, the stories abound to this day as a part of local area history, in this case, So Cal coastal beach activities and cruising. A couple driving in a dark blue 32 Ford fender-less roadster looked awfully cool, sitting between all of the grey, white, black modern cars while waiting for the light to change green. (will get a better photo, the next time we see it on the roads...) YRMV

 

I guess it's more of a lifestyle thing for me. I like the history more than anything. When you're driving a 57 Chevy you're experiencing a totally different time period. These cars were built when things "made sense" as far as how they were built, and they are something that can be rebuilt again and again and last your whole lifetime if need be. They aren't 'gadgets' like modern cars have become. You're more connected to what you're doing when you're driving them.
For my keeper cars I couldn't care less about the money or time involved in them I just like the cars, and feel the need to preserve the history that they represent. My life has always revolved around my cars and it always will.

 

It's a hobby for me but I sure wouldn't know what to do without it, I'm a car guy through and through, brought out by necessity in my earlier broke ass life.

Edit : maybe it is my lifestyle, yes it is

 

I call it a hydrocarbon addiction my first taste of it was because of my older brother and his love of old cars.
Like many others my first ride was nothing special in 1970 I paid $25.00 for a 1950 Ford truck with a flathead V-8 little did I know back then this would be the beginning of a life filled with great car stuff. That old Ford is long gone but I still have that flathead engine and a whole bunch more a few that have run over 200 MPH as well as set some great records
For me its also a Hobby a Passion a Lifestyle and just about anything else you can call it. I could never imagine how life would be without such a great Addiction.
Ronnieroadster