Featured Hot Rods How to tell real gearheads?

One of my interpretations is when i have visitors they go to the garage first. How about some more?

 

When you see someone…don’t know their name, but remember that he drives a black 32 3W coupe.

 

I don't have a garage worth taking anyone in to, but I have to really know and trust you before you ever get to see what I have garage or shed wise.
One reason for that is that back long before internet I had a guy call me out of the blue asking if I wanted to sell a part I had and the only way he could have known about that part was that a guy who had been in my garage had seen it and told him about it as I had never had it advertised for sale and my couple of friends who knew about it hadn't told anyone about it. If I am selling a smaller part I still prefer to meet the buyer at my friend's gas station rather than have them come to the house.

 

Weddings, funerals or other get together events, first thing we talk about is our cars. Then ask the appropriate function questions…

 

You see them in salvage yards each time you go.

 

I'm pretty easy to identify. My daily driver is a 49 Dodge pickup. You will often find me wearing an old car show t shirt.
If you drove past the house I have lived in for the last 24 years, for the first 18 I had a welding shop here with several old cars in the side yard. Since 2018, the number of old cars has been reduced, but my old coupe still occupies a spot along side of the driveway. If you drove past during the day, its possible the garage door is open, and you can see the back end of my pickup.
Pictures, or it didn't happen. 1st pic, 2018, just after I retired and closed the welding shop. The coupe was about to get its update.


The coupe in its normal outside parking position, as taken from the driveway (a few winters ago). In the warmer months, its often parked a bit closer to the edge of the driveway. I have put about 1,000 miles on it this summer, nothing like it used to be driven, the truck has cruise control and is more fun on long distance runs.

 

Grease under the nails and poor social skills

 

smells like 90W gear oil

 

How to tell real gear heads? That is the question. In my experience true gear heads are the ones who get busted knuckles, scraped knees, etc… building their own vehicles themselves, their way.

 

They have a knack for spotting a potential rod while driving 65 mph down a tree lined road, behind a shed, 250 feet from the road, buried in kudzu, in the rain, at dusk.....

 

Yeah, greasy fingernails and permanently grease-tattooed fingers.
And boo-boos.

 

The grease and scrapes, and other displays of bodily harm are certainly one form of identification. However in a past life, I worked on paper machinery. You couldn’t tell the difference between the gear heads and the just plain industrial mechanics. So I think we need to establish a more robust system of identification. The T-shirt is good, wearing it under your sport coat on a date is better. Taking her to the races is good, taking her into the pits is better. And taking her to the races into the pit AND having her work on the car even better

So what other identifiers would be appropriate?

 

Yep!
I can't say for sure that these greasy fingers are Jeff Becks' but he does have a reputation as being a "car guy" às well as being a guitar god.

 

They always know where the old cars are parked in their area…I know of a fella/gal who has a stash of at least 16 64-65 chevys lined up in his back yard.

 

Used to be that I would get called out for trying to relate life situations,
RE social and health to the problems and remedies of my first love, the car.
Girls kept their distance while laughing.
In H.S. , a place I always felt imprisoned I showed up often with blackened bloody hands.

 

They are the ones everybody else calls when they have an automotive problem they can't figure out!

 

have a wrench, or two, sticking out of back pocket

 

Grinder/slag pinholes in whatever rock n roll or Car Brand™ t shirt they're wearing.

 

Four exposed cheeks.......

 

They're the ones that come up to me after seeing my shirt. The other kind walk on by.

 

Guilty

 

Jesus wept
Is that a real tee shirt?

 

No gold chains?

 

A shop rag over a cut/burn/or blister secured by duct tape.

 

thats where I draw the line and I grew up putting kerosene on my wounds. I use a piece of clean white paper towel under the duct tape

 

Pussy.....

 

Paper towel and Super 33+ for me. Duct tape is too stiff to keep working.

Gary

 

You guys waste a perfectly good towel? Just grab the duct tape and wrap it right on the oops. It’s been said that the glue has antiseptic properties…

 

This reminds me of a time long ago, that I was relaxing in my easy chair, looking out at the mountains that we live in. My wife gazed at me from the kitchen and asked, " what are you thinking about, and it better not be cars!". I responded, "what else is there!". She eventually spoke to me again, after a long while!