Hey, Im a 19yr. old who LOVES hotrods. I have grown up loving/learning about cars and hot rods. I know my shit, however, I know that there is a lot more to learn. I currently own a 1949 Ford and have been remodeling it. It is a slow work in progress but it's on its way. It is hard to keep interest in the older cars in a place where I live where most people my age prefer newer vehicles. I really don't have anyone around here that knows much about older cars and especially hot rods. It is extremely difficult to get work done on my car as well. I want someone to take me "under thier wing" so to speak, and teach me everything they know. I'm open minded and very willing to learn what is taught. If anyone has any suggestions, or is interested in giving me advice, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks, Josh
go to the dirty old body shop and get on as a helper, work your way into a friendship with the bill hines of the shop. motivation and persistance pay off. best advice I have.
Yep, what he said. I found this place a short time ago and have already learned a ton of stuff by just reading posts. Another suggestion, if you have a cool guy at the parts store/hardware store/ or whatever locally get to know them, they usually know there stuff, and if friendly will tell you what they know. (not a big chain store though, usually they are filled with punk ass punks that dont know shit and can't and wont help you). I learned a lot from my local part store guy over the last summer. Good luck and welcome.
Are you anywhere near BEDFORD .Your in luck if you are.a friend of mine will be moving down from alexandria in march .If this sounds close to you it would be worth it to get to know him.He makes all the KKOA shows and hardly misses any oher ones.PM me and I'll give you his address remember it will be in March if you can wait!!!! WHEELS
It's good to have a mentor to teach you those hard to learn trades. I have never had one but wish i had. My brother in law is a freakin master in the rat rod scene around the illinois area,but i just never scraped up the nuts to have him teach me. I would say that any old guy in your town knows more than you think about old cars. Just the other day i was at the parts store getting an alternator and on my way out i said hi to some guy who was probably in his 70's and we ended up talking about every era of rodding all the way back to the 40's. he was full of info that I never knew about. Trust me, those old guys in the buick park avenues and cadillacs know about cars. I bet if you scraped up five or six of em you'd end up with a bitchin ride. Hmm. Maybe i should try that out.
search for a guy named Germ here on the Hamb... he will teach you things you will never learn on earth. haha jk... just read ur ass off on here till you find someone with experiance to help you that you klick with and have fun with... the best way to learn is to have fun while doing it.
Josh, I'm working on a 50 ford,I've been around the block a few times, no where near an expert,but I've gotten to the point where I know when to ask one for help.I think you need to try things on your own,that way you do things in your own style which may be the next big thing.But be sure to get the help you need when you need it.If you just go under somebody's wing you'll be doing their style of work.If you have Questions feel free to e-mail me,if I can't answer them,I'll try to direct you in the right direction. holberton1@hotmail.com
Everything I know and do today is because of mentors.. 1) My family is fortunate to have a number of master mechnics / fab / build guys in it. Learned a lot there. 2) When I was in 12th grade, I dropped out of high school, went to the best local performance engine builder / drag team in my area and begged to volunteer to work there. I started by sweeping & cleaning up--- for no money (but I got free lunch in exchange for fetching it for everyone.) By the time I left, I was making a couple hundred dollars a week, but more importantly I learned to build motors right, tig weld, dyno / tune, and got to travel the country with a pro stock team. Wouldn't trade that for anything. Go to the best, make a good impression and volunteer if you have to. -scott noteboom
well im kind of in the same boat. I learned an awful lot from growing up in race car shops and at the track. It introduced me to a good bit of people, but being away at school has made it hard to ask quick questions for the stuff i dont know or am havinga hard time figuring out myself. At home, its old racers, hot rodders, and anyone who will put up with me long enoug and give me the time of day. You just have to ask. you have to get out there and get to know people. Stop by body shops, repair shops, junkyards, anything and just ask if it would be alright to ask some questions. The volunteering to work for free is a great way. Ive learned A LOT from doing that. You will find helpful souls all over the place. There are a lot of people out thgere who love to see the younger generation having an interest in older cars and they will do what they can to help. I have also found that a weekly trip to the library is great. You may not have somebody to talk to, but you sure as hell can read alot and figure it out yourself. hope that helps a little.
That would be excellent advice. About ten years ago I met a man who is now one of my best friends almost like my Dad, got me started pinstriping, lets me work on my stuff at his shop and assures me that is how it was. I worked there as a helper for a while. Oh ya he owns a body shop.
This is a really good place to be! There's a whole lotta' info flowin' here! Good Luck in all of your future endeavors! Don't be afraid to ask questions! There's no such thing as a dumb question when you're seeking advice. ...... seems like the harder I work, the luckier I get!
I was lucky enough for a "old guy" to latch onto me when I was 13 and hanging with the corner crowds (he was a family friend) and he loved '51 mercs (this was 1965), I have a father/son team that hang out with me to learn basics, I got them stripping out parts cars for now and we split the $$ from ebay and swap meets. Find someone you can relate to, good luck!
I live in Mentor Join a club, you will get all kinds of help. I also belive that learning by doing is a great way to go. Plus you have the hamb to mentor you!
You will probably have a hard time finding someone who will mentor you by helping you work on your shoebox. Your best bet is to try and gofer on someone else's project. If you put your '49 on the street, it may help you find someone. I'll be your first cybermentor. The word "remodel" is for houses, not hot rods.
The Jalopy Journal
