Let's see how long THIS lasts... lol!

Hi guys. Been around the web for a decade, and modded cars for a few more. Good to see a board with some real old school car guys on it, with real car guy knowledge and opinions, though my car interests may spread a little bit wider than some here are used to or care for...

I've been playing with cars for the last 27 years. I've been building customs, show cars, race cars, street rods, etc. I've owned over a hundred cars, from most major manufacuters (and a few minor ones...). I had a shop for many years, and built hundreds of customs and race cars, as well as doing crash repair on sports cars. I got my start when I was 14 apprenticing in a shop that did vintage car restoration (museum work on things as esoteric as a 1914 Indy racer) and hot rod/custom cars. But my dad had magazines back in to the 50's, like the old Hot Rod, Car Craft, Custom Rodder, and Speed Mechanics, that I read from the time I could read..

I've been autocrossing for a couple decades, as well as doing driver instruction in SCCA and BSCC. I've crewed on a few road race teams, including an IMSA RS Mazda RX3 team that also campaigned a rotary powered Formula Libre. I've helped build a few national championship winning SCCA autocrossers and road racers (like Greg Fordahl's national championship winning Porsche 914s and the Porsche GT3s racing and winning at the 24 hrs of Daytona for Team Seattle). I've driven hundreds of different cars on the track, from cheap basic cars to Porsches, Ferraris, and a couple Lotus' (from an old Elan to a newer Esprit V8).

The largest single type of car I've owned is custom air cooled VWs (over 30 of 'em), but I've had everything from big block Fox Mustangs to traditional British sports cars, to '50 cars. If it has wheels and an engine, I can find a way to have fun enjoying it for what it is, regardless of genre or origin. I've worked on enough cars and owned enough cars to form some pretty strong opinions of my own, but I hope to learn more form some of the guys that were there before me, if they don't kick me out for having strong opinions, myself (I'm a firm believer in thinking it's good to have favorites, but it's bad to hate on everything that ins't your favorite in order to justify having those favorites. I've loved all the genres of cars I've been involved with, and can get a litle defensive if people bash on one of those categories out of ignorance...)

My last custom project was a '62 Falcon, but my current project is one I've tried to get going for 15 years, my '63 mercury Comet convertible. The goal on a lot of the cars I've built has been low buck fun, but this one will be all about craftsmanship and detail. Oh, and putting a bunch of miles on it smiling all the way.

 

Here's the Falcon and the Comet... Wish I hadn't had to sell the Falcon when I moved from the west coast to the east coast...

 

If you read this...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44274

then you should know what this board is about. As long as you keep it about traditional rods and customs you shouldn't have a problem. If there's something you don't understand about the above post, contact the moderators by PM and ask them. If your strong opinions are that we should listen to your thoughts about non-traditional rods and customs, you may want to look elsewhere. Welcome.

Mutt

 

Hehehe. Already read it before registering. That's why there's smileys in my post.

I don't start anything about non-forum topics, but if discussions occur on non-forum topics (like comments or opinions on, say, imports or high dollar new customs in a thread, I may add my 2 cents as well, and it might be contrary to prevailing opinion. I just hope this board of older people isn't hypocritical enough that they will voice their opinions on something in any fashion they want, then frown on a response that might be from the opposite side...).

My main reason for being here is to learn some stuff from the old guys on the board, and add info where I can from my own experience. I've already learned a bunch of metalworking tips...

 

Sounds like you got chops to me... welcome.

You are older than I am, so don't worry.

 

Some mighty impressive credentials. Seems that if you are lucky, age tends to breed tolerence. Welcome.-MIKE

 

Welcome from a fellow Marylander. Maybe you'll see me runnin' around in my 59'. Of course, you will not see me runnin' around in a custom VW. I dig the falcon.

 

Welcome to the board Merc 63 yes you will learn from this board lots of good stuff all good. The more door Falcon would have been a good ride even with 4 doors keep at it

 

Welcome from Australia. With all that experience your Merc should be a real gem. Nice to see the Falcon too. Cheers.

 

Welcome to da HAMB

you seem like you've been around a little, and all in all you'll fit in i'm a thinkin

 

awesome falc

 

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys! I hope to learn a lot from different viewpoints. I'm a big fan of pretty much all cars of all eras and pretty much every part of the world. But even though I've built European and Japanese race cars and customs (like my V8 Ford powered RX7), there's always a soft spot for what I started out in.

Another gratuitous shot of the Falcon... (can't wait for finished shots of the Comet...) while I dig around for some shots I can scan of some of the traditional rides I built...

 

Welcome to the HAMB.

 

After looking around here for a while, this was the main thing I'm concerned with. I forgot that even though there are a lot of car guys here, they certainly aren't open minded car guys. And if they put down/insult a car/car owner, that's ok, but any contrary opinion is locked or banned. That's scary, because it doesn't speak too well of the people I thought were going to be the more mature forum members. I'm used to immaturity and flames from teenagers who think they know everything but have no practical experience to back it up. I wasn't expecting it from older car guys. it's going to be hard to learn things from people who are more apt to flame or ban you for liking more than one kind of vehicle...

For example, I didn't come here to talk about my custom VWs or my V8 RX7 road racing car. But when someone else raised thoise subjects, I'd expect a bit more maturity in the responses if I mention something based on my decades of experience in those areas, as well as my experience with traditional rods and customs. Some of the older members treat all newbies to the board as though they are new to cars or new to the traditional rod scene.

I already asked a question in a thread on a subject that ended up getting locked before it was answered. Not a real mature way to treat things, but I guess it's to be expected when you guys aren't actually car guys as much as simply stuck and inflexible in what you like. Not saying there's anything wrong with what you like, btw, or in trying to keep teh board relevant. But a question can be answered maturely without worry that the board will suddently turn into the VW Trends or Sport Compact Car web...

I don't want to see teenagers on here asking how to make their Honda faster, but I'm rather shocked that you don't see the parallels between the VW and late model custom crowds and with the whole REASON behind traditional rods and customs... Divisiveness like I see here really is bad for the hobby in general. Liking what you (and I) like is absolutely great. But hating everything else is just not productive. Our genre of the hobby, really does overlap a lot of others. I find it interesting that it's ok to say anything about those particular off topic subjects as long as those comments are insulting and derogatory... Sometimes a short, mature discussion about those topics in ONE thread can illuminate a lot about our own hobby.

I guess I worry most because I do like traditional rods and customs quite a bit (and have studied the rod and custom magazines from the '50s as well as built the cars my self) and understand why they existed (they didn't exist to BE stagnant). But I also love a lot of other custom genres, too, and love to blend genres.

So I guess I'll spend a few weeks taking down some tech notes as I find them, then go build what I like building, be it traditional or not, then get out and leave your little closed bubble alone, before I get kicked out for making some comment that I would have considered normal, mature conversation, but breaks some insider rule (i.e. when it's ok to comment on a slightly off topic comment and when it's not. Since my Comet wont' be '60s traditional, but won't be billet either, I know it won't be welcome here, and I've already been infomed that contrary to real world opinion, my 4 door was not, is not, and never will be cool...)

It was definitely interesting to read some of the commentary. There are a lot of cool rides here and a lot of good tech knowledge. I just don't remember growing up around the old rodders and customizers that the traditional rod and custom scene was filled with as many*****holes and narrowminded curmudgeons..

I really hope I'm actually mistaken in all this...

 

You ARE mistaken. We don't hate other automotive related subjects. But this board is for traditional rods and customs, as defined by the owner of the board. We are here because he was nice enough to give us a board for free, and in return we strive to keep the board as he wants it.

There are posts about other things, but we try to keep them to a minimum. There are other boards for VWs, Muscle cars, current drag racing - in fact, anything you want to talk about. (You will probably talk to a lot of the HAMB guys on them.) And I have seen them go under because people show up and want to change the board to suit their interests, not fit in with what the board wants. We don't allow that to happen.

We are not closed minded. But we do stick to the subject of the heading at the top of the page. That's why I mentioned it when you first signed up.

As far as the post being closed right after your question, that was just timing, and had nothing to do with your post. In the past, the owner of the board has made it plain what was allowed, and VWs aren't. So don't take everything personal. If you spend some time reading back posts that are available in the search function, you will have a better idea of what we do.

If you think we have a bunch of "arseholes" and curmudgeons now, you should have been here a few years ago. But the neat thing about the internet is that you aren't forced to stay anywhere. Stay or leave - it's your choice. Our "closed bubble" will continue to be the place for traditional rods and customs either way.


Mutt

 

In my experience so far, there are those here who will agree with what you have to say, and offer suggestions, tips, and their past experiences and woes with the subject matter, and those here who couldn't really give a rat's****... I've chosen this board because of it's wide range of opinions, generations of knowledge, and it's spectrum of varying ATTITUDES...

I hope you do the same. I welcome companionship with all who aren't satisfied with how their vehicle looks or performs, and knows how to change it...
WELCOME!!

 

Lots of people on the HAMB have very diverse tastes in cars.
And where they all come together is that they are also into Traditional Hot Rods and Customs.
We have had some great discussions about Cars that were not Traditional Hot Rods or Customs, but most of those discussions would have some sort of parralel to them ( Tech or History wise...)
Personally I try to not bring up my Off Topic Cars, unless they fit in a discussion that already exists...
Off Topic Threads do get Deleted at times.
We also try and keep Drama to a minimum, like this here...

Try and earn our respect by dazzleing us with your knowledge.
Instead of whining about the HAMB while you still have your coat in your hand.

 

I may be talking to ya in the future. I have always wanted a 13B turbo car motor in a 28-31 RPU (Roadster pick up). My family has owned R100,RX2,RX3,RX4 RX7, a Millinnia ,(SP?) and 4 Protege's.


Me dig em rotaries....

 

W elcome! cool cars,and intro. I have,and will admit,I like VW's Sparky

 

No reason to wait a few weeks if that's your attitude. You could get the hell out now if ya want. This may seem like a closed society but one thing we all have in common is that we try to be civil to the members of our 'little club' which includes keeping quiet until one gets the lay of the land.

Hmmmm, kindy stringy, I forgot how long it had been since I had bit off some 'newbie'.

 

hehehe. I mentioned*****holes and curmudgeons because I are one...


But, I'm not trying to change the board to suit my interests. Heaven forbid! I've been reading all of Rickster's threads on old customizers, and will probably have old info like that to add myself, from out of my old car mag and photo collection! This stuff rocks!

What I was trying to get across was that, in fact, from the time of the '40s and '50s, rodders and customizers used what was at hand. Light bodies that were cheap with big**** engines. Fiat Topolinos, Anglias, Austins, cars like the MG gassers that have been posted here, etc. Andy Southard, in his '50s customs photo album even had a scalloped Renault 4cv (a car close to my heart, as my folks still have the one they bought new in '61)! Customs were new cars with aesthetic changes the owners wanted. Hot rods were cheap older cars that they could lighten up and make quick for very little money. VWs were in fact available then and treated as any other available car: there were hot rod, custom and race versions. So simply banning their discussion for fear of it turning into a VW board is a bit shortsighted (when no on on the VW boards talk about the traditional rod versions of the cars, or era customs like I've seen. Cars like that deserve to be talked about here as much as gasser Topolino Fiats...) At least if the subject comes up, make sure that that's the versions being talked about, not what ground effect kit looks best on a GTi..

All I was really talking about for the closed mindedness was being insulting of those off topic genres. That's simply unnecessary, as some of us who love the traditional rods and customs love others, too. And hey, what if I was taking a VW Ghia and building a tribute to the traditional customs of the era (as though I was starting with a '58 Ghia when Gene Winfield was doing his early work, or building a Bug pickup like I sketched as though it was back in '55... I'd want input from the guys that were there on how to properly blend the genres). This isn't the place to discuss a cal look drag bug, but maybe something like these occasionally, as the VW guys really have no clue about it:

 

You must be a JehoVWah's Witness.



Mutt

 

I'm****uming you didn't see the grin at the end of that sentence you quoted. I've seen plenty of drama here already, which is what I was alluding to. Trusrt me, I'm not worried about taking what's dished out, or being able to dish ut as much as i take.. merely that I wo't be allowed to respond if someone DOES start to dish it out... (I'm too much of a curmudgeon myself to be thin skinnned and unarmed.. )

I was just wondering why so many seem to run around scared that their board is going to somehow vanish if they have a couple comments in a thread that are filling out some extra knowledge bits when a comment is made. Or when a negative opinion is countered by a positive one about an OT subject matter that is made inside another thread...

Again, I'm not taking about bringing up off topics as a subject, but possibly commenting on something after it has gone that direction. Just like a normal mature discussion often does. There's no need to fear that it will turn the HAMB into Kias 'R' Us.. hehehehe. There's WAY to much old time knowledge and attitude for that.

I already understand that my Comet won't be traditional, or really accepted here by the old timers (just the engine choice will ensure that, if not the wheel and tire package) but that's not why I'm here. And I'm still finding all sorts of great info and cool stories. But I already know that 90% of what I know or have experienced will be of little use here OR even wanted (like the buildup of my 400 hp ford V8 powered Mazda RX7... or the restoration of my Fiat 124 Spider) I'm just concerned that if I use any of it as a background for a relevant response here that people are going to take offense for not being "on topic."

Sorry. I guess I really didn't see how wrong that thread on the old VW custom was to be shut down, considering I know for a fact that it belonged here vastly more than it belonged on the VW forums I've belonged to. It'd be like saying a guy with a Fiat Topolino gasser shouldn't post here, but stay on a Fiat board, like Mirafiori. And so what I saw worried me that there really wasn't a wide range of opinons, but really one opinion with different voices. And i figured I'd bring it up in my intro thread rather than fill the main board with something fairly irrelevant...

Now, stories like you guys helping track down Diana's dad's '40 are very cool! And as I said, the threads on classic customs have been neat to look through, and hopefully I can bring some unique old hot rods and customs from teh past alive to the boards, as well...

(can you tell... I've been bored here at work waiting for another architectural animation to finish rendering...)

 

It seems to me you found a very lengthy way to state the obvious.
As far as I know, Bugs are not banned as a subject, as long as they dont drown out the more Trad stuff.
You probably weren't around when a couple of VW fanatics got a little carried away on the HAMB, the people that were are still reacting to similar stuff.

Going by your profile you have a lot to offer to the HAMB, if you can try and keep it relevant.

Welcome...

 

lol! Not even! A do remember a guy swinging by my folk's place when I was a kid, and my dad inviting him in, and they got to talking cars (they both had '56 Dodge Custom Royals) and next thing you know, they were buddies that only talked cars for years. But never again was a mention of Jehova's Witness stuff brought up...

 

The turbo motor takes up almost as much room as a V8 (which is why there was more room on my RX7s engine compartment with the 302 Ford than there was with a turbo 13B). But even an N/A 13B would definitely cook in a light car like that.

 

Well then, if we're lucky, that rubbed off on you, and this thread can die a natural, and, rapid death. Quit worrying about what MIGHT happen and make some of these helpful posts you've alluded to. Seems like you're doing a lot of hand wringing over what you think might happen.

No one will know what a swell person you are if you keep posting this***** in the welcome section. Go to the HAMB and make some contributions. Then we can decide if we like you or not.

Mutt

 

Been doing that, but the threads move faster than work and weekends allow, so my posts get buried pretty fast...

I've got a ton of old stuff to scan, and I'm still catching up using the search function, to get a better feel of what's already been given out as advice or whatnot, so I don't just jump in and start repeating what everyone has said... Hehehehe.