Old Farts Thread!

I'm 61.I celebrated my sixtieth B'day by riding 1500 miles through Mexico.
I started reading Hot Rod when I was 10.Did some drag racing in HS and then got away from cars for a while.




No future in growing up.

 

I am a card carrying geezer now. Will be 66 in April. Been messing with old cars since I was about 14, that works out to 52 years messing with old iron. I have been a pit helper for a fuel car at the Winter Nationals, a pit helper at Bonneville, drove in the one mile at Bonneville and planning to do that again this year, and a home builder of inexpensive rods. Current rides are a 55 Ford sedan with a built Y block and a five speed, and a hot flathead powered 27 R-PU with a five speed. Like old Beet says above, going on 19 now.

 

I will turn 60 this year, I have been into cars since the mid 50's. Grew up (?) in southern Cal. ( Covina/Baldwin Park). Got my first subscription to "Hot Rod" when I was about 12. My next door neighbor owned a body shop and I would work for him afterschool and on Saturdays. Started out just sweeping up the shop, eventually learning how to paint.
My favorite car build would have to be my '54 Ford. A guy came into the body shop one afternoon needing to sell his black '54, it had been nosed and decked, the front springs had been heated (it sat about 6 inches off the ground) & the grille and front bumper had been removed. It had a 239 with the rear mains hammering and pouring out oil. I bought the car for $20.00! I drove the car home that evening (must have used about a gallon of oil), parked it in the garage and my dad and I started pulling the motor. I bought a 292 from the wrecking yard down the street for 35 bucks and my dad had found a guy, in La Puente, with a '53 that was missing the drivetrain and front sheetmetal but had a beautiful tuck and roll interior, we got it for $5.00. For less than $75.00, I had one fine ride. Wish I still had it!

 

At this point, maybe the question should have been...." WHO IS NOT A GEEZER"

 

I can't control growing older, But I'll be damned if I'll ever grow up!

 

Im only a 72' model but my body, after years of Army, Parachuting and SF service is about 70.
All the knowlege of the world is held by they who have been and done it all.

 

53 this year and still kicking, but not as well as I used to kick. Always loved old cars. First was a '57 Caddy Fleetwood that I never should have sold. Some day I will get my 50 Chevy on the road . . . legaly. Working for a living sucks, no time to work on the car.

 

I'm 60, favorite care I built was a 60 Chev Brookwood wagon, shoulda kept it. Had a57 Buford I shoulda kept. Lots of others 50 Chev, Olds Gasser, damn I don't know started as soon as I was able to get behind the wheel and that was pretty young bein farm raised. Now workin on an A tudor and a coulple of bikes, always had some of those around too.

 

71 and took my first trip to Bonneville in my flathead powered 48 Plymouth moredoor, First car was a 29 model A roadster at 14 stripped all the fenders and running boards off and had a ball. Was putting 40 brakes on the 29 axle and the local parts house owner told me I could not do it and I said I could because I had a copy of Hot Rod mag that told how and I did it. Have had too many model A's and one 34 Ford coupe, a 33 Beacon coupe, several 40 Ford coupes and sedans, A 50 Olds sedanette that I wish I still had. Have a 55 Chevy Pick Up and the 48 Plymouth. Just picked up a 38 Dodge coupe chassis and a 50 Dodge chassis to combine into one then some type of old pick up body for a flat six powered rat rod. Don't have to get old in spirit or mind.

 

I'll be 58 later this year. Been into cars as long as I can remember,2 maybe 3 hours now.
My earliest recollection of being REALLY intrigued with cars was being about 8 or 9 and having an older brother of a friend babysit me, he brought over his car models and I was hooked. The same guy and his buddies all had, what at the time I thought were cool cars, early 50's sedans.
My favorite car is probably the '32 roadster I am building presently, followed closely by my A coupe and my 356 cabriolet (oh yeah, a Porsche !).
Other than the realization that I am on the downhill side of my life, I enjoy my age. I race bicycles and get my but kicked by guys older than me, then again I can kick but on some of the younger guys. Got married and had kids late, got two little girls, 8 and 10. Life is good.
Must say I am pleasantly surprised by the number of older guys on here, always thought of the HAMB as being a much younger crowd. Maybe you just all seem younger, that's a good thing you know.
Don't ever grow up.

 

Man 10 pages of old farts, guess I'll jump in. Like many here, grew up on a farm, Had couple of ol cheve p-ups and drove the shit out of them( you know, parents leave, rainy day, slippery avenues between orange groves=) Still have the 40 pickup, It's next, after the dodge bucket. Had a '30 a pickup, my favorite was my 57 fairlane 500 ,406, old c6, econoline straight axle, it was good up to 70, then for some reason it would change lanes at will, past 75 it was fine. dark british racing green, Old style hood blister. It also was red taged by the chp Headlights to high, altered suspension. Pulled the eng trans, sold car to racing buddy in '71, he rolled it at raisin city, last seen in a storage yard up in merced, modesto area. I loved that car. put that engine in A pickup,never finished, sold to get money for college. Hope the three strikes law does't apply to dumb moves.
OLY

The cancer car lives
Give to cancer research

 

Old fart born in 1941. Didn't do to good in school cause I spent most of my time drawing 32 roadsters and coupe's. First car was a 37 Ford sedan with a 48 Merc. Dam near electrocuited myself painting it ,followed the wet down the floor hint from the magazines. Next was a 35 5 widow with a 403 Olds.Sold the 35,kept the 403 and put it in a 13ft airboat, like driving on ice all the time.Now working on a 29 A V8 phaeton. Glad I'm not the only old guy on here.

 

Damn, Iv'e already been on here once, but it makes my day to read all us old farts posting here. I guess us old guys don't have anything else to do.

 

52 and amazed i'm still alive...

 

If I had any idea I was still going to be alive at 52, I sure would have taken better care of myself when I was youger. Its a lot harder to try to get back into shape these days, but I'm working on it.

When I was 5 or 6, my Dad took me to see the races at the local dirt track. They were racing coupes. Dad's buddy was a junker and a racer. At 13 I tore down my first motor, from a junk car. When I got it all apart, they made me put it back together, then fired the thing off. Smoke and funny noises, but it ran for a couple minutes, Been hooked ever sence.

About the time I was 35, I was diaginoised with a primarily heridatary illiness. One of the back lashes of the illiness is that I can no longer tell how tight nuts and bolts are. I am a big guy, and can easily break 3/8" bolts. This has caused a real challenge when working on cars. To be sure the bolts are tight and not about to strip out or break off, I would need to put a torque wrench to every bolt. Takes all the fun out of wrenching. Didn't do much for my factory maintenance job or my back up auto repair jobs. Life changing. As I grow older, farther complications are turning up. I am currently at another crossroads in my life and hard decisions have to be made. Cars are not as fun as they used to be, which sucks for a car guy. The bright side is this must be my mid life crisises, does that mean I'm going to live to be 104? Life goes on, I have grand kids to spoil, and kids to pay back for my gray hair. Gene

 

I'll second that!I may have to steal that one and paint it on my Safari.With permission of course.

 

"Every man desires to live long, but no man would be old." - Jonathan Swift Author and Dean of St Parick's Cathedral (1667-1745) and, as you know only too well, an ancestor of Tom Swift.

 

I didn't expect this kind of response to this thread! 200 replies? Judging by the topics, posts, and questions, I thought I was the only guy over 30!

Go Geezers!

 

I'm 64 but I don't think of myself as a Geezer. I run at Bonneville and the lakes and if you want to see some geezers, let me tell you.

 

yup

 

I had and drove a `49 ford PU when I was 13..traded it in on a `60 chev Impala convertible 348 4-spd. traded that one to a guy for his `40 Ford deluxe coupe/303 olds... blew the olds made my own Hurst type mtr mts, and put a `58 283 w/3-spd chev...traded that for a `57 chev 2-dr ht...283/4-spd.. broke the 283, let it set 2 mos. traded it for a new Gibson EB-2 Bass...Needed that like I needed another hole in my head! Next was a 57 chev 4 dr. wagon
283 auto...my brother totaled it when I went to boot camp [1970].
rebuilt a `68 dodge dart. drove it a few years then came the wife, Kids mortgage...etc. In 1995, I started the `30 A coupe that Tetnus Shot claims he built.....He DIDN`T!!! I made the motor mounts for it to put in the little 322
Buick and the neat Trans mount that holds up the saginaw 3-spd. I also mounted the `67 Mustang 9" rear end, and cut and welded the drive shaft myself. I also mounted the `40 ford front axle assy....by splitting the front crossmember to make it wide enough to get the wider spring in;split the bones, and heated and twisted the spring hangers in front of the axle. I also made the headers... He called them HIDEOUS... I saw he had them hanging from the rafters in the garage...I still have a few parts for the car....Like the piece of firewall I cut out to make the recess for the distributor. I also used a 55 chev master cylinder and swing pedals, and steering column. He didn`t know it when he was trying to sell his shit story to car Kulture Deluxe...but the steering gear is VEGA!!! I didn`t have the brake drums on it when I sold it...I later sold them at the CHICKASHA swap meet they were sandblasted and painted grey.some HAMBer probably has them now...I dont think he has any front brakes yet..

sorry, I got carried away.

Next were the HAMBCHARGERS 1 & 2 , and I now have the `40 Ford coupe in my garage. trying to get it ready for the HAMB drags!

 

im 51 and im proud of every damn day of it.Had a few rods 37 ford coupe,40 ford truck, 32roadster with a flattie and english allard heads,55 ranchwagon,62 falcon 2door wagon,49 anglia,60 fairlaine,
now im thinkin of building a track t nothin like a old fat guy in a T bucket

if ya think lifes to short get a longer one

 

I just turned 50, been into cars since I could focus and like too many cars to list, but the 32 roadster I have now is for sure my favorite.

 

and I`m only 58!

 

60 next month and drivin my 28 model a sedan my first hot rod and lovin it

 

I'm 67, and have paid attention to interesting cars for 55+ years. I'm proudest of this



and this



and these



and this



but I'm not quite done yet.

 

I'll be 60 in 2 months, been goofing with cars since I was 12. Do I regret selling any... lets see 54 pontiac, 56 merc, 61 MGA, 63 healy, 59 pontiac, 57 chevy 210, 63 vette coupe, T-bucket and on and on , Hell yes I wish I had them all back!

 

Nice collection.........Like your tow truck.

 

If I could only get my boby to keep up with my mind. When I was a kid as far back as I can remember I would sit in old cars in the junk yard (as they called them back then) all day dreaming about driving. When I finly got my licence I got all those years of frustration out of me by totaling a car a month for the first year. What the hell, I could buy another for $15.00 to $30.00. Can't tell you how many cars I've had over the years but know it is well over 200. The one car I think about offten was a 1919 Stanly Steamer open touring with jump seats. Boy would that car fly. At 70yrs I am building a 35 Dodge coupe. How old is old. Don't know because I haven't gotten there yet.
Bill

 

Soon to be 55. When I was 16 I had a 55 Chevy 2dr post that I bought for 75.00. I never got it past primer but to this day I would love to have it back.