Hot Rods People. They're the worst...

So many experts are positive I put Ford rocker covers on the Chevrolet engine in our 56 Victoria because everyone knows Fords distributors are in the front of the engine.….my answer….”well you caught me”

 

Try explaining to someone why I put a six cylinder in my model A. Then listen to the comments about being 2 cylinders short. A few years I was at a local show at the community college where I'm an alumni. I got the rat rod award. The students made the trophy and got to pick their favorite. The kis was so sincere and apologized for calling my a rat, but he liked it. I didn't have the heart to not accept it and thanked him.

 

Last week I did a contract job for a shop whose owner has a ''big'' personality. He's a nice guy, just a storyteller and a*********ter. His common theme is talking about himself. Anyone else he mentions either worked for him or came and repaired something there. ''He's the only person in the country who can fix these machines'', the owner would say about a tech. Every story would have some sensational part like that. After a few days, when another story popped up, I asked him - The only person in the country who can fix it? Really? Who taught him? Do you have ANY concept of how many people are in the U.S.? 347 million. Do you know how much a million is? Counting to a million would take 12 days without stopping. Times 347 is more than 4000 days of counting. But he knows the only guy. Over and over...

 

I fully agree with this point, none of us started out knowing what we know nor do any of us know anything about the entirety of the automotive world.

I find some parts very interesting others I have no interest in; however, I can respect the knowledge and skill people have in aspects of the automotive lifestyle I am not a fan of.

However, there are many who are so locked into one small part they have knowledge or do not car to learn about any other part and many cases disparage them. Oval track racing particularly stock cars and stock car racing.

There was a thread posted yesterday in which a member was asking if any one manufactured wheel spacers for Ford wide 5 wheels.

Many of us with an oval track racing background reply telling this member that wide 5 wheel spacers common in oval track racing and to check with an oval track manufacture but oval track cars use a 5/8" wheel stud.

I do not believe the original poster was being malicious but was insistent that modern wide 5 race car hubs and wheels were a smaller diameter then stock wide 5 Fords because that is what he had been told despite all on us the a background in oval track telling him otherwise.

It was only after I got home and posted photos of one of my modern race car wide 5 hubs with a stock Ford 16 Ford wheel and a stock Ford car iron wide 5 hub on a modern aluminum bead lock wide 5 wheel he relented.

 

My welder friend has a really nice '32 Chevy coupe turquoise with torque thrusts it sounds nasty,and when he opens the hood it's got a built 351 Windsor in it! He loves people flip out why you put a Ford in the Chevy ? He says people been putting Chevy's in fords for decades so what the hell !

 

Those are awesome !

 

I’ve been retired from the dealership world for a number of years but working in,aPontiac dealer,in the early 2000’s was still interesting.

Had a couple younger guys come in for parts one day, Gen 2 Firebird, probably at least ten years older than the kid was. Had a list of parts he wanted, I used to work with a lot of restoration customers there. Anyhow, I’m in the catalog, he’s arguing every step of the way contradicting everything and anything I’m showing him, etc.

Finally in frustration I spun the catalog around, shows it in front of him (pre 1976 catalog was still paper not electronic) and said “Ok buddy, the car’s older than you. I’ve been doing this job probably a quarter century and youmthing you know more that I do. Here’s the f****** catalog, I’ll order whatever you tell me to. You’re going to pay for it up front and it’s not returnable any reason, you’re going to sign on the invoice as such so if you try to play the game with your CC company it’s not gonna work. So either start looking***** up or shut up and let me do my job or hit the bricks.”

His buddy looked at him and said “Well, guess he told you!”

I then continued to look up his parts.

 

I got relatives in Livonia between 8 and 9 mile

 

All the rudest/ disrespectful things I have ever had said to me at a car show regarding any one of my cars have exclusively been from old people (lets call it 65+) I am not saying all old people are inherently rude however I've just never had a young person (younger than me, 40) say anything even remotely rude to me about one of my cars at any of these shows. They usually ask genuine questions or ask permission to take a photo of themselves near it.

That leads me to my next point-

I have never caught a young person touching any of my cars at a show ever, period. I have seen I don't know how many geezers leaning on my cars having a conversation with their buddies, opening the doors, poking them while making a comment, or helping themselves to opening the hood/ trunk. Its truly baffling.

Not to incite any old people hate or anything I'm just adding to the conversation.

 

You'd think us old geezers would have learned some manners by now. Must be senility.

 

The north limits of Livonia is 8 mile, loved there for 21 years.

 

My wife owns, drives and does all the work on a 66 F100 (I call it a 65 when talking about it on the HAMB, but don’t tell anybody). Every single time we pull up somewhere and I get out on the passenger side, or we pull up to a gas station, etc , some old dude comes up to me and starts asking ME questions or whatever. I’ve gotten to the point to where I now say “I don’t know, it’s hers not mine” and point to her. They still want to tell ME about their dad’s or grandpa’s old truck… they don’t even acknowledge her. We just laugh about it.

 

Suprising but I too see older folks, usually over 70, use their hands on the door ledge when looking at our car. When they walk on if there are finger prints I just wipe them off. NBT.

For the most part the problem with kids is their too short to look in and when I see them I’ll get up and open the door for them if the parent doesn’t pick them up. I never want to discourage children. When I take our Bonneville roadster to a show or display I invite kids interested to get in just I do by stepping on the rear tire, grabbing the roll bar and stepping on the seat. Might make a difference in their lives someday who knows…

 

Any time I’ve taken my 40 to a show there are footprints on my running boards when I get back from wandering around looking at other peoples junk. I never mind if it’s a little footprint, but if it’s a grown**** man size 12, that pisses me off.

 

OK, I got to confess. I'm a month shy of 78 years old and still practice a habit I developed decades ago.
I have learned thru the years not to trust my ability to resist touching motorized vehicles. Solution was to clasp my hands BEHIND my back. Still do it to this day. So, if you see an old man walking around your car with his hands in the "in custody" position, relax and come introduce yourself.

 

I do this as well. I also do this in antique shops, or stores where there are lots of delicate or fragile things. It helps keep me from getting into or causing mischief.

 

I used the hands behind the back method at cars shows and antique stores.
Quit going to car shows and antique shops but still find myself doing it at junkyards and clean out locations.
Old habits die hard.

 

In speech making or public speaking they used to teach the same gesture to keep you from sticking your hands in your pockets while speaking before a group. Placing your overlapped hands in front of you below your waist was known as a "front fig-leaf '. Doing the same thing behind your back was of course called a "rear fig-leaf" pose.

 

Everyone makes mistakes. I have replyed to threads and posts on the HAMB and had other HAMB
members correct me when I was wrong. The older I get, the less I can rely on my memmory. So I then
post a reply addmitting I was wrong. Use it as a learning experience and move on. You're never to
old to learn. I'm learning not to run my mouth without checking the FACTS first.
CKH

 

Just the other night I was telling a bunch of guys that I had seen several Utube videos about how they cheated in Nascar racing, relating some of the stories. One guy, "Bob", pipes up that "they" can't cheat any more because Nascar knows all the tricks. I said if there is a will there is a way and the builders will find some thing, some way for an advantage. Bob retorts with oh no Nascar knows all the tricks the teams will get fined, can't take the chance, blah, blah,. . .

 

@mountainman2 I too have a similar habit born out of my transporting carrier....My right hand always covers my belt buckle as I lean in to look at an interior or even an engine compartment as I almost always have my shirt tucked in exposing my belt buckle. This comes from walking closely to a vehicle in my enclosed trailer for decades.

@ckh Making a mistake on a car forum is much less embarrassing than doing it in person, but good on you for posting an admission of your mistake. I made a major blunder at SEMA 2015 that I will never forget. I had been hired to transport a major vendors display vehicle to the show that year. The comment concerned putting a Ford engine in a Chevy when the car WAS a Ford! I don't think I have ever been so embarrassed in my life.LOL To my defense though, if anybody is familiar with the after show parties that last till the morning...I was feeling a little rough & not thinking quite as clear as normal.

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/:p

 

Howza Bruthas-
I consider my '57 nearly finished. I like the survivor look of it and a veteran hot rodder dropped by AAC recently, and told me he liked how it looked. "They're original only once." He said. And then there was the guy at Safeway. "Boy is that neat," he said. "Now finish it, change the wheels and paint it red."

Uh... NO.

 

Of course I have seen/heard the "Know it alls" at swap meets, etc. The other day we went to a test and tune at the drags. My sister and her hubby met us there. They know nothing about drag racing/ old cars. I found myself explaining stuff to them and wondered if other people thought I was the "know it all".