The HAMB: Where did it all begin? Give us a history lesson

StevieD showed me the way in.

i went to the Hamb get together at Louisville ky nationals before i was a hamber, met Bobk and a bunch of other hambers there, then i got a computer and been learnin looking and sharing since!

JEFF

 

I have to say, great memories on this thread, thanks......I should sign on more often to see it all.

 

http://www.waybackmachine.org/

enter in http://www.jalopyjournal.com into the search part.

It goes back to '98, but a lot of stuff is missing. Kinda interesting though.

What is it about Ryan not wanting to be in pics? Part Indian?

 

let us not forget otownrumbler and el mosquito. I didn't even know I had this one

 

Do you have the one of him in the red Howdy Doody shirt flippin' the bird? Those were the good ol' days! SPANK vs. O-Town- hours of entertainment!

Funny, I thought Ryan was germ too until he PMed me to the contrary. I remember all the IP address detective work going on to "out" hidden identities.

 

I thought it all began when Aaron photochopped his pecker!?



FONZI

 

Never take pics of your willy while holding it........really true when you have distingtive knuckle tatts!

 

Damn it is atrip tolog onto the old HAMB I forgot what it looked like!


FONZI

 

Now I remember I found it through big blue car too. 98 99? I dunno.


FONZI

 

I might not be much help for piecing together how it all started, but I can tell you how it came about for me.


I started out being interested in going FAST. So naturally I was more into muscle cars. But as I got into my late teens I realized that the muscle car restoration crowd and the bracket racing scene were both becoming inflated with high rollers and being into those types of things was getting more and more expensive.

That was the impetus behind my changing interests (this would have been AFTER the street rod crowd got tired of monochroming, gay graphics and pro streeting hot rods). Problem was that I started my art career and was really into the Kustom car stuff (rolling sculptures if you will) and there was a limited outlet for those types of things - and they were pricey too!!....Nevertheless, I still was more of a led-sled type of guy. My favorites were the kind that still used hub caps and wide whites. My taste was in fetal status, and I yearned for more, but I didn't know what.....

..That is until one lucky day I was looking for some traditional custom stuff and I tripped over the Jalopy Journal. Two words that ruined me forever. I loved the loose feel of the site and the fact that Ryans narration was as abrasive and crusty as an 80 year old carriage bolt.

Thanks to the HAMB I found my what it was I had been searching for. People who thought like me and were just as enthusiastic as me about it.


I thought that joining a message board was for nerds, fags, schoolgirls, and/or lonely older men looking for love.....Never thought the HAMB would last more than a couple years (the internet was changing almost daily). So I was here as a lurker for the RRT wars and all of the other stuff but I was not going to join a fucking gay ass message board.

One day I needed some questions answered though and I couldn't find the answer elsewhere so I joined up here and did the intro thing...was too bad so I kept posting. Sometimes trying to help other time asking the collective database also known as the HAMB. I have never stumped the band yet.......and that's what keeps me going.





Remember when Dan Picasso was called Foiled Again?
Remember when Skatefink was called .....ahh he beat me to it....
Remember this member? -> HEMI
Remember this member? -> La Grasta
Remember this member? -> Chopt34
Remember this member? -> Sailor.......uhh nevermind - dang long time no see.

How bout some others....SHAG, SCRIBE, Honest,,,,,

Can't keep track of who has posted recently so if I listed you and you have been active sorry, but these are the first ones that come to mind when I think back.

Where's SCOTCH??? The Buick brethren have not been very vigil.


One thing about the old HAMB was if you were a pussy or a fake you didn't last a week......but then again we could keep a post up on front page for a week at a time and there were only a couple hundred members so you could read the WHOLE HAMB!!!! Try that shit now.....I barely open a post unless it looks like a worthwhile one, just not enough time in a day.....

 

Man, there is alot of HAMB history in this post. The old HAMB was kool, as is the "new" HAMB. There were the same, just different.

I rolled in here in late '97. You had to have a thick skin back then, because there was no politeness or "warm fuzzy" time. If you posted stuff about billet, or Boyd, or whatever, the boys would let you know about it--with no punches held back! The HAMB is alot more laid back now than then. Don't get me wrong, it has never been politically correct, but I guess what I'm saying is that it has grown up, just like the rest of us.

I remember alot of the old members names mentioned here, but many haven't been around here in a loooong time. There were alot of ups and downs. Many people on this board have been through alot of personal hardships that we have all helped with by giving advice, suggestions or just letting them know we've all been there at one time or another. I can remember when Screaming Jay Hawkins died. Ryan was the first one I remember posting about it. A few others we've lost that come to mind is Big Daddy Roth, Dale Earnhart, and more recently Indian Larry and Johnny Cash...........

The ups were a little more rare, but I remember when people started having auctions and fund raisers for the board. This hasn't been that long ago, but it was great that this internet community took it upon itself to help out the Boss and help foot the bill. This place is unique in the fact that many people have met online first, then met in person at various events like Paso, the Round-Up or the HAMB drags. Many life long friendships have been started here.

I've met quite a few Hambers in person, Shag, Brewsir, Ryan, Paso John, Shortbus, RF, Ray, Ichoptop and many others. This is the best site on the web, bar none! It is the first site I check every morning, and the last one every night.

I rarely post, but I'm always around. I try to soak up as much knowledge as I can and help others when I can. Hard to believe that it has been around 8 years! Where does the time go?

I know it has been said on here a million times, but Ryan, THANKS for giving us all a place to gather!

 

I wandered in here in Oct '01 as SledDriver. Changed it later to Travis so I wouldn't forget my name. Found the JJ in '99? My red '59 ragtop was posted in readers rides by Ryan... First post I ever did, I answered someone's question on 348's or something I dunno. Never did get flamed. And then when I posted my intro and said that my daily driver was that '59 Impala convertible everybody was like "Fuckin' A!! a '59 ragtop that isn't roped off at a car show!" so I passed. Been here ever since. Try to help out when I can... and try to talk less too at the same time. I dunno why.

I remember Dr. Knobchieze and who it was posing as the good Doctor. Also remember one of you Euro guys trying to pronounce the Doctor's "classic" 1979 Lincoln Cartier... Carteeer...Carter.... fuck it.

Fecals the Clown was funny as shit... I never did catch who that was.

Christian will never live down his crappy experience in the basement...

Nobody knows Knowbody except a few select Somebodies. I'm not one of the Somebodies.

I miss Germ and his choice words and his ass powered flame thrower.

Nads and his "appearance" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I tell you what... you're lookin' good, Doris!!! Saw it for the first time the other day since it was CC'd... Almost as good as that gold(?) suit you had...

The Smart Shoppaz?

I even miss THE LORRDDZZZZZ OF KUZTOMZZZZZZZZZ.... Wonder what they are doin' now.

I hope Sam does another HAMB engine meltdown. Please try to melt a Ford this time.

There's more but I'm feeling too sentimental.

I admit I always look for posts done by a few certain individuals because they're so fuckin' funny... #1 is Nads. I always wonder WHERE he comes up with the shit he does. He can't be high 24/7. Nads got me in trouble at work a few times, dammit. I laugh too loud.

Anyway.

Travis

 

I forgot about Christian and the SHIT CHOPPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I asked this before but does someone have a copy of that post???????????????

 

Hahahaha...THAT was a funny post! Poor Christian!!! Hahahaha...

I haven't been here right from the start but I thank my lucky stars I did find it. Within hours of getting our first computer I did a search for "Nostalgic Hot Rods" and got the Journal.

I've laughed, cried, worried, been enlightened a thousand times over, been amazed...been SICKENED, even been enraged beyond my wildest dreams by some of the various posts put up here over these last several years. You know...all the things you feel in a close friendship with people you respect.
The best thing of all is I think I've even managed to help a few people myself!

Man...the Internet just can't get better than that!

Thanks RYAN and all...the HAMB is only as great as the people who use it...
and the HAMB rules.

 

I found the HAMB though the Kustoms By TSR site back in '99. So long ago that Ryan, Jason, jerry, Glen and I could still use our real names (Jason later changed to Killer). You didn't even have to register back then.

I remember when spudz was cole.
I remenber phantom and Mephy.
I was around for the flame "Great White Wall Controversy" flame war with RRT.
My favorite ngo long dong post is the one about President Clinton's visit to Viet Nam, funny shit.

Because of the HAMB, I have met a bunch of really great folks, I've been to some really cool places, I've gained a bunch of knowledge (both historical and technical), I've received a good bit of much needed help (plus I've been able to help others on a few occasions), and I've had a blast doint it all.

Ryan, thanks for making all of this happen.

 

damn I forgot about that one that one was funny. I don't have it though. alright who here remembers the "what is yer dream ridez" thread?

 

Man, the post that would never die. I remember.....

 

There was this time at band camp and...well
Somebody needs to tell the story of the whitewall controversy...that was some good shit...the way I remember it Ryan was on the RRT and somebody was givin him shit about whitewall tires and before it was over everybody on here had ryans password and were logging on as Ryan and flaming the shit outta everybody...all in fun of course. I guess I never realized that was the start of the end of the RRt

 

Anyone remember Nasty from the RRT?? Hated him lol.... We did get some good members from there though.

 

Aaron didn't photochop his dong...that shot was full-length self portrait porn he distributed to fellow member's girlfriends. The shot you're thinking of was his photochopped belly CKD Sick Boy style. He then went and did the same on his fingers, which must have been damn tired from repairing a stripped oil pan bolt.

 

Still here and lurkin... thanks Tman for draggin my name up haha

 

I used to pretty much just hang out on the old RRT almost from when it began. I had been on the HAMB some early but was mostly a lurker. Only posted about 8 times. I wasn't sure if I had thick enough skin for the wild bunch around here. ;-) Eventually got over that. Once the old RRT went down in flames I was a solid HAMB convert.

Definitely thankful for Ryan and all you guys who make this place what it is!!!

 

That is right I forgot! Didn't that casue that rockakityy shitty chick to slit her wrists or something?


FONZI

 

Hemikat is still alive and kickin...but I haven't seen him on here in a while either...never can seem to have schedules that work out to not be busy at the same time.

I see his dad, phatboy quite a bit, helping him with a merc he's building...

 

I was just thinking the other day how much I liked the old HAMB, and how I rarley see members that were around "back in the day." I even miss SPANK. His tech posts were very well done, and his endless berating of newbies was always good for a laugh. I wasn't here from the very beginning. I think I was member number 600something. Back then it seemed like a really small group and everyone knew everyone else, and some of the origional HAMBers were, and still are, the most knowledgable hot rodders I've ever met. I was like BobBleed back then, largly ignored by the HAMB as a whole. For the most part, I still am. I look around now, and don't recognize 80 % of the names I see. I see on the board now, member 10,000 just introdeced herself. 10,000...that's alot of HAMBers to keep straight.

 

Sol Rosenburg

 

I didn't want to get into the whole Thelma and Louise episode, but yeah, the infamous Caddy ride to hell and back and then back again.

Some day, they'll make a movie about this place. Ryan Sechrest of course will play Ryan. John Leguizamo's character from Spun will play Germ. Peter Boyle's character from Where the Buffalo Roam will play DrJ. John Lovitz as JimA. Stone Cold Steve Austin as ElPolacko. Denis Leary as Killer. Etc etc.

 

RF... Who is going to play you?!

Travis

 

Gary Coleman as RF