I was 21 and had a 9 month old son and my wife and i were trying to make ends meet. That was my work car with snow tires on it to get through snow. The 37 had a 303 Olds. with stock tranny and rear. Car didn't have a heater and still don't. In summer heat drove with windshield open , still do. Those were great years in the 50's through 70's
Neat picture, Hank. Boy, you and your wife have a LOT of history with the '37. Can't remember for sure...was it your first car?...first hot rod? Hey...show the bigger 3/4 frontal view of it again. Haven't seen that pic for a while.
I always like stories like these. I always used to talk to my parents, uncles and aunts about life in the 40s and 50s in Los Angeles (I was born in 1963) I was lucky to have older brothers (15 and 16 years older than me) so even though I was a little tot in the 60s, I was always watching them and their friends work on cars, build models, play with slot cars or gas cars so I was able to absorb all that experience. The 70s were nice except for the fashion and cars built after 73. That's when all the baby boomers started to drive Toyotas and Datsuns. Again, great story.
No , Ricky my first car was a 39 Plymouth with hopped up six next was a 41 Merc cp. next a 50 Merc rag top.
You musta got started early in life. Got that other pic of the '37? I remember you saying that a lot of folks have urged you to return it to its previous rendition. I doubt you'd do that. But it really did have a certain roughneck look to it...typical of the times.
Interesting paragraph as I am in a similar situation and had a much older brother who was a big influence on me. Agree too about what you say about the 70s for the most part. I am a Pontiac guy so, they had cool cars through the decade when few other manus did. Also the 2 gas crunches, '73 and 79, were very hard on hot rodding and drag racing too.
Tell us some more about how things compare from then and today. Things like- Families- men working, women staying home People staying married Prayer in schools segragation , esp in the south The space race ( with Russia ahead of us ) the feeling at the time of the cold war, people building bomb shelters, stocking food, etc. New 1961 cars in the showroom and lots. ( I would just love to go back for a day and see the 1961 Pontiacs at the dealer ). etc, Just your thoughts on how we, society, have gotten better, and or worse over the years.
That would take some time...lol. Speakin' of time, I spent way too much here today. Back to the shop. See ya Hank!
True about Pontiac with the Firebird but I am not surprised that Chevy didn't do the same with the Camaro because I remember the late 70s early 80s Vettes being referred to as "the worlds fastest truck". I remember the gas crunches real well. The odd and even days. That's when mini trucks and Bugs became real popular.
Okay, back in the 60's men supported their families, but women also worked to help pay the bills. my wife didn't work until late 60's. We've been married since 1960 she's the one that got me going to church and get my life in order. When I went to school we had prayers every day as did my kids, America needs to get back to school prayer before it's to late. We never really were segragated in our town we all got along in school and sports.We didn't worry that much about space race we knew America would catch up. Back inthe 50's we were taught to get under our desks in school in case of Russia attacks. We didn't have shelters at home just basments in schools or dept. stores. Going back to early 40's I remember long lines of Army troop movements that drove through town seemed like miles of trucks carrying soldiers and equipment. We had air raids and had to turn off all lights and pull down the shades. I seen the sky full of bombers and fighter planes flying over. We listened to the radio for news of war didn't have tv until 1950. Also i remember washing out the food cans to place on the scrap pile that the goverment would have men pickup for the war . We each had our own war ration stamps to buy food as that was rationed as was gas for your cars. We grew a lot of our own food back then and had chickens. As for cars when I was 7 I knew every make and was always interested in cars and trucks as my dad was a long distance truck driver. I saw my first Hot Rod go past my house when i was 10 it was a 32 Ford woody with a big Chysler Hemi sticking out from under hood with chrome headers. Found out later he was on his way from West Chester to Corvair Field in Allentown where they had a drag strip, the guys name was Charlie Good. So at 14 i needed a car and i earned money on a paper route to buy it, my dad said no Fords so he found me a 39 Ply 2 dr sdn. He knew it was a slow car, but when i finshed it had dual carb. manifold , milled head and split exh. manifold i made in shop class. My first race i beat a 49 Ford v8 and next race a 50 Ford 6 cyl. I was getting fines every week. Going back to when i was 10 i was with my dad and he pulled into a gas station and there was a marron 37 Ford cp. with a chopped top and Packard grille was a tail dragger with skirts. I said dad buy me that car he laughed and said we couldn't afford it. Well years go by and I'm 16 and in front of the local junk yard was the same 37 Ford for sale , only it was primered and had same rolled and pleated interior but was all greased up. There now was a Olds. under the hood. I went in to find out cost but was out of my reach at $750 so I go on my way. Then I got married at 19 and was working at Tung Sol headlamp plant and one of the guys said his buddy is going in the Navy and is selling a hot rod stored away in a garage up the street and it's a 37 Ford with a Packard grille, wow couldn't sleep that nite. Next day i checked it out same dream car , i gave him $75 for the car and he wanted $ 25 for the Olds. engine over in the corner. Went to my mom and she gave me the money to buy engine ! And you know the rest of the story, still have the 37 and my wife and the 3 kids are grown and have their families. We have 9 grandkids and a great life and owe it all to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ !!!
Cool story Hank. Dad did the same with the '37 in my avatar, except I wasn't born 'til '64, when he was 25. Now he's on to building a '36 p/u and I took the 37.... had to to get him to build the truck that he has been wanting to build for a long time.
I remember Mad Magazines' Jan. issue had '1961' on the cover, you read it halfway thru and then it went upside down and you read the same thing! 1961 - reads the same upside down. I was a poor kid up in northern maine and mad magazine would last me weeks of good reading - i went back to the drug store to point out this obvious printing mistake and the lady gave me a look that i still remember.
Oh i forgot about the new cars coming to the show rooms in area. We would see the trailers bringing the new Chevys all covered up they would unload them by removing windshield covers then put them in show rooms covered up. The day they showed them their were lines of people at their doors .We would get the yard sticks and all the literature we could get out with before being yelled at. I remember the 55 Chevs the most we were there when they opened the doors the salesman said it's a baby Cadillac right down to the V8 under the hood. Now all the new cars look alike and theres no mystery them they come out, so why go look at them ? In 1973 I became a Chev. service manager at the same dealership they used to chase me out of when i was a kid!
What a GREAT post! Am very happy for you. Thanks much for sharing. 50+ years of marriage- YOU are an example to the rest of us out here who do not understand commitment good times and bad. Amen brother.
Oh i forgot about the new cars coming to the show rooms in area. We would see the trailers bringing the new Chevys all covered up they would unload them by removing windshield covers then put them in show rooms covered up. The day they showed them their were lines of people at their doors .We would get the yard sticks and all the literature we could get out with before being yelled at. I remember the 55 Chevs the most we were there when they opened the doors the salesman said it's a baby Cadillac right down to the V8 under the hood. Now all the new cars look alike and theres no mystery them they come out, so why go look at them ? In 1973 I became a Chev. service manager at the same dealership they used to chase me out of when i was a kid! Share all the stories you want about back then. We are listening. Other than the race issues in parts of the country, it had to be a better place than today. The main thing I see better today is communications for sure as well as medicine. Hindsight can always glamourize the 'old days' as well. I was a toddler in '62 but, the hot rod seed was planted. Got into car models and magazines, etc by age 7 and also saved money from my paper route to my my first car, a 1969 GTO in 1975. Yes, still have it. Still have a lot of my kid toys too and collect things from my childhood and prior to then. I have such an interest in US history from about WWII until prior to the hippie era, 1967 or so ( I realize it did not change all at once). America was very strong with industry and we had about a 17 to 1 superiority in nukes over russia ( though the public did not know that ). Ike was strong but, not perfect. Then Kennedy. Great cars in the show rooms, better every year. Cheap gas, no emmissions issues. Drag strips opening everywhere. Hot rod boats too getting popular, etc, etc. Still, the Cold was era, had to put a huge scare in most everyone. What about Oct 1962 with the Cuban missle crisis? My gosh, I am glad Kennedy kept a cool head and did the blockade ( even though that is, technically, an act of war ). If we would have invaded, there would have been tactical nukes launched on us that were under local control in Cuba. After that, it would have been a huge mess and , Lord knows, how many would have died. One of my Pastors was a submariner from 1960-1980 and he has told me some stories from 1962 that raise the hair on your back. Whenever I talk to someone who was around back then, I always ask their rememberances of the Cuban missle crisis.
Hank37: Good story; you being an old rodder from the area,I thought i`d take a shot at this. I`m trying to track history on a certian orange `32 3W. It is rumored to have been built in Boyertown, in`60`s. Car was sold in West Lawn in 1967. It sits on a wedge channel, cutdown Terraplane front fenders,stagger head 283,BW-T10,`55-`57 rear. The roof got filled, but it got a snap on roll n pleat cover by a guy named Luke Parker from Morgantown road ( his card was sewn in ) I`ve been trying to find info on this rod for 40 years. I thought maybe you saw it back in the day. Thanks
Bowie, sounds like the Carrot my buddy Bob Horn owned ,the coupe didn't have fenders and was impounded by the State Police whose barracks happened to be in Wyomissing. I'll bet it was auctioned off by the state and someone from Wyomissing bought it. I often wondered where that Rod ended up at. Wow Hank p/s Bowie send some photos.
The Carrot! Could be. It definatly had cut down Hudson front fenders on it in 1967. The guy who bought it then is a large farm equiptment dealer,family buisiness. They have always done alot of auction buying and selling so that sounds possible. Is Bob Horn still with us? Ever heard of Luke Parker ? I have plenty of pics,but to dumb to post (computer novice). I got hooked on this car in 1969, addicted to it ever since.Did it have a street race history? Its always been a wicked little buckboard.
Bowie , the Carrot was always street racing and Bob horn is still around , i haven't had any contact with him in at least 6 years. Never heard of Parker.
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