Pee into the wind ... apparently it helps keep the bugs away (might get the odd dog trying to hump your leg though) ... and never EVER pee on an electric fence (amazed my dad was able to have me after that one).
How to adjust drum brakes by seeing where the tire stops after its been spun by hand. Changed the tube in a tire using a bumper jack and tire irons. Patching up tailpipe holes with beer cans. Painting a car and keeping a container in the car for those emergency pitstops.
If he is anything like me you are a lucky man. Trust me at your age with that attitude you really don't want to meet him. There was no doubt someone who took you under their wing your parents are who raised you not necessarily who birthed you.
Everything he taught me I had to re-learn to do the right way! His words of wisdom stuck with me: Its not the face you f**k, but the f**k you face.
He taught me how to figure things out and fix them myself. As a kid, I would come to him with a problem, but he would never tell me how to get it done. I would have to bounce my suggestions off him to get an idea of which way to go. It was a bit frustrating at times, but it made me more self reliant and a pretty decent problem solver.
My Dad taught me how to paint and do body work by turning me loose on his own stuff and telling me how good it looked when I was done, even though it looked awful. Same with mechanical things, the cars,the furnace,his work trucks,and on and on. He would always say " If some guy out there is smart enough to build it, than we should be smart enough to fix it". I sure miss him, I was only about 20 when he died and now I'm 53. Sure wish he had been around longer to bounce ideas and questions off him.
I don't think about him much, he hasn't been around for a long time. I try to focus more on how I can have a possative affect on my two boys lives. That includes plenty of old cars and R'n'R!
my dad isint a car builder but he likes cars. hes taught me so much, hes my best friend hes taught me how to be a man and take care of family.
My dad taught me how to hold a drop light the right way when i would help him when he was working on the car. Also to always take your hat off when you sit down to eat anywhere. To always respect your elders.....and on and on.... Sure do miss him..
Enough to be self sustaining in almost any situation. Thanks to him I really never need to worry about how to make the $ to get by, nor make the repair to get home
Everything I know about cars. How to paint,pinstripe, bodywork, and most of all nitpick the details. Except he says I get too carried away with the details. Me and him in the early eighties with the truck I am now rebuilding.
My Dad held a license in every trade. I guess that is the reason I have many skills myself. He also was as tough as nails on the outside but soft and caring on the inside. He would help anyone in need. After he died people I did not even know gave me money that my Father had given them when they down and out. I guess I learned alot. Miss you Dad!
My Dad was a quiet talented man . He taught me and allowed me to fail because that is one of life's best teachers. His love and talent at fixing just about anything gave me the talents I have with wood and metal . I miss him everyday but all I have to do is look at what I create and he is there. Miss you Dad . Rob
Thankfully, my Dad is still around. He's the original 'gearhead' of the family and is STILL a gearhead. One thing he taught me MANY years ago that I'll never forget... "There are 3 sides to every story, my side, your side, and the truth!"
WOW When you grow up with a father as cool as mine its hard to imagine life with him gone. Dad i love you and miss you.
Too much truth in too many of those comments. I loved my dad but he didn't know how to let folks get close. I learned to work 14 hour days, 6 days a week. Didn't learn how to get along with people because I was always working by myself. I did learn a lot about being a man by watching him handle adversity and people that were trying to cheat him (which usually left them with the short end of the stick!). Many things about him I have tried to copy with my sons, but too many things I didn't want them to learn; it's been a struggle sometimes. I often wish things had gone differently but I've got two great sons and am looking forward to seeing them as fathers so I can do some of the spoiling I didn't get to do with them.
my dad taught me a good work ethic. he quit school when he was 14 and worked a shitty job for 30 some odd years , i knew he hated where he worked but did it because it was the only decent paying job he could get with his very limited education. did that shitty job and worked all kinds of side jobs to put food on the table and make sure his family was taken care of.
My Dad taught me alot of stuff... Here's a few. 1) Listen before you talk. 2) Pay attention to what the old guy said. 3) You can't learn ANYTHING if you are doing all the talking. 4) Don't tell the guy who just won the race what he did wrong. 5) NEVER make excuses, just solutions. 6) ALWAYS put on a new right rear at the fuel stop. 7) Treat women with respect, even when they don't deserve it. 8) Enjoy life every day, but especially when you smell racing gas. 9) Crackers and Cheese are good enough as long as we get to race.... 10) It's my Fuckin' race car... I'll rev it up if I want to...! Just a few life lessons from being around an old hard ass racecar driver all my life.
He taught me how to tow a car with a chain with the trail car "driver" riding the brakes to keep tension in the chain. I've since taught my wife, son and daughter the same technique. No tow trucks for me. My dad also had some words of wisdom: "Son, if you're not in bed by 10pm.... go home"
My dad was not much of a car guy but he always encouraged my interest in them. I would sometimes pick him up and we would go out driving looking for old cars to look at. He also taught me how to go out joking. Last thing he said before he died was a joke. He was in the hospital bed and we asked him if he wanted anything to drink and he said "Whiskey". The man never drank, whiskey was kind of a running joke with him.
my my dad taught me to always respect your elders!!!! If ya really whant to learn sumpin keep your mouth shut and listen!!!!! That many of his friends and our icons have forgotten more than we will ever know!!! How to build an Engine that will last 500 miles @ full throttle (clearance)!!!! How to build the best damb Nitrous Oxide Systems still to this Day!!!!! And We wasn't cheatin in nascar We were just stayin competitive!!!!! I Love Ya DAD You Ol contankerous Fart Rick Hammel 10,000 R.P.M. Speed Equipt.
All of this www.strykerscustom.com and, Your reputation is everything. We were at each others side till the last day.
The Jalopy Journal
