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Ohhh But Back When

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  • Ohhh But Back When

    I saved up and bought a pair of Cragar slots for the back axle on the 1965 Ford Econoline hippie van. My dad was skeptical. He said, "It had wheels on it already." I got a custom steering wheel for it. Same thing, it had a steering wheel already. He just didn't "get it."

    So, I had some pushback back then. I think about that sometimes, then and now. I believe I could have been a race car driver if Daddy had already been a car guy. That's what it takes, you have to be in the car family and I was not.

    To expand, what if you took Benjamin Franklin on a ride down the interstate at 70 mph? That would blow his mind. That's a lot faster than a horse could go.

    Even closer in time, Daddy passed away in 2000. They had a microwave oven but no computer. Mama didn't see the need for one. Daddy never dreamed of a cell phone. GPS would amaze him. A 70 inch TV? Daddy loved TV, but he never saw one like that.

    And the new cars from the showroom now are going faster than the fastest ones ever did in the distant past. Daddy wouldn't care. The danged thing has wheels on it, that's all he was interested in. And air in the tires. Those bias tires back then would go flat, and they sure did. More often than not.
    Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

  • #2
    let me help you out. My dad, raced at Lyons in a Fuel-Altered 37 Chev coupe, continues to have dozens of project cars (that he works on slowly), owns a company that builds sheet metal stuff - and neither taught me to weld nor how to work on cars.
    Doing it all wrong since 1966

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    • #3
      Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post
      let me help you out. My dad, raced at Lyons in a Fuel-Altered 37 Chev coupe, continues to have dozens of project cars (that he works on slowly), owns a company that builds sheet metal stuff - and neither taught me to weld nor how to work on cars.
      Mine was a preacher . And while he loved cars and could drive fast if needed he usually did the speed limit , There was now way I was going to be a race car driver ..........they did most of the racing on sunday .


      Edit And I never had a problem with being in church on sunday .
      Last edited by Dan Barlow; May 12, 2018, 07:45 AM.
      Previously HoosierL98GTA

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      • #4
        Dad always figured my older brother(His namesake) would take up the torch and follow in his mechanical footsteps...I was told to keep out of the toolbox.... My brother took up Dads other profession(truck driving).... Dad died when I was 14(he was 45).... the garage burned down on my 15th birthday... I continued to be stubborn and salvaged every tool that I could and bought the rest.... Sean has taken up the torch with gusto and now has my Grandpa's tools(both sides), my dad's tools, my tools, as well as his own! He works as packaging mechanic and as of last week is making more per hour than me! He maintains everything we have and continues to teach me at the same time... me and mama are very proud of this young man...(don't tell him.... it might go to his head!)
        Patrick & Tammy
        - Long Haulin' 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014...Addicting isn't it...??

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        • #5
          My Dad actively hated cars which he saw as a "problem", a necessary evil. No wonder he never understood me. And I ARE a race car driver (if a "D" license counts)!

          Dan

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          • #6
            I forgot to mention.... Kim(Sean's girl) has just accepted the position as a detailer at the local GM/Toyota dealership...her mom doesn't even put gas in a car and never (to my knowledge) has! She has helped Sean work on everything in the garage and is not afraid to get dirty or learn!
            Patrick & Tammy
            - Long Haulin' 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014...Addicting isn't it...??

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            • #7
              Guess I am lucky. Both sides of the family are farmers and mechanics who raced cars, go-karts, and bikes from an early age. I grew up fascinated with machinery, and was working on mowers and bicycles by age 7. Took tons of shop classes in junior high, was an ace in drafting class. Couldn't wait to take Auto Shop and Auto Information in high school, where I took more shop classes. I told my advisor I was going to purposely flunk a class my senior year so I could come back after high school and take more classes. He flipped, but talked me out of it. Wanted to get my auto shop teachers degree at Hays State, but at the last second changed my mind and went to work in local machine shops making good money. Still worked on cars nights and weekends. Eventually worked a double life - made airplane parts during the day, and did guitar repair at night. Up to my knees in car club stuff these days, and more guitar repair than I want. In spare moments I piss people off here on BS.
              Act your age, not your shoe size. - Prince

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              • #8
                Yea Kim!!! As the father of girls (now growed-up wimmin) I'm always supportive of females in "non-traditional" jobs. BTW - I have a race truck that needs her attention!

                Dan

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                • #9
                  Seeing that she just started, you may have to bring it to Iowa for a detail job and a visit....
                  Patrick & Tammy
                  - Long Haulin' 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014...Addicting isn't it...??

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by DanStokes View Post
                    Yea Kim!!! As the father of girls (now growed-up wimmin) I'm always supportive of females in "non-traditional" jobs. BTW - I have a race truck that needs her attention!

                    Dan
                    My wife once told me that she couldn't help in the shop because women don't do those things.... I made a comment in agreement with her (something along the lines of I get tits make you stupid, just like they make me stupid) and she then helped. A word, though, be fleet of foot if you're glib of mouth around women.
                    Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by studemax View Post
                      Guess I am lucky. Both sides of the family are farmers and mechanics who raced cars, go-karts, and bikes from an early age. I grew up fascinated with machinery, and was working on mowers and bicycles by age 7. Took tons of shop classes in junior high, was an ace in drafting class. Couldn't wait to take Auto Shop and Auto Information in high school, where I took more shop classes. I told my advisor I was going to purposely flunk a class my senior year so I could come back after high school and take more classes. He flipped, but talked me out of it. Wanted to get my auto shop teachers degree at Hays State, but at the last second changed my mind and went to work in local machine shops making good money. Still worked on cars nights and weekends. Eventually worked a double life - made airplane parts during the day, and did guitar repair at night. Up to my knees in car club stuff these days, and more guitar repair than I want. In spare moments I piss people off here on BS.
                      I have great affinity for the Fast n Furious movies because, except for the imports, were were those stupid, mistake-ridden, punk-ass kids. To this point, that when I see the guys from those days, we spend a great deal of time teasing each other for the stupid things we did....
                      Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                      • #12
                        No one in my family was a car guy. Dad was a X-ray/Lab technician at the local hospital, but he was a Tinkler. Give him some bailing wire or duct tape and he would fix anything or at least try.
                        Pt 2010, Long Haul 2011,12,13,14,15,16,17, 18, 19, 23
                        If you wait, all that happens is that you get older

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                        • #13
                          My Dad was a Dairy Lab Technician. Kept him out of WWII. He hated mechanics but loved gadgets. He got the first Vic-20 in the family. We put a gas mileage computer on his Buick. His eyesight went bad before GPS got cheap. But CB radio!

                          When I got my Red Express there a high rise cheap at the speed shop. I bought it because the paint always peels on stock intakes. My Dad threw a fit as I was putting it on. "You're gonna mess that thing up!". He was right. The secondarys on the Thermoquad died. I fixed it with a Double Pumper, also second hand new.
                          My hobby is needing a hobby.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post

                            My wife once told me that she couldn't help in the shop because women don't do those things.... I made a comment in agreement with her (something along the lines of I get tits make you stupid, just like they make me stupid) and she then helped. A word, though, be fleet of foot if you're glib of mouth around women.
                            Especially around Kim... a very good athlete in her own right .... BTW, your litigation skills didn't get you out of that one , did it....
                            Patrick & Tammy
                            - Long Haulin' 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014...Addicting isn't it...??

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by silver_bullet View Post

                              BTW, your litigation skills didn't get you out of that one , did it....
                              My take is, litigation is required no matter what your profession. We all have to go home from work at the end of the shift and litigation continues. Just sayin. Some done well, some done not so well. Just sayin.
                              Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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