Naming projects has been a hallmark of hot rodding since the beginning. Magazines, websites, and other media outlets have made it common practice. From the Project X, to the Bad Seed, to The F Bomb, to our own junk like Buford T Justice, every car seems to have a name. That begs the natural question, does everyone else (or anyone else) do it too?
Some cars get named not by their owners but by the family unit that surrounds them. For example, my father in law’s Plymouth GTX was named Rhonda by his wife and daughters after the girl that Mike Love and the rest of the Beach Boys pined after in their song, “Help me Rhonda”. In high school, I was a big fan of the band, The Presidents of the United States of America. They came out with a catchy tune about Speed Racer’s Mach 5 and all of a sudden my friends dubbed my Camaro the Mach 5. I wasn’t all that into it, but everyone else seemed to dig it.
So here’s the question – Do you name your projects or cars? If so, share the name and the inspiration!
The only car I named was my 66 Chevelle SS396 which took 5 yrs to restore and named it KWIK66. The car ran hivh 13’s bone stock down to the bias ply tires.
Not on purpose….but nearly every project earns a nickname of some kind before it’s finished. Some because you loved them, some because you hated them.
had a 78 camaro named the poormouse, lol.
No, can’t say that I do. I do call them cuss words from time to time though.
Yep. I call my 67 Nova “The Tramp”
I usually don’t name my projects, in fact I can’t stand it when people name every car that they have. But I started referring to my 79 F350 as “Ugly” due to the ugly flat brown paint job. That name didn’t quite catch on with everyone, but instead everyone calls it “Brownie”. I’ve been sled pulling with it for the last few years, and Brownie has stuck, so that’s the name now. None of my other trucks have names though.
Fury – Project Tetanus
Mustang – Sally
My old Ram was Big Blue
My beater Ram is The Bitch.
I had an old wagon my friends dubbed Clark….All others had no name…Some cars IMO need a name because they have a sould, a personality all their own…others are just utilities used to simplify modern life….
“Infinite Dreams”
To understand the name I’ll have to take you back to MMI.
My first new vehicle a 1997 ford f-150 was totalled . Free’n up the 2nd car fund, and because I was a new home owner I desided to get a truck that was older so not to have payments,time went by and I figured because I had 3 chevelles I’d get an el camino of the same vintage and feed it with the part I’d be removing from the chevelle.
That went great for a little over a year,till I desided to wash it and let it dry on the front lawn. A landscaper was does the street and his boss was looking for a 70-72 el camino. and I came out from lunch to 3 guys all over my car. The normal “is it for sale started” and I said no. but he wouldn’t let it go. so I thrown out 15k ,Figuring that end that. I got a knock on the door a few hours later with a guy with 15k cash in his hand asking if I had the title to the car. So, that ended that one.
I figured I’d buy another el camino maybe a 66 or 67 but good ones where not cheap even in 2002 . While roaming around on a new thing to me EBAY I saw that the 67-72 chevy trucks where about half the cost of the el camino. At the time my state tested every car for emissions. And tho. I really liked the 78-87 elcamino’s . I had bought a g.m. crate engine 454ho for the 71 el camino to park the matching # 396(402). So the hunt for a 67-72 truck started. So, the begining of learning the hard way began. never EVER buy off ebay without looking at the vehicle in person,EVER.
So, I bid on a few got out bid on everything I bid on, as I was in no rush and had time to be a cheap SOB. I got an email that the high bidder walked and the truck was aval. if I still wanted it. I again learnt the hard way that ,question why a bidder walks. I buy it. and it took 3-4 months to get here as . “The plan” was I would meet the seller half way him from texas ,me from ma. That was a good sign that he’d drive it 1400 miles. so because getting time off from 3 jobs all at the same time wasn’t happening, I had it shipped. The truck got here feb. 2003 and it was nice ,but not what I payed nice.. payed less than what they sell for up here but more than what it go for in texas. oh-well live and learn.
Drove it summer of 2003 with the plan of installing the crate454ho in the winter time. The truck got parked in the late fall 2003. and got lost in limbo, as I had to many vehicles and I was chasing a female that took up all the time.
Like everyone else time moves on as life gets in the way marrage/house/wife/family/home inprovements/etc and working 100+ hour weeks didn’t help much. fast forward to 2010 nov. my beating myself into the ground workoholic lifestyle had finally caught up with me. out on medical leave for 6 months then again for 3 months and another 2.5 in 2011 . Caused me to have to sell the 3 chevelle,back hoe and other crap, to keep the house..
So now mid 2012 after desiding in 2011 to get my butt in gear and do some stuff for my self, like the truck and having to sell the chevelles I now had a 489 all new parts in basement and I figured I’d install it in my c-10.
Being stubborn late 2011 I took a 2nd job against doctors orders cause the wife was now out of work. only to fall flat on my face by nov.2012. that had me out off and on till jan 1st 2013. March 2013 the heater in house died taking the fund for the new roof. So….. I desided the 489 will wait or be sold off. and a vortec 350 crate with ramjet cam will have to do for now. Sold off the dart heads and bought the crate 350.
And that is the reasoning behind the name “Infinite dreams”
I named my 1974 Dodge D100 Club Cab “Sanity”, because as the truck was getting a full frame off restoration at Wild West Rods and Custom, I was on three deployments on board the USS Nimitz from 2007 – 2011, and seeing the pictures of the build up kept my sanity on those deployments.
Two things. One: Cars are like new pets, if you spend enough time with them, they’ll tell you their name. It just sticks.
Two: That being said, by buddy has an old Ford farm truck called the Ex-Wife. because its old, makes lot of noise, doesnt look as good as it used to, and you aint getting any when your out with her….
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/424983_3262848340387_153737454_n.jpg
I usually have 2 or 3 projects going at a time so I name them so I know which one I’m buying for or going to work on. Nothing fancy.
My 65 Fury – The 65
My 55 Plymouth – The 55
My 46 Plymouth – The 46
I don’t deliberately name things, usually it’s a just a byproduct of my sense of humor that no one seems to understand.
Case in point: Ernie, the ’61 unibody I’m working on.
When I first named the truck I got slightly confused looks and more often than not the old, “Aren’t mechanical things supposed to be named after women?” routine. No, not really, if the name sticks, use it.
Anyway, why Ernie? Well, it was owned by an old hillbilly type from Tennessee (though the truck was built in San Jose), and it’s a Ford so…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Ernie_Ford
Both my current cars were named by friends. I never was into naming cars.
’97 C2500, “Big O.” The “O” is short for orange and it is a former Asplundh truck.
’99 Integra, “Buzz.” Got it in NYC, drove it home to MN with a bad wheel bearing and no antenna.
’95 G30, “Steven “Steve” Jay Vanington III.” RIP An ex-girlfriend helped name him.
’87 B250, “Big Ben” aka “The Beast.” Came with the name.
’83 K10, “Guest.” A sticker which read that was non the passenger door.
’81 E100, “669.” Big 6, C6, 9″.
Only my beaters have been named.
87 Diplomat – The Dippy.
89 Sable Station wagon – Teh Wagon.
Sure do:
“The Beast” a 1990 Chevy 1500 SB with 496 BB, named after Song by the Animals.
“Maybelene” a 1966 Chevelle, named after Chuck Berry song.
“Banana Boat”, a 1970 Dodge Polara convertible, its big and yellow.
Hell yeah, lookin at the “Bad Luck Belvedere” in the driveway right now
Mine was named by Eddie Krawiek… Pro Junk cuz its built out of everyones cast off junk parts lol