Thoughts on this Hobby

[slowforty]

Some days I fix cars.
Other days I stare at them wondering what life choices brought me here.

[Zeke3]

And, what have you come up with so far?

I have been poking around at the edges of the hobby, never able to fully commit to it, for about 62 years. One of these days I will finally decide or my situation will decide for me. Anyway, I still have fun with it.

[ford38v8]

Depends in large part on our parent’s life style when we got our first cars. Rich kids had sports cars tended by foreign car garages, kids with working parents got Fords and enjoyed building them to go faster than sports cars.
Those kids with turtle neck sweaters transported golf clubs and snow skis while blue collar kids carried tow ropes and chain falls. The well to do wore tweed coats and frequented the services of manicurists while greasers wore Levi’s and cleaned thier fingernails with toad stickers. Life styles represent choices that are made for us by our environment and our peers.

[jimTN]

I grew up around dirt track racing and had to stand on the wooden seats to see over the heads of those in front of me. As a teenager I got to be friends with a lot of those old racers and appreciated the flathead for what it was in the fifties. Then got into a Model A with a 8rt and a 50 cpe which I put a Olds in and built a round track car out of a 39cpe and others. Off to the military and Hawaii, bought a 39 std cpe and that was our car for three yrs and shipped it home and lots more early Fords since then. To me, the early years made sense and were easy to work on and find parts for.

[Flathead Fever]

I loved cars so I became a mechanic. I worked on cars every day, every hour and every minute. I collected around 15 cars so I would have something to do when I retired. Built a 2500 sf garage with 30' car port, put a hoist in When I retired I had back surgery, then a stroke. Now I just lay around and don't do much of anything. All those cars are sitting out in the garage, a '66 Shelby, '70 Boss 302 Mustang, '32 3-window. '32 5-window, real '32 roadster flathead highboy was my dad's, '32 Brookville roadster on an original flathead chassis, stock '29 Roadster, '29 Bonneville Boss 302 powered roadster. '33 pickup, '34 pickup, two '64 Falcons, 1915 Mack truck, 1923 Mack truck,'34 1 1/2-ton Ford truck and a few more. I must have at least 20 flathead motors out there. lots of speed equipment, I was buying it when it was cheap. I can do the work including the paint, I have one of my stalls converted into a paint booth. I just don't feel well enough to go out and do anything. My advice, don't wait until you retire to work on projects because you just don't know what shape you'll be in. Plus, I have three little grandkids to play with now. I could go out to the gargage and work on stuff. I think more than anything I'm just burned out on working on cars. Don't become a mechanic!!!!!!! Cars are better as a hobby, not so much as career.

I raised by Ford restorers, never had to chance to be a normal kid.

[95476]

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I do the same,most of the time I just consider them as art. Hard to part with, too many memories over the years. Better than hitting the bars .

[Steve51]

Don't become a collector unless you have really deep pockets. How can a person deal with 10 or 15 old cars that need constant tinkering? It becomes overwhelming. Two is plenty....one to drive and one to work on because something will always need attention on one of them.sure I see cars all the time that I would like and can afford but I purposely only have space for two. Only recently have I become a two car guy due to inheriting one. Its enough if I want to enjoy driving them.

[GB SISSON]

I like this thread. In the short time since it appeared I have thought about what I would add and changed it a number of times. In fact I just wrote a paragraph about endless wrenching on vehicle #4 versus the same time and effort spent on more meaningful endeavors in human terms, but I deleted it all. I love this hobby, I love my wife and my kids and grandkids and I love spending time with them and I think it's safe to say that they are happy I have a hobby I enjoy so I'm not bugging them all the time. Thanks for starting this thread Slowforty.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Flathead Fever

I loved cars so I became a mechanic. I worked on cars every day, every hour and every minute. I collected around 15 cars so I would have something to do when I retired. Built a 2500 sf garage with 30' car port, put a hoist in When I retired I had back surgery, then a stroke. Now I just lay around and don't do much of anything. All those cars are sitting out in the garage, a '66 Shelby, '70 Boss 302 Mustang, '32 3-window. '32 5-window, real '32 roadster flathead highboy was my dad's, '32 Brookville roadster on an original flathead chassis, stock '29 Roadster, '29 Bonneville Boss 302 powered roadster. '33 pickup, '34 pickup, two '64 Falcons, 1915 Mack truck, 1923 Mack truck,'34 1 1/2-ton Ford truck and a few more. I must have at least 20 flathead motors out there. lots of speed equipment, I was buying it when it was cheap. I can do the work including the paint, I have one of my stalls converted into a paint booth. I just don't feel well enough to go out and do anything. My advice, don't wait until you retire to work on projects because you just don't know what shape you'll be in. Plus, I have three little grandkids to play with now. I could go out to the gargage and work on stuff. I think more than anything I'm just burned out on working on cars. Don't become a mechanic!!!!!!! Cars are better as a hobby, not so much as career.

I raised by Ford restorers, never had to chance to be a normal kid.

[Newc]

My dad hated old cars-pushed them tooo much, he had 750 prize ROSE bushes. I have three full barns and ONE rose bush- can't stand gardening. Newc

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Newc

My dad hated old cars-pushed them tooo much, he had 750 prize ROSE bushes. I have three full barns and ONE rose bush- can't stand gardening. Newc

A friend of mine once bought a YOGO. I asked him why he would buy such a POS car? He replied: "It's because it's easy to push"...

[vincent]

Wonderful hobby, there is a lot of satisfaction when all the work that I put into the car (34 Ford Tudor) results in nice rides without any problems. After putting a blower on top of the engine it results in even more smiles on my face. Yesterday evening my dog and me took a nice ride in the Neckar valley - empty roads, no potholes, warm weather. So we cruised at 65mph/2000rpm. On the rails near the road an Intercity Expresstrain came up and slowly overtook us. So I pressed the fun pedal a bit more and we overtook him again with around 80mph. When back home in the shed I grabbed a beer, switched on good music and sat half an hour in the car, still smiling and thinking, I would not want to give up this for anything in the world.

[richard crow]

the hobby is getting to expensive.

[rockfla]

Flathead Fever


That is a list of "Dreams" there!!!! Some I can only "wish" I could afford and enjoy.

[19Fordy]

Originally Posted by richard crow

the hobby is getting to expensive.

It's all relative to the cost of earning a living. Labor rates are through the roof.
As has been mentioned in other comments in other threads about the future of our hobby, auctions show the price of early Fords is dropping.
Younger folks want muscle cars and old cars with modern technology and drivability at highway speeds.

[Scott52]

At 17, I started with an old 1955 Chevrolet (15 years old in 1970 and $100 with a blown 6 cyl) I helped my Dad rebuild it. It was a beautiful Del Ray Model, but not a V8. Traded it plus $200 for a not so beautiful 55 with a V8 283 and 3 speed floor shift. My mom wouldn't let it park in front of our house until I got the front seat recovered. I rebuilt that engine. Kids didn't have the money to finish things, just a money pit to keep them going. That car went away and I drove "normal" cars for the next 5-7 years. Got a 64 1/2 Mustang Convertible at a Goodguys Car Show. Red with White top, V8 4 speed. Rebuilt that 289 engine and drove it until the first son came along. Putting a car seat in the back seat with no seat belts meant that car needed to go bought $2200 sold $3500. I also had a 1940 Plymouth Pickup. I rebuilt that Flathead Engine. I brought it to a body shop for paint and paid up front. The body shop was not close to me so I didn't check on it that often. One day I got a call from someone that the owner was MIA and I better pick up my truck. Nothing was done, lost my money and parted it out. That was probably 1985. Still didn't have money to spend on finishing a project. But.... these were all learning experiences. Forward to 2010. I was now in real estate. A house mu client was interested in had a 1977 Buick Skylark 4 door in the driveway. It had low miles and the sellers were the children of the owner who had died and they didn't live in the area. An estate sale company was in charge of selling everything. I ended up with that car for $501. I cleaned it up and sold for it $2500 to a couple from England that just got a job a Google and wanted an reliable, old American car. Now was my inspiration to buy an old car for me. I found a 1956 Chevrolet Belair that had been parked for 17 years. I put my lessons learned into action. Set a budget and only one project at a time and a Body shop close by (I don't paint). 3 years later, Car is Done. I also followed my new rule. Buy a 90% perfect part for 25% to 50% of the perfect price. I bought a really nice bumper with a quarter-size blemish for 10% of a re-chromed price. No one has ever pointed that out to me and I don't care if they did. 2015 Bought a 1948 Dodge Power Wagon. I always wanted one since I had the 40 Plymouth Pickup. Many common body and cab parts. That one was finished in 2018. Those can get real expensive and I followed my 90% for 50% cost rule. Begining of Covid I needed something to do. I had never worked on a Ford Flathead. Looked for an Engine only and found a 52 Crestline Victoria that had been repainted at one time and the paint looked pretty good with some blemishes and a continental kit. Original kits for tri 5 Chevys are $5-$10K and you have to worry if all the parts are there. I found out later it's after market but painted the same as the body. I like it. Got it with an extra engine, 8BA, and OD transmission. Then, I learned abut cracks. Found a guy in the V8 Times that lives a few miles from me that fixes cracks. The previous cars were as close to original as I could get them. 6V, generators, Drum brakes, not resto-mods. I decided to go 12V on the Crestline and followed the basic 8BA mods from John Lawson in his Flathead Facts book, SBC Distributor, 4 barrel Edlebrock 452 manifold, Dual exhaust (already in the car) and shaved heads. The engine is ready to fire up outside the car and I'll admit, I am nervous about it. At 72 years, the memory is not what it used to be. But writing this has spurred me on.

[GB SISSON]

To the generation now coming into the hobby a 65 mustang IS an old car and to many it's an ancient car. A stock prewar ford is as exciting to them as a stock brass era model T was to us. 'Quaint, but what do you do with it?' As far as labor rates, 2 days ago I learned that the three primary auto repair shops on the island are 165.00/hr, 185.00/hr and 200.00/hr. Fortunately it's been many years since I have had a car worked on.

[petehoovie]

Scott52

[TomC750]

I was almost born into it. First car my folks had that I remember was a'39 Ford sedan That was followed by a '47 coupe, then a '49 and a 51 Mercury the first new car in the family. A year or two later dad bought a '36 coupe for a second car. That is the first one I drove when I was about 14. It was a real good runner. My brother and I drove it all over the back roads well before we had licenses. It got traded at a Chevvy dealer for a '47 Lincoln that used oil. The dealer sent a wrecker for the '36 and away it went to the junkyard. I was sick. It was not a junk by any means. I missed it.

No more flatheads until when in my last year of high school I bought a '41 Merc coupe for $45. It was a solid car with a tired engine. I built a new engine out of a '50 Merc, put in a mild cam and planed heads. Courted my future wife in it. Drove it from NY to Texas when in the service Where a buddy talked me out of it. It was a good runner.

Shortly after I got married I spotted a '37 1 1/2 ton sitting in a farmer's field. Bought it for $75. I used it a lot when I built a car wash. Hauled most of the materials with it. A ford factory rebuilt engine was under the hood. Ran perfect with really good power. Sold it when I auctioned off all my stuff, it did not bring a lot. Along the way I bought a '53 C750 for $500 and turned it into a highway tractor. Had it for over 40 years and sold it. It is in a V8 Times (May June issue) article. A friend in Maryland who was a former truck dealer offered me a '53 F350 for $300. A good solid truck with 42,000 miles. I kept it for 30 some years. I had a later pickup, so I put the '53 on Ebay. I figured it might bring $3500 on a good day. I went for an astounding $19,200. My last bit of luck was when I found another '41 Mercury at a farm auction. With no other serious bidders my wife bid on it and bought it very reasonable. It is a frame off restoration and will go to Springfield next week.

[slowforty]

On doing things at 77.
I use Clint Eastwoods method at 95.
You just have to force yourself and
Dont Let the OLD MAN IN!