Passing the torch

32 Chevy · February 08, 2005, 12:26:55 AM

Several years ago my daughter brought her new boyfriend by the shop to see the hot rod stuff. He seemed interested, so I asked him to grab the sawzall and whack off about 6" from the exhaust pipe. Imagine my surprise and his chagrin when it bacame apparrent he did not know what a sawzall was.... I turned out that he had never touched a power tool in his life, and at that time he was over 30 years old.

He just never had the sort of environment when he was growing up to be exposed to the fact that a regular person could actually make stuff, you did not have to buy everything pre-made in a store.

So as time went by they got married, and he decided that maybe he would like to try some car stuff. We we went to a swap meet and he liked a Mustang II T top and is was cheap and didnt have a motor, so that was a good place to start as any. Over the next year we put a 302 in it and made a nice little driver, nothing really special but he liked the way people looked at him when they heard the V8 rumble coming form the glorified Pinto.

Then last fall I took him to a cool rat rod type show where everything was homemade, and he 'Got the Picture'. No million dollar cars here, but some pretty cool stuff. So, now after numerous nights on Ebay and busted knuckles, we just started up the monster, the same little car with a Weiand tunnel ram with dual holleys, headers, cam, and a big 'ol scoop sticking out of the hood. He wants to try some drag racing and maybe intimidate the ricers around the Microsoft campus near where he works.

Next step is a satin black paint job, done himself, of course. And he's talking about someday taking the motor from the mustang (after he makes a 347 stroker out of it), and building a T bucket or similar.

I gotta tell ya, it sure feels good to see him smile and learn. This rodding thing will never die...

Cheers,

Dave R

enjenjo · February 08, 2005, 12:56:54 AM

Good for both of you. Aren't cars fun?

Bruce Dorsi · February 08, 2005, 02:46:12 AM

Quote from: "32 Chevy"Several years ago my daughter brought her new boyfriend by the shop to see the hot rod stuff. He seemed interested, so I asked him to grab the sawzall and whack off about 6" from the exhaust pipe. Imagine my surprise and his chagrin when it bacame apparrent he did not know what a sawzall was.... I turned out that he had never touched a power tool in his life, and at that time he was over 30 years old.

He just never had the sort of environment when he was growing up to be exposed to the fact that a regular person could actually make stuff, you did not have to buy everything pre-made in a store.

===============
Great post, Dave. ---Thanks!

Let's not forget that some people just do not have the aptitude for mechanical "things," or working with their hands.

My brother-in-law is a great guy, and is/was a good athlete, and still competes in his 60's. ....He is great with a ball, bat, or golf club, but put a screwdriver or pair of pliers in his hand, and things get comical, much like me with a ball, bat, or golf club in my hand!

For many years, he has watched me and other family members do things with our hands and tools, but he can not grasp the basics, and there is no mechanical reasoning present.
....There is not a lack of intelligence, but no mechanical aptitude.

He is more comfortable with his athletic buddies, and I'm more comfortable, here, with people who have mechanical aptitude!

I guess life wouldn't be as much fun, if everyone were alike!

BELLM · February 08, 2005, 11:06:26 PM

Good story! Bonds built, along with the car, priceless!!

Crosley.In.AZ · February 08, 2005, 11:12:27 PM

Good story!

alchevy · February 11, 2005, 10:48:07 AM

I also think that was a great story! Thinking about those Mustang II's...you don't see too many of them still on the road these days. I guess the street rodders got most of them for parts. I saw one going down the road the other day and several days afterwards saw it on the road again. Then I saw it sitting on the side of the road and I thought...they had better get that thing home before some street rodder comes across it! They weren't that popular with their styling for those models, but great suspension parts.

While we are on the subject of Mustangs...doesn't the new ones look good! I was telling someone the other day when asked if I like them that I'm not even a Ford fan, but that's a very nice looking car. I like the retro look that they did to it. The other manufacturers are trying to bring back the retro look, but none have done as well as Ford did with this one.

Getting back to your story...I kinda came into working on cars the same way. A friend of mine kept saying to me that if I can do websites on a computer then I can work on cars. Sometimes I think that the computer is very much an easier tool than one in my toolbox. Before I got into I.T., I was in drafting, but the mechanical things I would draw wouldn't make sense to me...I liked drawing house plans because that's what I grew up around and I had a good understanding about them seeing houses being built. I ended up with a job doing mechanical drafting because that's where the jobs were. Now after building my first street rod, with a lot of help from my friends, I can understand mechanical drafting better especially after every mechanical part on my car has been changed.

Keep on passing the torch!
AL

av8 · February 11, 2005, 02:13:05 PM

Good for you and your son-in-law. Passing the torch is a way of putting something back into the hobby that has given us so much. It's also a way of honoring those who mentored us and shared their ideas and experience.

I'd like to find some young person to pass along to the knowledge and techniques for porting and prepping flathead blocks that I received from Vern Tardel, Ed Binggeli, and Kent Fuller. No takers so far, but there's someone out there who will step up one day. There's no rush, however; I'm not about to retire . . . It's too much fun to do that!

Beck · February 12, 2005, 04:50:27 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"Good for both of you. Aren't cars fun?

NO! I hate them, but I'm like a junkie. I gotta have my fix. Every time I build one I swear it will be the last. Then I have a senior moment and forget.
Beck

couper · February 14, 2005, 12:42:33 PM

Wow. A Must II that hasn't had the Must II IFS torched out of it.(lol)
Looks fun!
I too, am partially to blame for a family member (my nephew) being head over heels involved in rodding... "It's a GOOD thing", I tell his concerned parents.
Lance

Pep · February 14, 2005, 08:07:04 PM

Seems like you unearthed a deep seeded desire to play with cars. Now it appears you can't stop him

( not that you would I guess ). Passing the torch is great but as yet neither of my sons show any interest. I do have sons of friends that talk about it and I offer for them to come over and wear some overalls and get some hands on, but alas, none have taken up the offer.