I have to say, I'm a little jealous.....

I got my boy....but I still wish for one last ride with my Dad....

 

I wish my Dad would've been interested in cars. Everything I learned, was from friends or I'd just go & do it (trial & error). I've always been interested in cars as far as I can remember. When I was 5 years old, I could name every car that we passed on the road. Today, forget about it....LOL to many & they all look alike. I did go to college after I retired from the Navy & now I work on cars for a living & as a hobby. Nice to get paid for something you love to do.

 

A bit long, some modest bragging if you please

I'm one the lucky ones of which you speak. My father and his father are/were very mechanically inclined and great shop and metal workers. My grandfather taught me how to stick weld at the age of six (I haven't done enough it in the last 20 years to be an "expert"). I watched as both men would build some awesome things out of angle or channel iron. I don't remember either one of them really working on their own cars, though. I started developing a love of cars around 5 or 6 and my dad did not discourage that. In 1969, when I was 11, my uncle (mother's brother) bought a brand new Camaro Super Sport with a 396 ci and four-speed (he still has it and it still carries the mail). Rides with him hooked me on fast cars. Boy, was I hooked. Again, my dad did not discourage that over active love of cars.

When Dad and I came home from getting my learner's permit, we stood outside a moment and he pointed to the old family car parked at the edge of the woods. He said, "Boy, if you want a car when you turn 16, get that car (1967 four-door Mercury Monterey with 390) to running." I did. With his help, we both learned to pull the heads off an engine and get a valve job done on the them. We put a four barrel intake on that engine and an Autolite flat top carb. We also pulled and rebuilt the C-6 transmission. I had a car on my sixteenth birthday. A four-door car was the most un-cool thing you caould have in 1974, but I didn't have to ride the school bus anymore.l

In 1975, the doctors made my grandfather stop driving. He gave me his 2-door 1967 Fairlane 500. It had 289 and C-4 tranny, no power steering, no power brakes, and no A/C. It was the perfect car for a hot rod. Dad helped me pull the engine and get it to a machine shop and we built a 450 HP 289. He helped fabricate a transmission linkage so the column shift would work with the big Hooker headers. He helped as we slid in a 9" rear end with a posi 4.56 gear that we bought from a man who had his '69 Boss 429 Mustang go up in flames. I watched Dad, one day, light the tires up on that Fairlane with a 200' burnout down that old country road where we lived. I sold that car in 1978.

I went without a toy car until November 2003 when I bought my first Maverick. Seventy year-old Dad went with me to go get that car. That '74 Maverick Grabber had a locked up wheel, wouldn't crank, and took almost two hours to chain hoist it onto the trailer. He even operated that rachet hoist for about 30 minutes of two hours. He helped me build a mount for the electric winch that is now on my trailer. Wonder why that happened?
He has gone with me to get four of my Mavericks. He even has one parked at his house.

He's '71 now and has failing eyesight due to effects of diabetes, but he is still willing to tinker with me on those cars and get dirty. A good friend of mine, who is 63 years old and a friend of my dad, told me, not too long ago, that Dad told him he had just about given up any thought of being useful and productive again, but that getting involved with me and these Mavericks has put a new step in his walk. I'm helping him in his shop do things he wants to do. I'm able to see the detail and do things he can't see to do. He has perked up and I've opened up the deep caverns of his brain and learning things (some all over again) about metal work. You'd think with my heritage that I would know more than I do, but I don't and it's partly my dad's fault. You see, he didn't want me to have to do manual labor for a living like him and my grandparents. I went to college; I didn't have a choice. He would've killed me if didn't go to college. I've worn a suit and tie for a uniform for almost 25 years. Know what? I wish I had followed in those exact footsteps of my dad and grandad.

Yep. I'm lucky with my dad and for now, I still have him.

 

My dad was/is a truck driver(semi-retired) He's in his late 70's . I remember crawling under his "big truck" to "help" when I was little. I got to greese the 5th wheel then he'd let me play truck driver up in the cab. Before I was 16, every fall my job was putting the winter tires on his 4X4 F-250, then he would check all of the lug nuts to make sure they were tight. Now his age is catching up with him, and I have to keep an eye on him in the garage . But now I have a little guy to "help" around the garage. I guess that's the circle of life.

 

All of these stories are great! Its fun to get a glimpse into the lives of those who keep coming back time after time to talk about one type of car. My dad died almost 25 years ago. He did do most of his own work on cars. Sometimes I would help, however I could dodge a ball but not his wrenches. He did help me buy my first car when I was 14 a 71 cuda, BUT WAIT, it was just a 340 with a slapstick. It was a beautifull car, bronze,blk/vynl top, magnum 500s. Any work i did on itwas with friends. One friend had a 72 302 grabber, and yeah some days he would win some days I would win. I dented the cuda up pretty good couldnt find parts anywhere so not knowing any better I sold the car and bought a 4wd. I parked our jeep last year, it still runs and drives but needs total resto. Engine, body,suspension, I dont have that kind of money, in fact I dont have any kind of money. I did however promise my daughter if she stuck to her goal of West point ( free education ), we would provide her with a car. Hummm! What kind of car can I get that I can work on for under 3k. Thanks to everyone on this site I found a 73 with rebuilt 5.0, new front end, all new brakes new tires nice interior, and 97% rust free. I couldnt buy a hood and grill for a cuda for that. She loves the car and now I am obsessed with mavs now. So much so I bought me one too.

 

Boy reading some of these posts makes me jealous as hell. Reading my first post you can see my Dad didnt make it too far in life age wise. However it was not a callous statement, just an inside joke that I know that would make my Dad laugh his butt off if he could read it. One of the more memorable times was when he was loading his grease gun one day, in the time before cartridges, and he hit the bottom of the handle on the bench. The spring loaded plunger shot an almost full load of grease all over us and the shed. I think we lauhed for days over that one. We spent alot of time flying and talking about rc airplanes just before his death. I cherish and miss every moment. He may not have been the greatest man that ever lived, but he's the greatest man I ever knew. I also only have 2 daughters that view cars as transportation only. It would have been nice if one of them was interested but you cant force them. Anyway, enjoy the moments while you can.

 

My dad was into cars just not into his sons, unless we brought him another beer or he needed to to let his frustrations out. We don't speak any more.

 

I watched my dad work on cars for years. Helped build the shop, move the trailors, pick up cars, etc.
He finally started teaching me cars on my Escort EXP when I was 13, total POS. It took the back burner, so we got their old 74 4 door Comet going. I paid for the parts, he told me what to do. Brakes, water pump, master cylinder, etc...

The 74 had a 200/C4/3:1 rear, really good weight from front to back, handles great. That is why I decided to put a 302 in it, then while the block was at the machine shop, I found a 2 door 74 Comet with a 302.

Right now we're working on puttin an El Camino front end and rear suspension under my dad's 58 Ford truck with a Buick 455 for an engine, floor pans in my car, new cowl...

3rd generation tinkerer, my grandfather did cars on the side, really good with trannies, dad fixed all of our stuff and helped a few friends build some nasty hotrods, I've worked on them professionally and now just play with my own, and its being paid for by my own computer biz.

 

Hey Hawkco, What did you do to get 450 HP out of a 289?

 

I'm willing to be it had something to do with 8500 rpms +.

or the juice...

 

A ton of money. That, and several phone calls to what Ford called their Off-Road Division back then. I spent a chunk on having a set of '69 -'70 351W heads worked up. Valves were changed, ported, polished, etc. in 1975, they were proabaly equivalent to a top set of today's AFR's. I used the push rods and rocker arms from a Boss 302. Remember, in 1975 you could still buy factory hi-po parts from the Ford dealer.

It was bored .060 and I used 12.6 to 1 compression pistons (you could still get gasolines over 100 octane back then). The effective compression ratio with the heads was around 11.2 to 1. Ford had made a solid lifter cam for their Trans-Am teams (I forget specs, but I did have the tach at 7500 rpm a time or two) and that is what went in the car. An aluminum hi-rise intake, a 735cfm Holley off a 428 cobra jet, and a set of Hooker Headers (probably the equivalent of today's Super Competition headers - 1 3/4" tubes) buttoned up the package.

A built C-4 with a 4000 stall converter and 9" posi with 4.56 gears put the power to the ground. I never had it dynoed. Chassis dynos were barely heard of in 1975 much less available as they today. The wonderful experts at the Ford Off-Road Division estimated the flywheel horsepower at 430 to 460. All I know is that my '67 Fairlane ran mid 12's on 1/4 mile in street tires. I believe chassis work and slicks might have gotten it in the very, very low 12's.

It was a bear to drive on the street, but I did it. Ahh...to be young and stupid again. Ford makes a 347 that produces 450 HP @ 6000 rpm with 10 to 1 compression ratio. My 289 had 1.5 more points of compression and spun up more rpm. It is all in the heads. I spent money on the heads.

Was I ahead of my time?

 

I'll take two... one for me, one for my cousin.


I dunno about young, but if thats stupid...

I'm screwed.

 

My Dad never did much to his cars, change the oil, rotate tires, tune ups, thats about it. He always takes one to the shop for anything more than that. I had an uncle who died in 1975 who taught me a lot, I helped him pull and replace the 390 in his 63 1/2 Galaxie with a 427. I wanted that car, red inside and out, 3 speed, dual exhaust with Thrush mufflers, He sold it to his brother when he bought a new 1973 Torino 4 door. His brother sold it to his brother-in-law, who sold it again and I lost track of it. I learned a lot the hard way, try it and see if it works, read Hot Rod Magazine, Popular Hot Rodding, and others for years, picking up tidbits here and there. I helped my former cousin-in-law build several hot street and drag cars, never had the money to do one myself. I got into trucking 20+ years ago and applied my knowledge to the big rigs. After we adopted our two boys, I started trying to pass off my love of all things mechancial to them. The oldest didn't and still doesn't have any desire to learn anything about anything mechanical at all. The youngest, however, couldn't be anymore like me if he was blood. We love all old cars and trucks, reguardless of brand. He's not afraid to tackle any project if it's something he's interested in. Right now, he's working on a 42 Chevy pick up cab that he wants to put on a S-10 frame with a 305 350 combo. He's always looking for something old to fix up, it was him that found my Comet. I hope he keeps the desire for older stuff as his generation will be the hot rodders of the future, thats why I always try to help him and his buddies when they need it. They are sometimes surprized at just what this old {45} man knows, really surprzed when they find out that I do just about all my own work,except computer controlled and fuel injection, I leave that to my brother-in-law,ASE certified mechanic.

 

He never got 450hp remember that saying the older you get that faster/more HP you had.
j/k

 

Dad's & cars

I grew up with a father that had a different hot-rodder every six months it seemed, at 14 1/2 my dad bought my sister a 68 Mustang and every week he had to burn the Carbon out, my greatest thrill was being tossed the key's and said to drive at 14, would'nt do that with my son, our luck we would get caught. but he's 18 now and has a 66 T-bird. anyway the one thing I regret is playing the game of catching up with any kind of mechanical skills, thankfully I have a brother-in-law that's a good mechanic, and a friend that is a great mechanic and I am learning,and thank's to all of you out there with your skills also a big help. What was fun this year was meeting all the guy's around Western Wash. for the Mini-Meets, Some of the things they do with the Mav's and Comets are great. Anyway I miss my Dad but everytime I go and burn out the carbon in the Mav. I think of him laughing about the thing's he did teach me about car's. Marty