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Father's Influence


STEVE POLLARD

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You want to be noticed?   Drive a VW Beetle!   The kids that use to yell HERBIE!,  are now not so young adults but still remember that car.   I'm sure that some of the vehicles in the movie CARS get the same attention.

Edited by Paul Dobbin
Spill Check (see edit history)
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1 hour ago, alsancle said:

 

Since my dad still has many of his cars that he had 40/50 years ago I can tell you first hand that when you drove down the street with either that Auburn,  or the Cord in one of my pictures EVERYBODY in 1970 turned to look at it.  These days I can drive the same car around all day long and most people pay zero attention.     My GT500 would get some of the kids to pay attention,  but even that could be driven practically anonymously.

Do you think that has to do with custom cars and street rods? And that seeing a wild over the top flashy car, like the Auburn/Cord. Has been watered down by flashy street rods. The first thought that comes to mind when you see a 35-36 Speedster is kit car.

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14 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

Do you think that has to do with custom cars and street rods? And that seeing a wild over the top flashy car, like the Auburn/Cord. Has been watered down by flashy street rods. The first thought that comes to mind when you see a 35-36 Speedster is kit car.

 

No.  I think that the car culture that existed from about 1950 to 1985 is gone.   What we have now is a specialized subset.

 

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14 minutes ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

I have noticed I get more waves in my 1980 car as opposed to my 1952.

 

It is funny but true.  I'm SHOCKED by the number of people that come up to my dad to complement him on his 84 LTD Wagon with the optional wood side decal treatment.

 

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/.image/t_share/MTcyNDgzNjMwOTQ3NTc1NzIy/image-placeholder-title.jpg

Edited by alsancle (see edit history)
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3 hours ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

I have noticed I get more waves in my 1980 car as opposed to my 1952.

 

I can believe that. There are some 80's cars that you just don't see anymore. A lot of times there are things other than age that get peoples' cars noticed, though. It would be interesting to know how clean your 52 is compared to your 80, condition wise. I drove my '63 Olds two door hardtop for a couple of years and literally received only one thumbs up during that time. It had a very amateur paint job that was worn. THEN I got it painted and replaced the rusted rear bumper and, voila...I got a thumbs up pretty much every time I drove it.

 

To be honest, I don't really like being noticed in my old cars. I feel conspicuous. In that respect, it was actually more comfortable for me to ride antique motorcycles, because only other bikers would recognize that my bikes were something special, and acknowledge them with a wave, etc. That was more rewarding than have everyone staring at me in the old cars (except the Olds with the worn paint, of course 😊)

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My dad had a ton of influence on me, but he couldn't have cared less about cars.  I mostly got the old car bug from my grandfather, who had the Packard I now have. Also, he had a habit of buying 15-year-old beater cars for peanuts, driving them until they had a major problem (usually pretty soon), and then pushing them into a barn he had on his farm.  When I was a kid, I used to go hang out in that barn, with the cars that hadn't run in decades and were covered in dust and worse, including a bunch of 50s Cadillacs, some 60s Lincolns, and a Jag XK120.  Between his Packard in the garage, and those cars in the barn, I was hooked.

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I get lots and lots of stares and thumbs up when I drive my 20's cars around.

Not so much when I am out in my '64 Malibu.

I think I got more attention in my Malibu back in the 80's then I do now.

Back then I even got pulled over by a motorcycle cop that admitted he just wanted to look at my car because he had one just like it back in HS.

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My father was a big fan of many American made cars. Having grown up in Dearborn Heights, His first car was a ‘50 Ford when he was 14. He had hundreds of cars in his lifetime. Often buying rust free, mint cars in the south and hauling them back to NE on his empty flatbed. He’d then sell them when the right buyer came along. 
 

The biggest influence he had on me for cars was to buy American and a very fond love of his ‘58 Corvette, as well as classic cars in general. I do own a Tundra now and chuckle a little that it hauled so many of his American cars to Oregon. Although, it was assembled in San Antonio, close to where he lived. 

3A95A28F-4D34-4ED1-AEB1-B82EE33CA5C1.jpeg

Edited by victorialynn2 (see edit history)
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My dad was a heavy equipment mechanic when I was a kid. He had a 1936 Chevy project truck sitting in the garage, untouched, from before I can remember until he sold it when I was about 12 (I was so pissed! 🤣)

 

It turns out, he didn’t want to work on equipment all day, then come home and do it some more. We went to car shows, etc, though, so I was around cars. Fast forward a few years. I bought my first old car, a basket case ‘37 Packard 115, when I was 29 and stationed in Italy. (The car was in Iowa, long story). Upgraded to my current 120 a few years later. Well, my dad is nearing retirement, and went off and bought a 54 GMC pickup! Then a 65 F250 4x4 project, and another parts truck. So I actually bought him his first AACA membership a few years ago! He definitely planted the seed though, and we are enjoying the hobby together now. We spent a full day wandering Amelia a few years ago and had a ball. 

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My father was a car guy starting out very early and by the time he was 18 he had a service station on Long Island. He ran a race car team, using the word loosely, out of that station. In  1936 he went to work for General Motors and quit working on cars. We made many long car trips in the late 50's and he would spend the whole time from Detroit to Long Island telling stories about the fabulous cars and his racing adventures. He would further my interest by taking me to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.  I still remember the old car races they held there on some days. If I spotted an old car behind a garage or service station he would stop and we would look. He even tried to buy a big series mid thirties Buick coupe one day but was unsuccessful. In 1939 he helped sell my grandfather a 39 Chevy and a half a dozen more for cabs and we did end up with that car and it became mine when I turned 16. It ran well and was completely original so I could enjoy it from the start and still do 49 years later.

 

Dave

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My father (b. 1904) lived almost all his life in car-centric Los Angeles.  I came along in his 'second family' in the mid-1950s, and heard lots of stories about his Model T (first car), Model As, Packards, and others.  He always had interesting cars as I was growing up -- my first car memory is riding in his 1948 Lincoln Continental; later there was a grey '57 Thunderbird, white '57 Cadillac, and triple-black '63 Lincoln.  His last cars were  European, Mercedes 280 and Volvo 144 (we're of Swedish heritage).  The Volvo ended up as the keeper, and came to me when my mother stopped driving about 25 years ago.  It is a survivor, low-mileage and always garaged, got me into the Volvo Club of America, and then led me to start a meet in my town's Central Park which 20+ years on has become the largest Volvo meet on the west coast.  But I've always had broader auto interests, and when I have more time after retiring in a year or two plan to buy a pre-1940 car.  High on the list, likely because of the family connection, are a Model T Ford or a late '30s Packard.  Thanks, Dad!

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My Dad was a lawyer. Not as rich lawyer as there were 8 mouths to feed in my family. He preferred Buicks but he couldn’t turn a wrench to save his life. He had a 1965 Buick Sportwagon that saw a couple of engine replacements as well as several repairs throughout the 9 years he owned it. As I developed my skills at car repair, he would often come out and watch me work on his car. I’m sure in his mind he was helping and encouraging me but sometimes it was brutal. He would often cross examine me like I was an known perjurer about why I was working on that piece when the one next to it looked pretty dirty. One time I actually replaced a carburetor because he insisted it looked bad. The issue was a broken rocker arm from him trying to get 60,000 miles out of an oil change. It was his money. My Dad has been gone for 45 years now and I’d love to hear his voice questioning me.

 

He did instill a love of Buicks in me as I’ve owned several over my lifetime. My daughters never expressed an interest in anything automotive so I had to enjoy this hobby with my friends

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My Dad and Mom tolerated their son's interest in "old" cars . My Dad told me of the 1930,1931, and 1937 Lincolns my grandfather bought new before the great depression wiped out his finances . When I was 10 , I saw a movie and fell in love with cars in the 1920-30 era. Then the tv show The Untouchables was on too - so the cars on there were of great interest. I told my folks I wanted an old car , their reply was save up for one - so my weekly allowance , all birthday and holiday money I saved for one. At age 13 I saw a Ford model A sedan for sale in my uncles newspaper he got at work. It was for the $ I had saved. So my folks called and I didn't buy the Ford but a 1931 Plymouth sedan the same seller also had. My Dad and I worked on the Plymouth as something for a father/son project ; all the relatives thought my folks were crazy and I would loose interest soon. That was 58 years ago. My old car interest became my parents interest as well because they met and made friends in the car clubs ( especially the Plymouth and Franklin clubs) . We eventually had a 31 Franklin and 41 Packard on the road and would drive both cars to local shows and the Franklin to central NY state for the annual Franklin club event. The relatives who thought I was a fool because I had an old car changed their attitude after old cars started to increase in value - to them it was an "investment" . To my folks and I it was an investment in the unforgettable fun time in our lives. They started to attend Hershey because I wasn't old enough to drive there myself, and they loved it too.

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I'm a bit older then many of you here, so I remember that late 40's and early 50's cars when they were new. Most of you also grew up in "Big Three" families. Believe me when I say that growing up in a Studebaker family was not always easy! Dad did a good deal of traveling and he did love his Studebaker Champions, with overdrive. My feelings towards his cars ranged from ambivalence to occasional hostility. But I have a friend, who is two years older then I am. When he showed up with a beautiful 1955 Studebaker Speedster, in 1960, it was a game changer for me. I still own that car which he sold to me in 1964. While my collection contains a little of everything, I still always default to Studebaker. It's really not because of my father, but maybe not in spite of him either. I do, however, have in my collection his last car, and yes it is a Studebaker. 

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19 hours ago, alsancle said:

t is funny but true.  I'm SHOCKED by the number of people that come up to my dad to complement him on his

84 LTD Wagon with the optional wood side decal treatment.

 

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/.image/t_share/MTcyNDgzNjMwOTQ3NTc1NzIy/image-placeholder-title.jpg

     Was your father Clark Griswald?    Best Christmas movie ever!!!!   We Still see your father's cousin Eddie's RV

     in campgrounds all over the country.  

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My father was in to cars in his youth, but not after I came around.  He drag raced a 51 Ford (his daily driver) and a 49 Chevy with a 6 cyl and a weld-it-yourself log intake manifold and 5 2 barrel carbs.   Yeah, 5 carbs... because that's all they could fit apparently.  I knew he understood and liked cars growing up, but my grandfather was more of a "car guy" with cooler cars.  1976 Buick Park Avenue (massive and rode like a dream), 1974 Mercury Marquis 2 door (I would love to find one), and the 1960 Pontiac Bonneville which I now have.  Honestly, I am the only one with a really strong mechanical knack in the family except my Mom's father who was a lifelong (1932 - 1974) machinist at Union Pacific in Cheyenne, Wyo.  He passed when I was only 7 and wasn't around much so I only have a few memories of him.  

 

 

 

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For a guy who never actually has owned his own antique or hobby car my dad was very supportive of my interest in old cars.  He collects many things, railroad, western and automobilia, gas & oil.  Exposure to this hobby came from family friends.  He supported it though, helping me get a 41 Plymouth at age 14, although I paid for the car, he taught me a lot about basic mechanics.  He also taught me an appreciation for collectible items and we enjoy cars among other collectibles.  My son is less interested in cars (I think AJs analysis on state of hobby is correct), but at 31 with education done and a good job he now has the $$ to pursue sports memorabilia at a somewhat serious level, so he collects, just not car related.

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My father, born in 1916, had absolutely no interest in cars and regarded working on them with deep reservation. He'd come around to my garage (for an oil change) and I'd hear him muttering "I hate to see you doing this kind of work." His father was a barber and he'd been trained as one. It took years but his lifelong ambition was to get away from working like that. He succeeded...classical music was his first love and he was first viola of the RI Philharmonic Orchestra. He also played the violin and had a successful printing business (although he couldn't run a printing press).

 

BUT...even though he thought my interest in early cars, 18th century arms and 17th & 18th century history was hopelessly eccentric (his usual comment was to call me "unconventional"), he never did anything to stop me and for that I am grateful. It was my mother and grandmother who encouraged me when young...

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I could go on and on about my old man.  I didn't know he could swear until I was about 25 and playing hockey with him.  Sitting in the lockerroom I went in to shock.    I think I was 35 before I did the opposite of something he told me to do.    Before that I was too scared to.

 

He is 95 now,  and played hockey until he was 89 and his knees went.   This is a picture from about 10 years ago,  going to hockey in his 1984 wagon (He loved those things).   Parked in the handicapped spot.

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My dad always liked cars, not like I do, but he was a normal teenager of the '60s.  My mom gave me her rusty '65 Mustang that Dad helped me get going, and I've been driving it since '94.  My parents (and my wife) have always supported my hobby; Dad taught me basic mechanics and, more importantly, mechanical sense.  Stop and think before doing anything.  Listen.  A guy couldn't ask for much more than that!  

I still keep trying to talk Dad into getting another '71 Mach 1 Mustang (he had one back then) so I could take care of it and, who knows, maybe drive it every once in a while.  He hasn't gone for it yet though...  :)

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I grew up in the hobby, my father was a Model A guy, and had 1939 Pontiac, Looking back now they really were not that old, they were 30 and 40 year old cars. The Pontiac was used on the set for the filming of " The Godfather Part One". He worked for the New City Housing Authority, and like most cities, housing projects are never in the best part of town, so he never had a "good" car for work because he felt it would get vandalized We left the Bronx in the early 70's and moved to Long Island. We would visit my Grandparents in the Bronx every weekend. The streets were filled with 1949-1954  (20 year old used, and used up cars) for sale for $20-$30 and he would always have one in waiting to replace the one he was driving at the time. Recently I have found an attraction to these cars, and have owned several. 

New cars to him were just another appliance (sounds like a lot of the guys on the site). He got tired of breaking down and having to fix a car just to go to work so he bought a VW Bug.

 

Most of the influence my father had on me in the hobby was he indirectly showed me what not to do. I remember we went to what was the big local show here on Long Island called Westbury Gardens. We drove over in His Model A and parked it in spectator parking, I was puzzled and asked him why, he said to me "my car is not good enough to be out there"  I said to myself I will never do that

I am grateful for my father introducing me to this great hobby, but I went down a different path.  

Edited by John348 (see edit history)
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Ohhhh boy, did my Dad have a huge influence on me when it came to cars? YES! In my very early days, my Dad nurtured my attraction to cars. Got me lots of toy cars & trucks, a cool pedal car, and let me help him while he worked on the family cars. He took my brother and me to the Greenfield Village Old Car Festival every October starting at a very young age. He worked for Chrysler Export-Import Division in Detroit. He took us to all of the new Chrysler car unveiling each year and we got promotional models. Some of which I still have in my display case. He took us to the Indianapolis 500 time trials and races a few times. He took us to local stock car races and we were in car heaven. We would go on hunts for cars all over Michigan and sometimes Canada. I remember one evening we trekked into Canada to look at a Chrysler Airflow. My Mom said, "no." My Dad bought a 1931 Dodge Brothers coupe in 1959. I was 7 years old and I loved it! I helped him take the car apart in order to paint it. There it sat until I was in junior high school. I used to hide in it's trunk during our neighborhood "hide and seek" games. The other kids never found me. My Dad gave me that 1931 Dodge when I turned 15. I still have it. I wish Dad was still with us.

File0120.jpg

Edited by keiser31 (see edit history)
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On 1/15/2021 at 8:48 PM, lump said:

 I was allowed to drive as much as I wanted in my Grandpa's 1957 Chevy 210 station wagon, with 265 V8 engine, 3 speed column-shifted transmission & overdrive.

 

57 Chevy wagon Ralph Montgomery 001.jpg

 

 

Lump, I almost bought one exactly like this when I was in my late teens or early twenties. Same paint scheme and everything, but I don't recall it having a manual transmission. I didn't buy it because it was $700, which I thought was a little steep😄.

 

Was it your recollection that this was a popular color for Chevy wagons in '57? That's kind of what I remember. I'd be interested in knowing the name of that color. I always regretted not buying that car. It had a little rust, though...wasn't as nice as your grandad's car. This probably would've been in the late 1970's when I looked at it.

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3 minutes ago, JamesR said:

 

Was it your recollection that this was a popular color for Chevy wagons in '57?

 

One of the few Chevies I went through in the 60s was a 57 four door with a 283 stick. I don't recall an overdrive but I think it was this color.

In those days I changed cars like I changed shorts, often a couple of times a week.

There was a wrecking yard near me that just about always had a $35 car for sale. I would buy those and do my magic and sell them at the high school parking lot.

Never had anything very nice, but I always had something that would run.

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3 hours ago, JamesR said:

 

Lump, I almost bought one exactly like this when I was in my late teens or early twenties. Same paint scheme and everything, but I don't recall it having a manual transmission. I didn't buy it because it was $700, which I thought was a little steep😄.

 

Was it your recollection that this was a popular color for Chevy wagons in '57? That's kind of what I remember. I'd be interested in knowing the name of that color. I always regretted not buying that car. It had a little rust, though...wasn't as nice as your grandad's car. This probably would've been in the late 1970's when I looked at it.

JamesR, Yes, that was definitely a popular color for Chevrolets in both 1956 and 57. IF I recall correctly, it's called "Sierra Bronze" and "Adobe Beige." The latter is the cream-like color. Great memories! 

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