Thoughts on this Hobby

[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.

[petehoovie]

Scott52