VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions What's YOUR story? How did you get into Old Cars?

We all have a story of who, what, how, and why we got invloved in "Old Cars". What's YOUR story?

I got started by my parents. This was a way of life growing up. We spent our family vacations going to almost every Central Meet. My parents would save money and Dad would spend time restoring the '36 and many other cars. Mom sewed the interior, the kids played in the cars, and Dad made them look great! I am proud of our hobby.

Let's hear YOUR story...

My parents were never into "antique" cars, but always bought a Chevy. My Dad would buy an old "clunker" to drive to work and these were usually very rare cars. The one that set my interest was a 53 business coupe that was purchased from our local utility comp.(BGE) and had a spot light on the roof. It was the coolest thing I had seem and I told him to save it for me, but when it rusted out, he junked it.

My first car was 13 years old, all I could afford.

I bought my first old Chevrolet, a 1931 Coach, in a dentists chair before he even looked into my mouth.

my dad brought home a 26 modle and i started work on it . took it apart cleaned repainted repaired put it back together drove it once and he traded it for a beer box . did not do another for twenty years . i was a slow learner

My story is much the same as Chris' story. My great Uncle bought the '51 brand new, and my parents joined the VCCA in 1971. Dad helped form the Southern Ontario Region (G&D May 1972) and I came along in Dec. My youth was spent in the garage with Dad as the '51 was maintained and a 1950 convertible was restored. Summers on tour with the VCCA were the best memories of my youth. I can remember washing the '51 when I was too short to reach the windows ,roof and hood top. Dad would wash the upper half and I would finish the rest! Here's a picture of me in 1977 on my first day of school. The ironic thing... I am a manager for Zehrs Markets, having worked for them for the last twenty years. I always tell my Mom that I should have skipped school and gone straight to work that day!

I bought my 38 in 1978 with the plan of making it a hot rod but I repaired some of what was to be modified so it became a full restoration instead.
Tony

My love of old Chevys was kindled by my grandfathers' best friend.They both fought in WW1 and when they returned to civilian life they started one upping each other by buying the latest and greatest that Chevrolet had to offer.For my grandfather,this ended in 1943,when he passed away.His buddy was a very close friend of the family and when we would visit,I would always make my way out to his gararge in Brattleboro,VT to see the new Impala that he had just purchased-he would get a new one every two years like clockwork.Seeing those 6 tail ligihts poking their way out of the gararge must have done something for me as I remember the first ride I had in one of his cars,a 1964 Impala Sport Sedan in Almond Fawn with a matching beige interior.I will never forget that moment,sitting between my grandfathers' war buddy and my dad just marvelling at the dash,the steering wheel,everything.Needless to say that my first car was an Impala and I still own an Impala today.Louis Burditt thank you for instilling in me the passion for these cars that you and my grand-dad shared.

My dad was not into cars but drove Chevys and both Grandparents did all so. My first car to drive was grandpa's 52 Deluxe 4 door p.g. I all ways liked tearing apart lawnmowwers and mechanical things. Bought My first car when I was 15 from the neighbor, the 47 Fleetline 4 door that I still have. My Dad used to say that he wished he would have kept the 27 Buick his Grandma gave him when he was 15.
Although the 47 is still apart there have been many Chevys through the garage doors since. Our kids grew up going to car shows and Corvair conventions. Our son has followed in my footsteps still has his first car a 65 Corvair and a 52 Chevy project car.

my first chevy, which i still have, is a 49 deluxe coupe. got it in '61 with over 150K miles showing--$75 . took me about 2 weeks to knock a rod in sthe 216. I then installed a warmed over 54 235 six. that lasted a couple months when a 331 caddy with 37 LaSalle 3 speed and a 50 pontiac rear got put in one weekend. the caddy wouldn't run with the small block chevy trifives of the time, so a low milage 315hp 60 394 ci olds replaced the caddy and showed tailights to many of my peers. the olds seized a rod bearing one evening trying to outrun barney(curfew violation). got caught and the 49 went into mothballs from 1965 till 1980, at which time, my second oldest daughter and i put it back on the road for her high school years. put a 70's 454 with turbo 400 in it for the daughter. she drove it for 3 or 4 years till college relegated into storage again(about 1986). its been in one of the garages since then. the daughters daughter will be needing her first car in a couple years and i'll get it ready for her to terrorize the streets of cumberland like i and her mom did the last couple generations. mike

My Dad sort of got me into cars. He worked for a Pontiac dealer and reconditioned trade-ins for their lot. So he allways had older cars that ran better than new. I helped him work on the "side jobs" on weekends at our home.

At 13 or 14 yrs old, I bugged him about a 32 Chevy 4dr sedan that was rotting away just down the street from us. We never had room to bring it home so that one got away. He found a 36 Master Deluxe located in Jersey City where he first worked in the car business and we both bought it. I was 17 years old. At that time he joined the VCCA. It may have been the late 1960's or so. I followed with another 36 Master and then the 32 Sport Coupe.

My 1st car was a 61 Corvair 4spd, then a 65 GTO that my Dad got at the Pontiac dealership on a trade, then a 72 Vega GT, 69 Vette, 70 El Camino SS, 63 Nova SS, 64 Nova, 84 El Camino, 88 Astro Van, 00 S-10 pick up, and for the last 8 yrs my 00 Blazer. This past July the 68 Camaro SS 350 4spd found me on the internet and has made a home in my garage. I don't think it's going to leave for a very long time. Now my daughter has gotten the old car bug and is talking about a mate for the Camaro.

Then there was the junkers that adopted me, and we pulled parts off them and sold or junked them. I can't count those as mine or my Dad's. They did however help dig us way deeper into this "hobby".

RayG

My dad was a truck mechanic and my grandfather was semi truck driver/owner. It seems like I was always helping out wrenching on things.(I was the goto guy for tight spaces). My grandfather taught me to drive his 1955 f*rd tractor at the age of 8 yrs old.
He had a 1925 chevy touring car his brother gave to him as a b'day present (for $300.00). I hoped over the years he would hand it down to me (being the only boy) but that was not to be.
I finally got to drive it after helping get it out of the barn for it's sale. I was 18 at the time.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1606/8192809/15326316/361009010.jpg
My dad always gave me his older cars as he bought a newer one. If it broke I had to fix it and he pitched in if the repair was over my head. A friend had a 1950 styleline which we hired to drive my wife and I on wedding day. 12yrs later he wanted to sell it so my wife bought for me as an
anniversary gift. He caught her garter and it is still hanging from the rear view mirror.
and so it goes, Bill

I can remember when i was a wee lad, my grandfather always drove a cool car and one winter he parked a VW bus in our laneway. I could not go in it, but I could stare in the windows and underneath. I think i did my first oil change when I was 14. My dad was/is not too mechanical, so i had to learn on my own. When in high school, a friend of mine drew a picture of a Model A roadster and that was the turning point. I had to have one. In 82, my grandfather passed away and I got his 72 Monte Carlo. It got an engine rebuild with a hotter cam, headders, etc and a new paint job. And then, college, marriage, 3 kids, no extra money and plans were put on hold. Now the kids are grown and with some money available... so 2 years ago I began searching form something that would not break the bank and was drivable. Exactly one year and one week ago, the 28 Chev came home. It took over 30 years, but i have my antique, although my dad who is a year older than the car takes offence to being compare to the car (in age). And much to my wife's chagrin, I am shopping for #2. I have no idea where we will put it.

Mt dad and uncle created this monster by taking me to junkyards and swapmeets.

I was born and raised on a saw mill. We did not have money. We had to keep every thing running. Started swining wrenches at 10 years old. Learned how to stick weld at 12, and also how to use a acetelyne torch at the same time. Went to Auto/diesel tech after high school. Passed all the tests and got my ASE certificates. Always liked old cars. A good friend of mine had a Model A. Went to Hershey for the 1st time when 17. Saw all them old cars and wanted one, just not a F%%D. Bought a 1948 Fleetmaster a year later. Joined the VCCA that year. Worked on that till I ran into a girl. Sold it to get married. But the bug did not leave me. Ran into a scrap metal dealer 5 years ago that had 2 trucks. He knew they where Chevy's but nothing else. I bought both of them knowing one was a 1928 because it still had a tag. I rejoined the VCCA then. The other took a little research. That one is a 1926 1/2 ton. The 1/2 ton had a complete ground up restoration. I should have it completed by early May. Then onto the 1928 Natinal AB 1 ton
Woodbutcher

For me it just happened. One day i wanted to get a car and to my disbelief my first car was to be a '32 chevy 2 door coach: fully accesoryied to boot! It was also the first car i drove before i got a licence and the car i still drive off an on when time, ocasion and day fits. I wasnt born into money like most people it seems that have many old automobiles so i've had to bust my butt and work on it to get the '32 into a more realistic form of road worthy but it's been worth it. The way the economy is these days i dont see another chevy any time soon coming along that i can reach but if i get another it will preferably be a '28 or '29.

My first 'old' car was a 62 Nova, 194 with PG and PS. Bot it around 1970. I put duals and chrome reversed wheels on it. But, it wasn't really old. Essentially just a 2nd car for me to drive to work while the 69 Bonneville coupe sat in the garage at home.

My first 'real' old car was the 54 Bel Air hardtop. I saw it at the Portland Swap Meet in April 1976. I couldn't work a deal for it at the swap meet. And just moved on. I bought it the following January (1977) from a guy who had bought it at the swap meet.

I still own that '54. A number of nice cars --- 41 Cad Coupe, 42 spl deluxe sedan, 55 3100 p/u, 56 Bel Air convertible, 57 Nomad, 58 Del Ray, 62 Impala coupe, 68 Impala convertible, 70 Malibu coupe, 71 Impala convertible, 72 Monte --- have come and gone. But the '54 is still here after 33 years. Nice car and I really love it.

Currently it's garage mates are a 37 sedan and a 51 deluxe (tin woody) wagon.

Chevy's are where it's at for me. My dad always drove them. 47, 54, 58, 64, 73, 84 (a caprice coupe that I have) and a 95 (an LT1 Caprice that I have). I've been in the VCCA for 33 yrs. So between my dad and the club, it's C-h-e-v-r-o-l-e-t for me.

Bill.

Bill... I always assumed the woodie in your avatar was yours. Whats the story on that?? Oh. and the link in your sig does not work!!

I've always owned "old" cars, more out of necessity than anything else. They were what I could afford to drive.
I got into "antique" cars in 2005, when, on a whim, I thought I'd try to get into an endurance race. Since having an antique car was a requirement for entry, I bought my '30 coupe. I never really expected to get a spot in the race, as all there was already a waiting list when I submitted my entry. This just gave me an excuse for buying the old Chev. Well, in early January of 2006 my entry was accepted because "... a few of the cars on the waiting list dropped out, as did some of those already accepted, but mainly because of the age and type of car you are entering." After that, I set about learning more about these old cars than I ever wanted to know. And I'm still learning.
Geat fun though, great fun.

Tough question to answer. I loved old cars from my earliest memory. In 1954 I went to kindergarten, sometimes, in a '30 Model A. I came home from the hospital in a '41 Chev by the way. A fellow on our street always had a lot of antique cars around. He had a 1904? Northern with tiller steering that he drove up and down the street and I had my picture taken in it.His son and I would play in the old cars.Every antique car I saw meant dad would have to take a photo of me in it.I've wondered if it had anything to do with the books I read when young(T Model Tommy etc.)My grandfather used to take me to kindergarten in his '52 Plymouth.I drove this car to high school and my first job and still have it. I've never lost my love of old cars.
Neil

Brewster,

I'd been looking for a woodie wagon for 10-ish yrs. I like the 41-48 Chev's and took this picture at a big, local concours a few yrs ago. I tried to buy the car; but not for sale. Anyway, I just used it for my avatar (thnx to BB). Never changed it, even after I bought a 51 'tin woodie' last summer. I guess I should do something about changing it.

As for the signature link, a friend up by Seattle is hosting that link on/to his website. I noticed a few months back it wasn't linking any more. I keep forgetting to contact him and bother him about it. I'll try to remember to contact him now that you've reminded me about it.

Hope all is well....

Bill.

Dad owned a 37 - 42 Fleetline - 48 woodie before moving up to straight 8 Ponchos.

In early 50's, had a school buddie who owned a 48 Ford coupe with 3/4 Merc in it. Tried to go to Chicago one weekend and lost motor near Miss river. Went to junkyard, bought a 32 2 dr coach Chev, pulled that 48 home with it and sold the 32 to my brother for 75.00. Just the beginning for me. Brother knocked motor out of 32, so Dad went uptown and bought a 32 coupe out of a garage for 25.00 to swap out engines. That never happened cause bro wanted coupe intact. I got that coupe as hand me down. Eventually wound up with 49 Fleetline and when couldn't keep that together, bought a 34 coupe from my than girlfriends Dad for 25.00 and drove that one while working on 49.

Have owned old vehicles all my life, mainly because of money situation, raising family - college - etc., but mostly my love of all things "Old". Finally after kids gone and my retirement with full time courier business, and some money from estate, could finally end up with my 48 and 31. Times are greaaat now!! It's even more fun working on them now as there is no more pressure!!

Jim.


Jim.