52wasp
Member
Hello all,
While I have been a member of this Forum for quite some time, it is my observation, that with but a few exceptions, none of us actually KNOW each other here.
I have learned MUCH in my time here, Thanks to all with more AD knowledge than me (and that might be ALL).
While not specifically AD related, I lost my automotive inspiration last week. My Dad. Now, I know all of us have (or had) a Dad, and my situation is not any different from those of you who have lost a parent. It's going to happen. But, in an effort to share what I learned from the amazing man I was fortunate enough to call Dad, and how it shaped me into what I am today, if I may:
Dad as a young man was, essentially, a Hot-Rodder and a Customizer. As a late-teen, he purchased a 51 Ford. Which saw frenched-headlights and -taillights, and requisite primer shortly after purchase. To be followed by a Thunderbird 312 V8, complete with Dual Quads. There was a local car-club, I believe I have seen a "license plate" with the club name, of which Dad was a member. There also happened to be a stretch of road in his hometown simply referred to as "The Boulevard" where may Dad may or may not have street-raced.
ALL of that changed when he met my Mom. He sold the Ford, after they were married, and bought a "station wagon" to haul around their new son, Me. Fast forward a few kids and a few decades, and Dad started his own business, restoring cars. He was a STICKLER for "keeping it stock". I remember him EXTRUDING STAINLESS STEEL STRIPS to recreate mouldings. Show-winning cars left his exceedingly small shop.
Some 19 years ago, he accompanied me on a trip to North Carolina to buy the AD truck I have come to refer to as "Penny". My subsequent plans to "slightly modify it" (meaning chassis and drivetrain swap it- essentially leaving only original sheet metal) weren't met with disapproval. Dad knew I wasn't going to half-a$$ the job.
Well, life gets in the way, as it ALWAYS does, and that AD truck named Penny has been sitting in a storage container for... 6 years? Sadly, Dad did not get to see her finished. We had many a conversation about what I was doing on the truck. What Dad DID get to see was the home I built with all the knowledge gained from working with him on home-projects over the years.
So, here I am. Mom AND Dad have passed. I guess now I am the legacy. Damn, these shoes are big.
If you are lucky enough to still have your Dad... tell him you Love him.
Thanks.
While I have been a member of this Forum for quite some time, it is my observation, that with but a few exceptions, none of us actually KNOW each other here.
I have learned MUCH in my time here, Thanks to all with more AD knowledge than me (and that might be ALL).
While not specifically AD related, I lost my automotive inspiration last week. My Dad. Now, I know all of us have (or had) a Dad, and my situation is not any different from those of you who have lost a parent. It's going to happen. But, in an effort to share what I learned from the amazing man I was fortunate enough to call Dad, and how it shaped me into what I am today, if I may:
Dad as a young man was, essentially, a Hot-Rodder and a Customizer. As a late-teen, he purchased a 51 Ford. Which saw frenched-headlights and -taillights, and requisite primer shortly after purchase. To be followed by a Thunderbird 312 V8, complete with Dual Quads. There was a local car-club, I believe I have seen a "license plate" with the club name, of which Dad was a member. There also happened to be a stretch of road in his hometown simply referred to as "The Boulevard" where may Dad may or may not have street-raced.
ALL of that changed when he met my Mom. He sold the Ford, after they were married, and bought a "station wagon" to haul around their new son, Me. Fast forward a few kids and a few decades, and Dad started his own business, restoring cars. He was a STICKLER for "keeping it stock". I remember him EXTRUDING STAINLESS STEEL STRIPS to recreate mouldings. Show-winning cars left his exceedingly small shop.
Some 19 years ago, he accompanied me on a trip to North Carolina to buy the AD truck I have come to refer to as "Penny". My subsequent plans to "slightly modify it" (meaning chassis and drivetrain swap it- essentially leaving only original sheet metal) weren't met with disapproval. Dad knew I wasn't going to half-a$$ the job.
Well, life gets in the way, as it ALWAYS does, and that AD truck named Penny has been sitting in a storage container for... 6 years? Sadly, Dad did not get to see her finished. We had many a conversation about what I was doing on the truck. What Dad DID get to see was the home I built with all the knowledge gained from working with him on home-projects over the years.
So, here I am. Mom AND Dad have passed. I guess now I am the legacy. Damn, these shoes are big.
If you are lucky enough to still have your Dad... tell him you Love him.
Thanks.
