A Quick One While On The Road

It's 5:24am on Sunday June 19th as I write this and before I forget, I want to wish everyone a Happy Fathers Day. While this is a day of remembering Dad's everywhere, and I realize that nowadays this particular Sunday doesn't seem to carry nowhere near as much weight as say Christmas, Valentine's Day or Mothers Day, I have to say it's one thing to be a father - but it's another thing entirely to be a Dad. I'm not going to ramble on with some long diatribe, but take

the time to engage with your kids. Pass down some family history, traditions, and some of your passions. One of the best things my Dad did when I was much younger, was take me to a small Saturday night cruise-in that was primarily a summer event in Point Pleasant New Jersey back in the late 60's. We would go about twice a month during the summer. Hot rods were not his thing, but he dug the old Detroit iron that would be there. The fact that the event was rather small, and that it was free, didn't matter. The main thing was that he took time out of his busy work schedule to take me there - and this was way before laptops, email, the Internet, and cell phones - was way cool in my book. Plus, we would always get a small ice cream at the local Dairy Freeze afterward.

Ever have one of those weekends where you don't even try to make a to-do list because you already know it's going to get jam packed full on it's own? This is one of those weekends. Besides being Fathers Day, and the fact that my two daughters want to do something "for Dad" today, it's also my 31st wedding anniversary this weekend, and there are two car shows that I'm photographing at as well. So unfortunately, this weekend, the blog sorta pays the price. Between get-togethers with family and friends, processing all the pictures I've taken so far this weekend, attending our local city's Summer Solstice Festival, and spending some serious quality time with my beautiful wife, the blog this week is definitely a "quickie". I'll resume the regular format next week.

One cool thing about fairly big car shows - it seems all kinds of vintage cars pop up for sale. Not just at the car events, but along the side of the road. I'm very familiar with a lot of the high performance vehicles that are currently for sale in my local area (and by local, I mean about a 35 mile radius from my house), but some of the potential hot rod material I drove by (and stopped at one at my wife's suggestion) I didn't even know existed. Where's this stuff been hiding? Most vehicles I stumble across are

over-priced junk, but the one I stopped and looked at had incredible potential. Okay, the picture I took with my i-Phone sucks because it's mid-day sunshine and the vehicle in question is refrigerator white. Yes, it was a 4-door, but that didn't bother me - it was still a damn solid 1963 Nova with an automatic which means my wife could drive it. While my other half knew within 15 seconds that the 194 cubic inch in-line six that's currently between the fenders would be history and at least a potent small block V-8 would replace it, the old six cylinder ran like a top. It's current white exterior also meant you paint it any color you wanted and the clean silverish-blue vinyl interior had that unique smell that still jogs my good-vibe memory bank. In other words, one could drive this rig while building the replacement drivetrain and gathering all the parts needed to proceed to the end result. The best part is, with a little haggling, you could literally drive this classic home for about $2500. If you're familiar with these cars, that's dang cheap for a complete running and driving 1st generation Nova.

But the best vehicle I saw all weekend for sale was at a car show. I knew the guy who was basically trying to flip it, but his asking price wasn't out of line. It was a 1953 Ford Sedan Wagon and a true barn find. He only had to put air in the tires to help get the wagon on his trailer. Once home, he popped in a new battery, installed a set of new tires, change the fluids & filters, replace some brake and fuel lines, and had the gas tank cleaned. He made sure the V-8 motor, drivetrain, steering, suspension, and brake systems were all good to go, and he's been driving this classic all over the state - patina, rust, faded paint, and all. My wife and I really wanted this wagon, and my friend knew it. He loved the fact that we didn't want to change a thing, especially the paint. He was even willing to drop his price by a sizable margin, because he's known us for years, but it's just not in the cards right now. This thing called "building a new house" is sorta getting in the way...

But it proves that stuff is still out there to purchase, restore, to hot rod, or drive as is. And there are decent sellers who are indeed breathing oxygen when it comes to prices. But even if you're not in the market, get out there and engage with others in regards to your automotive passion and hobby. Use it or lose it. This is especially true when it comes to your kids. If you don't put the i-Phone away once in a while and interact with your kids now, they won't give you the chance later on.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave