Where Did You Learn Your Old-School?

It seems I struck a cord last weekend with the post about when we were younger, when gas stations were actually service stations, and the car buying public thinking nothing of modifying factory muscle cars, (including ones we didn't know would become really rare), right after they were purchased. In my humble opinion, all these cool memories can fit under one automotive umbrella - learning about and/or cutting your teeth in regards to hot rodding.

Granted, it used to be way easier and in most cases less expensive because the technology was easier. You didn't need special tools, a set of upper and lower intake manifold gaskets, and 3-4 hours just to install a hotter set of spark plugs. I can remember when I helped my youngest daughter purchase her second car - a 1970 4-door Chevy Nova that was in decent shape with only 42,000+ miles on the clock. It had the 230 cubic inch in-line six cylinder, TH350 automatic, and that was about it. It was a base model in the truest sense of the word - rubber floor mats, bench seat, and power nothing. It was even a radio delete car that still had the original factory dash plate with

"NOVA" stamped into it and was in excellent condition. I once had a guy offer my daughter $500 just for that plate so he could use it for his Yenko Nova restoration. His offer was $100 less than what we paid for the entire car. But getting back to the main point, her Nova was very easy for her to learn and work on. You could lift the hood and literally stand inside the engine bay. Everything was right there - plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel and oil pump, air cleaner, carburetor, valve cover, water pump, belts, hoses - you name it. And while she didn't pursue a career in anything automotive, she does know the basics about her car so she can take care of it and not get screwed over when servicing it.

My oldest daughter, on the other hand, is an ASE technician and general manager of the garage we both work at. However, she had to start somewhere. When we were both younger, she used to help me when I would work on my old cars. By the time she was twelve, she not only knew the basics about cars and how they worked, but knew the difference between metric and ASE wrenches, as well as determining belt routing and engine firing order. She was fortunate enough to have a great vocational school in town with an outstanding automotive technology program, because by the turn of the millennium, all the public schools had long done away with any and all vocational classes.

It seems that a vast pool of knowledge has vanished from several other areas of the automotive world. Remember when I wrote last week that when I win the Powerball I plan on opening an old fashioned service station? Well, add to that a speed shop. This is another aspect of the hot rodding world that is almost all but extinct. For those of you not old enough to remember, a speed shop was a unique combination of an auto parts store and a haven for go-fast equipment. The staff was more than a bunch of people who could rifle through vast amounts of catalogs. In many cases, the speed parts they sold were on their hot rods as well. They could pass along knowledge and insight as to what would work and what wouldn't. In the right setting, they were more than sales people - they were mentors.

I was thumbing through a large box of old car-buff magazines from the late '60's the other night and I came across one of my favorite issues - the May 1968 edition of Popular Hot Rodding. The cover picture alone speaks volumes of how it used to be in the pits of professional drag racing. It was a mingling mix of racers, crew teams, and fans. One could engage in a sub-universe of knowledge where enthusiasts could learn something just by watching. And for some reason, boundaries and attitudes were never a problem. There always seem to be an unspoken level of respect. Unfortunately, all this mingling has gone away from NHRA events, although it still exists at a nostalgic and grass-roots level.

The saying goes, "... you don't know what you have until it's done." In today's society, it seems that our sense of history is fading away like a long-term memory. Engage in some old-school education; read hot rodding magazines and books about it's history. Engage in car shows, racing events that may have some looser rules, and the most important part, the people who participate in these events who are more than willing to share their historical database that's in their brain. And while they're sharing their expertise, just shut up and listen. We can all learn from each other.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave