Thread: POLL: How many years ya been doin' this?

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Okay, by popular demand, vote in the poll above about how many years you've been playing with cars. Doesn't necessarily need to be hot rods, even I've sinned and spent part of my life doing the pure restoration thing, and the sports car thing. For anybody from New York or New Jersey, try to be honest here. If you're from Washington D.C. we won't believe anything you post. For you guys from California, we may have a recall vote later.

I built my first engine at the age of 15 and have been wrenching every since... It was a 401 Buick Nailhead!!!

Dave Brisco

I started by helping my dad with his '36 Ford pickup "rod" in '61 or so, graduated to a mini bike at age twelve, took two '56 Fords and made one out of them at fifteen, then went through what seems like fifty cars, over twenty cuctom bikes (all built by me), a couple V6-powered trikes, six or eight stock cars, and am now building my '56 Plymouth 2dr fifties-style rod while on the lookout for cars for my 14-year-old twin sons. I also do custom paint (since '67) and engrave glass. I'm a welder by trade, also paint signs on the side. When you're poor, it comes down to knowing how to do most everything yourself if anything's going to get done. LOL

Built my first motor at 16. A Jaguar V-12 at the automechanics tech we had at my High school. They Paired us off and my parter and I took on the mamoth. He went on to be the states troubleshooting champion and went to Germany or sumpin to compete. Great guy, wonder what ever happened to him. ........Must not.....ramble.....fight ....it. Anyway hung up the tools fer a spell but couldnt kill the spirit and am back in the game thanks to a full time job and a supportive lady.

My dad gave me a '59 Studebaker Lark when I was 13 or so. I proceded to tear it apart to see how cars where put together. I bought a '36 Chevrolet Standard Sedan shortly after.

First engine conversion was a 283 into a '41 Chevy pickup (with a cast iron powerglide and a big Olds rear). I got that motor in a '62 Chevy Belair wagon that I dismantled. The motor spent some time in a '62 Impala before I rebuilt it and swapped it into the '41.

Later I put a 327 in a '54 Austin Healy and a 350 Chevy in a Firebird. The 350 then migrated to a '66 Chevy Pickup and then to a '70 Blazer before I sold it with the truck.

At that time I had a 327 in a Vega GT that would smoke the tires all day long.

At one time I could claim I'd never bought a car with an engine unless I had bought it for the engine.

The Blazer and the Vega were still in my hands in the early 80's, but not much longer than that. Somehow getting married and having kids distracted me for 20 years or so.

My old man is responsible for my demise. I read Streets' story and it almost sounded like the one the old man use to tell me about from time to time. Makes me feel like I was born 40 years too late.
Anyhow, I use to hang with the old man out in the shop since I was able to walk. I was the one loosings his tools in the begining and later on became the one handing them to him as he built his '32 Duece, '33 Plymouth, '34 Plymouth, '66 Fairlane, '67 Cougar, and on and on and on..... MY first car I actually rejected. The old man bought me a '63 Fairlane Sports coupe. It was the very first small block ford engine I tore out and re-gasketed and re-installed. I think I was 13 not quite 14 yet. For some stupid reason I didn't like the car (i kick myself in the ass now) so instead I spot a stripped down bare nothing rolling chassis of a '67 Ranchero and just had to have it. Luckily the old man was into Fairlanes at the time so I had a little bit of a stash to work with and guides as to how int h hell to put it together. It was my first actual car I restored and I still have it today. (needing another resto as I was a bit hard on it in my HS days) I started on it the summer I turned 14 and was driving it 2 months after I got my driver's license when I turned 16. Had to haul arounf 80-100 papers since I was 12 to afford that thing, but it was sure worth every penny of it! The 2nd engine in that same Ranchero, I built/assembled all myself and did my first hardcore parts swaps. I think I was 17 at that time. Uh... first carb rebuilt was a Holley and it leaked like a waterfall. (need gaskets behind bowl screws??? huh??) That was when i was 16. Started doing my own, unassisted, body work When I was 17 after I got into an altercation with my Ranchero.
When i was in the Military, I was the only guy on the Post (was a couple others but only one my age) that people trusted me with their classic cars. Here I was tuning up 60's mustangs, a camaro, a '55 Chevy and a couple serious Mopars of base commanders, officers, and Senior NCO's.
My wife leaves me and my cars alone and my 2 yr old son is out in the garage loosing my tools just as I did when i was his age..... I think we've started a family mold!
And lately, I'm about to embark on my first Streetrod.... moving up the ol' skill level a notch!

I started at 14. I was working at a TV repair store (remember them?) as saturday help (filing, cleaning. electronics still makes no sense) and a guy there was into restoring and rodding early 60s full size big block fords. Sundays at his house was a real learning experience, tech school with beer! Motor swaps, rebuilds, brakes, frame off restos. learned tons, most of it was diagnostic theory. i like diagnosing!

When i neard 16 and wanted a car, mom, who didn;'t drive (dad had passed away when i was 12) said - "You want a car - go buy a car. and oh yeah, you'll need money for insurance". SO i started with a 63 ford 2 door hardtop, 289, and then onto a 72 charger 400, then to anohther 63 ford 289 (become 302, got painted, new interior, and more). And on from there.

Worked as a car mech at a Texaco station tehn a Toyota dealershiip, then 10 years or so on motorcycles, then back to a nissan dealership and well, now it's now. Dirveway is full of Ford products and one bastard camaro (helps to keep the property taxes down ya see - right Streets?).

My step-dad is as much a mechanic as a mushroom is. I used to fix bicycles for all the neighbor kids when I was about 8 or 10. At 12 or so, I started hanging around the Texaco station on main street. That was in 1955. There were a few older kids there who had things like chopped ford coupes and the like. That got me interested, and the following year I got a 40 chev sedan with a bad motor given to me. I bought the parts from my paper route money, took the car to my grandparent's six stall garage and tore down the engine. I did not know a thing about what I was doing, so naturally the car would not run after I was done. Sold it for 25 dollars. When I was 14, my best friend had a Modle A coupe ( he was 13) We totally restored that coupe over the next three years. After that we ( my friend Phil, another friend Joe and myself)really got into cars. Joes dad had a small shop in the back yard that was heated. At Joes, we built another A coupe that we put a Riley four port conversion in, then a willys drag car with a destroked injected 265. After a few runs at the drags, other people started asking us to do work for them. When I turned 18, I went in the Air Force as a jet engine mechanic. My friends continued to work the shop at home, they were both draft exempt. Over the years, I have worked on everything from B-52's to lawnmowers. Today, I am helping my step son with his CJ5 project, teaching him engine, trans and body work. He is just 17, but now wants to become a certified mechanic.

Early years on a farm… yep the exciting stuff, like changing sprockets on a cultivator, fixing flat tires, changing filters and fluids in tractors/trucks/combines/etc. Eventually, around age 14, ended up in town working at a gas station pumping gas, changing oil, packing wheel bearings, and minor tune-ups. Started “hanging out” with some older guys who had a garage and tools. Was helping rebuild small block Chevy engines (and one 348) by age 15. Finally bought my own car at 16 (’56 Chevy), and promptly built up my own 327 to replace the 265 that came in the ’56. Continued helping other guys with their cars, mainly Chevy stuff, for several more years. Started working construction at age 16 (high school work study program… had to only take a grammar and a math class, then headed off to work!). At age 20, became a “factory certified” Yamaha motorcycle mechanic (part time). Somewhere in there, I started engineering classes at a university and then concentrated my “interests” in the construction industry and building commercial structures. A Z28 Camaro, Corvette, 455 Olds powered jet boat, Harley Davidson, a wife and some kids all sprinkled in there somewhere too.

Dan J

I voted 11-20, that's pretty good considering i'm 16

I started very young. What ELSE is there to do livin' on a farm in Iowa?
Then I quit for a while
Now I back at it.

".......even I've sinned and spent part of my life doing the pure restoration thing, and the sports car thing."

Bob, I'm shocked

"I started very young. What ELSE is there to do livin' on a farm in Iowa?"

I hear that, I grew up in Illinois, Dad got a little upset when he found me playing with the governor on the old John Deere.

Originally posted by Mike P
".......even I've sinned and spent part of my life doing the pure restoration thing, and the sports car thing."

Bob, I'm shocked

"I started very young. What ELSE is there to do livin' on a farm in Iowa?"

I hear that, I grew up in Illinois, Dad got a little upset when he found me playing with the governor on the old John Deere.

Ahhh yes, The ol' John Deere ........ It wuz' very hard to stay awake all day N' make staight rows with the ol' Puut - puut - puut of the ol' J,D,

I can't remember when I wasn't working on cars! My dad was a master sgt. in the "Thin Red Line" as a mechanic during wwII and when he started his own masonry business he did his own wrenching. I can't remember a saturday in my childhood I didn't spend in my dad's shop rebuilding or fixing something. I owned my own car by the time I was 10 due to Dads love of picking up $100.00 cars, cleaning them up and selling them. That car was a 1949 chevy panel wagon, six cylinder 3 speed. I wish I had it now! First car I bought when I was sixteen was a 1965 Barracuda 273 comando automatic that was only five years old at the time. It's just been crazy ever since.

I started when I was 10 . Found a old lawnmower engine by the side of the road and after two days of tearing it apart and replacing the spark plug, got it running. Did my first engine tear down when I was 14. It was a flattie from a 1940 ford. Did 3 engine swap in my 56 chevy at 18 and by 20 had a 1941 ford pickup that ran a hot 53 merc engine. Took two open drive shafts and ran then along side cab for a open exhaust. Lived in NYC for two years boxing and working as a longshore man. Came back to My city where I was born and proceeded to have many other vehicles after that including 65 chevy supersport, 69 camaro, 1978 Little red express. !930 Mod.A and mostly trucks after that. Latest project is my 37 chevy pickup with a built 305.