Thread: Why yer hot rod?

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I mentioned in another thread a little blurb about the hot rod I'm building, and someone wanted more info, so I took the advice and started a thread so I could state my reasons for building my hot rod., but so that others can tell their stories about why their hot rods are important to them as well.

I'll start.

My grandmother bought the car that I'm currently building up back in 1951 as the second owner. Back when she lived in North Carolina she used to do a bit of dirt track racing(what eventually morphed into NASCAR). She always seemed to have a thing for the hot rods. Everytime I would bring a car by she would always want a look under the hood. I never understood why she took such an interest in my cars, because when I was growing up she never seemed to like fast cars.

After my grandfather's death I had a dream about an old hood ornament(I think it was a 1950 Buick). When I told my grandmother about it she said that she had found an old hood ornament about the same day as I had the dream. It was found by a bobcat, and unfortunately was almost completely destroyed. She asked me to do some research on where it came from. When I did I found out that it came from a 1947-1948 Nash. Her Nash. I told her that I was planning on making a hot rod not doing a restoration. At first I was planning on rodding the '50 Ford coupe(also could have gotten it free) She and I would talk about engines, speed, horses(both 4 legged, and petroleum kind) and... well... cars. One day she suggested the Nash as a hot rod project. At the time I wasn't interested. I didn't think it would be a good project. I was still looking at her '50 Ford. Then I brought my fiance' out to look at the Ford(now she's my wife) and she brought me over to look at the Nash. It was in much better shape. It didn't have a V8 in it, but everything lined up perfectly. It also turns out that the '50 Ford had been involved in a fatal rollover accident, and I am a bit superstitious about that stuff. I went up to grandma and she said that she might even have the original title to the Nash(now in my posession). I was amazed at how many signs pointed to making the Nash a hot rod.

This car is the car she drove from NC to Colorado. This is the car she drove to work supporting not only herself and her only son(my dad... duh), but her entire family. This is the car she drove in to the dance where she met my grandfather(the one I grew up with). After they met they parked her car on the the farm(one of the first farms settled in Colorado), and that's where it was when I got it.

My grandma ended up buying a 2000 Impala(I bought that at the estate auction) after my grandfather's death. Her first car since 1955(last year she registered the Nash as well). Two weeks later she gets a speeding ticket(My grandmother! It has to run in my family!) 85 in a 55 for those interested, but she talked the judge into a lesser penalty(excessive speed). Now with all of this, how can I even build a different car. The two cars my grandma got caught speeding in.

It looks better with the inside cleaned.