Thread: Hello from Northwest Washington

Tweet

Figured I'd better introduce myself before I start a build thread. My name is Ryan, but I'll also answer to Red or Mazingo (last name). I'm 30 years old, married with a beautiful little 2 year old daughter, and I live in Silvana, Washington which is about 60 miles north of Seattle.

In March I bought the cleanest, unrestored 80 year old car I've ever laid eyes on outside of private collections and museums. It's a 1937 Dodge 4 door sedan and it was a stock running, driving car all the way up to the 1990s. I have a ton of history for this car, including the original dealership window sticker, but I'll save most of that for the build thread.

I'm an air conditioning and refrigeration technician by trade, and I've spent the last few years working for Fluke setting up and testing temperature calibration baths. Before that I spent 6 years in the US Navy when I was fresh out of highschool. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, and this isn't my first project, but I know there will be more than a few head scratches along the way, so I'm hoping to build up a network of folks here that I can share my passion with and bounce ideas off of; because the wife just thinks I'm nuts.

-Red

Welcome to CHR!

Sounds like a find and we love to read about "one off" builds. We'll look forward to hearing a lot more from you.

Thank you for your service! A lot of proud vets on this site.

Best,
Glenn

Red, welcome to CHR! That sounds like a very nice car you have. Thanks for your service as well! There are many knowledgeable folks here who can help you and we love to see pics too.

And welcome from the East Coast too!
Can't wait to see your build startup.

Hello Red and welcome aboard. It is seldom that we get to begin a build from the planning stage with the builder, usually he has already bought a ton of wrong parts that will not support what he wants to do with the car at the end.
So I'll begin with my very best advice......DO NOT BUY A SINGLE PART FOR YOUR PROJECT UNTIL YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE PROJECT COMMITTED TO PAPER AND HAVE THE BLESSINGS OF ALL CLUBHOTROD MEMBERS.

Not trying to sound bossy here, just trying to help you to prevent mistakes before they happen. Nearly every member on this board has completed multiple projects and so there are probably several thousand years of collective experience that you can draw from here. All of us are eager to pitch in and help you. Unlike many forums where the guys won't even talk to you, we want to make you feel welcome and part of the group.

As far as the wife thinking that you are nuts, ask her to consider that you will be close to home most of your free time, not running loose where there might be other females who could take a fancy to you. You will be constructing a valuable asset that can be used as collateral for a loan that might finance a trip around the world or an addition to your home. Then there is the comradery and making friends with other families who are in the sport. Rod runs can be a great deal of fun, as well as educational for your children.

I'll end with this: The last two items to be bought for a project should be the cam and the torque converter.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6f/72...f82b74adc7.jpg
.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Hello Red and welcome aboard. It is seldom that we get to begin a build from the planning stage with the builder, usually he has already bought a ton of wrong parts that will not support what he wants to do with the car at the end.
So I'll begin with my very best advice......DO NOT BUY A SINGLE PART FOR YOUR PROJECT UNTIL YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE PROJECT COMMITTED TO PAPER AND HAVE THE BLESSINGS OF ALL CLUBHOTROD MEMBERS.

Not trying to sound bossy here, just trying to help you to prevent mistakes before they happen. Nearly every member on this board has completed multiple projects and so there are probably several thousand years of collective experience that you can draw from here. All of us are eager to pitch in and help you. Unlike many forums where the guys won't even talk to you, we want to make you feel welcome and part of the group.

As far as the wife thinking that you are nuts, ask her to consider that you will be close to home most of your free time, not running loose where there might be other females who could take a fancy to you. You will be constructing a valuable asset that can be used as collateral for a loan that might finance a trip around the world or an addition to your home. Then there is the comradery and making friends with other families who are in the sport. Rod runs can be a great deal of fun, as well as educational for your children.

I'll end with this: The last two items to be bought for a project should be the cam and the torque converter.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6f/72...f82b74adc7.jpg
.

I've already started the build, so while you'll get to see it from start to finish, much of the work has already been done. But don't worry, I began this project with a very specific goal in mind. I spent a lot of time measuring, researching and reviewing to come up with exactly what I want. I'm the type of person that loses interest if it starts to feel like I'm not getting anywhere, so I've forced myself to plan well ahead before starting any work.

I got lucky, so to speak, when my Chevy Silverado was totalled a month after purchasing the car. I was able to purchase the truck back for $1k, after they gave me $2k more than I had originally paid for it. I loved everything about that truck and intended to keep it for a very long time. Since the wreck, I have decided to use the truck's running gear and sell the rest to fund the car. The truck has more than enough power, and I'm building the car basically as the truck with an older body. Modern ride, moderate power and classic looks. Suspension will obviously be different, but it will otherwise be exactly what my Silverado was mechanically.

As for the wife, we've been together long enough that she knows better than to buy into any of my excuses. I want another hot rod, and I'm going to build it; trying to convince her of any other reasoning is only going to be wasted conversation. She's ok with it, she's just not going to let me do what I want without a little noise from the peanut gallery. I always tell her "I'm addicted to cars, not drugs! There's worse things to be involved in." Under her breath I can usually hear "There's cheaper ones, too!" She keeps me in check when I need it, and that's not very often the case, so she tolerates my shenanigans. I think she knows it helps keep me sane.

Like Tech says:

We'll spend your dollars!

Seriously.

Good luck, listen to the advice. You'll have a good build.

Welcome aboard from a PNW expat. Glad to have some young blood in the hobby and glad to have someone with ambition and skill in the mix.

The car when I first got it home.