When did you "know" you were a car guy?

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RON REAGLE

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My Dad was into cars and bought a 65 Barracuda just before I was born in Sept of 1964. That Barracuda with the Commando 273 backed by a 4 speed was our "family" car growing up. It is the car that made me Love cars. The sound of that car will forever be ingrained in my mind. Here's a couple pictures of me and the car taken when I was about 2. One is my Dad and a buddy tuning it up. Others are "family" pics with the car.

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I’d have to say it was back in the late fifties, ten years old and got the bug. A teenager who live down the street was always working on his hotrod in the driveway. I would go over and watch him work on the engine every day.

Back then you tried to get as much horsepower out of a small V-8 as possible. He was always tune it, rebuilding the carb, adjusting the valves. I was fascinated with what he was doing and payed attention. I was hooked.

Couldn’t wait to buy my first one to start working on. Saving as much money as I could, mowing lawns and odd job I could find. My first car cost me $50, with a bad cylinder, but I didn’t care it was a car and it was all mine!

School of hard knocks, trial and error was the only way to go back then. After getting into it, wasn’t long before I found an old Motors book. Replaced one piston and rings without honing and without pulling the motor, oh boy! Couldn’t get it started to save my life. Who knew that a distributor could be 180 out? She used some oil but at 50 cents a quart was cheap and gas was 37 cents a gallon.

Still it was a lot of fun, thanks to my neighbor allowing me to use space in her garage too. Those were the days.
 
Late 60s, 9 years old or so... My older brother had a '55 Chevy with a straight 6 and 3 deuces, was always tinkering on it in the driveway and I was always getting in his way because I had to see what was so interesting about it. Little brothers, you know... To get me out of his hair, my dad got me my own set of tools and gave me an old Case tractor that was sitting behind one of the farm sheds that had a frozen engine in it, and told me to have at 'er. Pulled the head, soaked it with kerosene for a couple days, and beat the pistons loose with a rounded off 4x4 and a sledgehammer... put it back together, my dad gave it a shot of ether and a couple of cranks (hand crank, battery was junk) and it fired up. I was hooked. Little did I know at the time what was in store...
 
14 years old. -- I bought a Model-A coupe, with a conversion from a 40 ford -- flat head V8 -- trans -- brakes, etc. and VW bucket seats. Onward from there, for 61 years, with over 100 cars, including daily drivers, and pick-ups.
 
Yes I was hooked too and have had more cars than I can count over the last 42 years. Got my first car when I was 13 (55 now) Here's a small sample

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Don't want to sound like a jerk, but I think I was born this way. First memories are of Hot Wheels and then plastic models and Pinewood Derby cars. I remember getting yelled at by by my mom for wearing out the knees in my Toughskin jeans from playing in the dirt outside. My dad would pour his used oil on the ground in the alley, and it was a great place to "build roads".
When I started to realized everyone wasn't a car person, I felt bad for them.
 
Far back as I can remember..... Before kindergarten I was playing with my older brother's models. I was trying to build models by 1st grade. I loved being in any car that was racing - on a back road or on the interstate! I was always trying to help Dad on his cars, and he went to school in the early 60's for mechanics. I had a Hot Wheel collection, STomper 4x4's, etc. Made my first car when I was 10, LOL, an old riding lawn mower that I got going and rode all over. I did my first valve job on it too when I was 11... I pulled the head off the Briggs and used Dad's wire wheel on the valves and it ran great after that. Bought my first "real" car when I was 14, a '72 Duster. Rest is history
 
When I was about 14 my Dad took me car shopping for my sister. They picked up a 74 318 Duster for her, and that sparked my interest. She and my Brother-in-law painted it metallic green and put Keystones on it. That got me even more fired up. Then my sister came home with another Duster 360 4-speed car that she wanted to sell. I took a drive in that one and I was hooked. Still have that car! Bought it 36 years ago
 
When I got my go-cart at about 8-9 years old.
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When i was 17 and started "customizing" my hand me down 63 Econoline van.
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That was beginning of years of wrenching.
 
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It is mainly genetic, although it can be learned to love it!! I got the love of auto mechanics from my dad, love of dogs from my mother, love of the land from my mother's dad, love of horses from ????????
 
Oh, yeah... almost forgot about all the Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and Aurora HO (ThunderJet 500s!) slotcars I went through- spent my meager savings on armatures, gold pickups and spongee slicks, would race at the local YMCA that had a big track in the basement. Still spending my meager savings on bigger versions!
 
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My first word was "truck".

Not "mama".

... but "truck".

It's a technicality, but I think I win.
 
My Dad owned a Sunoco station, and I started working there part time at around 12. We used to get all the hot cars coming in for 260. My first ride in a muscle car was a 67 GTX 440 4 speed that the mechanic was tuning up. That sealed it.
 
We lived in Dawson Ga. and parents bought a somewhat used 55 Pontiac. Dad was the parts man at the local little town dealership. I was 9, and it was 1957, and they went from SW Ga to somewhere in Fl to pick it up. Mom drove it back with me, I remember her saying " Lets open her up and see what she can do!" Probably about 110 or so. I was like lets go faster mom!!
I learned to steer in it, sitting on her lay bout age 10.
First fast car I had a ride in was a 62 Impala 4 speed 409 I was maybe 14. He pinned me and is cousin back hard in the seats! laughing his *** off! I was like WOW!!!!!
 
We lived in Dawson Ga. and parents bought a somewhat used 55 Pontiac. Dad was the parts man at the local little town dealership. I was 9, and it was 1957, and they went from SW Ga to somewhere in Fl to pick it up. Mom drove it back with me, I remember her saying " Lets open her up and see what she can do!" Probably about 110 or so. I was like lets go faster mom!!
I learned to steer in it, sitting on her lay bout age 10.
First fast car I had a ride in was a 62 Impala 4 speed 409 I was maybe 14. He pinned me and is cousin back hard in the seats! laughing his *** off! I was like WOW!!!!!
Day-1,came home in moms brand new 64 dart 170 slant 3 on the tree. First new car my folks ever bought...Swingn.
 
It's a technicality, but I think I win
If we are being technical, my very first 4 wheeled vehicle was a "coaster" (think soap box derby) at about 6-7 years old. Started modifying it shortly there after.

Pedal brake and real steering!

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Early Rat Rod

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You just said a word :poke::rolleyes:
 
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At around 7 or 8 my dad handed me a piece of sandpaper and had me prep a front fender of an Imperial. He painted cars for a living and would do a lot side work at home. Growing up there were a lot of 30's era Chrysler's, Plymouth's and Dodge's in his shop for paint jobs.
At about the age of 11 I took apart my first motor. It was a 1937 Dodge truck flat head 6 and I've been hooked on the mechanical aspect ever since.
 
It's great to see the assumption that all "car guys" are in fact guys...…..

Fall Semester 2003....I was going into my senior year of high school and taking part time credits at the community college. I was really bored with school and really wanted to quit, nothing the counselors said I could do or be sounded appealing. I was not very happy in life and had no idea what to do with myself. When i was registering for classes I kept running into schedule conflicts and couldn't get the classes I wanted.

My adoptive parents were really trying to help me find something I was happy with and out of no where they suggested "why don't you try a class or two in automotive technology" I must have looked at them like they were freaking nuts, but it did fit the schedule and the amount of credits I needed.

They really pushed me to try something different, so I was in "bolt on parts replacement class" and "engines 1 theory and design" class.

I showed up on the first day and was the only girl and they all looked at me like "what the hell are you doing here"

The next semester I willingly signed up for more automotive classes and completed the whole program and got involved in the skillsUSA program.

Cars changed my life and how I see the world, Cars are the greatest tangible creation by the hands of mankind.

My Adoptive dad has a 69 A56 Cuda that he bought as a used car in 1972 so I grew up seeing that car around and my first car was a 72 swinger, right after I bought a 74 Duster and now I have too many projects.
 
Dreams crushed lol.... 5 years old and riding in a 72 340 Duster that I ended up owning and got totalled.

Grandpa bought me a Fox minibike. In the ER on day 2 and I was hooked.

Fishing with my Dad in Mocassin filled Curratuck sound.

Women was Tara (thank you lol....)

JW
 
At near 10 years young..
A farmers son had a 68 Chevelle and I watched and got in his way on rainy days.
 
As soon as I drove a car. (Preceded me even taking driver's ed or getting a license, and unbeknownst to my parents...lol)
 
My father worked for Chrysler my entire childhood. He retired from there as well. He wasn't an ultra gearhead, but changed brakes, oil, etc, and was very good with hands. He would always bring home Chrysler literature from work so I fell in love in an era of the first viper, the genII rams, the prowler, etc. Quickly took interest in muscle cars, especially mopars. My first job was at the local dragstrip. I ran the starting line and started racing in high school, through college. The rest is history.
 
Some of my earliest memories, my Dad drove a VW bug and I would watch how he shifted gears and drove the car and it looked like fun to me.
 
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