I have a 1955 Chevy handman 2-dr wagon restomod. At car events it was put in the 55-57 Chevy groups. Most often a red or black '57 Convertible would win. I started putting it in "special interest" and got trophies. All my life I've seen factory original and restored original older cars completely overlooked by judges and viewers while a new Vette, Camaro, or Mustang gets the attention. I can see those a Walmart any day. ... View more

What's a virgin? I had a sign hanging on my 1949 Dodge "Made in Virginia by virgins" My grandma made me take the sign off. ... View more

Born and almost raised in Illinois. Many new cars of the 70s-80s came prerusted and rusted more on the showroom floor. So a restored Vega, Pinto, AMC wouldn't be original unless the rockers and most of the car has holes and brown jagged metal on it. ... View more

Disc brakes on the front of a Model T would not add much weight. The front axle was made to twist and bend. However I agree disc brakes look silly and the rest of the stock front end would eventually give out. Possibly wire wheels would help. Kits used to be made for Model T 4-wheel brakes. Thinking back when we had a Model T, even 40 MPH was scary. My slightly modified original suspension, steering, and closed drive Model A has gone 75+ briefly. It handled amazingly well but being an open car, it wouldn't be practical for many miles. Hydraulic brakes, a booster, F-1 steering box, and a 260 Ford V-8 helps. I also suggest 12V upgrade with a GM alternator for any driver. LED headlites are now available for that stock look. ... View more

My wife and I spent much time over 60+ years looking for a 1931 Model A deluxe phaeton. If I found one it was too expensive, too far away, or I had no place for it. 60 years later I found our dream Model A. Except for minor details like a Falcon V-8, 4-speed, hydraulic brakes, F-1 steering, a modified dash besel, etc. I don't have another 60 years left so I bought it and am very happy with my modified Model A. The car is 90 years old and the engine/tranny 60 years old. Most who look under the hood think it's factory original. It looks old, feels old, and handles like it's old....... just like me! I'd swap it for a good original Victoria in a minute. ... View more

We use my son's Smart phone for GPS and even to check the speed. I still use an old paper Atlas and rarely ever got lost. My kids have no idea where Alexa is sending them. ... View more

The 1929 Model A roadster pickup next to me at the car show had a rebuilt stock engine and a new battery with stock generator. It took him 15 min. slow cranking, trying the hand crank, letting it sit, then barely cranking over to start. For some reason it turned over very slowly. My Model A has a 260 V-8 Ford engine, 12 V, and alternator. It had those modifications when I bought it. Barely touching the dash mounted starter button had it running instantly. I'd sort of rather have a stock Model A engine but at my age cruising at 55-60 MPH with no worries keeps me smiling. With the original rear and all suspension it feels like an old car! At a minumum I'd add an alternator and hydraulic brakes to any car except the oldest of original "show only" vehicles. ... View more

At yesterday's local car show there was only one vehicle older than my 1931 Model A. It was the 1929 Model A roadster pick up next to mine. His engine was recently rebuilt with a few shiny parts. Looked and ran great. My Model A has a 260 Falcon V-8 painted semi gloss black. Most of the crowd had no idea that little 260 V-8 wasn't factory stock. Actually it is a 60 year old Ford engine. Even that's older than many cars now at cruise ins. Many other slightly newer old cars were 99% fibreglass pretend classics. The rest muscle cars. Along with Corvettes, Camaros, and late model Mustangs this is what we see at car events now. ... View more

We took my Model A phaeton to a car show yesterday here in Illinois. The leather seats were plenty warm and we actually kept cool with the windshield slightly open and the side curtains removed. Yes, even he granddaughter smiled as the wind blew her hair. I suppose it would help me smile in January on a snowy afternoon. ... View more

YouTube is your friend. You can find all those answers plus how to do those modfications. ... View more

I believe those are low profile racing slicks. ... View more

YouTube is your friend. You can find all those answers plus how to do those modfications. I typed before reading the Google is your friend tip. ... View more

I had a 1926 T touring with wood wheels. It worried me everytime I drove over rough roads. Lucky I live in Illinois where our roads are ........... smooth! ... View more

When I went to school my Tablet had lines on paper with a spring holding the pages together. ... View more

I've had a few of those but forgot where they go on a Corvair. ... View more

I ran out of that stuff years ago. ... View more

My 1955 Chevy wagon has a digital dash, modern wipers, cruise, AC/heat, etc. I hate the modern look but my son made the changes thinking I'd like it that way. If I liked it I'd bought another late model Impala like I drive shopping. The best things about classic cars are their classic looks. ... View more

As my little avatar shows, I kinda like all cars, well all but some of those foreign things. But I've had some of those too! Right now there is an old Ford and an old Chevy in my little garage. Another Ford and another Chevy in two other garages. Yet another old Ford and a late model Impala in the carport. I've had a few Stupidbakers and Dodges. If it's on four wheels. sometimes two, I treat them equally. Now I gotta figure how to swap my avatar to my latest ............FORD. It's a FORD   ... View more

Thanks. Lots of VW and minivan memories. ... View more

Yes, and I have matching brown seat belts. Not great in a topless car. But I like the idea that she uses them in other cars. I'm not sure if I'll be around to teach little Izzy to drive in ten more years but she told me that's my job. ... View more

Thanks for reading my story. At first I hesitated calling my car the same as many called my wife when we lived in the south. But my little granddaughter thought that was the perfect name. ... View more

It's not the snow that keeps my old cars under cover, it's the crappy salt mix that they spread on every street here in the midwest. I used Sta-Bil in my recently bought Model A and left the tank low, thinking I'd install the new fuel gauge, sediment bowl, and redo the fuel lines. I didn't touch it. The engine is a 260 Falcon V-8 and electric fuel pump with Michigan gas in it. Here in Illinois they make that corn fuel additive. ... View more

I made it back here. A virus killed my computer and I had to start over. Even that was a blessing. Now I'm back on YouTube, reading and making comments. Sitting alone and talking to myself became boring.   The real Miss Dollie had a heart of gold and reminded me often about buying a red Model A convertible. Life and other car projects got in the way. When I did finally find OUR '31, it was too late and I'd given up. If it weren't for my  little family and a few 'old car friends' telling me to follow my dream and my heart, I'd never gotten that car. I still haven't driven it. I know very little about it. I mostly look at the photos I took before putting her to sleep for the winter and keep buying useless accessories that a real Model A lover and Henry Ford would laugh at. I rarely name my cars. But this one seems special and those who loved Dollie love 'MissDollie'. Thanks for the reply CitationMan. ... View more

Sorry I'm late. My family has  been a large part of my hobbies, and I sure seemed to have a lot of hobbies. It's been three months and I still know little about my new toy, 'MissDollie'. After living in Florida, I'm allergic to COLD. Still having our taco Tuesdays and pizza Fridays. The other kids stop by and call. Amazingly I'm surviving okay, with the help of 'Meals on Wheels' and that  invention called Microwave. Now that I'm alone, I watch YouTube old car videos on the large Smart TV and enjoy the cruise-in's we used to attend. Barn Finds makes me smile.   I never did get that 1940 Ford I used to fantasize about. But a '39 coupe and a '41 tudor have made us very happy for years. That little daughter is now over 50, which keeps me reminded I've had the Chevy powered '39 Ford for over 50 years with everything still the same. The brakes need work, it's covered with cobwebs, and needs a little lovin'.  My 1948 Chevy panel truck never did get finished. Those are jobs I left to my oldest son and son-in-law to finish, now in their garages. Right now, we are all looking through my boxes of junk for the pair of restored 1931 Illinois license plates that I saved from the 60's. I put them away for safe keeping when we re-retired from Florida. In Illinois, I can put the shiny new tags in the car and display those ugly green '31 skinny plates. From what I've found out, the little red Model A is worth twice what I paid for it.  Or whatever the next sucker is wiling to give! The cost of  parts now amazes me! Of course, to me, 'MissDollie' is now priceless. ... View more

Thank you Nitro. Somehow I lost this Hagerty group. But like most things, I figured out how to get back. 'MissDollie' is still covered up out back, patiently waiting for the rest of the snow to melt and the road salt to disappear. But I've been buying shiny things to make her even sexier. In my mind, I've already put a million miles on that little red car. ... View more

The good ones lasted almost a year. ... View more

Sadly when one of my computers died I lost all of my car cruising and car comedy songs. ... View more

As a retired trucker and recovering car nut, I still play the old cruisin and trucking songs of days gone by. Whether I'm in a VW beetle or a hot Corvette, in my mind, I'm burnin rubber down the quarter mile. I learned to drive a car and an 18 wheeler on parts of Illinois rt 66. Always dreamed of cruising it out west. ... View more

Yep! That's right up there at the top of cruisin songs! ... View more

This appears to be am early 1926 T. In 1926 Ford moved the gas tank from under the front seat to the cowl, like the later Model A. Steeper hills could then be driven foward. Imagine sitting on the gas tank or having it in your lap. I also owned a VW with the gas tank over my knees and several Model A's. I heard of very few old cars catching fire because of where the fuel tank was. After the Model A, the tank sat in the open at the rear. Yet the Corvair was dangerous at any speed? ... View more

I've driven many Model A Fords through more than a foot of snow. Amazingly snow and sand only slowed them down. ... View more

It's the VOLO museum in Volo, Ill. A fun place to visit. But my 1926 T touring was never taken out in the rain or snow. ... View more

My grandma begged me to take their 58 Rambler. I refused. To me it was an ugly old people car. I'd love to have it today. ... View more

I still remember the first time the car salesman took me for a ride around the abandoned go-cart track in my future Austin Healey Sprite. Took years to get the smell off the passenger seat. Yet I ended up swapping in a GM 327 and 3 - 2 barrel carbs. ... View more

I like fast cars and faster women. Can't remember having either. ... View more

We spent 22 years retired in Florida. The only convertibles I had there was a 1926 T touring and a 1977 Vette T top. The tops were rarely lowered/removed. Now back in Illinois I own a 1931 Model a convertible. ... called a phaeton. Most likely, that top will never go down. ... View more

I loved my 1960 maroon Sprite with the fibreglass top. The little engine didn't last long. So I put a GM 327 and powerglide in it's place. No longer slow but still scary to drive fast. ... View more

My wife and I rode the Tail of the Dragon several times on an old Harley tank shift panhead, a 1987 Chevy van, and even a 1955 Chevy station wagon. Each time was exiting and fun. Each time a Rice Rocket went straight on a curve. We may have been slow but I'm here to write about it. ... View more

Many of my stories were written in an RV and rewritten at a desk behind a sofa in a living room. No imagination needed. For some reason I kept scribbled notes and a knack for useless memories. ... View more

Yes sir. That's how it was in our blue 1957 VW beetle. I still remember the time my young wife and I drove from the middle of Illinois to the middle of NY to a small concert in a cow pasture. Little did we know we'd spend more time sleeping in the VW than our little tent. My life seems to revolve around cars, trucks, and RV's. ... View more

I'm sure I never got my 1926 T touring over 40 MPH on a good day! ... View more

I learned to drive and street race in central Illinois. My 1965 Mustang fastback laughed at Cougars. Now back here puttering in my classics, my antique, and my late model Impala. The only Cougars I see now are hangin out on Main Street. ... View more

The slowest cars I ever owned was my 1957 VW Beatle and 1987 Ford Escort. The fuel mileage on each was worth the extra time it took to get there. ... View more

Our Corvair was an UltraVan. It had everything, including the kitchen sink! ... View more

I almost fit in right here. My first motorsicle was a 150 Honda. My young wife had to get off and walk up steep hills! She'd say things under her breath I can't repeat here! The last time she rode with me was the time she slipped off the rear, hit the license plate, and bruised her rear! From that little black white walled mean machine we went to a 1950 Harley hydraglide with a tank shifter. Her and I rode 100 miles west and up the Missisippi River to where it sorta begins. We crossed over and came down the east side, sometimes actually seeing the river. The next year we drove that 100 miles west, took back roads and 2-lanes all the way to the mouth of that same Mississippi River. This time, we came back north near Peoria, Ill. camping together in a tiny pup tent or cheap motel. We rode that same old Harley down to the Smokies and even across "The Tail of the Dragon". Never in a hurry. Always havin fun and sharing our stories. My first old car project was a worn out 1931 Model A coupe. Like a fool, I sold it before I got it finished. Yes, we had lots of other Model A Fords over the years. But our dream was to someday own a red 1931 2-dr phaeton. Sixty years later, after my wife passed, I finally found OUR red Model A. This one cost more, was farther away than I'd planned, and the little 201 ci engine has been replaced by a small 260 V-8 and 5 speed tranny. All hooked to a Model A rear and mostly Model A drive train. I bought it just before winter came but did get to take a few short drives. I can't imagine ever going over 55 MPH in that car! But like the Honda and the Harley, it won't be how fast I get someplace, it will be how much fun the trip was. ... View more

I'd rather date a toothless naked Greta and frolic together foraging for berries than eat fast food in Illinois while freezing my behind. After all, some fairy tales can come true. Made up randomly by me. ... View more

I remember when all of Illinois was part of an ocean. Chicago was a safe place to walk after dark back then. ... View more

My '55 Chevy wagon with a peppy 305 and 4-barrel hooked to a 2004R gets 20+ on average everyday driving. ... View more

And that's why we hated getting old and having to leave the boonies of Florida. Yet Illinois, low taxes, great honest politicians, and......... oops, I just woke up! ... View more

That's why I reply with random confusion. I'm more of your Foster Brooks. ... View more