Who has children that help them in the garage?

[427TJ]

On New Year's Day my 7-year-old son and I removed the front bumper from my '55. He was thrilled to help dad. I showed him how to lie on the floor, skootch under the car on his back, look everything over and devise a plan before putting a wrench on anything. Big one: how to hold the light so it shines right on the task and not in dad's face. He got an A+ on light holding. Then I showed him the places where we needed to remove nuts/bolts and explained that you want to loosen them but not remove them so the bumper does not suddenly fall on your head. Keep your face out from under where you're working so all the dirt/grit doesn't fall into your face/eyes. How to hold the ratchet firmly by its head so the force applied goes directly to the fastener. How to loosen tight fasteners carefully, feeling how tight it actually is, so it doesn't suddenly loosen and you punch the frame with your wrench hand and bleed all over the place. Remove all but two bolts and then see how loose the bumper is. Get out from underneath--big one: don't hit your head on the car!--and then loosen the remaining two bolts and pull the bumper off the car. He stood on the driver's side and held the bumper and I was on the pass side and we wiggled the bumper off the car. He was thrilled. The serious look on his face and his 100% attention throughout the job was the best part. I could see the "wow" look on his face when the bumper came off and there we were holding the bumper and I said, "See, no problem." He looked like he had just soloed an airplane for the first time. Then showed him how to attach the un-needed brackets back onto the bumper so you'll have them someday when you either put the bumper back on or sell the car.

There is nothing in the world like seeing your son's (or daughter's) face when you show them how to do something that seems so easy to us but seems impossible to them.

I then showed him how to spray satin black on the exposed areas to make it look good. Later on before dinner I got out some of my old books and magazines and showed him '55 gassers without their front bumpers and explained why racers would remove the bumpers, etc. What a great day.





Oh, and when I lifted the bumper up into the garage attic and put it in the rafters he was fascinated. "Why are you putting it up there?" "Because I don't need it anymore but someday someone will buy the car from me and I'll have the bumper to go with the car." "Are you going to sell the car?" "Not anytime soon but someday it will get sold." "Oh." Then into the house to tell his mother all about it.

[Dog427435]

Love the new look of your '55
Your son will always remember helping you give your car that Gasser look, and hopefully keep the tradition going with his rides!

[427TJ]

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Love the new look of your '55
Your son will always remember helping you give your car that Gasser look, and hopefully keep the tradition going with his rides!

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Got my son this Ertl 1/18 you-build-it kit for Xmas. He and I put it together and I suggested we leave the front bumper off! Looks cool! I then dug through my 40-plus years of model car decals (big shoe box) and came up with the "Fagan's Speed Shop" and the "B/G" (didn't have any other Gas-class decals that would work) and then the speed parts decals for the windows. I even had a 1962-correct NHRA decal for the back window. The "Fagan's" decals are at least 40-45 years old and they almost didn't work but we got them to lay down and then brushed some clear over them. The satan heads on the fenders came from a 1960 Jo-Han decal sheet! Never throw anything away!

I later realized that B/GS means supercharged so I carefully carved the S off and now it just says B/G.

[njsteve]

They both help out when they can. The girl helps with rebuilding engines and painting assembly line markings and the boy helps me with the small car stuff and anything involving hammers. In exchange I help him build ringers for Pinewood Derby. That's him yelling "First Again!" Check out how the car pulls at the top end. (It's the yellow convertible and it was underweight, too, at 4.8 ounces.) He is dangerous with a can of spray paint, though.

[x Baldwin Motion]

Steve that is pretty cool, I had to watch it three or four times !!

[rich p]

My boy just likes to play and GO FAST !!

He loves burnouts and going sideways !!

[x Baldwin Motion]

Almost three years ago I managed to have my son's 7th grade science teacher aprove an engine swap as an acredited "internal combustion engine" project. we photographed the entire procedure and attached the pictures to poster board to display at the school with all the other projects. The teacher was skeptical to say the least that we actually did any of this work (in just three weeks) from just the photos.
So I gave my son the nasty old intake manifold to bring in and abandon it in school. The teacher wanted to see the car so I drove it to school without hood and exhaust for show and tell. He got an "A" on the project.

He has little interest in this car and would like an El Camino. Sadly he would rather play video games than get dirty working on equipment. His older sisters were good for a car wash now and then.

engine swap video

[DarrenX33]

Man, I was embarrassed with the derby car I built this year. I might have to farm out my next car to you..

[JQ]

My wife and I have two girls 10 and 5. They both love playing in the garage and going on cruises. Sydnie my oldest
enjoys going to the track and taking pictures of all of the different cars. Camille tries to help out where she can but really enjoys going on long drives through the foothills with the windows down and wind blowing in her hair...


Staging lanes at Kingdon Raceway


Cruising through the hills

[427TJ]

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