Quote:
Originally Posted by Calspec
I may be retired now , but I realized back in 1976 I had a horsepower habit. I knew to keep peace in the family I would have to have a plan. The wife had wants of her own, so we came to an agreement. Every time I bought a hotrod, motorcycle or boat I would also buy her something she wanted.
In 1976 I bought a Kawasaki KZ 900 cycle and the same week I bought a new couch,chair & end tables for the wife. I continued to do this up until 2007 when I was forced to retire. It always worked out real well.
To be able to afford it I worked many sixty hour weeks and have worked a good many eighty four hour weeks. It was rough at times but worth it when I had time off to blow the carbon out of my toys. It kept the wife off of my back and my sons had some very nice rides while in high school. It also taught my sons that you have to work if you want to play.  |
I agree, hot rodding teaches you many things, how to work hard to play, and how to be creative with your engineering and elbow grease when you don't have the unlimited toy fund. What has infringed on my happiness though is the overwhelming influx of upper class and wealthy people who can buy anything and spend a few hours bolting it on their cars and run rough shod over the scene. The performance scene just ain't what it used to be. I'm only 46, so I'm not an old timer by any stretch, but, you know, I remember when the street was populated with real car nuts with dirt under their nails, hot rodding was something that a certain type of obsessive enthusiast pursued. Even when you watched racing on TV, you got the mechanics or drivers view, not the fan driven industry marketing view. After 30 years of being a motorhead I still can't think of a better way to spend my extra income, and in weaker moments my rent money
but all in all the scene just isn't as hardcore or as fun as it seems in my memories. I cringe every time I see some joker in loafers crawl out of a bad ass ride, looking like he just came from the country club.
