My first experience with hot rods was in high school in the early sixties. A small rural community in California's Sacramento Valley, a predominately agricultural area. Without interstates, cable/satellite TV and no large population center, being in a rural area was really being disconnected by todays standards. Our cars were for the most part hot rodified by what ever we could scrounge at the local junkyard or Western Auto. I had a '57 Chevy 210 four door hardtop at the time with the stock 283 and Powerglide setup, not a real hotrod, but a desireable car at the time and I thought it was neat, until the day when the high school nerd came to school one day with a "built" '55 BelAir, I mean this car was like from outer space, it was that dramatically different from all the other cars in the high school parking lot. I don't recall all the specifics about this car but it sounded and looked mean and nasty and the "Nerd" was driving it.....until that day hot rods like this were only to be seen in the pages of HotRod magazine. My first experience in being able to hear and feel a real hotrod and the "Nerd" was driving it! I have nothing against nerds mind you, but nerds just didn't drive hotrods. This was the coolest car in town now and the nerd fast became everybody's friend.