. . . and tripped over an old oil pan someone left in the doorway . . .

Anyhow, I liked what I saw. Lots of interesting threads. Here's some stuff about me . . . well, mostly my rides . . . Listen up, there may be a quiz later. If you get bored reading, just say hi and find something more interesting.

I got the hotrod bug in the late 50's, with a '51 tudor sedan, three on the floor with a Whitney shifter (hey, it's all I could find), nosed and decked, reversed my own rims, rolled the rear and front pans, pulled the 216 and dropped in a 235 with a six-cylinder Corvette cam, dual one barrels, Fenton headers, and painted it in my dad's service station. I guess that dates me. Wish I still had it.

Drove muscle cars through the 60's & 70's - mostly a '68 GTO 350 HP 400 that I rebopped with Ram Air IV parts. 11.73 compression, Holly 3-bbl (remember those?) Muncie wide ratio and 4:10 gears, 7- 8 mpg, but who cared? My bible was the Bobcat articles by the folks at Ace Wilson's Royal Pontiac. Unleaded gas and a couple of kids prompted the sale. Wish I still had it.

In the 80's, the street rod bug bit hard. I was looking for an early GTO, but ran across a '30 Model A tudor sedan, all steel, original chassis. Complete except for fenders. Ordered a TCI frame and rear suspension, but that's about all I bought from the ready-to-wear store. Sold the "A" chassis, and started scrounging parts. Chopped up a Mustang II front suspension and grafted it on. Found a 454 in a station wagon in a farm field, did a radical rebuild on the 454 (too much is just about right), hooked it to a toploader 4-speed with an adapter scattershield, tied it to a 9" rear with 4:10's. Chopped the top in my garage and cut every dang bracket necessary to mount everything from hot-rolled steel sheet (no Billet Specialties back then). Totally wore out my sabre saw. Painted it Guard's red in a buddy's bodyshop. With kids going to college, and a guy in Harrisburg, PA offering me more and more $$$$ every week, I had a weak moment and sold it. Wish I still had it.

In the late 80's, had a brief interlude with a 72 Chevy custom pickup, slammed, tubbed, louvered, shaved, 496 big block, Streetfighter TH400, 9" Ford, etc. It wasn't tubbed when I got it, but I got bored one winter, sawed it off behind the cab and built a new frame from there back. Kid made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Wish I still had it.

Now, the bug is back. Current project is a Gibbon Viper II lowboy, channeled on a P&J frame, tube front axle, Fastburn 385 w/ the "Hot cam" / roller rocker package. Going a little old school on this one with tube axle and hairpins front and back. This one's gong to be a driver. Probably won't paint the motor or trans. Chevy crate black and aluminum are looking OK to me now. Besides, I did the whole detail route on the Model A. It's more of a "kit car" approach than the "A", but been there, done that. This one's a keeper when it's done. no more "I wish I still had it."

If you got this far, you must really be bored . . . or have no life at all. Why ain't you workin' on your rod?

Jack Cox
Virginia Beach

I've got some photos. Will post them eventually.