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From reading some of the posts on here I feel like a youngster.... and I'm real close to the half century mark....

My guess is most folks on here are in retirement or real close to it.

Just curious..

Marc

Not sure what retirement or real close means....but 50+/- a few ain't bad....fly to Calgary on Business occasionally...spent a week one night in the James Joyce Pub.
Duce

no worries man, 16 with no idea ;]

Retirement??????????? Gee that could almost be nice I'd have more time to work on my stuff LOL
Ok so Im not a spring chicken But Im not dead yet
LOL I'll confess up 46 here Ok so Im a little older then my car rofl. and I don't run as fast as it does either hahaha

i am, as the tombstones used to say, "in the sixty-seventh year of my age," but "retirement" is not likely any time soon, since i spent my youth in various Diversions that did not involve making any money.

Yes, in any meeting of Inliners we'll see a lot of gray hair. With that we may also find a lot of accumulated experience and, here and there, some wisdom. Others are elsewhere, accumulating their own experience. How wisely they are accumulating it, or how wise they may become as a result, remains to be seen. Mere survival, in this hellbent twenty-first century, may require all the wisdom one can acquire, and the grace to exercise it.

Inliners are good at doing what they can with what they have and finding some pleasure in it. They are not given to wasting time wishing for what they don't have, or regretting their choices. The older we are, the less time we have to waste.

Let us all hope that our cars will run faster than we can run . . . and that we can keep up with them behind the wheel.

God's Peace to you.

d
Inliner #1450

Gentlemen;

Please don't L@@K forward to retirement. It's totaly boring and you won't like it, believe me.

After over 3 decades, I was forced into "it" several years back due to back problems and (politics) within the "academic" community.

Since then; I have kept busy with a variety of 'consulting/advisory' positions with some success. Worked in "the movies" and then did fairly well investing in 50s era vehicles, parts and speed equipment till fuel the costs doubled here. :rolleyes:

Much will be For Sale later & I WILL list it here first.

Presently; I am working on a Feature Film with "high hopes" and a 'Solar Electric' project "on the side".

I will be 66 this September.

Happy trails to all.

I will also be 66 this September. I am drawing rocking chair $$, but still work part time delivering drive shafts for Powertrain Industries here in Springfield, Missouri. I am currently building a 302 GMC, and will post some photos when I figure out how. Cya

I think "retirement" is a state of mind. I am more busy now then when I put in 40+ a week.

I am trying to decide about retirement right now. I'll be 65 in 4 months and have been counting the days. People say "what are you going to do after you retire"? I say "work on my car". The closer I get to it the less sure that I will retire at this time. The money is still good, I feel good, and I get enough vacation to do what I want to do. Slowly I am doing thing to the 53 Chevy that I wanted to do to my 50 Chevy when I was teenager in the 50's and early 60's. Although, it hurts now getting out from under the car or stretching over the fenders. I don't know retirement might have to wait another couple of years.

I'm afraid I'll be working until I'm 70. I have 30 years to go but the future is something I've been thinking about.

Does being 51 make me a kid here??? From most of the Inliners I know personally, I am one of the youngest. It is kind of unfortunate, but the only young people around here that are actually interested in domestic inlines are the rat rodders.
Haven't looked lately to see if they exist, but an easy generic wiring and cpu kit that would allow fairly simple swaps of the Vortec 5s,6s and Ecotec 4 bangers into older cars could help recruiting younger members to the group.

Long live the 50+ and over!

I was born half way past the last century. How's that for sounding old! Old is just a state of mind. My wife still calls me a child as I am "Child Like" when I'm happy. I'm happy when it's something to do with my hobby, old cars.

Inliners, please do not think that the over 50 crowd discriminates. We just have a thing called the internet now to "Say it loud.. I'm graying and proud" We will all get there eventually unless you're too vain. Every Inliner I've met, and yes I've met some in the 20-30-40 age group, have been very cool, understanding, and eager to learn from the "old guys". Hey, that's how the hobby sustains itself and continues to grow. Who else knows how to tune and time a 2-pot 216" Babbitt pounder with a screwdriver and your palm? Answer: The over 50 crowd. The screwdriver to adjust air/fuel mixture and timing and your palm to cover the carbs while adjusting the timming and idle.

RapRap
1940 ChoppedChevyCoupe

PS- I've never used a timing light to time a car in my life!

I guess I should change my name to surferwomanrene. (I'm 55). Just joined this Great site. I became interested when I got my 63 Suburban, it has a 292 engine. As for retirement???

Cut it out! Some of you 50'ers are really making me feel old.LOL. My kids use to say,"Oh' grow up." Now they say,"You're still crazy.", and that's a compliment.
Inliners of any age are fun to be around. Don't be turned off by gray hair!

Turning 30 was a milestone. Turning 40 took some getting used to. At the 50 mark it made me stop and think what that meant; if anything at all. A little over 6 months ago I made it to 60, still in one piece so I stopped counting years. A good friend will be 90 in July and still messes with a vintage sprint car powered by a Model B Ford 4 banger. He also still goes to work every day at the garage that used to be his and is now run by his 2 sons since he "retired" 20 years ago.

The common interest bonds us all together and not our ages. Young or old just enjoy the present and each other and share the knowledge.

Retirement is grand if you have a life. I am only having one problem and that is figuring out how I ever found time to hold a full time job. If you are planning to retire and sleep till noon then sit in a rocker the rest of the day then it will be boring unless you like soap operas. Retirment has given me the time to do the things I want to do full time. I set my alarm for 6:30 AM Mon. through Fri. which allows me to get up and get started. I am currently building an all steel roadster pickup from flat sheet metal, if all goes well it will be on the road this summer. I have built many cars but never had the time to completely build the entire body from scratch. The p/u is powered by a ford 4 cyl with a five speed and a ranger rear end. It may see a turbo next year. As long as you can still dream there is no reason to be bored even if age slows you down it just means that you get to spend more time on your hobbies for less money per day. Also retirement gives you the time to meet new friends and see new places even if the new places are just around the corner you used to fly past on your way to work. Another nice thing is if I get bored I can fire up the old Plymouth and go cruising any time I want to (if my wife will let me, she say I can be boss as long as I do what she wants me to) .

to bruce-

the problem is the younger crowd these days isnt into wrenching on their own stuff, and the guys i noe that are hot rodders just want to drop in a 350. im running the original flathead in my plymouth but i have to confess putting a 302 in my mustang saved hundreds over rebuilding and customizing the 200 ci

I'm 26, have 3 grey hairs, and I'm not planning on rat-rodding my truck. Just getting it back on the road! Though it's looking pretty ratty these days! I guess I'd need a job to think about retirement...

well, i'm a kid to most of you. been a member since 1991. just hit 40 last sept. raising 3 kids and work and projects take all my time. not much tv for me. i always look forward to meeting up with the inliner crowd, always friendly, good to talk with and opinionated. like the pic tyb507. tom

Age is irrelevant when a common bond is shared. I feel very fortunate to have met and spend time with inliners such as Don1450, had dinner with him in Detroit, Drew,II #4211, one of our chapter charter members, Mike G. met at the Northeast's Chapters picnic and it was also the last time together with Jack Halton, and tlowe#1716, got to spend the day with him at Bandimere speedway in Denver. The web site is great, but once you experience the fellowship of other Inliners personally you'll never regret it regardless of your age.

Steve O #1623
Mid Atlantic Chapter

Age is just a theoretical thing. Physicaly I will turn 51 in a few days, and the number is increasing every year. Mentaly I am about 19, and that number is not increasing. I like to ride my motorcycle, play with my old trucks and look at nice women.
And I am looking forward to meet you fellow Inliners at the Salt in aug. Can hardly wait - its like being a kid.

The very foundation of my belief in miracles is the fact I have survived 65 years of my own stupidity. I quit a good paying job with the National Weather Service in '85 to go into engraving firearms full time. Great cut in pay/great advance in happiness. Never plan to retire as I enjoy my "work" too much to stop! My 38 Stude/292 project has been on the back burner lately while I try to get my Model A r/p (owned since 1956) on the road but will be back on the Stude this summer. With a lot more years behind me than ahead, I am happy right where I am and would not dare take a chance on being someone else!!! S

72 years young and having more fun with my 50 Chevy than I could ever hoped for. Wish I would have had this thing (like it is now) back in the 50s. I would have been TOP DOG in town...SCRAP

Scrap, if i had had then what i have now, they would have been a dogfight, sure enough, 'cause i'd have been fool enough to drive from Abilene to Marble Falls lookin' for you.

Might set out from Indianapolis, one day. . . .

Until then,

God's Peace to you.

d
Inliner #1450

Don, you are my kinda guy. "RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG" We may have already went heads up as I went to school at ACC in Abilene in 1954-58 and we were running somewhere every night..SCRAP

Looks like there are alot of the older generation here. I guess my truck looks like a rat rod right now, and those are cool but I am wanting to build a cool looking truck that's MY style. I have always done things different and I just pick the best of what I think regardless of what the popular thing to do is, and I have always loved the inline 6's for many reasons. Unfortunately alot of kids wouldn't even consider an inline 6, unless it was already in the vehicle and even then alot of them would still want to pull it for a V8 just because that's what they've always "heard" was better. I'm sure the inline community will be around through the next generations, but it will get smaller and smaller and the people who grew up with them aren't around... (including me)...

I'm 18. High School Senior. And everyone wants my car haha.

Scrap, when we come to maturity we have memories. When i was young i had what i have called a "pornographic memory"--that is, i remembered *everything*. i don't recommend that. Yet there are some things that are a pleasure to remember, and you and i might recall some of the same things.

i entered Abilene Christian High School as a freshman in 1955; finished in 1959, without quite graduating; went to the Hardlyacollege in Searcy, Arkansas, for one semester; returned to Abilene in January 1960, and was in and out of Abilene on and off until May 1963.

i owned a 1938 Lincoln Zephyr two-door that i had bought with my own money in Albuquerque in 1954, but it got away from me--a loooonnnggg story and painful memory. Through high school i was too poor to own a car, and in any case my father was not interested in helping a knuckleheaded adolescent to drive. Several friends had cars, and some of them were interesting, but only a few of them could be called "fast."

James McCown had a beautiful, completely original, low mileage 1936 Chevrolet coupe that would be a valuable piece today. Fast, it was not, but it was lovely.

Paul Tyner, whose father owned service stations in San Angelo, brought to school a 1953 Plymouth Belvedere two-door, black, with a 265 cid "long block" Chrysler six ("crate engine"), Edmunds head and intake, Mallory ignition, split exhaust, and overdrive. That wonderful piece would bury the speedometer needle anytime, anywhere, as Paul was all too willing to demonstrate. Six of us once made the trip from Abilene to San Angelo in that Plymouth, 89 miles on two-lane asphalt, in 62 minutes. It did fly. Paul had several cars after that Plymouth, including a Jaguar Mark VII, but he never had a better one while i knew him.

Albert Endsley bought a '29 Model A roadster, sans fenders, from Paul Phillips, and with my father's help channeled it seven inches. The four-banger had a milled head, a Burns intake with a single Holley 94, and (most of the time) an unmuffled exhaust. On the rear, Al ran the 7.00 x 16s off my Lincoln.

James Sanders, who was older than the rest of us and already a skilled craftsman, had a '56 210 Del Ray with two four-barrels and a 4.56 in the differential. To about 90, that one would run with anyone.

These are cars you may have seen. You may also have known Bill Waugh's custom '51 Mercury convertible, which my classmate Jimmy Filbeck later owned. Fast it was not, but it was a sight to see.

It was not until the Spring of 1960 that Larry Smith--C L Smith's son and Loui's younger brother--completed his 1925 T bucket (in the Modified style, but i don't think we knew what a Modified was). The frame was Z'ed at both ends, with a wheelbase of less than 90 inches; the interior was two aircraft seats, unupholstered, the flathead was mostly stock--and that T accelerated and handled as well as anything i knew in that time.

By 1961, working on a newspaper in Arlington, i had a black and beautiful 1948 Ford coupe with a 280 cid flathead and a single Lincoln Zephyr carburetor. My father hated multiple carburetors, although (perhaps because) he would work on those that belonged to other people. With slipper-skirt pistons out of one of Don Wilson's old race cars, that flathead took a quart of 50-weight about every 100 miles, but that '48 was a fine driver, with torque to pull away from a stop in high gear.

If any of those memorable cars are still out there running, my '52 Chevrolet/320 cid GMC is built to run with 'em. i daresay you'd like that chance again, too.

God's Peace to you.

d
Inliner #1450

Don,

I could listen to your "Vintage Car Stories" all day. They bring back great memories for me. I'm sure we all have those type of remembered or wish not to remembered stories of foolishness to the 'nth degree. Hell, I'm still makin' foolish memories!

Please try to go to Indy this year on June 8,9,10.
I'll buy the beer or what ever to keep you cool in the hot afternoon sun. We always have a 10'x10' tent and a big cooler and a great time. We invite all Inliners in the area to come and get together. I park next to a friend of mine every year. Troy Trepanier and his crew. You may know him as "Rad Rides by Troy" Hope he brings his inline Bonnie racer.

RapRap
1940 ChoppedChevyCoupe

Is there anyone thats going to the woodward dream cruise this august?? unfortunatly being out in cali i wont be drivin the plymouth all the way to detroit (im flying) but i would love to meet up with some fellow inliners. will inliners have a tent somewhere by anychance?

Don, I hung around Babb's Custom Automotive. The shop was located near the College. I still have a photo taken in 1954/55 of my 1948 Ford parked in front of the shop that now hangs on the wall in my office. The Ford was "UNDERSLUNG".... now they say.."SLAMED" and act like they invented it..The only person I remember other than Babbs is Tommy Windom and he had a bad to the bone...1951 Olds 98 Hardtop,black on black with "OLDS STARFIRE" flipper hubcaps. They were just starting to have organized drags at a old airfild near by and I remember running my Ford and later a 41 Merc. Coupe I had with a 110 h.p Merc. motor out of a 51 Merc. and it would sometimes break into the high 16's...and in my mind I was FLYING!!! SCRAP

I became an inliner in 1995 Austin Texas, when I bought the only vehicle I ever owned, my old Chevy truck.
I was 25 and only had a license for a year, because I just never liked 'modern' cars and grew up and lived in places and cities that didn't require owning your own vehicle.
Classic cars were imported and only for the wealthy elite.

Didn't even know what an inliner is, just that I had some old engine that looked simple to work on and learn about.

I never remember mine, my friends or my dogs age - who cares.
The soul is what counts and to do the things that make you happy regardless how others may judge that.
Since I was very little, I always thought, that life only comes around once.
And I better do something today than tomorrow.

My philosophy professor used to say: "Age is irrelevant. We don't get to pick when we hit the planet, we just deal with it".

In this regard I look at it as if some folks just have a head start on others . . .

I hit the planet in 1960 - just missing the 50's by twenty four days . . .

By the time I was old enough to drive, the adults of the day were casting off muscle cars in droves in favor of newer more fuel efficient vehicles.

A Hemi Road Runner or Cuda, Big Block Camaro, Chevelle or Nova, Big Block Mustang, Torino or Galaxy were just cheap used cars. One of my buddies had a 70 Buick Skylark GS that was crazy fast. Another a '67 Olds 442 with a posi rear-end. Yet another an auctioned police detectives car (Plymouth Satellite) that was such an ugly shade of green he sprayed it in rattle can gray primer. My dad would not let any of us own cars - but that didn't stop me from having fun with others . . .

Back in those days 'the flats' (to South and West of Downtown Cleveland) was the Buckle of the Rust Belt. Nothing but abandoned buildings, shutdown factories, empty warehouses and vacant lots. Except for two Biker bars there was basically nobody around after dark.

The cops didn't police it hardly at all, so on summer nights Quigley Road became a drag strip. The road is long and super straight. Because it runs along a railroad switch yard there are no cross streets - and just a few side streets that dead end into Quigley. With cars stationed at Clark, 7th and 3rd one could watch for cops and keep cars off 'the strip' during a run.

We'd hang for hours watching run-what-ya-brung match ups . . . drinking three-two and smoking cigarettes like they were soon to be outlawed . . .

Some of the cars that ran there were fairly modified and capable of low 11's. A breath taking sight when standing at curb distance as a pair went by with Thrush mufflers in full song . . .

regards,
stock49

well i'm 19 and i love my 250. first and only car 1975 Nova 4 door. definitely the only one around here that appreciates the little 6's value. my other buddies want me to drop a 350, 396, 454 whatever but i have to turn them down. the 250 is just too unique these days.

Rap, this year the Indianapolis GoodGuys falls between two of my "professional meetings," so i can hope to be there, and i may even bring the '52 two-door, if it's ready to travel. There won't be any more interior than the two sedan delivery seats--i hope we'll have both of them in the car!--but perhaps that will be true to the character of what it is. i'll find you.

Scrap, i visited Maurice Babbs's shop a few times, and we all admired and coveted his flathead-powered '32 Ford coupe--a race car that, as i remember, looked a lot better than it ran, although it would likely outrun most anything we had. Not far from Babbs' Custom Automotive, just beyond the old soul brother's barbecue restaurant, the Boley family had a compound full of cars in various stages of development, including a '41 Ford convertible with a Chrysler V8 and six carburetors--and evidence on the hood of the fire that began when the Hemi backfired. Larry Boley, who went to Abilene High, had been seriously crippled in an accident, and by the time i met him he drove a very nice, completely stock '29 Chevrolet coupe. My friend Al still has the grille and radiator and a few other pieces of Larry's '29 Chevy.

Stock '49 shows us that younger Inliners bring memories of their own generations--the speeds *may* be faster, and the memorable vehicles are quite different, but the scenes are familiar to many of us whose memories go back 50 years and more. Truly young Inliners--surely we remember what it was to be "19"--are making their own memories, swimming against the tide of "350-350," and they will have their own stories to tell, along with the stories they may learn from some of us. We have a "tradition" to keep alive and pass on.

God's Peace to you.

d
Inliner #1450

Well this ole man will be 65 on June 5th this year.I retired at the ripe old age of 50 from the Big Blue IBM.Been working on things mechanical all my life! Started in 1948 on a little Doodle-Bug motorcycle with a 1 cylinder Briggs model NP engine.I still have that same little scooter along with around a hundred other motorcycles,cars and trucks from the 20s,30s,40s,50s and some 60s. Only bought one new car in my life a 1964 Pontiac GTO which I still own. Did my first valve job at 12 years old on a 216 Chevy in my grandfathers dump truck. To retire all you need to do is lower your expectations of wants and needs and go live! Life is so short and I can,t imagine wasting it in front of a TELEVISION so I havent got one. Maybe I will make Pate this year and look for some of you other OLD COOTS.

Well, I guess I'll add my memories to this too. My high school car was a 1958 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe. One year older then me. It only had a 283 and powerglide but I liked it just the same. Got into Mopar's while in the Air Force until I was about to be discharged then built a V8 Vega. Traded it off for a 67 post Chevelle with a 283 and powerglide. That didn't last long though after the frozen hell of an Ohio winter without antifreeze. (DUMB!!!!) Mostly stayed with Chevy's through out my life. Now I have an 82 short bed that will become a long bed/wheel base blazer/Avalanche crossover. It has an integral head 250 which will get changed out with a turbo'ed EFI 250 I have on the stand. I'm so glad I've made it to 48 years young and really do look forward to 50 in a short two years now. I've bought modern now with a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer with what else, a 4.2L Straight Six!!!!!!! Look forward to meeting the fine poeple of the NEW North Texas Inliners Club. I want to meet the ones from the orginal club too!!!!!!!!!!!

Another old poop,(63); not getting any younger. Retarded, I mean retired, a few years ago. Got a '28 Chevy to run at age 14, been stuck on cars ever since. 40 years in autobody trade. (Spent 2 yrs. working in L.A. for California Show Cars, working under Joe Bailon, a former customizing all time great.) He used to say there's two things he hates, bondo dust & George Barris.

Jerry;

"Bondo dust builds character", but too much can make you crazy??

Moderation is the 'key' here, I think.