PERSONAL STORIES BEHIND THE IRON

Here at CCC we give loads of attention to the people ‘behind the cars’. The ideas, lives, and adventures of the builders and owners, are food for amazing stories. Anyone who appreciates good stories is in for a treat. David Dickinson has compiled stories from old car guys across America in The Old Car Nut Book, available in print as a paperback book or eBook very soon.

It has been David Dickinson passion to bring this book to readers, sharing stories from old car nuts from across America. As you read the stories, he’ll guarantees that “you’ll laugh and you’ll cry”. Dickinson’s promises us, that we will step right into the past with each story told. And that’s what I’m looking forward to. Like many of CCC members, I always press for the stories behind the cars. This book consists of the stories written by men and women who are passionate about their car(s). They tell us their experiences, from the time that cars first caught their eye, up to their latest project. It reveals the people, and the events that made an impact on them.

According to Dickinson: “Old Car Nuts are a curious sort. At car shows, they wander around looking at the old iron and quite often see people talking and telling stories about their colored and varied pasts. As they do, they can’t help but wonder what is being said. What are those unique tales being told, revealed to only a handful of guys in lawn chairs behind the bumper of a car or occasionally in the quiet and intimate confines of a shop or garage? Many of the storytellers would love to share, but they don’t have their own personal stage and microphone to connect with a broader audience. The Old Car Nut Book was conceived with the idea that EVERYONE in the old car hobby has a story or two to tell and provides a place to share those personal short stories as contributors and readers.”

With a few exceptions, most of the contributors are living out of the spotlight. They have been involved with cars for most of their lives as a hobby, or professionally, but not in the public eye. The Old Car Nut Book has asked people to dig deep into their memories and old photos, and tell their unique stories from their own perspective and in their own words. Dickinson states that this book is a unique concept. Most books or magazines feature articles written about the individuals who are in the spotlight. The Old Car Nut Book gives voice to those we would otherwise not hear from.

Or, as Dickinson says it: “You, or someone close to you, have probably spent a lifetime of buying, selling, and admiring old cars… and if it weren’t for Old Car Nuts like you, the rubber, glass, and steel wouldn’t have the value that it does. You bring value to the cars and the cars bring extra value to you. Millions of Americans are obsessed with old cars of one variety or another and feel that the newer cars have no soul. There are no memories in a car that just rolled off the showroom last week or last year and for many, the fondness for old cars has more to do with the memories of days past and fun adventures with friends than the up to date quality or reliability of a new car. Many old car nuts are attracted to the older cars because they have class and style and don’t look like they were carved out of a bar of soap with four wheels attached. The mechanically inclined appreciate that cars were basic back then and didn’t require a degree in both Mechanical and Electrical Engineering to fix. For some, it’s more than likely a hereditary disease.”

There will be stories about rescuing jalopies rotting away in open fields, the first ride in a hot rod, the first time driving, and double dates in old beater cars available to young and nearly penniless teenagers many years ago and how some of those old beaters are now priceless classics that sell for big bucks. We’ll read about how a mother’s vacuum cleaner doubled as a car-painting-device. There will be stories of racing, joyous drives, historical gatherings, and being part of building iconic cars. Of course several stories are about “I wish I still had that car!” All of the stories involve emotions, decisions, and adventures with friends and cars.

The Old Car Nut Book is David Dickinson’s way of sharing the dream with other Old Car Nuts. He is also reaching out to younger car nuts, who aer beginning their journeys, hoping to fulfill their dreams. He is planning to release 3-4 volumes of The Old Car Nut Book. If you visit his website, you can see “How To Submit” your own story for a future book or pre order the book on CreateSpace.

Excerpts from The Old Car Nut Book

Excerpt from “Lessons in Stupidity” Gary M. Hughes:
My wife said, “You paid how much for what? What are you, president of the Stupid Club?” I guess I have yet to learn my lesson. Maybe my dad was right!

Excerpt from “Pandora” by Chris Kimball:
She had heard me coming from a block away and watched with amusement as I tried to extract myself from the Pantera. As I clumsily attempted to exit the car, my foot caught on the seat and I almost landed on my keister in front of the whole neighborhood!  Vicki chuckled and said, wryly, “Any cool factor you may have by owning that car will immediately be obliterated when they see you trying to get out of it!”

Excerpt from “A Ride To Remember” by Jim Muchenfuhs:
I put my foot to the floor and unleashed its full explosive power. It kicked the car into a hard fishtail to the right, which is exactly what I wanted. I held my foot to the floor while looking out the right side of the windshield. I could kinda hear my passenger screaming something, but didn’t care. I slammed it into second gear and the force caused the rubber dash pad that covered the entire length of the dash to fly off into John’s lap. (Damn, I kept forgetting to replace those clips). The pad had also fallen into the steering wheel, but I was too focused to stop now. Fishtailing to the left now, the screaming was getting much louder but I still couldn’t make it out clearly. I slammed it into third, revving between gears enough to go sideways one more time before shifting to fourth and coasting.

Excerpt from “Good Job Kid” by Tom Glide:
I’d slide behind the huge steering wheel, peer out the tiny windows, and dream that I was driving it. Of course, in my dreams it was pristine, rather than the rusting hulk sitting in the briars on two flat tires that it really was. Someday, I’m gonna have one of these, I’d tell myself.

Excerpt from “Telltale Skirts” by Domenic Tringali:
Resigning myself to saying goodbye, I bent and gave her a final kiss on the hood and walked away. I was so upset that I forgot to even take any pictures. Walking away, I didn’t look back and I’ve never seen her again, but I keep going back to the New England Summer Nationals every year.

Excerpt from “Go Karting in the Fast Lane” by Captain Jack McClure:
I raced with some of the biggest names in Stock Car Racing, like Ralph Earnhart, Gale Yarborough, David Pearson, and Lee Petty. I remember a young Dale Earnhart hanging around with all of us drivers at the track when he was just a little boy.

Excerpt from “Drag Racing’s Good Ol’ Days” by Ky Michaelson:
When I attended junior high, all that I could think and talk about was being a racecar driver. I would draw streamlined cars, close my eyes and imagine what it would feel like to go over 200 mph.

Excerpt from “The Race That Never Happened” by David Dickinson:
Again, he revved his engine to demonstrate the deep throaty sound of the old glass pack mufflers as he rocked back and forth in his seat, anxiety about to get the best of him. I was sure he was going to jump the light early. I revved back.

Excerpt from”Bonneville Bob” by Ron Shincke:
He was awe struck, to say the least, and didn’t speak for a few minutes. He was just taking it all in. This was an extremely “special” moment for us both and one I will carry for with me forever.

 

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