Words of Hot Rodding Advice

Courtesy of R Gruppe: 1. Wear your seat belt while driving. Statistics show that you are more likely to survive an automobile accident if you are wearing your seat belt. 2. Own at least one black car in your lifetime. 3. Never let popular opinion or trends dictate what color you paint your car. 4. Learn basic mechanical skills, you never know when you will need them. 5. Drive your hot rod across country (and back) at least one time. 6. Own a car without a top. 7. When people ask you about your hot rod, be friendly. It's staggering to think of the impact rodders could make if they all did this. 8. Attend at least one national event. 9. Carry extra parts and a tool kit in your car on every journey that is further away from your home than you care to walk. 10. Remember, rock chips and bugs are like a badge of courage. 11. You also are no better for driving your hot rod than trailering it. It's all about attitude. I've met jerks who drive their cars, and extremely nice people who don't. 12. Go to the Henry Ford Museum at least one time in your life. 13. Own a car that will make your butt put a death grip on your seats upholstery. 14. Help younger rodders in any way you can. 15. Own at least one car with a Caddy, Hemi or Olds motor in it, Small Block Chevys aren't the end all and be all. 16. Always drive slowly through residential areas. 17. Make at least one pass down the drag strip in your car. 18. Build at least one car in your lifetime. 19. Don't be ashamed if you didn't build your car. There are very few people out there who can do it all. 20. Learn to do as many aspects of car construction as you can. 21. Never rush a project, it will always show. 22. At the same time never take more than a decade to build a car. Trends seem to cycle every five to seven years. 23. Stay clear of trends, that is unless you are the one starting them. 24. If you are going to do a burnout, do it where nobody will see you. 25. Never, and I mean never, try to outrun a cop. 26. Build cars that are safe. 27. Learn how to draw flames. 28. Build your car for YOU, not for the fame and glory. Fame and glory fade with time but YOU will be around as long as you live. 29. Never wax your car in the sun. 30. If you get your car in a magazine, buy only one or two extra copies, not fifty. If you buy all the copies up, no one will ever know you were in a magazine. 31. Remember, your painted car is no better than a primered one. Maybe the owner of that primered car likes it that way. 32. Don't ask "Is it Glass or Steel?" You are only showing your place on the "Hot Rodding Food Chain". 33. Be modest. 34. Remember, Opinions are like belly buttons, everybody has one. 35. Work on forming your own opinion, and don't be afraid to voice it. 36. Buy your own torque wrench. Nobody likes to loan their torque wrench out only to have it returned loaded. 37. Use jackstands. 38. Listen to constructive criticism. But remember, there are people out there who enjoy to see you get angry. If you learn to tell the difference between the two, you are wise. 39. Take someone over age 65 for a ride in you rod. They can remember when these cars were used as everyday transportation and it will most likely trigger a fond memory that they will share with you. 40. Likewise, take a child or teen for a ride. Young opinions are forming, and who knows, they may become the next generation's rodders. 41. Always wear sunscreen in a roadster.