What do you do???

[Ronnie Russell]

Have known fatride for quite a while and I'm embarassed to say I didn't even know what line of work he was in until today. It would be interesting to know careers of other members. Old members, new members, doesnt matter. If you would participate,,, great !! If you prefer not to, well. thats great too. I am retired fireman who now builds engines on a small-time basis. Oh yeah, I talk too much.......:cheers :cheers

[rogersimpala]

I am retired from S W Bell :bang
I had a shop doing custom metal designs ( metal art ):doh
now I have a lawn care business, and also work as a building maintence supervisor 2 days a week :cuss
:cheers
roger

[Brian Thompson]

Ronnie, I think you were pretty quiet when I came over this weekend... Now TYPING is a different story! :rofl :rofl

I am a Systems Engineer for Westell Technologies, a DSL modem manufacturer.

Brian Thompson

[real61ss]

I worked as a highway construction inspector for the Virginia Dept. Of Transportation, retired in 1998 after 35 years. Now work as a consultant to the state of Va.

[rstreet]

Ronnie: I wanted to do this thread after my thread last year on where do you live with the satellite pictures from google or someone
Robert

[goat boy]

hello,
i am a millwright on #14 blast furnace at US steel, gary works.
sometimes i think i am a "MULEwright" though!!!
scott

[61BISCAYNE]

I am a tooling engineer, specializing in
plastic injection mold design.

[JimKwiatkowski]

I've worked in 4 different F!!d Dealerships for 35 years,as a front end and power steering tech.I also have 2 years in the Army,and I retired from the National Guard after 21 years of service.

[AZ409]

Retired from US Air Force in 84, Retired again 4 years ago as Facilities Director
from Banner Health Medical Systems.
Now work 2 days a week as a technical consultant and sales rep at Impala Bob's, not much money but get to talk chevys all day.

[Quickshift409]

Ronnie, I was also a Firefighter for 39 years, retired in Feb. Now for 2 days a week I Drive a Mobile Medical Unit for Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Northen Indiana.
QS409

[oldskydog]

Retired from the USCG after 23 1/2 years active duty as a pilot in 85. Retired from second career as an airline pilot (cheap outfit, no retirement) in 2003. Now I do occasional part time work as an aircraft mechanic and otherwise work on my projects when It's not too hot and I feel like it. I'm leaving in the morning to haul a front fuselage (cockpit section) to Sacramento so the CDF (California Department of Forestry) can fix one of their ex-Navy S-2 firebombers which has an "ouwie" from a nosegear collapse.
Should have been a trucker, I guess.:scratch

[wc chevys]

Me and Cubby run a family owned body shop. We used to do alot of custom work ,choped alot of cars back in the day.But now mostly ins. work(more money) .Our father started the shop in the early 70's

[uncleo]

Hey Guys- Greetings from Long Branch,NJ Americas First Seashore Resort and 7 time U.S. Summer Capitol....For almost 40 years now i have been a radio announcer on the Jersey shore and for almost the same time track announcerr at Wall Speedway the home track of Martin Truex Jr,Ray Evernham and so many others who do the roundy round thing....the same track on which Richard Petty picked up his first major win.
LEE

[models916]

Graphic design on the Mac as of 1989. Film stripping and platemaking for printing in the early days.

[Dick MacKenzie]

Retired from Verizon/Bell Atlantic/Bell of PA/Diamond State Telephone after 30 years as a System Manager. Have done a bunch of stuff. Ran a camera shop for a while. Worked for a newspaper. Autoworker. Between active and National Guard time I have over 21 years into an Air Force retirement. That's only the highlights, I left out the "low" lights. :rofl

[PAINTJOHN1]

Hey Guys,for I was in the music business for 31 years,working as a buyer for a major record distributor for ten years,then opened up three music and record stores for last 21 years.After a very succesful run, I closed my last store in 1996.I took a year off,regrouped and started my own mobile paint business,where I do minor paint repairs for car dealerships on damage to their new and used cars.I now have 3 trucks that cover about 90 car dealerships per month.I'm part of a larger franchise that works in 7 states with over 5500 dealerships total. John

[cheap1]

I am a concrete paving superintendent for a nationwide company. I am responsible for all of the concrete work we do in Indiana.:bang :bang Before that I spent 4 years in the Air Force stationed at Mcguire AFB in NJ.

[Speed]

Consulting Business

[MileHiSS]

Window and door distributor. Everybody's got some.

[Tom Kochtanek]

Went straight through high school, undergrad school (Business and Applied Math), then a Masters and finally the Ph.D. program (both in Information Systems). I also have a post-Doctorate in Medical Informatics. Started at 26 as a college professor and just completed my 30th year. Did 13 years as a middle administrator (Chairman of IS Department) during that stint. I now just teach, conduct research, and publish a bit. My students are all Masters degree candidates or Ph.D. candidates. Been at the University of Missouri-Columbia all 30 years. Thinking about retiring.

On the side I do a bit of real estate investment, initially rehab of older structures, now new construction. I also consult a bit, but my rates are soooo outrageous that rarely do I get the chance to prove myself :) :) :).

That saves time for my hobby, which is collecting and restoring 1961-2-3 Chevies :). I started restoring cars about 25 years ago but I was collecting mostly European two seater drop tops. Being 6'5" I switched to full size X-frame cars about 10 years ago.

I look forward to learning about others :).

Cheers!

TomK

[tripowerguy]

Well I started out from high school working in an aircraft plant and drag raced cars and dragsters then joined the LA City Fire Department. I then moved to Washington and went on a small Fire department and retired from there. I moved back to the midwest and had two careers here one a warehouse manager and then a concrete salesman for a readymix company. Of course the fire department was the longest and the others were 7 and 3 years. I am retired now and plan to stay that way.:D Roy

[61BISCAYNE]

Wow!
Lot's of retirees on this forum. Those of us in the "working class"
seem to be in the minority.:scratch

[Brian Thompson]

Wow!
Lot's of retirees on this forum. Those of us in the "working class"
seem to be in the minority.:scratch

I hear you on that one... guess we are just "Whipper Snappers" !!! :)

Brian

[SSpev]

Been working for Cummins Engine, at there tech center, for 15 years, got 20 more to go. I am a Mechanical Engineering Tech. Most of my job involves testing diesel engines on a dyno. There are 80 dynos here (Test Cells)

[ROYALOAK62]

Was told to leave (job was moved to Mexico) 5 years ago, after 27 years in Cost Estimating wiring harness for a supplier for the big 3 in Detroit. Last big program I worked on was the F--d Ranger (Gas) & (Electric driven) trucks. The electric ones (they built around 10 of them) were value at $100,000 each. The electric had a range of only 70 miles per 6 hr. charge at the time. what a mess of wires & batterys.

Looked everything over in the retirement package for about 1 & 2 seconds and said "GOODBY" and never looked back. Best thing I have done in years, I'm not rich but all the bills are paided on time.

Dave

[Phil Reed]

Consulting Business

Hey Wally............so was Heidi Fliess!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl

Maybe you ought to be more specific!!!!!!

Something like...........Race Car consultant, Adviser on Large Horsepower Engines, CEO of the Wally Bell Drag Racing School, etc...........!!!!

I would really hate to see people get the wrong idea about you!!!! Tell Bev Hi for me!!!

[MRHP]

Owner of auto repair shop. Built shop 7 years ago. Have been digging myself out of the hole since then!:rofl I bought my 62 6 years ago and love every minute I work on it, drive it, and dream about it. Trying to get wrecker business off the ground as well. I'm a youngin' at 36 years old.

[Toms63SSQB]

Retired from the HVAC field after 40 years in August 2006. I was an a/c and refer tech in the Air Force in the late 60's. I did a/c service for different companies for 15 years and started my own business in 1985 and sold that company and retired last year. I am a hobbiest beekeeper which I think I am going to give up for a 409 project car which is yet to be identified.

[fatride]

Drafted right out of high school in 69, returned to the real world in 71 and worked as a cemetery sextant for a few months. I was drafted again by the owner of the cemetery that owned a home building/real estate buisiness. Worked as a carpenters helper for three years untill I aquired the skills to become a journeyman carpenter. Helped build houses for three years and started my own buisiness. Ran my own constuction co. for thirteen years while working for the carpenters union at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. After losing various articles of clothing, not to mention tools to radioactive contamination I (wife) decided it was time to change careers. Was appointed in 1989, (not hired) to my present employment at the Conneaut Ohio Water Dept where I have been it seems forever, ever since. I have a plethora of various OHEPA and Ohio certifications licenses that have served me well. I also do a little hauling with my one ton dump, mostly driveways and mulch. Looking forward to retirement in 2009. :coffee:

[Tic's60]

I hear you on that one... guess we are just "Whipper Snappers" !!! :)

Brian

Looks that way!


Software Hacker reverse engineering code monkey part time Indian herder (over seas people) project manager... not exactly what I like to do and God knows a dog catcher makes more than I do even with 16 years in the business, probably why all the IT jobs are off shore now, but it has it's good days. Did consulting, that was fun but hard to stay feed, in mostly internet LAN/WAN security servers aka honey pots.

Other than that I am a professional BBQ'r, eBay sniper and junk yard raider

[jr.W]

I'm in the whippersnapper crowd too.
I worked 2 or 3 dead end jobs out of high school(LOTS of manual labor).
In 1994 I started at a small machine shop building special machines
for the auto industry (Assembly and testing machines mostly).
I worked my way from the bottom to the top and when I got to
the top some body cut the legs off my ladder. In 2004 with almost 10 yrs to
the day they told us Thursday at noon that Friday the shop would close for
good. I was 1 of the lucky ones though, I had a new job with in 2 weeks (Lathe machinist)BUT I lost $2.50hr been there ever since mainly because Jobs don't exist in Mi. any more.

[rwagon57]

Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator in the Navy
Production Welder at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego
Parts Manager in a BMW/Yamaha dealership in Oceanside, CA
Parts Manager in a Yamaha dealership in Pacific Beach, CA (San Diego)
In 1983 with the economy in the dumps and 47 Japanese brand motorcycle dealerships in San Diego county I recognized that the one I was working for wasn't going to survive.

I then went to work as a Radioactive Waste Processing Technician for ChemNuclear Systems, Inc in SC for twice as much money. Since then I have survived several reorganizations, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and a buyout and have worked my way up to a Project Manager and National Resource Manager (I manage 320 technicians), and am a recognized company resource for Decontamination and Decommisioning/Demolition of buildings and facilities contaminated with radioactive and hazardous materials.

No, I don't glow in the dark, and my children do not have 3 eyes:rofl :rofl :rofl

Also, I am a RiderCoach for the NM Motorcyclist Safety Program. It helps pay for car parts:)

[dq409]

Drug dealer,, meth cooker (mobile),, loan collector (knee breaker), body guard (rock star),, other then that,, not much,,, dq

[Old School]

Retired county sheriff. Served 32 years with the deparment with the last 8 years as sheriff.

Now a car parts scrounger and shade tree mechanic.

[UK Racer]

(All in the UK)
Out of University (BSc Mechanical Engineering) I went to work for MG / Rover Cars in Chassis Development (ride and handling). Transfered to the team that designed the MGF (mostly did front suspension and brakes design). Got out around the time BMW took over.
Wanted to work in Motorsport and lucked into a job at Cosworth Racing Engines in the Indy Racing Engine Dept doing general design / development and fuel system design on the XB and XD series.
Then went to work for Prodrive (the company behind the WRC Subaru's) before being head hunted to lead the chassis and suspension design team on the Gibbs Aquada amphibious car. www.gibbstech.co.uk
And now? Vehicle Design Project Manager for a company creating an electric, self guiding "Auto-Taxi" www.atsltd.co.uk

[jim_ss409]

I'm a partner in a small trucking company. The good part is I get to use the truck shop for working on my cars.:beerbang

[Garbageman]

After high school I joined the Army and spent 21 years there, retiring in 1995. I then sold cars for 3 months and didn't enjoy it like I thought I would. Now my wife and I are running her familys business which is Nestucca Valley Sanitary Service---hence my handle "Garbageman". The business has exploded due to a housing boom in our area and additional services we now offer. We hope to retire for good in 10 years.

Paul

[Impalaguru]

One more whippersnapper here!!!
Graduated high school in 1999 and started at McPherson college in McPherson KS in the fall to study Automotive Restoration. Got the associates after 2 years and decided I wasn't ready to be done with school. Started at Iowa State in the fall of 2001. Graduated in Dec 2005.

Worked many different jobs over the years from bus boy at a restaurant, cashier, auto body tech, car detailer, pool table and other "table game" tech, dog and cat wrangler at a veterinary clinic, and drapery installer.

As of May 2006 I currently reside in the industrial engineering department at UPS. I do a lot of different things related to job setup, planning, time study, etc. Sometimes I also do put my browns on and deliver packages!!

Ross

[bubbletop1961]

Hey impalaguru, how was the school in Mcpherson? Always wanted to go. Also another whippersnapper and by reading all this maybee a slacker.:rofl . I did fire equipment service for 6.5 years. Liked most of the job but was doing it for a family owned co. No chance for advancment. I couldve been their for 20 yrs and still been a service tech. Anyway I moved to a union metal shop. Got in the shipping dept for now. will see where that takes me. been working saturdays in the weld shop on the plasma cutter. I love metal fab and old cars, but NO jobs like that around here that pay anything. Maybee I need to hit that school in Mcpherson.

[tripower]

In high school I took three years of vocational auto shop. Then graduated from high school in 75' and was enrolled in one of the aircraft vocational schools to begin in the fall of 75' but, went right to work in commercial construction for Rabanco enterprises as a (Union) carpenter helper in Seattle, Wa. Then in 79' went to work for Pella windows in Sana Anna,Ca. Thought I would check out Southern Ca. Worked my way up to shop foreman then decided to move back to Wa. Went to work in 81' for one of the boat yards here in Wa. that specialize in wooden boat repair and construction. Really like the old woodies and have two myself. Then went back to work for Pella Windows (union) here in Bellevue Wa. in 83' were I was service manager and then production manager. Then in 88' I went back to Rabanco and transfered to another facility NW Enviro Service as a maintenance carpernter and then plant maintenance & purchasing supervisor. Then in April of 96' came home and walked in on a random burglary of my home and was shot seven times with a 9 mm and left for dead in my driveway. Recovered from that and went back to my position at NW Enviro Service Jan. 94'. NW Enviro sold out to Phillips Environmental in 95' and Phillips shut the doors. Rode my Harley for the rest of the year and had a blast. Then went to work for Pacific Ship at Puget Sound Navel Ship Yard in Jan. 96' as a Safety Coordinator on a refit of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln 72. Then in Sept. of 96' I was in a bad motorcycle accident. After my recovery I set up a small cabinet shop at my home. In 2002 we started buying property and fixer upper homes and are what I call semi retired.

[Astro409]

During high school and after graduating in 92 I worked for Sears Auto Dept, Hi Lo Auto Parts, Kroger's as a floor manager and finally got my paint & body shops going in 95.:beerbang Forced to let the 2 shops go after a car jacker put a bullet through my right eye that actually came out next to the little hole we hear from on my right ear that ONLY caused me a right eye.:eek: I guess he couldn't stop there, he put a 2nd bullet through my back's upper left shoulder and came out next to my right nipple which did some damage to my spinal cord that put me down that night and onto a wheel chair.:doh After that I started buying cars at auctions or from people that just wanted to get rid of a car for half its value at times. Most(99%) of the cars I buy end up in Mexico after patching them up a little. Its easier to sell them there cause they just want something to move at a really cheap price so I don't feel like i'm lying.:argue: They seem to have an understanding that a car that is sent from the US is a salvage, rebuilt and exported from the US car.:scratch Its also on the title with a BIG STAMP saying FOR EXPORT ONLY.:p I still do that some but putting more attention to my car hauling business to and from Texas/Northeastern US that I started earlier this year after so many many many arguments with the lying transporting companies.:evil If they say 6 to 7 days expect 6 to 7 weeks. :mad: Lately i'm on the computer from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep looking on ebay and craigslist for a GOOD deal to resell or save for my 2 sons.:rolleyes:

[fatride]

Retired county sheriff. Served 32 years with the deparment with the last 8 years as sheriff.

Now a car parts scrounger and shade tree mechanic.

See DQs post! :takethat

[Mike-Casella]

I started out in the Auto Parts business back in 1973. Worked behind the counter at various parts stores in the area for what seemed like forever. I finally went to work for another parts store that specializes in supplying parts for vehicles built from 1909. After 10 years of counter work, our machinist decided he didn't want to work there anymore so they offered me his position. Now after being in the shop for the past 8 years, I can honestly say I love it. I rebuild, repair, invent, and restore parts for very old cars that can not be bought anymore. We are one of the only two companies in the country that revulcanize motor and transmission mounts the correct way. Another specialty is the rebuilding of screw-together fuel pumps. The great part about this job is I am by myself, and get to work at my own pace. I guess I'm good at what I do because people keep sending in parts to be rebuilt from all around the globe.

Someday I hope to be the holder of a winning lottery ticket, but until then, I'll keep on plugging away.

[walkerheaders]

By 1963, I was 5 and my father and uncle each had a new plymouth/dodge super stocker. I spent summers at the dragstrip with them until 1973 with the final funnycar. Graduated in 76 and thought I could make a living racing instead of the muffler and custom exhaust shop I worked at. I did manage to convince the shop owner to build a front engine dragster that we never got to race, but I drove it on the street a few times. Hilborn injected 327 with glide and olds rear.real cool but the chassis wouldn’t certify and we had no truck-trailer. My own car was a 62 impala with a second design real 427 L-88. it broke the car up bad and was not consistently raceable. I quickly learned to keep my 10speed in the trunk.
I moved to the transmission shop next door, was an R&R man for 12 years and we had a team car. It was called the “Malco Super Vette” in fact, there was a model of it. I had learned to make headers, and this was one of the first sets I did. It was a BB/FC and I gained tons of experience but never got to drive it. I restored the red 63 409 car I had bought so I could race it and it made me happy to “bring the old guys to the fence” when I showed up at the track. Went 12.20s@114 I never saw any other 09 cars in those days, and thought I had the only one left. And the “old guys” would tell me about the old days and racing against my dad.
At the transmission shop was where I built my first of 3 4x4 el-caminos. My first was because of my big mouth running at the local bar. But I did it like I said I would. A 1965 that looked like a GTO in the front. With tunnel rammed 400 sbc under the hood.
Meanwhile I was dragracing motorcycles on the asphalt and dirt tracks. I had a 2stroke triple Kawasaki called the “Rice Grinder” I got it to go 9.70s @140 on pavement and was dirt champion for 3 years. The dirt got me a ride on a top fuel bike and I had big dreams of building a twin 2 stroke powered nitro burner. The guy we sold the dragster to was a machinist and Z-11 racer. I took my parts over, but he was killed. My top fuel career circled the bowl then flushed. That got me a sponsorship with the harley dealer to race the new XR1000. I set the national record at the first all harley drags and smoked the world champion.
In ’82 i took a job at the local Chevrolet dealer, did mostly vettes, 4x4’s heavy trucks and replacing wrecked suspension parts in the body shop. After 3 years of GM diagnostic training, I decided I would rather make parts than fix them.
So I rented a building and started “Custom Automotive” I tubbed cars, rollcages, headers, modifications, standard reapirs, whatever.
Friends with cocaine nearly killed me. Got me hooked on the needle. The drug dealers, the bank, and my family couldn’t find me. I lived in an11x14 shack in the woods behind my friend and savior Billy Coles house for 3 years. AA saved my sanity and my life. I lost everything except my tools and 409 car. (and the bank wanted it).
Billy and I built a drag chevelle in his garage. Slowly my customers found me and I got going again. We street raced his 67 and I built a 70SS454 el-camino that I dragged on the street. We took it to the track and it went 10.35 @135. no cage, no helmet, no safety at all. The track owner scolded me. He knew me from a little boy. And knew I was a rollcage builder. By then I had taken a job with pro- stock racer Chick DeNinno. I did know better, but that didn’t stop me. The camino was not allowed back on the strip property so I made it 4wheel drive. Yes, a 70SS LS5. I know…………I know. I don’t wanna hear it. But I did it.
The engine from the camino went into my first of 4 dragboats. My family begged me to quit racing bikes. I had told my mother I quit but she saw my picture in national dragster and then had to quit for real. (a few years later) he he he.
I raced boats for 8 years and in ’96 finally won the championship and retired at the banquet.
I worked as a fabricator for 10 years at a big company called DMC. We made radiation driven measuring devices. Sold to steel mills and other process industries. The germans bought the place, and put all us out the door.
Worked 3 years as a TIG welder at ATS where we built giant air conditioning systems all from aluminum. The germans bought this place as well, and put all us out the door.
A short time later, back at Maryland performance center where I worked in the 80’s
They do custom fab work, engine building, chassis dyno, headers, cages etc.and certainly had a place for me when I needed it. And helped me restore the red 409 car a second time
Now I work for General Dynamics in the robotics division. We build autonomous sytems for military vehicles. I am a Senior fabricator and mechanical tech. the fun part is the amazement on the eyes of the youngsters when they see some custom cool thing I invented, and they cant figure how I did it without a computer! I cant say much other than what is on www.gdrs.com I intend to retire from here. However, I still dream of making a living racing and am building a new 63 car.

[Old School]

See DQs post! :takethat

Yea, I've got my eye on DQ!!!

[W Head]

In construction all my life. My Father was a masonry contractor and began working for him at age 9 on weekends and summers. Was a journeyman bricklayer by age 16. (that is how I was able to afford a new 1959 Impala 348-335hp-4,speed in high school) Took over the business and evolved into a General Contractor for 28 years, building strip centers, office building and very high end custom homes. Then in the late 1980s, construction went to Hell in Texas and most everywhere else. Went to work for the Texas Dept. Of Criminal Justice building prisons and renovations. (Texas prisons was over crowded and had been sued by the inmates) Texas built many prisons all over Texas. I served as Construction Inspector, Project Manager and Area Construction Manager for 15 years. The State budget was in trouble 2 years ago and my whole division was done away with, (288 employees) I was able to retire and been fairly worthless ever since. Drag raced A/stock, Super/stock, C/gas B/roadster and A/gas dragster from late 50s to late 60s. Started getting back into cars and restorations about 15-16 years ago. May go back to work for about one or two years, the State has about 60 million in construction money it needs to spend. I had began an off frame restoration on my 59 Impala just before I had to retire. Frame and drive train completed (.40 over 409-690 heads-super T-10-all new everything. Now need the paint and body work completed, that is why I may go back to work for a while.

I really do like this site and enjoy it very much.:clap

W Head

59 El Camino 348-3,2s
59 Impala 409-2,4s

[No409]

im a professional beer drinker.

actually ASE master tech for 10 yrs. cars are my life old and new( although i prefer old!)

[dq409]

im a professional beer drinker.

actually ASE master tech for 10 yrs. cars are my life old and new( although i prefer old!)



:cheers :cheers :cheers

Ok,, call off the cops !!!

I`ve done just about everything !!!
Warehouseman, driver (light and heavy), mechanic, painter, brickmason and hod carrier, neon tube bender, coffee shop owner ( espresso shop), handyman,,,, you name it !!

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Well, in 1977, in Revelstoke BC, I entered the work force, in a sawmill... as the recession hit the forest industry. Immediately got into a parts store/speed shop, as everybody in town ran out of money.
Moved to Prince George in late 1981, working part time at a pulp and paper mill, while I got my engine / mechanical business going... as the forestry recession took out the pulp and paper industry.
Moved to Edmonton, Alberta in late 1984, as the bottom fell out of the oil patch, and nobody had any money. However, these were the years that I completed my auto mechanic apprenticeship.
Moved to Onoway, Alberta ( 40 miles NW of Edmonton ) in 1988.
Setup my restoration business there.
My truck/trailer were stolen from there on February 9th, 1993. Got it back July 5th, 1993.
My orange 64 Pontiac 409 convertible was stolen on April 10th, 1995.
Found stripped of it's running gear a week later.
My shop was broken into in spring 1999. My brother-in-law's fresh 1967 375 horse 396 was stolen.
FINALLY left Onoway for good, November 4th, 2002. Hated every day of the 14 years I was there !

Have clear title to my 8100 sq ft shop here in Hanna. Business has progressively improved... now, darn near making a living;)

[goat boy]

[QUOTE=dq409;77493]:cheers :cheers :cheers

neon tube bender,

now that is something cool! :cheers

[DIV1RACER-2]

Wow some very interesting stories ! :clap :clap

I'm afraid mine isn't anything spectactular. Born & raised on a dairy farm, lots of work and life experiences to be had with a tremendous amount of work for little or no money. I was lucky enough to have a grandfather who knew how to " make something out of nothing " Learned how to be a creative person from him , but could not wait to get "outta there "

The car bug got me very young ...... i think i was born with it !!! , after high school i went to a tech school for 9 mos. and BS'd my way into a dealer and after 5 dealers in 7 years it was time to go on my own. I started my business in 1974 and have been doing that ever since! .........LOOKING TO RETIRE SOON !!!!!!!! :clap :clap

I have made a good living that has allowed me to have many street cars , race cars and hopefully retire early ?

I raced NHRA Stock eliminator for 25 years [ A/S- B/S - C/S ] I was runner up @ the 1991 Gatornationals & won several divisional races , as well as set national record 3 times!

I consider my self very fortunate and that i have lived the " DREAM " :dunno


Growing up in the 60's , living thru the muscle car era , Don't get any better !!!!!

[playswithcars]

Not much here. :) Short Navy service (submarines) early Veitnam, got married, a couple of years with AT&T and then on to real estate eventually leading to owning a brokerage company and expanding into custom building (my real love) retiring at age 59 1/2. Spend my time playing with cars, keeping up the landscaping and buildings and going on cruises (boat and car). Fortunately, my wife likes the car bit as much as me and I go on the ships to please her.:cheers

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Denny, if you read between the lines of my bitterness for Onoway... our stories are VERY close:beerbang .
Couple differences:
You got to live it during the fun times:cool:
and you succeeded:bow
The mid-late 70's-early 80's could be pretty bad for a "born car enthusist":yawn:

[DIV1RACER-2]

Aubrey , i have no bitterness !!!!!!!!!!!! I learned to be tough , work hard and be outspoken when needed ! Yeah i lived thru the " MAGIC " years , as well as many here / would not trade all the good & bad for anything !

I have lived the Dream & hope there is a lot left . :) :) :)

P.m. me on your traction problem !!!

[skipxt4]

Geeze. My wife must ask me that at least once a week. :rofl :rofl You know, with women, it's " What Have You Done For Me Lately " She's the big wage earner now, since I had to retire. Anyhow, I graduated from high school in 1964. As a graduation present my dad co-signed, for me to get a low mileage 64 SS 409-425HP Red conv. My previous car was a 57 sky blue 4 dr. wagon, with a worn out 283. It used more oil, then it did gas.:rofl Anyway, moving up from a 180 horse engine to a 425 engine was really addictive. That started MY obsession with car's. Out the window went my dad's wish for me to become a CPA. After passing the civil service test, I was called into state service. After 32 years I called it quits, and now I can play with all my car's and my bike. Every once in awhile, I might fit some needless chore's into the mix, ( like taking the boss somewhere ):rofl :rofl Just kidding. This December we will be married 40 years.:bow :bow I'm not bowing for myself, but for my wife. She's the one that deserves the medal. Now-a-days I'm a consultant for our family. My kids will ask me a question, and I'll tell them, where to get off.:rofl :rofl Sorry I made this s-o-o- long. Skip:)

[409z28]

After reading all the post of what everyone did I can't add much. But I would like to comment on some of our Civil servants. Firemen,, I was not one but was very involved with Police ,,EMS , and fire.. Police get called to a situation, they call for a Negotiator,,,to buy time to quell the situation. EMS, may be similar to a extent. But our Firemen cant have a (Negotiator) to talk to a fire. Fire waits on no one. The Building may be full of combustiables.....What happens is we run out and they go in. (crazy) These servants (In my opinion) deserve a little X-tra:clap . And a special Semper-Fi... Thanks, Ronnie Russel and others, :clap :clap

[Ronnie Russell]

Mike, thanks for the kind words, but Roy, Shan , I , and all the others just did a job we were trained to do. No different than anyone else. Thanks again.

[tripowerguy]

I was on the LA City FD when the first Watts riots were on. That was the only time that you were fighting fire and getting shot at at the same time. I was at Engine 7's on Central and Engine 14's and Station 21's which was a Truck Co., Engine Co., Squad and Batt Chief. One of the guys at 14's got the lob of his ear shot off.:eek: The poor police couldn't shoot unless they were shot at. The National Guard came in and declared Martial Law. They shot anyone who didn't do as they said and that was the end of the riots. The guys that I really admire are the firefighters and police on Sept. 11. If you listen to the radio transmissions of those guys it makes you cry. Anyway after that I decided that there were to many people in LA so I resigned and moved north.:clap Roy

[wrench]

I work for a national truck leasing firm. Everyone knows the name, I'm sure. I used to turn wrenches as a HD diesel technician, but now work in the office scheduling trucks for maintenance and I also handle the parts in this shop. Rarely open the toolbox anymore.

I almost miss working on trucks, :D but with my current health issues, even a screwdriver is too hard to handle.

[DaveFoster]

I can add something about fire fighters, as my step dad was a Chicago Fireman for most of his life. These hero's hold it all in, I was in my late forties and he was retired in his early 70's before he ever fessed up. You got to drag it out of them, here's what he finally told me after all those years, but only after he was retired for more than ten years and I had him cornered at the shop. Question, Dad, how many lives have you saved as a fireman, answer, 5 or 6 for sure, we never get a chance to check on people we get to the hospital, there's always another alarm to go to, once in awhile we get to read about their progress in the paper, but not very often, our best info comes from taking another patient to the same hospital within a day or two, we ask the medical staff and share info with the other fireman but we rarely find out if these people survive, but I know for a fact that about five or six that I personally saved made it. What is the worst part of being a fireman, answer, getting to a fire that is engulfed in flames, usually within minutes of getting the alarm, and hearing screams coming from within, we get our heavy fire gear on as fast as we can and drag a line [firehose] in the direction of the screams, but they stop and we can't find the victims in time, it then becomes a body recovery after the fire is out, that and not being able to save kids, we all take it personnal when we can't save kids. The firehouse is a close knit family, I was the cook, every other fireman knew each of my kids names as I knew all of theirs, we were close and we put our lives on the line for each other virtually everyday, no questions asked, but when we lost kids the firehouse gets quit, even if we know there was nothing we could have done differently to make a difference, which is usually the case. Note, dad didn't have the infrared imagery that they have today, they always had to drag a line into a fire totally blinded by the thick smoke, so they could follow the line back out after the rescue or failed attempt. Question, what was the worst fire you ever fought, answer, that Catholic school fire, Our Lady of Angels in Chicago many years ago, 50's I think, it was raging when we got there, no sprinklers, kids caught in the middle of intense flames, Nuns running everywhere, we started getting Nuns and kids out as quickly as we could but we knew some were in real trouble surrounded by flames, we got a large group of Nuns and kids to safety, but the Nuns disobeyed our orders and ran back into the worst part of the fire and burned to death, almost all of them, as did a lot of innocent children that we naver had a chance to reach in time, none of us ever let that go, it lives with us everyday. The next day sprinklers were mandatory in all schools in Chicago, the rest of the nation followed suit also after that fire. Also I remember that train that fell off the elevated tracks, CTA, 70's I think, my job that day was scooping up human brains and other body parts, shouldn't have been our job, but they needed it done. I was a Marine during WWII, and I've seen and done things in war that nobody should ever have to see or do, scooping up brains ranks right up there with WWII. Another fire that was bad was the first magniesium fire way out on Grand avenue near the suburbs, 60's I think, it was blazing for several days, putting water on it wasn't working, we thought it got worse with the water, our captain got a firechief from New York on the phone and he said that the only way to put out a magniesium fire was with foam, none of us knew anything about this new metal called magniesium, word went out fast to all the fireman and someone remembered that we just bought a foamtruck for O'hara field, Chicago's biggest airport, we bought that foam truck to fight jet fuel fires, so we sent our best crew over there to get it. It was brand new, we had to read the instruction manuel to fill it and start the pumps, it even had the paper warning tags on everything, the fire was out in no time at all, but all of us ingested more chemicals that couple days at that fire than all the rest of our lives. He than stated that we have a good union, with the very best medical, and we have a monthly newsletter with any information a fireman would ever need, and I think I'm the last fireman that fought that fire who hasn't died in their 50's or 60's. He had other stories, some about the holidays spent fighting fires, his cooking during the holidays down at the firehouse, the whorehouse next door to one of the firehouses in Chicago, some about pyromaniacs, the Firechief, and the Chicago Fire Department Band, all interesting. But all the years we knew him, we knew when he had a bad day at the office, he would never tell us what was wrong, but it usually involved losing kids at a fire. I think he retired as a lt., His name was Florian Pytel, he passed away from cancer about ten years ago, he had some good Marine stories also, I think I was the only person, other than other WWII veterans who he told those stories to also.

[petepedlar]

Well compared to some of you mine is pretty simple......... Started my own trucking company at age 24 ....... did that for 12 years and then went into truck sales. Started selling Internationals but that didn't last long, managed a truck rental company for a few years. The next was selling Western Star trucks and finally selling Peterbilts for the last 20 years. Made it to the top.

There's not many other little boys that grow up and get to play with trucks. It's a pretty great job.

Dave

[bjburnout]

WOW!
What a group.............:bow

As for me, I started out as a mechanic in September 1964 and worked at several GM
dealerships throught the city (Toronto)..........met some great people
and had a lot of fun driving all the fast cars of the day..........:beerbang
There were two good dragstrips nearby (Niagara and Cayuga) and a lot
of locals were running there every weekend........:D

It was a great time to be young and single...........:rolleyes:

Met my wife and got married in '68 and changed careers.
Worked for the next 10 years in the airlines.......doing every job possible but
still kept up with fixing and driving old muscle cars.

In 1979 I started in the Toronto Area Transit Commuter Rail Operations' Centre as a controller which is a similar job to an air traffic controller but with trains instead.......this turned out to be quite a change from everything else and could be very stressfull at times............:bang

Retired in 2006 and bought a hobby farm close to Lake Huron where I now
have lotsa room for the cars and lotsa grass to cut...........but I am retired.........did I mention that..................:)

That's about it...........did I mention I was retired..........:cool:
and lovin' it..............

:cheers
bj

ps - hope to read about many of our other members......:brow

[w ogden]

Amazing and interesting backgrounds on this diversified group of "W" heads!!

Born and raised in the farming country in northern NY, couldn't wait to leave the sticks at 18 for the Navy! Ended up as a Interior Communications tech in the tin can fleet out of Rhode Island. We were the first tin can to be dispatched to the Vietnam conflict. Saw the world from the deck of that 375 foot long ship. From there became a installer for a private communications firm in Albany for two years. Left there and started my own division operating in the northern NY area and then on into VT. Stayed with that for six years and sold out. Bought into the same franchise business in Orlando and spent seven years there. Sold out and moved back to VT for a better quality of life. Spent the next few years as a hired gun (aka salesman) selling upper level telecommunications systems. Started in the consulting business and then formed my own consulting business which I kept for three years and sold. And lastly bought a tire and parts franchise which I managed with my son and better half for fourteen years. Son moved to Kentucky two years ago and this year we sold the business and we RETIRED. How sweet it is.
Now have the time to work on all my possesions and life is good.

[chevytaylor]

Hi all, another youngster here (under 40)

I'm a wooden boat builder by trade.

These days I run my own company specializing in manufacturing marine exhaust systems. :)

chevytaylor

[BC409]

hi all,guess Im one of the young guys,that doesnt happen much anymore!
graduated in 1981 in wyoming.Worked as a mech at a snowmobile shop.Had some success racing snowmobiles back then.wyoming had its own oil patch that went bust in the early 80s so did the economy.Joined the army, 3 years as 67v
oh58 helicopter repairer,military version of a jetranger.Uncle started his own wrecking yard in central oregon around 1987,ask me to work for him after the army.Did 13 years at wrecking yard,great job for a car guy,loved using hollander system,worked up to mgr,did all inventory,and some salvage buying. the yard grew into the biggest and most modern on the east side of oregon.of course it sold and the new guys only kept the higher paid people long enough to complete the transition.
the wife and i decided to be in more control of our own destiny.We opened a small restaurant" burger joint" in 2001.I took a job as a milkman to pay the bills and get the restaurant on its feet.It took about 5 years but the restaurant is now successful and showing a profit.we were voted best burger in central oregon last year by one of the local papers. Im still a milkman but now looking for something more interesting to do. interesting side note.. sold a real 69 camaro ss396 to help
finance restaraunt startup,about 3 years later the barret jackson craze tripled the price on those cars. isnt that how it always goes?
the one thing thats remained constant on this journey has been my love for the W-cars. and now i can start working on mine. 1962 belair sport coupe.
thanx bc409

[oil4kids]

At 12 years old built my own All American Soap Box derby car and raced it at the national event and also built many stingray motorbikes after lifting the engines from my dads lawnmower. Tuned my bros GTO at 13 and started working at an auto store at 15. Got my first 63 Super Sport Impala at 17 and also met funny car driver Dick Harrell at NY National Speedway at 17, a unforgetable event.

Kept drag racing my friends 67 ss396 chevelle at Westhampton drags early 70s. Kept working at the auto store and went to college at night and picked up a few degrees. Worked rebuilding small and big block chevies 70-80s.

Went to Officers Candidate School Naval Air Station Pensacola Florida for pilot training in 82. Was also applying for med school in the 80s so left the navy and went to med school specializing in nuclear radiology. Now work at a military hospital. Had a few boys along the way. Sarted selling Amsoil synthetic oil in 96 on the web and donate the sales to childrens charities. I am also a medical volunteer at Pettys sick childrens Camp called Victory Junction.

Now repoping a early Bill Thomas/Dick Harrell 64 Nova with a Z11 409 called Retribution II.

Also started a petition signature book 2 years ago to get Dick Harrell into the NHRA Hall of fame. Many thanks to the members on this site who signed it.