Yep, I think I have the honor. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

That '51 Ford was my first car. I started driving on the highways at the age of 13 with a learners permit. When I turned 14 and got my drivers license, I bought that '51 Ford for $175. I got it home, took a shower and started out the door to go riding. My father stopped me and asked where I thought I was headed. When I told him, he said I wasn't going anywhere in that car until I rebuilt the engine..... and if I did, then I would be qualified to drive what I could fix. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Prior to that, I had been rebuilding all of the lawn mowers that came into his store for repair, so I figured it couldn't be so bad if I could figure out how to get it out of the car and onto the ground (we didn't have a garage or a good block & tackle tree). So, I got everything loose, removed the hood, called a friend who worked for a filling station and asked him to bring the old boom wrecker to my house. We backed the wrecker through the neighbor's back yard to mine and pulled the engine. I put it on a piece of plywood and rebuilt right there on the ground with a hand hone and whatever assorted tools I could find...... didn't even know what a torque wrench was.

Dang if that engine didn't run as good as a new one when I put it back together and I rode for a while in it later with Offenhauser heads and 3-2bbl carbs until somebody wanted it worse than me and I bought a '55 Bel Air 2dr hardtop for $325 that underwent some serious surgery and became the uncatchable rabbit for a lot of local and highway patrol hound dogs. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> Now THAT one was one I wish I had kept. The idle quality made it look like one of those hydraulic Mexican jumping bean cars. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> It regularly terrorized the 409/427 '63/'64 Impalas - at least on top end. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" />

Frank