First Drive

Finally took the Henry J out for a spin last night with my daughter....and when people pull up next to you on a 2 way street to ask you what kind of car/engine that is, you know you have a head turner! I'll admit to struggling a bit getting her out of the garage (5 pt. turn to get facing out to go down the long steep driveway...a bored out Chevy 350 is a little dicey to get to move in small increments at a slow pace!). But once on the street it wasn't too tough to get used to. Stepping on the gas definitely gets you somewhere fast! Planning to take it to a car show this Sunday, Father's Day, in honor of Dad. Wish me luck!

~Ang

Its Here!

In the garage as I type. And I've sat in it, started it...scared the kid to where she said she won't ride in it unless she has earplugs! Has a bored out 350 Chevy "Stroker" engine in it, aluminum header, positraction rear end (for drag racing. As. If. I. Could.). But its here all the same.

Thats a tough car. Hope I'm up to it!

~Ang

Tuesday. Terror.

Tuesday I go get Dad's car. I've never driven it....what I do know is the guy who helped him rebuild it "advised" against the carburator he installed. The other one is at Dad's house. So I'm going to drive it 120 miles to my house on Tuesday.

And then it will be, officially....mine. And I haven't seen it since the last time I saw it with Dad at a car show before he passed. I am A) scared of how it will make me feel and B) Scared to drive it!

It will be ok, Dad's got my back....I have back up to follow me the whole way. But I'm freaked.

~Ang

'50 Ford

Working on deleting old pics on the hard drive last night (its hopeless, I fear, I am not so good at remembering to do that and my C drive is maxed)...found these pictures of Dad with the car he had before the Henry J, a 1950 Ford he got as pretty much a shell and had completely restored and rodded. Showed it for a couple years but as was his way, got tired of it once it was perfected and wanted another challenge. This is at a car show at J-Mar's diner in Fort Dodge, Iowa...

He sold it on eBay, which is where I think he found the Henry J (we used to sit at his computer desk for hours watching eBay auctions for cars he was keeping an eye on, real-size and models, which he built/sold/collected). He sent me this picture the day the new owner came to get it...I think he was a little sad to let this one go. Hadn't realized I'd saved the email with this picture all these years...

I'm glad I've saved emails from Dad, but they are pretty hard to read right now.

~Ang

Kick Off

This blog will be slow to get started, but with spring-like weather arriving and a new house to move into in a week (a week!) that has a 2 1/2 car garage, I'll soon be bringing Dad's 1952 Henry J down from storage and learning how to own it/show it/drive it/love it. This blog will be a place where I will post about what I've learned, how its going, how the car is doing and post pics of the car along with memories of Dad...car related or otherwise. So today's post is quick, need to pack and have a kid Bday party to hit at 2 so not a lot of time. I can say that today I A) joined the THE KAISER FRAZER OWNERS CLUB, INTERNATIONAL, as the Henry J was made by Kaiser and B) discovered a guy named KAISER BILL who has a great site with lots of support and info for the Kaiser/Henry J clueless like me.

I don't want to let Dad down. So begins the adventure to honor him by treating his car with the same respect and understanding he had of the street rod. Wish me luck!

~Ang

The car....