OCT 14 2019 Like a rock

“My name is Rod, and I am a gearhead.”

Rod Binder

I was thinking back on a past event where I met one of my heroes. I went there with the purpose of doing just that.

When I was young, I waited for Friday’s, it was the day I would get a small allowance from my mother. It was all she could afford, she worked three jobs just to keep us in abject poverty. I had a deadbeat dad that didn’t send money. The amount was 1 dollar.

I would run down as fast as I could to the drug store to check out the car model kits. Back then drug stores carried many items. They were the local department store for me.

We lived in an apartment that was squeezed between storefronts on Hastings street in Burnaby B.C. It was small and dingy, but it was our home. The only relief from the surroundings was the three or four shows we watched on the two channels of tv a week. Then I discovered a hobby building model cars, planes tanks, boats. With the focus on cars.

The model car kits were the same price as I was given for allowance. Once a month the money was spent to update supplies paints, brushes, a little exacto knife. I started to buy models that were based on customized cars.

I built a few back then, then I started to customize them, chopped tops, bigger tires great paint jobs. It was back then I started to dream about being a customizer.

I went through many muscle cars back then, then I got involved with drugs and alcohol. Those things can rob dreams from anyone. I did quit those when I was in my twenties and managed to do some minor mods to the vehicles I owned.

I did a few motorcycles, even won a trophy for one of the Harleys I did. Now to be fair I did not do all the work, I was not a great mechanic, and I couldn’t paint a flame job to save my life. But what I excelled at was visualizing, how the projects would look.

Back to my story. I went to a car show to meet my customizing hero George Barris. Designer of so many movie cars, The Munsters mobile, the batmobile, the car, and so many many more.

I walked right up and shook his hand and started to tell him about how he inspired me, and how I loved his work He was distracted. He was checking out my girlfriends form The old perv.

Is it true you should never meet your heroes

1957 Triumph Thunderbird pre-unit hardtail chopper

Out of all that the love for old trucks came.

My 49

My latest project 1955 1st 4×4 resto mod Named Lucille after B.B. Kings guitar.

Unhampered by old age, disabilities, injuries, poverty I stay true to my dreams and slowly ever slowly worked on my current project my 1955 Chevy pickup I save little by little for tools, I work on my garage getting it ready so I can do the work. Time elapsed so far 4 years.