Father's Day Car Stories
One reason why so many of us are passionate about cars is because of tradition. We all most likely learned about cars from a loved one growing up, and I’m sure many have fond memories of working with parents on an old car in a garage. Those experiences helped shape our love for all things automotive. To commemorate this Father’s Day, we wanted to share some of our favorite car stories involving some famous Dads around the Speedway Motors orbit. Here they are:
Cherishing Time with Dad in the Garage
Jess grew up helping her dad’s crew build a Streamliner. After the build and upgrades were complete, the whole family would road trip out to the Salt Flats to crew.
After a few close calls and some health scares, Jess began to prioritize time in the garage with her father. Together, they built her shop and a 1933 5-Window Coupe which John had purchased the year Jess was born.
When a family builds a car together, they don’t just get hours of time spent. They get a living, breathing machine that represents all the tough moments, hard work, and shared experience that goes into getting a car onto four wheels.
Lost and Found: The Amazing Story of the Looney Tunes Sedan Delivery
Jeff’s dad bought and upgraded a '46 Sedan Delivery for the family. They road tripped, took it to the grocery, and became a staple in Jeff’s memories of childhood. Jeff’s dad sold the sedan delivery and unfortunately passed away when Jeff was 8.
Jeff didn’t see his beloved childhood street rod for almost thirty years, when it magically reappeared.
Listen to Jeff tell you his story about fathers, healing, and coincidence.
Dusty's 1962 Chevy Impala
The story of this car starts back in ’62 when a gentleman in Auburn, Nebraska took delivery of his brand-new Impala. Red with a red interior and a 327, it was a cool car. Auburn is a small town, so the Impala’s trips must have been short. To this day the odometer shows only 84,000 miles.
Here’s where Dusty’s dad Bob Timmerman enters the story. Bob spent his career as a bodyman and has a collection of cool cars.
Read the article about Dusty's Impala to find out all about this special car, and how it found a forever home with people who appreciate it for just what it is.
Also check out Bob’s car, built with help from his sons - Built With Speedway Motors: Bob's 1936 Chevy Coupe.
1955 Chevy Truck
Pat McCollough grew up in the days when muscle cars roamed the earth. In college, he had a hot ’68 GTO with a 455, rock crusher, and a jacked-up stance. Son Joe McCollough grew up hearing stories about drag racing and other shenanigans with this car and they planted the seed that made him fall in love with fast old cars.
After more than two decades of building cars for everyone but himself, it was time. Always a fan of the ’55-’57 Chevy trucks, a search began. After looking at a few duds, a clean ’55 pickup was located in Texas. It was a painted, finished, running truck that many would have been content to leave alone. But he had a vision for a low, mean creation with some of that 60’s street racer vibe from his youth.
As the truck came together, it was clear that it was going to look nasty. The giant Hoosier meats tucked into the tubbed bedsides, low nose, and wicked rake combined to make the old truck look like it was ready for a fight. This truck will light the tires up at any speed, just like the GTO that has grown larger than life in the family mythology.
All in the Family: Dennis and Alex Taylor
Two generations of Taylor gearheads joined us to talk about everything from their origins in the automotive industry, to career successes, and discussing the Isky Tribute Roadster.
Dennis is the owner of Hot Rods by Dennis Taylor, a custom shop that operates in Booneville, Arkansas. At the age of 15, Alex and her parents began to build her car, and at 16 she became the youngest driver ever to compete in HOT ROD Drag Week, driving her "Badmaro" 1968 Camaro.
Over the years, Dennis and Alex have grown close with Ed Iskenderian and the rest of the Isky team, so for the 75th anniversary of Isky Cams they teamed up to create this historic tribute Isky Roadster that will be at SEMA 2023.
Thank you, Dads, for the love and knowledge you have passed on. We hope you all have a wonderful Father’s Day full of new memories and old cars!