I "discovered" Hot Rods at around the age of 12/13. My Dad was a travelling sales rep, selling a wide variety of products, and his job got him out on the road. He met a lot of people.

 Some of his customers sold magazines, and at the end of the month they would tear the covers off the leftover magazines to get their "credit", and some would give the coverless magazines to my Dad.

I got to read a lot of "True Detective", "Teen Beat", "Field and Stream", and "Tiger Beat". You know, the typical teenage stuff, murder, music, fishing, etc.

Then one day, a copy of a coverless Rod & Custom showed up! 

THAT WAS IT!!

Up until this point in my life I had been building models. Models of everything, and anything. Models of planes, ships, and rockets that I got for Christmas, birthdays, and the ones I could buy with my allowance.

After seeing that issue of Rod & Custom I promptly blew up all my models with firecrackers and built nothing but cars!

I eventually got myself a "for real" car. It was a running, driving, 1939 Chevy, four door sedan. I bought it with my first pay cheque from my first job. I learned how to drive "stick" in that car, along with a lot of other stuff when I started to get into it.

I did a basic restoration on that car, which included a rebuilt engine, body off frame, and a paint job in buffed out lacquer. (I was a painter at a GM dealership back in the day.)

While driving that car around I started on a  '30 Model "A" Tudor. My first Hot Rod.

It got a 3 1/2" chop, Pete & Jakes front end and a Buick V6. (The V6 seemed like a good idea at the time....sigh....) 

At the time I was driving my Model "A" I was building my '34 Coupe, the one Hot Rod I think most people associate me with these days, although I do have a few other cars as well.

My Girlfriend, Barb Balanyk, drives her '34 Pickup everywhere as part of the "Lipstick Girls" Tours, and we share a '30 Model "A" Roadster, which we built together.

My Mom and Dad even had a car, or two. Their daily driver was a '67 Beaumont, two door hardtop, and their other car was a '51 Chevy Sedan Delivery which I have inherited, and drive regularly.

Hot Rods have been a large part of my life forever, and I'm looking forward to many more years!

At any rate, I am looking forward to working with my fellow NDSRA Directors and throwing my two cents in where I can.

I can assure the membership that I take my Hot Rodding seriously, and will approach my new position with the same attitude.

Over the years my involvement with NDSRA, and the members that I meet, and have met, it just keeps things getting better and better. 

The organization is made up of some terrific people and I look forward to many years of FUN WITH CARS!!.

 On a side note, when I do my stretching exercises each morning, I start with a back stretch that puts me in a bowing position.

I noticed that when I am bowing, it is towards Muroc, El Mirage, Bonneville, and North Dakota.  

See you on the street!!

Rob

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Email ID: rose.rob8@gmail.com

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