Henry Rifle Forums

You know... it's sure funny how as you age and mature, your priorities change. When I was young and poor, I lusted after the muscle cars my friends drove...

That sixty eight formula firebird with the 396...
That sweet Shelby Cobra Mustang GT... I still remember the thrill of that Cobra Engine at full throttle...
The Sting Ray...

I had a decent car or two, but nothing with muscle... lol.
In my early twenties I scored a 65 T-Bird... a boat, but cool.



By the time I was comfortable enough to afford the Vette, the 370Z, the two seat Beemer... I was mature enough to know the meaning of the word practical. The vette won't tow the boat trailer, and there is barely room in that Z for a fluffy guy like me, let alone gun cases, ammo, fly rods, and waders... sheesh. Looks like Titan pickup it is.

I still admire the performance cars, and if I won one, inherited one, or one fell off the back of a car carrier with a title in my name...
I wouldn't kick it out of the garage for eatin crackers....

But, sadly, I'm a grumpy ol man, too practical for his own good.
Harley? Sure, I rode years ago, and I have looked at the Fat Bob and others....
But, it's been so long,
I wouldn't ride that much,
It's so dangerous these days,
(It would be so much fun if I didn't die... )

Practical....

Anyone?
Is it just me?
Anyone....?
LOL.

I usually just looked at a vehicle as something that was practical for the family. This was starting around 1969 when I got out of the Navy. Of course, before that, in the sixties, I had my MGA roadster thanks to my grandmother and a blue Chevy convertible. I think it was a 283. Now I have a new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, hopefully my last vehicle. They go for a long time and I only put about 8,000 miles a year on one now. I am 72. Even firearms are not a top priority as they once were. I enjoy what I have and don't plan on any new ones. Hike, shoot, hunt, walk the dog, watch the grandkids play ball, watch sports on tv, collect diecasts and try to get along with the wife. Been with her for 48 years, she's a keeper. Just trying to stay healthy for a few more years.

Well I'm in my '60's and I won't give up my Manual Trans, lol.

Have plans on putting together another old Hotrod someday and it will be a Muncie 4-Speed, lol.

As long as my health holds out anyway.

I have been riding cycles for over 50 years. Not going to stop any time soon. I drive a 20 year old pickup, and it does just fine for me. My bike is a Honda Transalp, 1989. It goes places my 4 wheel drive wont. I have taken the bike on 3 day campouts with full gear and fishing gear also. I love it. So, yeah, for me too, it is all about being practical. And living the dream.

.... it's how many bullets you have...
As an ol 50 cal door gunner, I love that.
As a reloader... I have lived it.

When I was in the Reserves, we had one of our number who was diagnosed with brain cancer and fell on hard times. We were doing a number of things to help ease his financial distress and one of the things we did was to raffle off a late 70s Firebird that had been donated by a retiring member. It was a little long in the tooth at the time, but ran well. I ended up winning it in the raffle.

I've never been a muscle car guy, or cared much for GM products, but I did seriously consider keeping this thing. It had a HUGE V-8 engine in it and was reputed to be very fast. Practicality reigned supreme and I decided to donate it back to the cause. Someone had offered a decent price on it if someone won it and didn't want it. I told them to sell it to them and give the money to our brother in trouble.

I want a new Mustang. I'm tired of driving the Popemobile.

clovishound wrote: I told them to sell it to them and give the money to our brother in trouble.

You, Sir, are a gentleman.

clovishound wrote:When I was in the Reserves, we had one of our number who was diagnosed with brain cancer and fell on hard times. We were doing a number of things to help ease his financial distress and one of the things we did was to raffle off a late 70s Firebird that had been donated by a retiring member. It was a little long in the tooth at the time, but ran well. I ended up winning it in the raffle.

I've never been a muscle car guy, or cared much for GM products, but I did seriously consider keeping this thing. It had a HUGE V-8 engine in it and was reputed to be very fast. Practicality reigned supreme and I decided to donate it back to the cause. Someone had offered a decent price on it if someone won it and didn't want it. I told them to sell it to them and give the money to our brother in trouble.

Outstanding .... Funny thing is, Miss Tina and I have been there and done that as well, but NOT quite at that level... at first.

A number of years ago, when we were founding members of an online bass fishing forum.. (we didn't start the forum, but did join in the first month..) ... we were very active. Especially Miss Tina. She moderated the Fly Tying Section and ran/judged the monthly fly tying contest, and arranged for the prizes. We both fished the monthly CPR tournaments for Bass, and the prize each month was a Kayak. Various manufactures donated a kayak each month and they would ship to local dealer locations based on the winner's location.

Miss Tina and I did very well in the competitions, and I won the first kayak. I didn't announce my actions on line, but notified the Forum Owner that I didn't want the kayak delivered to ME, but would have it delivered to SC to a new Heroes on the Water Veterans Kayak Fishing Charity that was forming. They needed kayaks and gear and Miss Tina and I had kayaks. Someone in their group placed an announcement on the site thanking us... which was NOT my intent. Believe it or not, we got NASTY emails saying how nice it must be to have enough money to give away a $1,000 kayak.

The kayak cost us nothing, and we already had nice kayaks. The charity needed boats and equipment to take veteran's fishing. Where was the problem. They were REALLY upset when the following month, Tina won a kayak and we had it delivered to us, and I customized the kayak.


We added decals to represent the various organizations that donated paddles and equipment, and I bought challenge coins to represent the five branches of service and mounted them in a teak curved plate on the stern.



The company that makes the challenge coins provided them at a discount, and paid the shipping when they learned of the project, all they asked was to see a picture of the finished project. They didn't even ask for a release to use the picture.

I also went to the State Police Gift shop to purchase a VSP challenge coin to mount on the kayak, since I was still working at HQ at the time, and they donated a coin to mount on the bow.



Once the project was completed I took a week long leave, and we drove to SC and delivered it to the Charity in person. We did a little fishing, met some people we had only chatted on line with, and got away for a while. Again, the kayak cost us nothing and they were in need of kayaks for the Charity. We didn't announce the donation, and asked that it NOT be made public. Unfortunately, a few folks felt our kindness should be noted. More nasty emails flooded in. We chose to ignore those who wrote them and carry on.

Less than a year later, we started our own chapter of the same charity, and worked hard to secure our own kayaks and equipment, holding fundraisers and charity events, and soon were taking vets out fishing ourselves. It was hard work, but very rewarding. We didn't give away a car.. but it was still a huge investment in time and money over six years.

WE wouldn't change a thing.

Deadwood Dutch wrote:I usually just looked at a vehicle as something that was practical for the family. This was starting around 1969 when I got out of the Navy. Of course, before that, in the sixties, I had my MGA roadster thanks to my grandmother and a blue Chevy convertible. I think it was a 283. Now I have a new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, hopefully my last vehicle. They go for a long time and I only put about 8,000 miles a year on one now. I am 72. Even firearms are not a top priority as they once were. I enjoy what I have and don't plan on any new ones. Hike, shoot, hunt, walk the dog, watch the grandkids play ball, watch sports on tv, collect diecasts and try to get along with the wife. Been with her for 48 years, she's a keeper. Just trying to stay healthy for a few more years.

Believe it or not, I had a 1957 (I think?) MGA convertible that I earned by working for my uncle for a month of weekends. It didn't run, and it came with boxes of parts. My dream was to work for the rest of the year and drive it to graduation. My stepfather helped me pull the engine and look at the rest of the car.. which had sat in his brother's garage for YEARS before he suckered me all those years into helping him and taking it in trade. My stepfather was a great guy, and told me that I could keep the car and tinker with it if I wanted, but in 1975/76 I was earning minimum wage and that didn't amount to much after taxes... working part time. ($30 or so a week?) When we got the engine out, we found that the pistons were rusted into the cylinders and the block was cracked. A new or rebuilt engine would run anywhere from $1800 to $3000 bucks. The brakes were shot, the lines were rusted thru, the shocks were gone.. the car was... a dream out of my reach.

I sold the car to a guy several blocks over that rebuilt and restored cars, from 55 chevys to Mustangs, to Jags. I think he paid me $250 and I called it lucky.