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Well to start with I am 20 years old and have been into hot rods since I can remember. My dad was always building something and at an early age I learned how to bleed brakes and run for tools and oh yeah how to get a cold one out of the fridge. When I was about 15 I was forced to take algebra in high school. As with must 15 year olds I was complaining one night to my dad about why I needed to know how to find “X”. Like most parents he said the right things about my need for a better education then he had etc, etc.
That Saturday my dad spent all morning dragging parts into the garage, an old frame an even older front end and a rear end from something or other. When I finally got up and went to see what he was doing he said he was going to show me why you need to be able to find “X”. That’s when we started my first hot rod, its funny how big a roll algebra and geometry play in building a hot rod. The end result is a 29 ford closed cab pickup with an honest to god 365 horse 327 (an engine my dad saved from his drag racing days, he told me he didn’t, know why he keep that engine but knew it would come in handy) and a 350 turbo a MOPAR rear end and a ton of parts from speedway and my dads private stash. I decided on an old school look and style and I think I have achieved that goal. I worked part-time at the local grocery store to pay for parts. In its first outing I won the under 21 award and the little truck is great fun to drive. It took about two years to build the truck . I now know how to weld and fabricate and have become a pretty fair mechanic. I attend the University of North Dakota now and plan a career in Mechanical Engineering. Funny how finding “X” can become your life’s goals and make your hot rod dreams come true. Thanks, Orrin Hanson
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