(Western music)
- [Curtis] My motto is built, not bought.
When I was around 20 years old,
I got hooked up with a guy working on his dirt track car.
One day, he was like, "You want to drive?"
I'm like, "Oh yes, I wanna drive."
After that, I had a 20 year career
running a circle track cars.
When I started mellowing out more,
I started picking up older cars. I work on one,
use it for a couple of years. I'll sell it.
Pick up another one.
I mean,
you can buy the prettiest vehicle with all the modern
luxuries and yes. Nice.
I don't really have nothing against it.
I do have air conditioning,
but all the other luxury is backup cameras and heated seats,
I don't have none of that
because I'm kinda like old school.
( car engine roaring)
This truck here's a 1940 Chevrolet truck.
I was browsing around on Facebook one day and popped up a
picture of it.
And the grill caught my eye and the guy had it sitting
around in pieces. I was able to purchase it from him,
but he never made this body style in a 1940. I mean,
with the war and all, who knows what they did back then.
It was just parts, nuts and bolts all scattered.
And that's why it came out as a 40 on a title.
This little small black I did built for is basically
300, 350 horsepower motor around three yards foot-pounds of
torque.
I made sure the motor built,
had a carburetor and a good ignition. If it breaks down,
I could pull it into a parts store,
find a part and drive it home.
(car engine roaring)
(Car engine continue)
I chose not to put no paint
on the exterior because it was the
original paint. And the way I look at it,
it took 80 years to get light at,
why would I ruin it and put
a different color on it,
So I just preserve it with some oil, keep it indoors,
but I do drive it. I drive it in a rain.
You know,
I don't have to wash and wax it or wipe the windows down and
take a far ride.
(car engine roaring)
(Car engine noises)
Mostly go to cruising type events where you just meet the
local people, other people with the Hobby,
as they're working on vehicles and stuff,
and you find a lot of parts and they may need something.
Now I met a lot of friends that are,
I've been having for the last 10, 15 years.
At just a local little car show that we live close by,
but never knew each other had a vehicle,
I never knew each other before.
Building something yourself,
there's a lot of pride in it.
And for that first drive always go inside and make sure my
wife is home said, "turn your phone on,"
Just in case. 10 minutes later into the ride,
she's calling me up.
"You okay?," she said.
Yep, it's still rolling. It's still rolling.
It's just that pride that you built something and now you're
driving it down the road.
You can't go buy a new car and have that feeling.
When I was 15, 16,
I guess I never imagined myself doing this for as long as I
did it.
It's still today. I mean,
as long as I've been doing it every day I get off of work.
90% of the time I'm in my shop, tinkering with a car.
If it's not my car, it is someone else's car.
When I was 15, 16 years old,
I never imagined that it took me this long and still love it
and still doing it.
(car engine roaring)
I am Curtis Zignar and
this is why I drive.
(Car engine roaring)
(soft music)