Why We Revived Throttlers Car Club
I'm a third generation car guy. The photo provided in this blog post is 60-70 years old, and it depicts my grandfathers old '32 ford before he turned it into the yellow hot rod that George Lucas fell in love with as a teen. Eventually, Lucas made a movie based on my grandpa's yellow hot rod. And now, I drive around town and see murals of it, and every summer I see clones of it running around town and at car meets. I also have it tattooed on my arm - the real one though, as he had it done - not what is in the movie.
So grandpa built the hot rod we all know and love. And while he tinkered away in the garage, my father watched. And he learned. And that watching and learning led to him being the neighborhood's bike mechanic. I've heard that he charged a pretty penny for chain replacements and tire patches. But he went on to find his own love and passion for muscle cars.
"Race your own race."
And then it was my turn to watch and learn. But dad didn't have me just watch, he had me get my hands dirty. I don't remember learning what a ratchet or wrench are, I just know that at some point I did learn it. Ultimately, this led to my dad and I building my first muscle car - Kona. Kona is a 1965 Mustang Fastback - a restomod that I turned every bolt and ran every wire on. This car will get it's own blog post at some point, but it's how I got my start.
Grandpa is gone now - but his legacy lives on both in our hearts and on our streets. His legacy is in the deafening noise of open-header exhaust, the smell of rubber, the feeling of a sore throat from a big collection of cars cruising down McHenry, and in the smiles of children and adults alike. This memory and legacy isn't just mine, it's not just my dad's, it's everyone's now. I just want people to know the true origin story of Graffiti - the one that runs in my blood and is inked on my skin.
Where We're Headed Next
This is just a start! Now you know who we are and why we're here. If you wanna join us, check out our instagram (@throttlers.club) and email us at info@throttlers.club. I wanna hear your stories and what your cars mean to you!