Fast Cars, 4-speeds & Fist-fights

Fast Cars

By Roger Jetter

Copyright 2013 by Roger Jetter

Smashwords Edition

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I was asked to write an introduction to this book, as were the rest listed after these few words, so let me begin:

INTRODUCTION

In my opinion, this book is written to take you back to when you were a kid.

Roger writes his books telling real life stories most car guys have experienced in one form or another when we were growing up in rural America: the Midwestern states, Iowa and/or any other state in the Heartland of this country. Small town or large, most of us have similar stories, some true, some fictional in part, but, stories nonetheless that we all can relate to. That’s what makes his books so much fun to read.

You think movies are relaxing and fun to watch? Roger’s stories will play in your mind, entertain you, give you some real American Graffiti, and take you back.

I grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, a medium sized town of 120,00 in the 1950’s and 1960’s, if you wanted to find me, there was only one place and that was downtown on 4th Street. In those days we called it cruizin’ the strip, or splitting the gut. If we were not wrenching on some guys hot rod, we were downtown cruizin’.

We were just crazy kids in those days, out to have a little fun. I remember going to our favorite drive in restaurant -- Wynn’s Drive-In. It was set up like today’s Sonics are, with speakers to order your food. We’d pull up in our hot rods, and just to get the girls attention, we would order 283 cubic inches of mashed potatoes, or something else just as crazy. I know it sounds corny today, but it was fun in those days and hurt no one.

This is what Roger writes about, those memorable youthful experiences, the trouble we got into, the laughs we had and the friends we made.

Always remember this old saying. Once a man, twice a child. If you want to go back to those simple, fun, crazy times and be a kid again, this is the book you Need to Read, and that’s kinda like the Need for Speed!

Just another Car Crazy Guy and proud to be an Iowegian.

Bob Call

National Sales Director, LizardSkin Automotive Insulation

Lake Havasu City, Arizona

AN INTERNATIONAL INTRODUCTION

Bill sez…

I’ve been a friend of Roger for several years now…drawn together by a love of cars and the written word.

Actually it was cars that put us in the same group…but certainly the written word that cemented our friendship. He’s your typical artist…committed to doing his very best in both mediums, but I don’t think he fully appreciates the grassroots appeal his book Bangin’ Gears has, to not only the American heartland where he grew up, but also to the rest of North America and even the world.

This book, like the last, features snapshots of Roger’s quest for identity in late 1950’s Iowa and beyond, but the interesting thing is that although the surroundings, the names, the events and the dates may be different…it’s still a time in life we can ALL relate to. We’ve all been there and faced similar trials no matter what location or which decade we grew up in.

The back roads of the Midwest compare quite well to the darkened side streets of the big concrete cities and equally as well even to the rural dirt roads and paved boulevards of the remote island in the Atlantic that I call home.

As I experience Rogers’ written adventures, MY own personal memories often take over…flooding me with the emotions I felt and still feel as I relive my early adult years. Even now, just thinking about those days brings a smile to my face…they were wonderful times!

Reading has been called escapism by some, and I’m sure fictional writing, filled with amazing superheroes, spies and impossible feats of daring is just that…but what we have here isn’t escapism and it isn’t fiction…it’s a journey back to examine one man’s roots.

It’s almost…biographical, and if anything, it’s an expose of just how incredibly alike all young men really are…despite upbringing, wealth, location or indeed, borders! No Supermen here…just young males who THOUGHT they were! These tales and how well they relate to each of us in our diverse yet parallel worlds, prove us all brothers beyond any doubt.

I know how I remember it…and I’m thrilled to be able to relive those daring times thru Roger. Hang on…’cause it’s a wild ride…and as you read this book you’ll likely remember living a good portion of that wild ride yourself!

Bill Norris

Deuce Storage Technician!!!

St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada

THE INTRODUCTION

Sam sez…

For those of you that missed the first, this is the second installment of past memories.

I grew up in Fremont, NE, a rural Midwestern town of about 25,000, in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s when cruizin’ was an occupation and gas was 25 cents a gallon.

Roger and I met at our paying jobs at a Super Value grocery store…you’ll need to read his first book (Bangin’ Gears and Bustin’ Heads) for more details on that. Our favorite hang-out was the Tastee Drive-In on Highway 30 – cruizin’ started and ended at the Tastee and it was where many of us embarked on our first lessons of life, the 4 R’s: Racing, Romancin’, Rebel rousin’ and Remorse. The Tastee provided opportunities for listening to newly installed glaspaks, checking out hot engines (horsepower wise), burning out to head downtown or previewing the women.

Past episodes in Roger’s first book jolted many of my forgotten memories, the scourge of the middle-aged mind…forgotten were the trips to the popcorn factory in North Bend for free samples …after rewarding the night watchman with a Bud…always a prerequisite to catching a double feature at the passion pit with a female, is but one of those forgotten memories. If you’re like me, your memory is better for things forty years ago than the now what the heck did I come into this room for senior moments of today.

Thanks Roger, for reminding us of honkin’ on, Lakes Plugs and slippers, automatic trannys to those of you from the 1970’s and newer. Most of all, thanks for putting credibility to the slight embellishments my brother Curt and I MAY have added to OUR stories over the years.

The first book reminded me of my strong sense of adventure, appropriate recklessness and testosterone moments…all tempered with a huge dose of humor. The contents of this book will provide yet another twinkle in my grandson’s eyes.

Thanks Jet!!!

Sam Smith

Sales Rep National Write Your Congressman

Lincoln, Nebraska

HERE’S AN INTRODUCTION

Dan sez…

It’s an honor and a pleasure to be asked to write this introduction. I’ve known the author for a very long time. As a matter of fact, he’s not heavy, he’s my brother!

That said, let me tell you a little about his up-bringing, what I remember of it, anyway…you see, I was only about 12 when he got his license. I was still riding my bicycle and playing with model cars...Roger was drawing kustom cars and building detailed model cars. In the spring of 1960 he got his first car, a bullet nosed Studebaker, only thing I really remember about that car was it was green (he’s had a lot of green cars since, the current ride is another green Studebaker). On the dash of that high school Studey was a push button, alongside were painted the words Panic Button. When pushed, a screaming ahhhh-oooooogaaah would emanate. It came in handy when picking up girls…or scaring pedestrians! The few times I got to go with him, I remember cruising that old Stude on Friday or Saturday nites, we’d go down to the APCO gas station on Hiway 30 and buy 50 cents worth of Regular cuz that’s all we could afford. That got us about 2 ½ gallons, enough to cruise for a long time.

I didn’t get to go out much and always had to be home early. Mom trusted Roger more than Dad did as far as driving…and after the stuff Roger got into, I understand now why Dad didn’t!

I also remember the day that old Stude was traded in on the green ’57 Chevy (another green car…ask him about all the green cars in his life) 150 model two door. Now there was fine piece of machinery and that’s when all the fun began…some of the stories herein involve his ’57…and he writes the episodes so well you feel like you are riding shotgun with him. He’ll put you right in the middle of the action, so to speak, that you cannot break away from until the actual end of the story arrives.

By the time I reached driving age, Roger had already moved to Fremont, Nebraska …and I got my first car, a 1959 Bel Air 4-door, Coral and white in color with a 283/automatic and four-barrel carb. I think I was a Junior (in HS) at the time…that’s been a long time ago so I don’t remember exactly. One time I drove to Omaha with several of my friends in my car to meet Roger and go to an indoor auto show in Lincoln, Nebraska at the Civic Center. On the trip home, I decided to see what that 283 could do so I stomped on the gas pedal, passed Roger on the left and let ‘er rip. The four-barrel carb opened and ran that ’59 all the way up to 95 miles per hour. That was it. No more. Top end. I looked in my mirror to see where my brother is and here comes Roger, literally flying past me like I, and the ’59, were standing still! I got ribbed from my friends all the way home, calling my ’59 a real hog!

That’s one of my episodes about Roger. As I reached the age of 19, Uncle Sam decided I needed to serve my country, but I was one step ahead…I enlisted in the Navy before the Army Infantry could get their hands on me and send me to Viet Nam. I missed out on all the good times Roger, his friends and all of my friends had…and if I can quote the author from one of his GoodGuy’s columns…At least, that’s the way I remember it.

Dan Jetter, brother

VP, Eyeball Engineering

Aurora, ColoRODO

A SERIOUS INTRODUCTION

Kevin sez…

The written word.

It’s an ocean of opportunity, isn’t it?

Whether delicately laid in verse or dramatically bold in its presentation, the written word, in its essence, conveys a direction of thought.

A snapshot of an emotion.

A direct link to a time or a place.

A risky curve taken too fast or a not too subtle angora sweater. No matter how the words are chosen in sequence, they take you somewhere.

I believe that’s why Roger’s vignettes of youth convey so much, so well, in the written form. They carry emotion, fear and suspense. And…they transform.

Roger’s stories transform recollections of the past into real, lifelike, living-in-the-time situations. Some of us have had similar experiences to Roger’s. Yes, and some of us haven’t yet had all that the Jetter brothers and buddies handled (how did they?!). Moreover, the stories from this young, exuberant hooligan, now from the perspective of a (somewhat) more mature man, offer a chance to relive, revisit and reconnect. Let’s consider it a bonafide memory voyage, in which we all may enjoy every one of their exploits, without the real-life risk of consequence.

In that light, an opportunity presents itself for us all. Take a moment. Relish in the savory flavor of time (passing all too fast for most of us) to appreciate our blessings and become reacquainted with some of the calamities of youth.

Allow Roger’s written word to convey his own smorgasbord of smells, sights, and sounds. I’d say it’s time well spent.

Kevin R. Anderson, Kustom car guy &

President, The Anderson Agency

Indianapolis, Indiana

A VERY PERSONAL INTRODUCTION

Ron sez…

Meet my friend Roger, Roger Jetter. He’s a car guy, a talented artist and a writer.

I first met Roger at a custom/rod show. Looking across the sea of cars I see a most outstanding mint green car. I need to meet this guy! What is it? You guess! It’s a radical custom ’57 Chevy. Guessing what the Hint of Mint" is, became a forever game. If you study it long enough, will it come to you? Perhaps.

To me Roger is an auto encyclopedia and often makes my life easier with his instant answers to my every question about cars.

Over the years we’ve attended many rod events. Everyone knows Roger. It still amazes me how we cannot get our cars parked before the invasion of friends begins. He has traveled over 250,000 miles to rod events nationwide, with his brother and his many friends. So, what happens when a radical custom ‘57 sheers off the studs of the right rear wheel. A little thing like that doesn’t stop him for very long. Knock out the old, hammer in the new and off he goes, just that fast.

It is all in the style when traveling with Roger (and company). We all have CB radios and the game is on -- who can spot the old car first and name year, make, and model? Roger’s voice is usually heard first!! Is he always right? Yep, probably is, but I’ll keep playing anyway just in case he misses one.

Such a good friend he’s become. Traveling with Roger, you know that a broken down rod, can and will be made whole, or at the very least drivable alongside the road. Spare parts, he has them. Need an alternator? Yes, one of those too. Or -- what if I am near Cherry Creek Reservoir and my ’57 Ford retractable quits? It’s 10:30 PM when I call…and Roger calls Dan and they are on the way to my rescue.

Roger lives and breathes cars. Until I read Bangin’ Gears and Bustin’ Heads, I never would have guessed that a young, wild guy named Roger Jetter in Iowa was living the same crazy life that a young, wild guy named Ron Brown was living in Colorado. Oh, the memories that book brings back. Did every young guy in the ‘60’s take this Wild Ride? Many of them did and all of them can relate to Roger, his life and his writing.

Here’s another short story about Roger as I remember it ---

I’m standing in Roger’s art room. Roger, if you could build any car, what would you choose? He looks up to the top corner of the room and points to a ‘48 Cadillac Sedanet poster on the wall. I studied the picture for a minute and said, I know where there’s one, in a creek bed in Kansas. You could see the question and doubt in his expression but he would humor me this one time. Got pictures? he asked. I made a quick weekend trip to visit the Kansas field and creek bed to make sure it was still there. Roger, it’s there! I think you can get it pretty reasonable, I tell him. It’s full of twigs and grass brought in by packrats, the front end is up on a 50 gallon drum, the rear end is almost in the creek, a tree has grown into the side and the upper and lower control arms have been torched off. What do you think? He wants it and when can we leave? So with a ‘64 Chevy van straight axle and an open trailer we’re off to Kansas. As we pull up to the pile of metal, Roger already has a plan to mount the axle to the front. By nightfall the ‘48 Sedanet is in Colorado and no time is wasted getting it into his shop and onto his drawing board. This work in progress will remain under cover for many months to come.

For my friend, Roger, the unusual becomes the usual in custom ideas, designs and fabrication. His enviable artistic talent goes beyond cars to special request T-shirt designs created for event planners across the country. Detail comes naturally to Roger’s designs, taking hours, days and weeks to put every line in just the right place.

Roger’s newest creations are his books, recording and combining the memories, dreams, and whatever personal experiences are needed to create exciting reading for both the old and the young car guys.

For Roger, life will always be all about cars, living, loving, dreaming, and designing custom Rods.

Ron Brown

President, AIS, Automatic Irrigation Services

Elizabeth, ColoRODo

Author’s notes:

One a man, Twice a child…Bob Call’s life motto…something he lives by all the time. Bob and his wife Barb lived in Denver for a while and we became good friends, via cars…and that is a wonderful glue. From one Iowan to another, Bob, thank you very much, for your contribution and your friendship.

And Bill Norris’s line Deuce Storage Technician? He’s owned an old 60’s hot rodded 1932 Ford five window coop for over twenty years now…can’t seem to find time to work on it…so he’s storing it for a later date. I’ve never met Bill…in person, but plan to…he and I struck up a long distance conversation becuz of my stories on the HAMB in late 2002, we’ve been international ‘pals’ ever since. Bill, ya GOTTA get to work on that Deuce…and Thanx, HackerBill.

Sam Smith? A pseudonym? Hardly…he is THE real Sam in the first book. A mutual friend (John Reeves) sent him one of the first Bangin’ Gears books and Sam sent me a letter after reading it…I didn’t even know if he still lived in the Midwest or had moved somewhere far away. I’m glad to know that Sam…and his brother Curt, are still around. Suffice it to say, I’ve been given a standing invitation to ‘stop in’ to see him and relive old times next time I’m back the Midwest way…thanx Sam, for taking time to write an introduction for me…and count on that visit.

My brother, Dan…yeah, really is…his title: VP, Eyeball Engineering…uh-huh, sure…that’s our own little car building company, and no, we don’t do work for anyone else! Dan and I have been ‘playing’ cars together for over 35 years now, I’d be lost without him. Thanx for being there all these years, brother of mine, and for your kind words.

Kevin Anderson…a very good friend since, sometime, in 1992 and the beginning days of Kustoms of America…we share good conversation and yuks…on the phone, almost daily. Kevin owns his own ad agency…and builds cars…you could say he is one of my mentors. Thanx sincerely Kev, for your words.

Last in this introduction deal, and by no means least: Ron Brown, a wonderfully good friend that used to live only a mile or two from me and would give me the shirt off his back (and has, literally - I help him, in his company, a few days a week during summers and he gives me shirts with his company logo on them!) and a genuine car guy. I’ve known him for about ten years (and vice versa)…it’s hard to describe a friendship that gets better every day…he’s a car guy too. Ron – to you, a better friend cannot be found, anywhere. Thank you very much for this introduction, and your friendship.

To each of them, I extend my sincerest thanx for helping me with this.

A writer writes not because he is educated but because he is driven by the need to communicate. Behind the need to communicate is the need to share. Behind the need to share is the need to be understood. The writer wants to be understood much more than he wants to be respected or praised or even loved. And that perhaps, is what makes him different from others.

—Leo Rosten

FOREWORD

As I was assembling this book, the second, after my first: Bangin’ Gears & Bustin’ Heads, I kept wondering who can I get to write an introduction for this book? I thot about asking someone famous, or well-known, but I did that for my previous book. I began to feel this sophomore effort needed a different perspective to ‘pave’ the road ahead this time.

So who?

I pondered, and came to the conclusion that I’m fortunate enough to know so many great people across this country, mainly becuz my brother and I are always driving our hot rods everywhere,