t’s been said that “If everything seems to be under control, you are not going fast enough.” The first line in my first magazine story went something like this: “Where you go the fastest, it seems the slowest.” I was writing about Bonneville. Turns out that’s true.

When you’re young, speed and adrenaline seem like the best things in life. But as you get older and wiser, comfort and peace become just as important—maybe even more so. Change, risk-taking, and rewards are at the core of hot rodding. When we are young, we tinker and make wholesale changes. We aren’t satisfied with the performance or the looks. We often want change for change’s sake. That’s what we do when we are young.

But I’m pretty sure, by now, even the young ones among us realize that life continues and that we don’t stay young; we get older. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most hot rodders, during their formative years, tried all kinds of things with whatever project they had at the time. But for sure, at some point, we try to make everything go faster, but we’d best make sure it stops. Those early days also gave me insight that the less there was on my hot rod that I didn’t need to pay attention to, the more time (and budget) I could spend making it go faster. Hence, items such as power brakes or power steering, A/C, enhanced stereo systems, and similar “luxuries” were verboten. They added weight, drained the car’s performance, and hence had no significant reason to be around. Lightweight was good because it was faster.

For years, I drag-raced an assortment of cars. The final objective was always to go faster and win. Speed and winning were addictive, and I couldn’t get enough of them. Well, as time marched along, it turned out that adding a few pounds to my hot rod in the form of accessories wasn’t all that bad. Heck, I had added a few extra pounds to myself, and everything seemed to be “good to go.” Of course, I could no longer easily jump behind the wheel of a C1 or C2 Corvette. A 1929 roadster felt cramped, although a 1932 did provide the added room. (Maybe that’s why Deuces are so popular. They are made for the ever-expanding waistline of aging hot rodders.)

“I feel the need for speed.” Does any of this sound familiar?

My early hot rods, highboy roadsters with way too much horsepower (you can truly never have enough), led me to do some highly questionable things while behind the wheel, with my right foot firmly planted on the gas pedal. I survived physically, but emotionally I realized that cheating death really wasn’t a sound plan for living life with a family in tow. Keep this in mind: straight roads are for fast cars, but curves are for fast drivers. Are you truly a fast driver or just someone who enjoys driving fast?

Nowadays, I see my buddies still have the love and passion for the types of early hot rods that got them all excited about our hobby. But I also see that larger, early hot rods are being built, and many aren’t open-top but rather coupes and sedans. I also see later-model cars becoming very fashionable. While 1950s cars are fun, the fact is that 1960s and 1970s cars that undergo the tricks of our trade are much more comfortable, even more reliable, and guess what they are indeed fast, yet more predictable and safer to drive.

Comfort and peace have taken over from pure adrenaline. And that’s not all bad. It’s just what happens as we progress through both our lives and those of our hot rods. I now see my buddies with a second and sometimes a third, hot rod wedged into their garages. OK, the once-in-a-while trip down the highway in the open roadster with excessive horsepower is thrilling and makes you smile. Still, when you want to go on that long drive and keep your legs from going numb, the later-model hot rod, bigger, roomier, and more comfortable, fits the bill.

I guess what all this is about is that it’s OK if our tastes in hot rods change over the years. It’s OK if we transition from a fenderless, topless, overpowered hot rod to something bigger, roomier, more comfortable, and, while having copious amounts of power, is now more predictable and easily managed when cruising down the highway. It’s also better for our significant other and the grandkids. Life sure is interesting, and it’s amazing how our tastes in everything continue to evolve as we evolve.

While it’s true that youth is wasted on the young, the trade-off for wisdom is precisely what we need at this stage in life. Keep this in mind: Speed has never killed anyone. It’s the act of becoming stationary quickly that has. Drive safely, enjoy your hot rod, and share the love and experiences with your friends and family repeatedly, and you will be around for a long time and enjoy all life has to offer.