Not Art, Just Cars

As a kid, I loved to hang out with my Dad in his favorite place, his garage. The smell of motor oil and sawdust will always make me think of him. When he wasn’t building houses, he was working on one of his vintage cars.

My dad built and owned many cars over his short 49 years. His pride and joy was his 1920s Model T Ford roadster that he built from scratch. He also loved his ’55 and ’57 Chevys, a ’34 Ford Coupe, a few old trucks; the list goes on and on. I wish I could find more photos.

He also fixed up my dream car for my 16th birthday, a fire engine red 1969 Karmann Ghia, she was gorgeous! Sadly, she was destroyed 4 months later when I was hit head-on by an out of control speeding idiot, my friends and I are lucky to be alive.

My first car, 1969 Karmann Ghia

We spent a lot of time together going to and participating in car shows. We went to all the swap meets because he was always looking for more car parts. I loved when he took me to the drag races, and I always got a kick out of the demolition derby. I was into it, it was time spent with my hero, my Dad.

I guess that’s why I decided to apply for the job at the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park. Yes, that is where my new job is!

As the Gift Shop Supervisor, I not only manage the gift shop and admissions, but I also run the museum library, and I manage the eBay store. We sell lots of cool toys, books, and knick-knacks, as well as some really cool automotive collectibles.

Another cool thing is that it is located in a cool historical building in Balboa Park with 18 other amazing museums, and I get free access to them all!😊 There are a lot of them I’ve never been to, or not since I was a kid. They are expensive to visit here, so I have no excuses now!

We are preparing for a special Ferrari exhibit starting September 30th!

Thanks for reading, sorry no artwork today, I’ve got a few pieces in progress that I will share soon!

37 replies to “Not Art, Just Cars”

  2. Your dad had some cool cars. What a great job! I can see you are totally a Carmen Ghia woman. I assume you no longer have the Ghia. Wonderful photos, old and new.

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  5. I just went to an antique car show last weekend, and there’s one the night before my craft show the end of September. I cannot tell you how much in awe I am of those who restore these cars to their original beauty. They are creative artists in the richest sense.

    So what a great atmosphere to find a job! You will love it!!

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  6. Such a wonderful post, and a fine tribute to your dad, Tiffany. What a shame your beautiful Karmann Ghia was totaled in an accident, but thankfully you and your friends all survived! And congratulations on the new job. It seems like a good fit for you and comes with some very nice perks.

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  7. OMG! That is a wonderful job!!!! And meaningful to you! I think having free admission to all the museums is an incredible bonus. As I read your post, I vicariously wandered around Balboa Park. Naturally, I especially loved the art museum but also the Air and Space Museum.

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    1. Right?? I wish I had more time to go visit them all, I can even get into the Zoo free! So far, I haven’t had 2 consecutive days off, but it’s coming soon, I haven’t been to the Air and Space Museum in over 45 years, and it’s right next door!

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  14. Your Ghia was gorgeous and what a sweet bond between you and your dad. 💕 Sorry to read about your accident. Like you wrote, thank goodness you and your friends walked away. Your new job location looks interesting with some great perks! 👍🏻

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