• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

John S. Rehberg, 8/31/1956 to 9/14/2022, Dad you may be gone but you're always with me...

PlymCrazy

FBBO Gold Member
FBBO Gold Member
Local time
7:55 PM
Joined
Mar 19, 2021
Messages
3,187
Reaction score
9,434
Location
Western NY
FBBO friends,
I'd first like to take a moment to say thank you all for what a pleasure it has been to be part of this family. Over the last month in particular you all have helped keep my mind in a good place, and it was soooo needed! I lost my dad suddenly less than a month ago on 9/14/2022. If it wasn't for the time I spent with him growing up around old cars, I would never had the interest in joining a forum such as this. Of the (3) different car forums I am a member of currently, I felt this was the best place to hang dad's hat in memory. He owned approximately 60-70 cars in his lifetime and I'm going to try to post them all from oldest to newest over the next several weeks. I'll try to share what I can remember of each, if anything. Please note many of the pics I post will only be a representative of the vehicle but will post actual photos of ones I do have. I think we can have some fun in his honor. I'm sure he would love to see us all smiling at the thought of him with his cars. So without further ado...

1665583262390.png


John S. Rehberg, 8/31/1956 to 9/14/2022
Rochester, NY
Sure do miss you dad. Thank you for the irremovable fingerprints you left on my life. I hope I carry the torch in life (and with my old cars) in a way that always makes you proud.

1665582999535.png

Here's one car dad owned. 1951 Chevy(representative picture - thanks google). I was too little to have memories of this one. Many more to come. Stay tuned...
 
Oh, I am so very sorry to read of your dad's passing. Prayers for you and all your family and others
affected - that's about as rough as it gets for a fella, losing his dad. :praying:
Mine's been gone 12 years and I still think of him daily...
He wasn't a real car "nut" until he felt he could afford it late in life, but his growing up in abject poverty
(becoming the family breadwinner at age 14 no less) meant he learned about cars because he HAD to...
$25 specials got him to work and he had to learn how to work on them himself, cheap as possible.

All of that did lead to my own car obsession, however - I was the one out of the 4 kids who always hung
around Pop when he was working on cars when I was a kid.
It came full circle later on in life when I'd work on his stuff for him - he'd watch me and go "I never showed
you how to do that sort of thing, son".
Nope you didn't Pop - but your patience and teaching when I was a boy gave me the confidence to go
on and learn beyond what you'd taught me, too.


I'm looking forward to seeing all the cars your father owned @PlymCrazy !
It's obvious you loved your dad and you're doing him proud right now, it's apparent for all to see. :thumbsup:
 
Oh, I am so very sorry to read of your dad's passing. Prayers for you and all your family and others
affected - that's about as rough as it gets for a fella, losing his dad. :praying:
Mine's been gone 12 years and I still think of him daily...
He wasn't a real car "nut" until he felt he could afford it late in life, but his growing up in abject poverty
(becoming the family breadwinner at age 14 no less) meant he learned about cars because he HAD to...
$25 specials got him to work and he had to learn how to work on them himself, cheap as possible.

All of that did lead to my own car obsession, however - I was the one out of the 4 kids who always hung
around Pop when he was working on cars when I was a kid.
It came full circle later on in life when I'd work on his stuff for him - he'd watch me and go "I never showed
you how to do that sort of thing, son".
Nope you didn't Pop - but your patience and teaching when I was a boy gave me the confidence to go
on and learn beyond what you'd taught me, too.


I'm looking forward to seeing all the cars your father owned @PlymCrazy !
It's obvious you loved your dad and you're doing him proud right now, it's apparent for all to see. :thumbsup:
Mom and dad started very young, with me being the eldest. Dad was born in 1956, mom in '59 and I came along in '73. You do the math. I, too spent the most time of us 4 with dad working on cars. Started about the time I was able to hold a treble light properly, without shining it directly in his face, at around age 6. Please don't assume all of his cars were glamorous. In fact, most weren't. Part of the reason he had so many was because a lot of them he spent only a few hundred bucks on and they needed work!
 
I'm proud of you for being proud of your dad. He was 2 months and 2 days older than me.
I can hear his voice saying that through your comment. And you being so close to his age like that? I'll take it. Thank you sir.
 
Oh, I am so very sorry to read of your dad's passing. Prayers for you and all your family and others
affected - that's about as rough as it gets for a fella, losing his dad. :praying:
Mine's been gone 12 years and I still think of him daily...
He wasn't a real car "nut" until he felt he could afford it late in life, but his growing up in abject poverty
(becoming the family breadwinner at age 14 no less) meant he learned about cars because he HAD to...
$25 specials got him to work and he had to learn how to work on them himself, cheap as possible.

All of that did lead to my own car obsession, however - I was the one out of the 4 kids who always hung
around Pop when he was working on cars when I was a kid.
It came full circle later on in life when I'd work on his stuff for him - he'd watch me and go "I never showed
you how to do that sort of thing, son".
Nope you didn't Pop - but your patience and teaching when I was a boy gave me the confidence to go
on and learn beyond what you'd taught me, too.


I'm looking forward to seeing all the cars your father owned @PlymCrazy !
It's obvious you loved your dad and you're doing him proud right now, it's apparent for all to see. :thumbsup:
I look forward to hearing more about you and your dad along the way, if you're comfortable sharing of course. I sense some similarities in your journey with him already.
 
That's a question I pose for you all, who or what was it in your life that led to your passion with these old classics?
 
Mom and dad started very young, with me being the eldest. Dad was born in 1956, mom in '59 and I came along in '73. You do the math. I, too spent the most time of us 4 with dad working on cars. Started about the time I was able to hold a treble light properly, without shining it directly in his face, at around age 6. Please don't assume all of his cars were glamorous. In fact, most weren't. Part of the reason he had so many was because a lot of them he spent only a few hundred bucks on and they needed work!
Mercy. I reckon I got about a dozen years on ya then...but Mama and Pop were both Depression era babies
('36 + '32, respectively).
Pop used to say two things that almost ended the world happened in 1961 - the Bay of Pigs and my birth. :)
As far as the cars go, I hope they aren't all glamorous - that crap is boring to me for the most part.
Let's see 'em! :thumbsup:
 
Mercy. I reckon I got about a dozen years on ya then...but Mama and Pop were both Depression era babies
('36 + '32, respectively).
Pop used to say two things that almost ended the world happened in 1961 - the Bay of Pigs and my birth. :)
As far as the cars go, I hope they aren't all glamorous - that crap is boring to me for the most part.
Let's see 'em! :thumbsup:
Wish I had more actual pics. Moved a lot, parents were kids themselves for some of that time. But I will show what I have as we go along. I suppose "moved a lot" is subjective, however I'm on address #16 in life. Only moved once since starting my own family about 25 years ago. My wife refused to move so much like I was used to growing up. Glad she stuck to her guns with that philosophy.
:lol:
 
I look forward to hearing more about you and your dad along the way, if you're comfortable sharing of course. I sense some similarities in your journey with him already.
Oh, I have been known to tell my "stories" on here from time to time....I get all prolific as the mood strikes me.
For now though, the stage is all yours sir!
 
That's a question I pose for you all, who or what was it in your life that led to your passion with these old classics?
My grandfather actually as he always drove Plymouth Fury's ( nothing hot rod like, just family cars ) so I have always loved Mopars. His next door neighbor had a 62 Valiant that I bought for $250 and then years later I bought a 66 Barracuda Formula S for $500 from the same guy.
My dad was never really a car guy per say and thankfully he put up with me tearing apart a car in the carport or switching out an engine or rear end after I toasted one. I did end up following my dad in the architectural drafting profession which did make him proud although he was not one to admit such things as he was a depression era baby born in 1928.
My grandfather was born in 1895 and his Florida tag always had 13W-1895 on it through the years.
 
That's a question I pose for you all, who or what was it in your life that led to your passion with these old classics?
Condolences to you and your family, when the Lord says you’ve done enough here, he’ll reward with reuniting with your father.

For me I’d probably have to say it was my grandfather. He made his living as a mechanic, unfortunately didn’t get to play with cars, but he taught my dad, and it followed to me. I’ve always been a car nut, he’d always show me stuff in the magazines, we’d always talk about cars. In 2015 I graduated high school, and bought a 68 satellite 4 door, he was really excited and wanted to work on it, a few months later he passed away. In 2017 I bought my 68 GTX, I still wish he was around, he would have loved the car, and I’d love to have him get behind the wheel.
 
Sorry your dad passed, Thanks for taking time to post about him and his cars.
I also look forward to seeing them.
 
Sudden and shocking losses are very difficult of a loved one - especially one as close as father and son. I'm very sorry for your loss but know as you grieve that he's still with you and always will be. It's pretty cool about the whole car relationship. Wish I would have had that with my dad. RIP
 
you have my deepest & heartfelt condolences
for/to you & your family's & his friends' loss
sounds like he was a great guy, 66 (67) is way too young

May John RIP

I like how you're coping with it
a lil' humor helps too, I think most dad's would relate to that too

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

my dad has said;
'When it's his time, he doesn't want a funeral
he wants a celebration of life party,
he doesn't want people wearing all black
& being all sad & crying'

he has chosen to be cremated
(I will spread his ashes where he wanted, his old favorite fishing spot)
& it's already paid for it thru 'the Neptune Society'
several years ago,
he has everything in a living trust/will, planned out very well
so no complication when he's gone
I'm the executor too
I will do exactly as he asked, to the letter
(he's been single for about 42 years now, after 3 failed marriages,
my mom was his 1st
)

I lost my mother about 20+ years ago
She was about my age, now...
(I lost my beloved Lisa, about the same time too)

I'm my elderly father's caretaker, since 2007, he's 85 now,
he's lived with me since 2005, been in & out of hospitals...
(he really abused his body when young, 60 years of alcohol abuse
& tobacco, filterless Lucky Strikes for 40 years, tell he was about 50,
finally, quit, when he got COPD, he always thought/wrongly diagnosed as asthma,

then the 40+ years of eating **** food/junk food, even with me harping on him etc.)
Then in rehab for months each time after, each incident or surgery
for different ailments & surgeries
for the past 5+ years

he still has a pretty good sense of humor, sort of old school
thru out all the **** he's gone thru
a huge flirt with his nurses too
that's the way I want to remember him, when he's gone
not to be sad
(I'm sure, I will still be sad)

I can relate
 
Last edited:
Very sorry to hear about the sudden passing of your father. :praying:

I'm glad you will post pictures of the cars he had. I always think cars at car shows with stories are the most interesting. There are lots of nicely restored and/or cool cars around. What really draws me to certain cars are the stories that surround them.

I'm looking forward to hearing the stories - tell them in honor of your dad. We'll all benefit from the tales!
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top