Excuse my ignorance, but explain what a "modified" is?

[IntrstlarOvrdrve]

I feel really dumb asking this, but could somebody please define it for me? I dunno what I always thought it was, but it hit me..that I dont know what it means. Post pics maybe? Sorry, you can flame me http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Levis Classic]

A pictures worth a 1000 words!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/levisclassic/rods/modified.jpg

[gowjobs]

A "modified" was based on a production body - usually the front half of a touring or the cab of a roadster pick-up. Per the rules, they could be narrowed, but could have no fabricated, streamlined tails or noses, else they be moved into the "streamliner" classes.

Seems to me that the bodies had to be stock height, though most were channeled. The classic T-bucket has its roots in the lakes modifieds of the pre-war era, and the dirt track modifieds of the post-war era. A similar type of pre-war gow job was the speedster, which had no real bodywork aft of the cowl. Just two bucket-style bolstered seats on a riser with a gas tank and maybe a tool kit behind them. These were mostly pseudo race cars built by putting lightweight bodywork on a standard light car chassis, and perhaps a few early aftermarket hop-ups. In Europe, they had a different method of building what they called, "specials." They'd take a standard chassis and add a new "sporting" body made from lightweight wood, wicker, or even doped fabric stretched over a spruce or birch framework like a WWI fighter. These usually featured boat-tail styling, and were also called "skiffs".

Anyway, enough of the history I've managed to glean from websites, books and magazine articles. Modifieds are the lightest, most basic form of what Americans recognize as a hot rod, and are really the equivalent of a "bobber" in the classic cycle world.

BTW: that's NOT a modified in the pic above. That looks like Stu Hilborn's streamliner.

[38Chevy454]

Here is my old modified, pretty common and true in the design, but not absolutely traditional. I sold it at Paso earlier this year. Body was a 32 Ford truck cowl (narrowed approx 8 inches) and doors, with a T back panel, all welded up. 53 Ford 215 six, Model A axle with Econoline spindles, 8-inch rear.

BTW, I heard from a new owner of it recently, it is now down in Lompoc area, so any of you HAMB'ers around there might see it running around.

[Zodoff]

What Gowjobs said.
And I belive that one in the pic would be classified as a streamliner.
Check out http://www.danielstrohl.com/modifieds.html
A very good site about modifieds,both traditional and "new-style" modifieds.

[gowjobs]

Great site, Z.

I looked at that streamliner again, and I think it may be based on the Hilborn unit, but doesn't show quite as much refinement in the details as my old pics of Stu's streamliner. Still awfully nice, though.
http://graveyard.realmofshadows.net/mistaya/rodstuff/bigredrat8.jpg
My "Big Red Rat" model kinda blurs the line between modified and T-bucket a bit, but it definitely depicts a post-war look, with a dose of modern nostalgia lowbrow thrown in for good measure. When you build a model car, you have to use some cliches, or the "straights" won't grok.

[Zodoff]

From his site,one of my favourite modifieds:

[CruZer]

Here's a Zipper Lakes Modified.

[Alfster]

Just certain look. Like most things the true meanin fades over time but Gowjobs explanation above pretty well sums it up.

Here's mine, Maybe not exactly correct but a lot of fun.

[GreggAz]

I agree that it is hard to define exactly what constitutes a modified, but there are some cars that fit and some that dont. One friend was building a T which he called a track T or a modified, but when he decided to put a v8 in it he called it a t bucket... I asked him why, and he feels that to be a modified it MUST have an inline motor. but I feel that some can get away with a v8.

To me it should have a narowed body a transverse rear spring and the rear end out in the open with at most a gas tank above it. (no shortened pickup bed!)

the car at the top is a recreation of the hilborn car which showed up recently.

[poncho]

heres my modified ....http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/558952_115_full.jpg