History East Coast '40

[zombiesarebad]

Originally Posted by banditomerc

I won't argue that,after looking at your coupes chop i knew you were east coast... Here we go!!!!

ouch ! Hop on a plane and come show us how it's done, slick!

maybe there really is something to this debate. Personally i don't like shaved drip rails or the real slanted-back profiles, they look to cartoonish to me. I like a more aggressive look. I don't enjoy "rolling slow" either.

anyways it's an interesting debate, but maybe we should save it for some other thread?

[STEPHEN FIELDS]

Originally Posted by flash

I wonder if the questionable craftsmanship of early East Coast hot rods and customs might be a myth? I suspect that because the scene was so much larger on the West Coast, only the very best cream-of-the-crop cars got featured in magazines (and now written about in books). Because the East Coast scene was smaller, magazines here had less high-quality cars to choose from and possibly featured cars that would not be published out west, lending to the theory that the Eastern cars were inferior. I'm sure there must have been pretty crude stuff running around on the West Coast too, but just didn't get as much attention.

I Agree with most you say, but I do believe that East coast hot rodding was just as large as California, But it just wasnt published in as many magazines of the period. Ask the guys that grew up then cruising Woodward.....as well as the Dayton Old timers, I have come to find out that Dayton, Springfield and surrounding cities had HUGE hot rod scenes then. I wasnt there (I wish I would have been) but this is all from asking the old timers.

[chopo]

being an east coast guy with a heavy channel car...... My Dad grew up in Pa. He and his brothers were always "messin" with cars as gram would say. Dad tells me stories of just this topic. His favorite story is of a 40 ford he had bought for the mear sum of 17.00. Here is where it gets relevant. Cars from my area have issues with rot due to heavy salt in the winter time. So dad buys this ford brings it home. the floors are rotted out. they cut out the floors and...... a perfect time for a channel. My Dad liked old cars. Liked the height look of a chopped car but relised you could get thar same kinda look with just moving the floors up. Made it easier. Lets face it there has always been more money on the west coast. And "nice" un rusted cars were easier to come by. East coast ways I think were more out of neccesity. I hate to call us 1/2 assed or whatever maybe not so glam. But I see the points. Just my thoughts on that.

[dana barlow]

I'm old and from South East,even got into CarCraft back in Jan. 1963,Man there were a lot of very small magazines in Fla. of names ya naver here of at all any more,they'ed show up at a show and maybe only print one,or two to four a year and they were gone. I wish I'd kept some of them now.
Wounder if the bigger mag.s west coast staying around,that you seem to base some of this on is why ya get and idea like that?? I when't too and was in many car shows between 1958 on to 1965 all around Fla, and Ga. ,cars were top work and nice. There were not so good cars that didn't make the shows for sure as was ture on the west coast too.
Having been there myself and know better.
More often then not,when I tell a young guy how it was,he gets pissed it wasn't what he thinks,so gets mad at me. I do put things as nice as canbe if asked,yet don't tell if not asked first,less it's very wrong and said to of been so called old school.

[autobodyed]

i don't know, but maybe the term "to hell with how they do it in california" really started in the 40's and 50's and not in the 70's and 80's like i remember it.

[carl s]

growing up in Boston in the 40s and 50s these examples look just right to me

Thanks for the post

[safariknut]

Just finished reading this post and went back to look at the HONK! article.If that is the Fred Cain I am thinking of,his son(Fred F.Cain)owned a Chrysler dealership in Wilmington and campaigned several race cars in the 60's;one of which was the,"HURRI-CAIN" funny car.I guess it is just in the blood.

[Revhead]

this might not have any relevance, but look at what gets on tv these days. since most of the shows are produced in california, most of the cars seen are from califronia. Why would they spend the extra cash to fly across the states when they can get a feature car in a hours drive. maybe the same was true back then and an east coast car had to be REALLY special to warrant the cost.

[HomemadeHardtop57]

great stuff...EAST COAST!!!!

[jjsound]

I'd buy the rotten floor bit. Rusty Floors!!! Hot n stinky in summer and cold the other 9 months

[jambottle]

when i built my 32 in 1955 ,it was channeled only because we could do that ourselves and there was no way we had the skills to chop a car.most all local car were backyard built and any extra money was spent on engine adapter,speed parts or slicks(inglewoods ?)just my 2 cents worth.

[zombiesarebad]

Originally Posted by jambottle

when i built my 32 in 1955 ,it was channeled only because we could do that ourselves and there was no way we had the skills to chop a car.most all local car were backyard built and any extra money was spent on engine adapter,speed parts or slicks(inglewoods ?)just my 2 cents worth.

you do have a point... i'm sure there were/are not as many skilled metal guys on the right coast, but we do have them. I hope nobody would deny that awesome cars can come from pretty much anyplace, but the east coast cars typically have/had a more "all business" look about them (which i like). I think this '40 is a really good example of that... although the Nash grille was a really bad idea.

[STEPHEN FIELDS]

Originally Posted by jambottle

when i built my 32 in 1955 ,it was channeled only because we could do that ourselves and there was no way we had the skills to chop a car.most all local car were backyard built and any extra money was spent on engine adapter,speed parts or slicks(inglewoods ?)just my 2 cents worth.

what a cool picture, thats my new wallpaper on my computer now.

[1935Ron]

Originally Posted by zombiesarebad

you do have a point... i'm sure there were/are not as many skilled metal guys on the right coast, but we do have them. I hope nobody would deny that awesome cars can come from pretty much anyplace, but the east coast cars typically have/had a more "all business" look about them (which i like). I think this '40 is a really good example of that... although the Nash grille was a really bad idea.

Your sure about that??

[rob-redm]

that 40 is bad ass !

[1935Ron]

my 2 cents....

I come across alot..... loads of older guys ( into hot rods ,customs race cars) that are smart and talented...tin knockers .... machine shop,,,,engine guys and so on...some from the left some from the right ,,, deep south mid west , noth west some from places like Marietta GA,Fort Worth TX, Columbus OH, Louisville KY, Wichita KS,..Kanas City MO.,,Seattle WA. Philadelphia Pa...Buffalo NY ...ST. Louis....San Diego... and so on everyone was doing there own thing some were a cut above the rest ... in their areas ,,, but they were all good !
My second favorite state ,,,CA did not have a monopoly on all the smart and talented.....I'm done,,,,,,,,,,,

[autobilly]

Originally Posted by HotRodBen1987

Nice write up. Makes me wanna go out west and compare those cars to all the east coast ones I've grown up around.

No need to travel to So Cal Ben, just pick up most any magazine or book on the subject (from the period Hot Rods and Customs that is). Ya either like 'em or ya don't.

[lockwoodkustoms]

You have to take in consideration to the climate ad terrains that both coast consist of. I know that many of thecars out this way could not be to low or they would most likely bottom out.............but this side of the states had our hot rods but they were being usee a little differently than yours . Just look at the old Rum Runners..............LOL ......those boys had to be all kinds of crazy. I think about it everytime I am on a back road cruisin in my 39 Ford how those boys ran them cars like they had. Sorry for getting off the main topic but I think our regional differences really played dramatic roles in this and they still do to a certian extent today. Because there are numerous cars being built around the east coast that may not ever find there way into our eyes of the public unless the builder is dead set on trying to make every well covered event in order to do so. But you guys out west have more oppurtunities in getting recognition for your cars because of the time frame that we are both allowed in order to even drive our stuff around.

[zombiesarebad]

Originally Posted by 1935Ron

Your sure about that??

that's three statements... sure about which?

more skilled metal guys out west? no.

different coast different looks? maybe.

the Nash grille is ugly? yes.

[zibo]

This is a chopped and sectioned 40 (west coast,now) done with similar metalwork.
Basically the car is cut, than lowered to the desired heighth,
than the overlap is brazed, than its all leaded up.









This car didn't have interior on it, like the ebay 40,
so all the metalwork is visible, like the ebay 40.
but its basically looks like a wave lapping on the beach.
I can't locate the interior pics unfortunately.

Its acceptable since its an older custom, but its funny how skills have changed.
The technological differences,
especially magazine articles that advertised cutting edge technology to the home guy throughout the years,
have progressed so much to what we are able to do now.

Unfortunately I don't remember the owners name, the show was in san jose,
he was a cool guy that really ran that car hard,
it had a bitchin flathead, dropped axle and I think a quickchange.
Anyway here's a pic of the owner/navigator if anyone can pitch in more info.


TP