Art & Inspiration Where is the best hot rod town?

WhereEVER it is, I'm betting there aren't a lot of Mercedes & BMW's.

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I think Oakland County Michigan is better than most of California. I was stationed in the early 2000s near Fresno drove around that region and was weak compared to home then went north to Sacramento not great either but better than central Valley then moved to Los Angeles where there are a lot of car people but most are either to busy or scared to come out. Proof is co workers were scared there car would be target of theft while others were nerveous of overheating in traffic. Plus when you live in a house with a $3000 payment a month and $1500 in utilities cars can hit a backburner real quick

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Reno Nevada. Hot August Nights and The Summer Salute!

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From the pictures on the HAMB and the threads I have read, I think it is somewhere in New Zealand.

 

L.A. Year round good weather several major shows (GNRS, LA Rodaster Show, MoonEyes drags, NHRA, etc. Many of the bigger car-and-coffee weekly events have a better variety and cars then many states do the entire year.

 

Definitely *NOT* Washington DC or the northern VA suburbs.

 

Just Gary X2. Lived in northern VA and couldn't wait to leave. Too many people, too expensive and definitely not a hot rod environment.

 

The summer heat on Long Island is an issue with old cars. It gets up to 100 on the real hot days, better to take the cars out at night, this is why the cruise nights are well-attended. Show traffic is terrible, coming and going. There is a local show on Saturday, I will not be attending.

 

Speaking theoretically, I'd say there are four factors:

1. The presence of hot rodding (or, theoretically, something like it) in the local culture;
2. Enough widespread affluence that people can actually afford this stuff;
3. Active small-scale industry; and
4. A hot rod/diy-friendly legislative environment.

Of course these influence one another e.g. a hot rod-friendly legislative environment, if thoroughgoing in its principles, will tend to favour distributed small-scale industry over centralized large-scale industry, and hence distributed moderate affluence – provided other structural factors are sound to begin with. But I don't see these factors converging in more than a very few places in the world.

I'm much too picky, though. Add a climate tending to the colder side of cool and (for various reasons) a prevalent urban form closer to 14th-century Tübingen than 20th-century LA to my list of requirements and I'm well and truly f---ed. A pirate republic in the Brooklands infield c.1928 might have worked, if it could be had with the ethnic diversity of modern Britain.

 

Seattle / Tacoma.

 

Kona Hawaii, seen a cruise night there, seen some old cars crusin somewhere on a Sunday morning- what could be better. I'm talking Hawaii!!!

 

The best hot rod towns have good job opportunities, a real down town, reasonable housing costs and a meet up place.

 

Not towns but Kentucky, Tennessee , N.C. and Georgia have lots of car activity .

 

Hey Ryan,
Agree, So Cal is the place for hot rod history and still has roots back to the early days. As tough as most see So Cal as far as earthquakes, odd ball people, fanatics, crazy freeways and drivers, and the home prices, it is a great place to live. The new generation still has ways to get into the real estate market at reasonable prices. We have been in the area for all of our lives and see it as good as any place for having fun and just plain living. The weather, coastal influences and days of sunshine all work in its favor. As my wife says about fanatics and naysayers, "Get over it."

Jnaki

Yes, there are cool places to visit and hang out all over the USA. Austin, that is on our itinerary for our summer road trip as we see friends/relatives in OKC, St. Louis, and TN. So, see the USA in a Chevrolet? Maybe...

But, if we are talking about pure cities or towns, So Cal is one big area...not necessarily a city/town... Just like Orange County is not a city, but a place. The OC... as some have described, it is so familiar as the term, So Cal.

 

Indianapolis has everyone beat. The racing capital of the world.
Plenty of car shops all over central Indiana. Hotrod shops, restoration shops, sprint car shops, Indy car shops, many independent car collections. Anybody who is anyone now days in NHRA has a shop close to Indianapolis.
Tons of cruise ins every Friday and Saturday night. A few get togethers thru the week, Tuesday thru Thursday nights. Several outdoor car events to attend during the day time on Saturdays and Sundays.
Go to this website to see a sample: oldcarsonly.com
If anyone has more, lets see em.

 

In Australia it is Castlemaine Victoria known as the Hot Rod Capital of Australia.

 

ok

 

Hope to make the drive across the border for some cruise nites this summer. See you there!

 

I was born and raised in SoCal and can't imagine doing what I do anywhere else. Work for a car company, build old cars and boats and somehow manage to afford to live here. I'll be retiring soon, so you know where old SoCal natives go when they're put out to pasture? Yup, western Arizona (I think someone mentioned Havasu earlier..... that's the reason there's so many rods there).

 

There is a lot going on in Northern Ohio but the six months of winter we just experienced rules it out. I see a warmer climate in my future but Southern Cal is out for reasons I wont get into here.

 

I think central Florida is really big with old cars. In the winter, you can go to a cruise-nite any night of the week within 50 mile radius, and swap meets every month. Several car shows every weekend and monthly.

I don't know about summer months, because it does get hot there in July and August.

 

The Eastern Tenn. area around Knoxville always seems to be a hot bed area for Hot Rods and there are some Great Shows in that area.
Just Saying!!!

Jimbo

 

Phoenix, Az. Multiple parking lot car shows/meet ups every Friday and Saturday nights. Parts swap meets every month. Several vintage wrecking yards. Dry, arid climate conducive to nearly rust free tin. I've lived in several cities/states and Phx. has been the best I've found.

 

I have to agree with Conastoga Man on Reno Nevada. I actually am moving there from Alaska . American Graffiti is live and well there year round and as mentioned Hot August Nights .
Vic

 

The $3000 a month is pretty much is the norm here in MD but $1500 in utilities is a bunch. I'm guessing its the water part that is crazy.

 

N. VA used to be a hot bed of activity and not all that long ago either.....but I'm guessing you already knew that.

 

Dennis Gage on his show said Lake Havasu City has the most hot rods, customs etc. per capata (sp?)
in the nation. I have a car buddy who has spent a week or two there and said it is crawling with rods.

 

I have purposely stayed away from this thread to see what (where) everyone would say.
I mentioned L.A. in the O.P. for obvious reasons-
Birth of our hobby, year round beautiful weather, abundance of cars and car people, etc. I visited there a couple times and it is a great place BUT. . .
I could not get over the incredible traffic jams every day.

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The SoCal car culture is probably the best in the world. The only problem I find when going to attend some of the shows is the traffic. A 40 minute drive often takes a couple hours, and you better have a well sorted out cooling system.