Technical Restored verses Hot Rodded

I had a conversation here at the shop with a gentleman who restores Model A's, he's wife was talking to Brenda about a upcoming wedding for their granddaughter and he committed about my sedan sitting out front and ask why would I mess up such a nice car.

I haven't had any confrontations with a hard core restorer in a very long time but I told him because I drive my cars regardless of the weather and enjoy the ride.

He scoffed at that and said, "I drive my cars" and with that I politely ask him when was the last time you drove your Model A? he looked at me and said, "I drove it to the down town car show they have every year."

"The Fathers Day car show?" and he said, "Yes"

I told him." You do realize that was 4 months ago" this is when he looked puzzled, " "I've put about a thousand miles on my car since then that's why I have a hot rod!"

I ended up inviting him to one of our car club meetings, who knows he might come to a meeting and leave thinking he can build one of his projects into something he can use.

HRP

 

Ideally, I'd like to 'restore' an old hot rod......

 

I will agree with that. HRP

 

that guy who drove the 1919 Franklin 10k miles this summer...I guess he's one of the very few hardcore restorer types out there. But he could only travel about 40 mph, so he had to be careful about his route, etc.

I guess we'll see how the LaSalle does in a couple weeks, the plan is to drive it to Chicago, then down all of Rt 66, then back home. A 1940s car could be driven stock, and almost survive today's roads and traffic. A Model A, not so much.

I have no problem with driving stock 50s-60s cars.

 

I love them all, Restored, Hot Rod, Customized, Exotic...I guess that is why I have many &
am always looking for the next one!

 

depends on the individual - know guys that have Hot Rods that almost never leave the garage, or their town - know a guy that has put about 230,000 miles on his '33 Hot Rod coupe that he has owned for many years - have known guys that belonged to a Model A club that went on tours for hundreds of miles -

 

My introduction to hot rods begin when my teenage exuberance and size twelve blew up that inline six that had lived a pampered life until I killed it, then I learned about shoehorning a big V8 where a once economical 6 once lived and I was hooked for life. HRP

 

I am not picky, as long as I can drive it. Original motor? Either rebuild or replace, depending on what’s around. Headliner coming down? Who needs it! Etc.

 

My 53 Chrysler I drive for 3 years as my daily driver when snow was not on the ground ( roughly 500 km a week)
69 Lincoln same thing all stock

My 50 Chevy sucked in stock form ( steering and brakes and the 3 speed trans was not up to hwy driving)

The 55 Buick faired well untill the dynaflow decided to shit itself and the torquetube got the runs.
Cheaper to modify ( I think) then return to stock form)

Depends on the car really, some cars fair well, others are lost in time as far as drivable in modern traffic and distances.


50’s era cars if they are “ higher end “ should do fine
A car from the 60’s is essentially a modern ( albeit 80’s modern) car and the ones I’ve owned and driven have done me just fine

 

I've done both, a lot. I find that both builds are fun but hot rodding allows for the use of the builders creativity, resources, and talent. Restoring, while still an industrial art form, follows set guides, colors, techniques, fabrics, materials, matching numbers, etc.

Both are wicked fun but in the end I prefer saying (like Frank) I did it my way!

 

Stopped by the local mall to drop off something for my wife who worked there( 20 years ago). I had parked by a rear entrance that was not often used, and as I approached I noticed a guy wearing a local restorers club jacket looking out at my parked 40 Chevy sedan( big and littles and slammed ). As I neared him, I overheard his wife ask if he saw that old car outside. His reply to her was, nice car, too bad he ruined it. I had just returned from a trip to the LA Roadster show and so as I passed I said , If I left it stock, I couldn't have driven it 3500 roundtrip miles to California and back. There was no reply.

 

Thought this was going to be about the super anal period correct restored hot rods.

 

I know people like that but they ain't really hot rod guys, if you eat,sleep and breath this stuff you get them out and enjoy them.

There is a local Model A club but their outings are short day trips to a neighboring town and that's cool if that's what you want to do.

There is others that put the car on the trailer,both restorers & Hot rodders but to me what's the fun in that. HRP

 

Stock body-later running gear works for me

 

I have never owned nor even seen any production line car that, IMO, did not need changes. Some more than others. Every vehicle built on a production line is a compromise between everyone that has a hand in it's creation. Those people are satisfied with certain aspects of the vehicle but few are 100% happy with the finished product. If the creators aren't satisfied with the whole car, why should I be? So, I change it. There was a time when I would not hotrod a good restoration out of respect for the restorer's work. But, over the years, I have not seen that same respect from the restorers for my work. Usually get the same remarks as HRP got. So, restorers, hide your cars and daughters if you don't want them defiled!

 

That's how it happens.

 

Lock up your daughter and wife,lock up your GARAGE door and run for your life.

 

They ask why I ruined a perfectly good car. My reply is that it gets driven regularly and is not recycled into an import from Asia. Another response if I'm grouchy is my car I do what I want. Snowman

 

Every old car I have ever had has been hot rodded to some extent. I always thought I wanted a restored car but I bought an original 28 Model A roadster pickup a few years ago and realized just how limited they are on being travel worthy. I now have an original 48 Ford that I am trying to get road worthy but its fighting me, I may end up having to rod it somewhat also...

 

Why does this thread make me think of Holden Caulfield?
Restorers.... phonies
Hot toddlers... phonies
A restored car.... phony
A hot rod ..... phony
Custom.... phony
We're all a bunch of phonies.
Everybody is a phony.

 

Takes all kinds, doesn't it? That's why I am somewhere in between you "hard core" hot rodders and the restoration folk. If you see mine on a trailer, it is stolen or broken.

Ben

 

Thought we had finally put that old Hot Rodder vs. Restorer argument to rest. Guess not. I'm sure there are "restorer types" that generally still despise "hot-rodders" and vice-a-versa. Most of us can appreciate both I'm pretty sure. I would love to have a bone stock Model A Coupe. I've always loved them and that little distinctive 4-banger sound. I would also love a chopped, flathead powered Model A Coupe with or without fenders. Tell that guy that we just all need to get along.

 

I respect guys that can do 100 point restorations on old bikes, but that's never been my "thing". If anyone got snippy about it, I'd tell them "Yeah, but if you've seen one perfecetly restored 750SS, you've seen them all!"

 

I restore cars for a living and hotrod for fun, the chip is more often than not on the hotrodders shoulder in my experience.

 

I'm guilty of not driving my Hot Rods as much because I continue to build them to a higher standard. I need to sell these cars and get back to how I built cars years ago when I drove them on the gravel roads we lived on and just gave them a good wash at the local car wash occasionally. With the cost of today's paint jobs and interiors as opposed to when I started I have tended to be more careful with my cars. Many times years ago I left on a cross country trip with less than 50 miles on the clock. I'm not so brave at 73 as I was at 33.

 

Usually when I get an inquiry about my ‘51 Plymouth wagon it is, “does it still have the old flathead?”. Usually they are disappointed when I tell them no, it has a 318 and I had it 20 years with the 6 and thought for about the same money as a rebuild with spendy hop up parts for the six and to do an overdrive it was a good move. I am sure I disappointed a lot of restorer guys over the years.

 

driving old beaters is fun. But it's also fun to build a car that's finished, but built to the old standards, not the way most guys want them today. You can drive them all you want and not worry about them getting chips, dirt, wet, etc. At least that's how I do it.

 

"As for music, we like both kinds; Country and Western."

 

I like using cars in a modern sense but I am glad there are restorers to preserve original versions of the cars that inspired our breed in the beginning.

 

Why didn't you include your phonie number so we can all call you on it...

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