Misconceptions of old cars.

"theyre bad for the environment"

"they leak lots of oil and other stuff..."

"they're slow and they hold up traffic"

"You can't see shit with 6v headlights...."

"6v is extremely unreliable"

"That car is extremely unsafe"

and Chrisntx.....whats wrong with mid 40's to early 50's dodges? last i know just about anything "old" was fairgame for hot rodding back in the day. seems like you've garnered up your very own misconception

One of my biggies is that everyone thinks a roadster or a 32 5 window are the one and only hot rods...


i just love when people feel the need to pull right out in front of you in their prius because they think youre going slow when youre really doing 10mph over the speed limit already....or they feel the need to tailgate the daylights out of you because...once again; you're going to slow...even though your doing a comfy 55 in a 40. screw off

 

I'll give you the bowtie ... but "Heartbeat of America" is 80s crap

 

how'bout that...last time I checked, hot roddin' ain't paint-by-numbers

 

Were having more fun than they are!

 

that an hot rod/street rod costs more than a late model tuner. spend the money on something worth having IMHO

 

how bout "you cant drive that in the winter" my dad always says this one

 

A 22 year old, can't drive a car that old/big right.
A four door cadillac, isn't wort anything to anyone.
Bias-plys, are next to the devil for ride quality.
With that oil-bath air cleaner, You might as well be dumping dirt down your carb.
You'll hate that stock seat, after about two miles.
Stock Carter thermal carb choke, Will never work like its supposed to.
If you ever panic stop, you'll wreck with stock drums.

All things i've been told. Right to my face by people I tried to be nice to and explain my car and plans too. There are many more but these ones have been proven wrong time and time again. Oh well, I've got better things to worrie about.

 

Tell them if they don't like it they are free to use it as a suppository.

 

after i raced a kid in his 95 dakota with a 318 and 5 speed in my 72 gmc stock 350 4 speed and lost. "wow dude i beat you with only a 318 and you got a 350!!! well that must be embarrassing"......umm i may have a bigger motor but its not like 39 years of technology has changed anything. oh and guess what? my pickup with more cubes and a quadrajet gets 18 mpg while your pickup gets only 19......ya!

or my favorite (first off i dont believe in exhaust pipes!) your pickup is too loud! well so is your mom but do you see me complaining?

or the time when i gave a kid a ride at lunch time. i really dont like him but he needed a lift and he bought me lunch so whatever. well he gets out and SLAMS my door. i jump out and yell at him to get the fuck back there! i open my door half way and on level ground let go of it...and what do you know? it shuts tight!!!! lets just say he asked for a ride a couple days later and i told him to go fuck himself!

oh and when i built a cowl hood for my pickup i told everyone that it added 200hp (just to be a smart ass!) anyways i got a couple people to believe me!

but ya that door slamming thing really pisses me off! although granted i find myself wanting to slam other peoples doors cause i dont know if they shut or not. i usually catch myself when im just starting to close it and ill just close it firmly, instead of slamming it. even on new cars. i work at a ford dealership (yes i know ford sucks, and i totally agree with you!) where i work on vehicles and wash them. and frankly most vehicles that are over 5 years old the doors dont close that good. even some of the new ones close like shit. but you just got to close them firmly and its all good.

 

Did you really drive that old car all the way here? That's the one I hear most. I consider the question a compliment.

 

great thread
my 32 roadster, 402 bbc, tunnel rammed, with the skinny steelys and white walls - quote " how does it go on the highway, does it keep up with the traffic? " end quote

 

I hate that every one thinks you have to put a late model subframe to get any kind of a good suspension on an old car!

 

Damn, yall take stuff seriously. I just turned 30...owned 2 3-on the tree cars and nothing I have owned has had an electric choke. It was more aimed at people not on here. Not to many youngin's around my neck of the woods into old tin...at least not many that I have found. It was not meant as a jab to people on here cause I know many of yall are less than 30 and have a nicer stable than I do...I am jealous!

I do hate it when people try to pull around my truck at intersections...like I can't dust a Prius. Seriously?!? I love it when they finally get up next to me, and I start giving it a little gas...they can't get their windows up fast enough!

 

I do greatly appologize for callin my truck a hot rod then. In your honest opinion, what does classify as traditional hot rod material? As long as someone built what they enjoy, they can call it a Bently for all I care. Have fun with it and drive it like you built it to be driven. I have lost the luster for labeling something "traditional" hot rod. Labels piss people off...

At shows I am typically open about talking with people about my truck...for the few that actually do want to talk. Most are into passing remarks and walking away which is fine. I am not here to please the masses. I am also not here to educate those not interested in the lesson.

On top of that...I am not here to conform to someone's opinion of what is or isn't a traditional hot rod, rat rod, custom...whatever.

 

Can't you afford a muffler?

 

I already have two.

 

This just happened to me for the first time the other night. I had just parked and got out when this guy walks up and asks me; "What would it take to own this car?"

At first I thought he wanted to know how he could build one like it but then he asked me what I would sell it for.

I won't sell my car for any price so I just smiled and jokingly said; "You haven't got enough money." to which he replied; "Don't be too sure!"

He also gave me the; "Everything has it's price." line so I told him 6 or 7 million. And he says; "See, that's your price."

We then talked for about 15 minutes during which he told me about all the famous hot rods he already owns like the Barris "coffin car" which really set my BS meter off!

But through the whole conversation he would stop in the middle of almost every sentence and say; "I really like your car." over an over.

 

I'm with you. I have been taught that unless the owner gives you direct permission, do NOT under any circumstances touch the car.

Was at a car show in Frankenmuth, MI this year and saw a nice sign in a car window that read "unless you are nude, do not touch my car". I think I may have to get one of those for my '48 when i'm finished

 

I'm 23 and I was way out of my element when I brought my '48 Ford home. Carburated, manual choke, 3-on-the-tree, manual brakes...

but it takes learning like everything does, and I was able to get it started, moving, and stopped all on day 1 (mind you it does nothing now because of stale gas >.<).

So don't discredit all of us 20-somethings, we can learn pretty quick unlike some geezers and comuters

 

Agreed by far.

 

"Something specific to a 59 Chevy, is that the rear end of the car comes off of the ground at 100 MPH. Well, only if you have enough to drink....or smoke....or???? "

That's why they squared off the fins on the '60 Chevvies...kept them on the road.

I always have people come up and say "nice Nomad", then I have to tell them that a '58 Nomad had four doors.

 

That's what they ask me.

Why can't you put a muffler on that? Can't you afford a muffler? Then I pull the caps on the wye pipes and they get all pissed off.

 

After a generation of FWD cars, many young folks have a misconception about how fast old big block cars are. I smile while watching them start reaching for something to hold onto at the 2-3 shift with big eyes.

 

"Try to find a 20 to 30 something year old that can start a carburated vehicle or god forbid one with a manual choke.

Try finding a 20-30 something who does not own a throttle body or FI vehicle! Better yet, find one that knows how to drive a 3 on the tree."

I'm 26 years old....I have owned a '65 Falcon (6-cyl, 3-speed) since I was 17..


....and I built and drive regularly my '26 T roadster, with the original T drive train and a Chicago 3-speed Aux. O.D. gearbox..


...Need I say more?

One of MY biggest about the Model T is .."So, did you trailer that here?" or "You don't actually drive that on the street do you?"

I don't own a trailer and anywhere this car goes, it does so under it's own power. It has only been on a trailer twice...and that was to Nor-Cal and only because I didn't have enough time to drive it there.

The others are Fuel economy and reliability: "I bet it doesn't get the best millage"....yeah, if 35 MPG is bad.

"I bet it brakes down allot"....In 5 years on the road I've never had to touch it. Turn the key and go!

Oh!...and "can you still get tires for these?"

 

"You slamm'a my door I slamm'a yo face"

 

slamming the doors. telling me how i should or shouldnt build my car.

 

For the last time...my remarks were not aimed at the younger crowd on here MrModelT. I drove 3 on the tree's in my 20's too...it's really not a big deal.

It was a general gripe after parking between a Honda and a Toyota at the last show and having to explain what the pull knob was for, and what the black push button was for...both of which were stock replacements for the choke cable and starter button. My comments towards the younger (and obviously more talented) folks were obviously not meant for those on this forum...just like the door slamming comments or 90% of the rest of what is said on here is not actually aimed at people ON THE FORUM...they are general gripes.

My gripe, I wish more youngsters got into vintage tin. I wish I got into it when I was younger.

 

I just luv it when someone starts pecking on my 56 F100 with their knuckles asking '' its made out of steel ,sure is solid''. Makes me want to peck on their head ans say something.

 

I'm not harpin' on ya....just pitchin' in my $.02....just thought I would chime in...I'm not trying to drag ya across the coals

I'm not one to heckle someone like that, so if it came off that way..that was surely not the intent

I have to agree actually, don't know many kids my age that know this stuff either...especially Model T's. I hope I can do my part and inspire more people my age to get into and really LEARN about the early stuff...babbit bearings, tips and tricks from the 20's/30's and 40's, flatheads, T-Heads, pre-1916, etc!

 

Likewise...I should not have singled you out cause there seems to be more than one person that thinks I am talking directly to them and they have a point to make. It's all good.