Interpretation of Hambers building styles

I just want a Hot Rod I could have built in 1962, the year I found my '30 Roadster body. Bob

 

I allways try to build the car that should have been built. I like to make subtle changes and use parts and pieces from cars of the same make and era. As for drive train the sky is the limit. If you cant see it why worry.

 

Thank you Brian, I appreciate your taking the time to respond to this thread and share your thoughts. HRP

 

I like the looks of era period hotrods. Like the average person out there,I have a family, and the money goes there first. I build them the best I can with the parts I have so I can get it on the road and drive them. Talking hotrods is like talking about politics, everyone has a opinion, and you will never change it. What it comes down to is do you enjoy driving your car, then it does not matter what people think. When you look in the rerview is there a smile on your face, life is good.

 

Ha Ha, no, I do get the point of the HAMB, but where I live you can't just run over to the junkyard and pick through piles of vintage parts like I did when I was young, and if you're gonna do it through parts meets and ebay you better have damned deep pockets. That's when for many of us, the rules go out the window, and since I was never big on rules anyway, I find my way around them to create what works for me. It's the same reason I don't restore cars, I could never get all fussy over finding the "correct" part, especially when I know there is some other part that would work better. But, I do admire those of you who can do it (as long as you don't look down your noses at the rest of us).

 

I am making an effort to just stop using the "T" word, and stick to "period correct" as that phrase doesnt leave any room for ambiguity. the "T" word has been so bastardized lately, its lost its meaning, much like the "G" word. And I have no problem with re-pop parts on a "period-correct" build, as long as they are visually the same as the original.

 

Bingo. Summed it up in one sentence.

 

My T Bucket was my first old car build. Once I found out that a crap load of chrome wasn't needed to have a nice car, I just stuck to the basics. I just kept it simple and really had no other choice.

It's not traditional and to be honest, I had no idea what that was until I found this place. My steelies and caps weren't for a 50's look, it's all I could afford. Then I found out that cheap crap was "in".

I getting my sights set for a build this summer. I don't have any idea what it will be, but I have some feelers out. I do know that it will be a no frills project. I love old cars, but I can't see dropping major bucks on one.

 

It's nice when girl friends are "period-correct".

 

You got that right!

 

I like late '50's- early '60s....so many new things were being done that there are things that you could do TODAY that may or may not have been done then and you cab "get away" with it...more FREEDOM....while still being true to the period...

My car is being built as if it were a drag car in 1959 then was slowly being converted to a show car in 1961......then "found" later.....so it'll be a traditional "unfinished" barn car....haha
Some of the work isn't up to 2012 "standards"...it's more like how shit was done bitd...mainly cause I don't have the patience to spend all day on one dumb bracket....

Is that "OK"?.....


Don't answer.....cause I really don't give a fuck if anyone but me "gets it" anyway.....

 

I got my first car in 1954 so my preference is mid to late 50's. That's basically the approach I am taking with the build of my '40 pickup. I have tried to stay tru to the era up to a point. The appearance will be as tru to that era as possible but the mechanics are another story. I have established the guidelines that it will be like it could have been in when in High School, if I would have had the money. I will have a '58 Chevy 283 with modern internals, roller cam, roller rockers, ported & polished at home. Externally it will have 3 94's, Cal Custom valve covers, chrome pulleys, Powermaster alternator that looks like a generator. Trying to keep the Old School vibe. It will have a 5 speed, electric power brakes with disks in the front and Lincoln's in the rear. The outward appearance of the truck will look mid to late 50's. In the end, I am build a hot rod that I like and want to drive and I am not much concerned about what others think since I am the one paying for it and living with it. Stay tuned for a build thread soon.

 

60's Showrod here.

 

I remember a guy with a gorgeous '36 3 window refusing to sell me his car, which I had cash in hand because I was going to put a Winfield cam and an Edelbrock SU-359 on in 1968. I do admire and respect the true restorer as I also admire and respect the "all parts before, (name your date) traditional recreator". Just don't hold me to the same regimine... it's called hot rodding.

 

i getcha.

as i stated in my previous post, my stuff is 'traditionally inspired', but not period correct. my stuff needs to be functional, low maintenance and good looking in that order.

the way i read your previous post it smacked of the guy who comes on and starts a pissing match on a traditional board when his stuff obviously does not fit....

it usually goes something like "i didn't know there were 'rules' for hot rodding" or "Real hot rodders blah blah blah...." the true spirit of hot rodding lives on with guys souping up their late models with the technology available as well as applying it to their early iron, but that's just not this site, and they don't seem to get that.

carry on.

 

being eligible for the "goldchainer club" and mixed in with newby status. i claim responsibility for a mixed bag car. at this point in my progress i am excited to take a body, and somehow piece together a model A that actually runs and drives. my next project will be more Hamb friendly, and nicer, but for now i'm happy.
rer_239

 

... i like the look of a car which fits in one era or maybe decade, but i would never nail it down up to a specified date, for me it is allowed to assemble what makes it look good to me. and i'm sure the mixture is right. don't like all that Billet and streetrod stuff for myself, not to mention that r.. thing. i'm sure, my car once it's finished could have been cruisin' Nebraska or what place ever in the early to mid fifties, but i don't care that my window regulators are made of the old ones and Mercedes pieces, 'cause they're working pretty good, it was cheap fun to build them and they now have a better gear ratio. they don't have to be NOS for me to fit in that era. and the acrylic paint also work fine for me, why should i get this ole nitrocellulose laquer? I'm a very nostalgic type of human being, but i'm living today, can't change it, and therefore i do not to forget all the tools and the internet we're using today make it a lot easier...they guys back then had to take what was left from war and scrap.. not easy at all.

added a handful o' stars, always good to read and hear from you, HRP.


Carsten

 

periodically.....well, im more into custom than rod, and have an 50 Chevy, now passing 70 different changes from original. Periodic right? mainly most people find it to fit great the later 50´s style in exterior/interior. Bucket seats, pleat & rolled interior all over, frenched headlights & taillights,etc... But also have an newer 6 cyl, powered by an Eaton SC, th350 tranny, powerbrakes & servo steering from a lot newer car. Heater fan form an 90s Renault(sorry guys, never mentioned it before) After rearended a few times, and others complaining on the bad taillights to see (39 Ford tunneled), changed to bright Led´s and problem dissolved, period no,, but then i dont need the rearend work!! I can use the car in daily traffic, without been afraid of rearending, even if its not period correct! I wanted green color in all dashbulbs, and used Leds because they give me the brighter light. I removed the doorhandels outside, but made buttons flat alligned to get possibility to even get the doors up in freezing wintertime. I buildt the car as i wanted, for sure influenced by old magazines, and pics of other cars, i use the car all year around, and wanted it functional also if i wanted to go on a looong holiday.

 

I went with the theme of what a returning GI from the Korean War might have done.
In the early fifties my '40 Ford p/u would have been 11-14 years old, easily affordable to him.
I feel a typical car guy of the time would have made the mods I did, or am in the process of doing.
Louvered hood
Lowered stance
Wide Whites
Custom hubcaps
Custom interior-rolled and pleated, different steering wheel, gauge pack, Tach, etc.
Engine mods-headers, dual carb intake, trick ignition, aftermarket cam
Body mods-swap out headlights, tail lights, pinstripping, paint
I like a lot of different styles, the car really dictates which path to go with.

 

My Interpretation, look at my Avatar. I call it a late 60`s, early 70`s build. Which I built before the HAMB was started. The newest part (era wise) are radials and an 8-track player. It took me 20 years to find the right licence plate suround and door lock pulls to fit the cars era and not look tacky. I guess I'm anal. I've been gathering parts for a build in the future, A late 30`s early 40`s Custom(pre war). The motor will be 46-48 vintage for reliability and speed. As far as looks, there isn`t much info on builds back in that time period. So people can`t say I didn`t do it right. As long as I use period specfiic era parts.

 

This took a while to read. Taste is taste, we're all different. I personally like most all eras.Build what you like, but to me the only two important points are, first, start with a real car, not a reproduction, and second, do it yourself.Building and learning how to do things you've never tried is what hot roddings all about. Oh, and the friends you make along the way.

 

I am a 50/60's guys in my build style. When it comes to being traditional, I am OK with being skin deep. I did not need every piece to be time period correct. I want the car from 10 or 20 ft to look like it came from a certain period. I do not sweat the nats ass. I am here to enjoy the cars and having every details perfect is not my way of having fun. (to much stress).

I am not a restorer and building cars to exact periods are exactly that. restorers but with hop up parts. I am a hotrodder which means using what you have and what you like.

Danny, if you want to build a 32 that looks period correct, go for it, just add an extra pedal (maybe to rest your foot during long cruises but not useable unless you want two brake pedals) and make the automatic shifter look like a manual stick.). put the effort into give the appearance with some trickery..

 

Danny, if you want to build a 32 that looks period correct, go for it, just add an extra pedal (maybe to rest your foot during long cruises but not useable unless you want two brake pedals) and make the automatic shifter look like a manual stick.). put the effort into give the appearance with some trickery..[/QUOTE]


Good idea...hook that third pedal up to a line-loc and learn to do burnouts.

 

Rex, good thinkin'.

I was remembering my first reading of a street-blower install, where the carb was hiding inside-the-roots case! Late 1960's somewhere.
I'd rather fab a no nonsence build that tells it like it is.

 

i've invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in my period build,but i've made minor concessions for safety.i will sometimes get a p.m about the front shackes that i made or the king pins that i bought and be pissed that the person misses the amount of commitment it took to get it this close to period.i say if 90% of the car is pre 50 that's pretty accurate.usually the guy who is busting my balls doesn't have any pics of his stuff posted!

 

I'm definitely trying to keep the Merc as a 50's style build but I'm not quite sure where to let function triumph over form. I will run a dual master and mount it on the firewall. I still haven't decided on bias ply or radials. Everything else will be period correct.

 

Ken,you and I think alike,,I guess I had a slant towards the 50's/60/s with the direction I went with on the wagon,keeping the exterior looking almost stock with just slight de-chroming.

Even sticking pretty much with the stock seats and steering wheel with simple changes to the dash that the unwashed would never know it didn't leave the factory that way and sticking with a 50's/60's style upholstery.

The front suspension remained original but I rebuilt it,,I used disc brakes and dropped spindles but they can't be seen and a mustang rear axle.

The big deviation from the 50/60's is found under the hood with the 5.0 302 and 5 speed.

As for adding the extra pedal,,I kinda doubt I will be building the dream '32 roadster in the back of my head,,I still got to do a good bit of work to the sedan and someday put upholstery in the pickup. HRP

 

To the original question I guess, I do what I want. There are no rules, just guidelines and we all color outside the lines sometimes. It was already stated, back then dudes were using what they had to go faster.......pure, simple........it wasn't about a look yet, at least I don't think so.

HRP, it really does come down to interpretation, doesn't it? Take you signature, "tradition without intelligence is not worth having" In my own mind it is ridiculous to invest the time and money in to original '40 brakes when I can call wilson welding and order all new stuff that flat functions better. Others scoff at the idea of reproduction parts. Old engines are cool, they are visually sexy and have a sound all their own I love a nasty sounding flatmotor, yblock, nailhead, etc in someones car......I really do. I will never have one in my car, too much money for too little power and driveability in a too heavy package that usually leaks......in my mind that's not intelligent. The compromise is that my cars will have hoods and they will be shut 99% of the time.

To me that is what it really boils down to, interpretation.......and evey hamb member here will have their own. Some will agree, some will get angry, but most of us will continue doing what we have always done......trying to stay inside the guidlines laid out by our predecessors and end up with something fulfills our needs and wants.

 

It really does seem like a hotrod built "in the spirit of the era" just isnt good enough for some. Oh well..........build on.

 

Been mulling over changing my roadster..I've been driving it a while now, and currently can't drive it because i've blown my back out...The stiff clutch and drum brakes are the problem. I guess I'm getting old, an automatic and disk brakes sure would make the difference, but I'd almost rather sell it then change it.