Early 50's cars as hot rods NOT customs...GALLERY

Thanks, Phil! I've been wanting to re-read that article.

 

You guys need to lighten up a bit. All you need to say is that you would consider my car a cruiser and not a hot rod. Why does everyone need to flex their "so-called" hot rod expertise. A simple answer would more than suffice. If there was a way to remove my post I would. Obviously its offensive to some. Life is to short, relax a bit, you'll live longer and be able to build more HOT RODS!

 

This excerpt from Ganahl's article is useful:

"But that leaves one big question: are these rods or customs? The answer, of course, is yes and no. They're definitely not throw-back, tail-dragger customs with wide whites, lakes pipes, spots, and skirts. The mag wheels, big 'n' little blackwalls, slight rake, tachs, and floorshifts give them hot rod flavor. But all three have custom touches like dechroming, peaked hoods, custom taillights, a recessed license, a Frenched antenna, modified grilles, and so on.
They might not look as cool as their bagged and slammed brethren at the weekend cruise or show, and I'd lower mine some more if it didn't hit the ground. But I think all three of these boxy Chevys look pretty darn good, just like they would have in the high school."

In another article that I can't locate, Pat recalled that there were always excellent late-model cars around when we were kids that were mildly modified, but that couldn't really be classified as hot rods or customs. They were just "cars". I have exactly the same recollection.

I'd like to re-read the article in which he wrote that. Probably late '80s, when he took over as editor of R&C and was promoting the use of '50s cars for hot rodding & customizing.

In the last 20 years or so, the water has been seriously muddied. Hot rods and customs blur together, especially with postwar cars. Today an absolutely stock bodied car that's been lowered with whitewalls and paint is a "custom", while the same car with a rubber rake and 5-spokes is a "hot rod". Baloney.

Part of the problem is that working with cars that are 40 to 60 years old, restoration is a must before customizing (or hot rodding) can begin. Seems to me that a car with hundreds of hours of restorative metalwork is pretty much a custom even if it appears to be a stocker. Rebuilding rusted-out quarters, rockers, and firewall takes as much patience and skill as building a custom grille or taillight swap.

I like this thread, and the cars that have been shown in it, but I think the truth is that the hot rod flavor we're talking about is just a different stye of customizing.

 

I always like to read your ideas, Tony. "Just a different style of customizing" hits the nail squarely on the head.

 

I was going for a hotrod vibe when I built this '50 tudor for my wife!

 

Here's one from a cruise this summer. Plain wheels though.

 

What would be cool is a car that looks like a cruiser; chopped, channeled, skirts and all but is actually a sleeper that turns a low 10 in the quarter. Would that make someone shit a brick or what?

 

This is one that fit's the criteria of the OP's request.

 

This thing looks tough as nails! I wanted to do this exact treatment to a 1953-1954 Plymouth, with the radiused rear wheelwells, street racer stance, and simple single-color paint or primer. That, to me, just screamed everything that I wanted in a high school car. I love customs, but I didn't want one back in high school. I didn't want to be stylish, I wanted to be feared.
Customs are for picking up girls. Hot rods are for scaring them away.

 

Cool thread... would a chopped, raked 52 chevy sedan with slot mags and a hopped up small block fit in here? It may be too modern with mini tubs and 12 inch rear tires. Its still a work in progress but I hope to have it going this next year.

 

51 Chevy styleline deluxe. Definitely a hot rod...



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If it ends up looking like a hot rod and not a Kemp it might work. Can't remember seeing a cruiser with slots and 12 inch tires. Sounds like a pretty cool project. Do you have a build thread on here?

 

I started a thread but am afraid its a bit ot for this crowd. Its chopped 2.5" with shaved door handles and trim. I plan to paint it Sour Apple green but depending on funds go flat black for now. It has 15x10 slots on back with 325/50-15s and 15x5s up front with 195/65-15s.

 

Any updated pix of it?

 

Beachbum, I like it, and yes, it looks like a hotrod so far. A hotrod can definitely have a chop. It might be ot for the hamb but mine is too.

 

The time has come to take my ride in a different direction. I am going to the dark side and converting my hotrod into more of a late 60's mild Custom/ early 70's lowrider.

from



to this over the weekend



two days of hard work to get it stripped to bare car. It heads to a friends garage to start having some rust repaired and start the body work. still undecided about the color but it will be bright (colors under consideration are Magenta, purple, tangerine, lime green and a bright blue). new wheels will be 14" Astro Supremes (or cragar) and thin whitewall.


All the hotrod parts, wheels and susp are being put aside, they will go under another 49-54 chevy in the future. I will do another hotrod look but it will be with a post car next time

 

Darkside, indeed! I'll just make a plea AGAINST the 14" Supremes; Cragars bother me less, but I'd do 15" steelies & full hubcaps. Or Buick wires.

Well, as a matter of fact, I HAVE done 15" steelies and hubcaps. Several times.

 

This 49 was a very hot, Hot Rod back in the day! 348 powered and fast. Belonged to my late cousin.

 

Looking good!

 

50fraud, I understand your point but it is hard to pull off a 60's look with hubcaps. chrome reverse is also a possibility. thought about tru-spokes also. I will clean up the tires I have and throw on my 54 caps to see what it looks like but I think chrome wheels are necessary, especially with the brighter color.

 

Going low rider w/ your year of HT will also be refreshing. 'spokes will lend elegance, while Supremes will be early '60's custom/rod look. Candy magenta yes.

 

Bumping back up with a 50 from STL I think. Pic from a cl or HAMB ad I don't recall which.

 

Time to give this thread a bump to get it going again!

 

Here is my current ride. '53 Ford Mainline. 5.0 / 4 Speed / 9" rear. Probably going under the knife this winter but it fits, for now........

 

Refresher

 

Here is where I am at. 283 SBC going in it in the spring. Looking for a set of Chrome Reverse wheels, nose the front down a hair more, and a taller tire in the rear for some rake...



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...and in the spirit of Art Show Friday, here are a couple PS'd photos of my direction. Next Spring/Summer it SHOULD look like the top on. The 2 door sedan would be an awesome conversion...if I was better at body work!!

 

Saw this very nice 57 Ford today at the Ty-rods meet.

 

Baron, very nice. I have some more I saw at a show this weekend...just need to get them off my other computer!