Hot Rods Are Hot Rod Owners Getting Soft?

A few years a go a member asked the question "Have we gone soft?" (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/have-we-gone-soft.612375/)

After reading it I think it missed the point.
When hot rodding started and for decades after, it was all about cheap, fast and fun. Safe? Maybe.
Comfort and Luxury? Absolutely not.

Somewhere along the line, the majority of hot rods have become rolling works of art that are only affordable by those in the upper income brackets and as luxurious as many modern cars.

Power steering, power brakes, auto-transmission, A/C, heat, stereo, wi-fi, the list goes on. Modern crate engines, cutting-edge engineered frames and suspension, and so many new replacement panels its almost a sin to actually refer to the vehicle by its original factory model name.

Go to a typical show and if you want to see a hot rod that is not laden with all these modern comforts, you probably will need to head over to the rat rod area, and even those are often built with the kinder and gentler driver of today in mind.

I understand the median are of average hot rod owner is much older today than 60 - 70 years ago, and when you get older and more endowed with cash and girth, you start thinking about comfort and safety more that seat of your pants speed, but whats the deal with the young owners and builders?

Are hot rod owner getting soft*?

* Term "soft" chosen for the more sensitive reader.

 

You might consider that the production cars in the days of the early hot rods were not so well equipped either. people in general weren't accustomed to automatics, P/S, P/B etc. So, since hot rods were just stripped down basic cars, they didn't have a hint of luxury.

But like most/all tangible goods, they evolve and adapt new developments. For instance, for all the grief given here about using efi engines, for example, the early rodders grabbed flatty V8's as fast as they could find and afford one to replace the 4 banger. So, what's the difference? Only that this forum has a self imposed time period that it is devoted to. But if there was such a thing as the HAMB in 1949, I have to suppose anybody who went for a new Olds or Caddy would have been drummed out of the corp.

I do agree with you about the aging rodders desire for more comfort. But the young'uns have never known anything but all these comfort and conveniences in most anything built in the last 40+ years.

Ray

 

I am 69 years old, I drive the car in my avatar. The only creature comfort is nice seats. It is loud, hot has 4:10 gears and it is fast and a hand full to get down the track or around the Island. That being said I am the exception in the group that I run with most of them won't even ride with me.

 

My latest one is the opposite of "gone soft".....

although after running it on Drag Week, I'm seriously thinking about changing the seats, and the mufflers. But that's all I want to change, the rest can stay the same.



http://selectric.org/62nova/index.html has some more pictures

 

Times change. 60 years ago cars from the 30s were junkers. Worthless. No one wanted them. The war was over an America had a bright future. Jet engines, rockets, space travel etc. All reflected in the cars of the period. There also was no 1-800-send parts or internet. Kids did what they could to make cars that they could afford faster. Those same kids are now old farts that like a bit of creature comfort.

Call it going soft if you like. I'd call it having the financial means to buy creature comforts that weren't available way back then. Don't fool yourself into believing that given the choice of a flatty or an Olds in 1951 the flatty would have been picked. Flatties were cheap. And that's the key word. Cheap. Had affordable crate engines been available then they would have been the choice.

Old bones and bomber seats don't mix too well anymore. I've raced motorcycles for 50 years now and a friend summed it up best. I was flagging a corner and he dropped the bike. It slid down the road and he came to a halt not far from me. He's the same age as me (far too close to 69 for my liking) and had been racing as long. As I helped him up he said "30 years ago I'd have ran after that bike. Now it just hurts."

 

Not so much soft as changed expectations, with a dose of prudence thrown in.

When you can now buy off the showroom floor a performance car that would shame anything sold even at the height of the musclecar era while being equipped with all the bells and whistles, well, it makes it sometimes tough to 'settle' for a slow (relatively), noisy, uncomfortable 'hot rod' when the theory is it's supposed to be 'fast'.

Is some of it laziness? Without a doubt ('my left leg got tired pushing in the clutch while fairground cruising so I put in a slushbox'... LOL), but there may also be a bit of prudence thrown in. When these cars were built, they had the same or slightly better handling/braking compared to everything else on the road, but that's not the case anymore. Pretty much anything on the road these days can equal or exceed that part of the performance of most 'traditional' builds, so when some moron in a ABS-equipped shitbox decides to dynamite their brakes, do you really want to trust your life (and the lives of your passengers) on 60 year old drum brakes and bias-ply tires? If you're set on a fully traditional car, the answer is yes. I'm not saying that's a wrong decision, simply one the individual will have to make. Granted, some of these 'equipped' so-called 'hot rods' are what they are for bragging rights (AC in a roadster??!! WTF?), but given the easy availability of most of this stuff (sometimes at less cost than the vintage/repo stuff), it can make economic sense to use some of it.

And as pointed out, many of the younger rodders have never owned a car that didn't have all this stuff, so it's 'normal' for them. For us 'older' folks, doing any distance in a period-perfect rod can be too physically demanding for some of us, so do we give up the hobby or make compromises in the cars we drive? Not always an easy answer...

 

Mine is also opposite of gone soft. Very very loud, does not have a radio, or any comfort pieces, and is crazy fast. This car scares the S#$T out of most people. And I am not changing a thing, unless it will make it stronger and faster.

 

Not soft, I prefer the word maturing.

 

Yes. I have friends, who think taking their car out once a month, makes it a daily driver. I just smirk and nod. I laugh at the threads here, asking questions about MP3 players, Mustang II suspensions, PWR steering, PWR brakes and A/C. That's new Honda shit to me.

I've never understood the Rat Rod crowd, but I love the philosophy behind them. Doing whatever you can with what you've got. And isn't that what we're ALL supposed to be doing?

So, I usually end up following my own advise. I do whatever the hell I like to my car and don't have the time or energy to worry about what someone else thinks. When they start paying my bills, I MIGHT listen, but only to be sociable.

Age? When going "balls to the wall" becomes scary, I'll turn in my cards and cash out. Because, THEN, it's over. In 3 weeks, I'll have to admit my mom into a nursing home. I'll never be in one.

All nice and comfy.

 

The original post describes a street rod. There USED to be a difference but the line is becoming more and more fuzzy every year. I'm in my sixties and my car is steel, v8, 3 deuces and a four speed. It's finished, it's a hot rod and there is no compromise.

When I want to have fun and live a little I drive it and laugh. I have a new Camry for the boring days.

 

not eating a good diet makes you soft

 

Hmmm.....

31 year old here with the maturity of a 25 year old....I don't own a car newer than me.

Getting old happens, there is nothing wrong with upgrades for comfort. Especially if your body has seen the test of time. Who am I to judge you on how your car is built? I built my car for only me. Not shows. Not for your approval. Not anyone. Not a single more fuck could be given whether you like it or not.

Every decision in the build was to satisfy my choice. No one elses.

I don't hold anyone else to the standards I hold myself, So really it doesn't matter what I think of yours or you think of my car... Everyday I wake up I compete with the man that went to sleep the day before. No one else.

Do I think it sucks for me to go out and buy new dropped axles and other kits to build a "traditional" hot rod. Yes, I don't think that is cool, It's not a representation of me. I think a/c and all the other garbage is lame. I wouldn't put that in my car.....yet.

But I don't think you are soft because you did. You have made a decision. It does not change your position on Mohs scale of hardness.

What it comes done to is, I don't think I can judge another person for his choices in a build. I'm not in his shoes. When I look at anothers car and find things I don't like, that's judging it for myself. as If it were mine, if I didn't build it for myself how can I judge it? It may not be for me. But as long as the guy who's got the keys loves it, then that rad! Certainly any hot rod/street rod is cooler than a modern econobox.

while I don't have a running car right now, not even a late model, as soon as my truck is done, it will be a daily driver. Think about that, I'm taking a finely detail extremely period dated vehicle and going to use it as my only car.

It's a old Ford using old Ford parts,with a minimum of reproduction parts used thru out, with almost no modern upgrades. Down to the spark plugs it's right out of 1953.

Why the hell would I do that you ask?

For the Freedom of it.... Because I can...Because it's a time machine. and because I want to. It literally makes me get up in the morning.

 

Your words simply say it all.
I knew it was all changing, when my Craftsman wrenches were becoming obsolete in the eyes of others ...... when wrenches were being put back in the toolbox, in exchange for a computer chip, which added 100 H.P..
Seeing the comparison of then and now, I liked my days of "then" so much better.
It was fun back "then".. we did not have any 800 number to call for assistance, the Internet was not around to google anything ... we just thought it through, we fixed, we made it work and we smiled with delight, because we saw the problems through, from start to finish, one problem at a time.
If J.C. Whitney could not supply my needed part, Honest Charlie could.

 

Every car is a reflection of the builder. I enjoy a spartan interior obsolete motor/engine but disc brakes are my friend! Back 20+ years ago I would never take one of mine into a car show because I didn't worry about what I drove. When you build your own car even with some compromises it is what you want. If you buy a car that is a different story. I have never owned a pretty/flashy car just very basic for my tastes. The best part for me is going nowhere in particular. Thr journey over the destination.

 

I would have to say that a lot are getting soft but I see it as evolution of the sport in a ''because we can'' fashion. I feel most of this falls more in the street rod camp that hot rod. The only things I have added to my T are a power-glide and radials, I drove my Willys 70k miles on New Zealand roads on cross plies and never again at 50+mph.
My feeling is if you want modern comfort get a modern car. JW

 

I like most all of 'em, having said that "homemade" hot rods and customs" are tops!

 

***yawn***

 

Seriously? You ask a question about becoming "soft", while seated in your ergonomically designed chair, staring at your scientifically designed computer monitor, in your temperature-controlled home? Yes, we are soft. It's called "progress".

 

What channel is Oprah on?

 

Looks like we are comparing street rods to hot rods here.
Definitions;
Street Rod- 2 pedals with all the comforts and women can't wait to get into them.
Hot Rod- 3 pedals with no comforts and women can't wait to get out of them.

My wife will never be driving my care again....

 

I think several things are at play.

I'm only 50, so my back in the day really wasn't that far back. But even then, as kids we built what we could afford. No one I know was trying to make a "statement" about how pure they were by not having some of the creature comforts that now seem common . . . we just didn't have the money. As someone a few generations before me has already said, flatheads weren't the be all end all - they were cheap. A Cad or Olds cost real money.

The other thing I think going on is a change in age groups. Yes, there are young guys out there, but for the most part the hobby has aged. Most of us have - been there done that - and aren't out to prove how much pain we can endure. And as time marches on, it seems to shrink. At twenty five I had a lot of time to live in the garage. At fifty, not so much.

I'm laying out a potential project right now - it will include some cool (at least in my eyes) fab work - but for other stuff a catalog will come into play. Could I build the parts myself? Absolutely. Is it worth it? To me, not really - mostly due to the time constraints. I don't want to drag an 18 month build into a five year build just say I built everything in my shop. Been there, done that, don't need to prove anything.

Finally, I am building it for my real world (notice I said MY real world, not anyone else's) which means it will have A/C, injection, disc brakes, and good music. All hidden in a car that looks as traditional as possible, but there none the less. Because this car will 80% of the time be my driver. Not could be driver, but actual 40 miles each way, go to the office rain or shine, daily driver.

To some this means soft, not really traditional, and a sellout. To me it is taking a Hot Rod and adapting it to my needs. And better yet, it means being able to realistically enjoy my Hot Rod every day, and drive it 25k miles a year. (and not arriving at work smelling of gear oil and aged mohair)

Too many people get too wrapped up in defining what is/isn't, should/shouldn't, and can/can't. It's just about having fun with cars.

 

I think the trend setters are hangin in there, some could fall into another group. The trend followers lean towards creature comforts. Last saturday I drove my cabrio up in to southern indiana for a (show), not top, no windows, 31 dgrees upon arrival. It rained on the way home. I'd do it again tomorrow (80% chance of rain) if I wasn't going junkyardin with my brother. BTW....closin in on 70. Tim

 

My thoughts on the OP's question from the prospective of a greybeard.

I have been involved with hot rods for over 50 years and during that time I have witnessed the evolution from backyard hobby to a major industry offering brand new gratification.

Times have changed.

As I have aged I can appreciate a car built with a few amenity's,the '54 Ranch Wagon I built will attest to that,but it has 3 peddles, V8 and a stick in the floor but also has heat,air and a stereo.

I also have two bare bones deuces that are not laden with creature comforts and I still love driving all 3 cars.

The Hamb is a amalgamation of both young and old guys that eat,sleep and breath hot rods & customs,each segment has his own idea of just how cars should be built.

I hope to be driving hot rods the rest of my life and like a lot of our members with physical limitations I will add all the soft touches that I can if it keeps me in the drivers seat. HRP

 

I'm 71 years old...I went 'soft' about a decade or so ago...but I can get 'hardener' in a pill these days...!!!
R-

 

I built my 38 Chevy in the 70's, it was what I would call a street rod, 350 SBC, four speed, 57 Chevy rear end and the stock beam axle, 70 something Monza buckets, I drove it 21K miles and stopped driving it around the mid 80's. It had been my only car for part of that time including pushing snow as I went to work as well as attending the Street Rod Nationals in 82 and 83. The car was in dry storage until I finally got back on it in earnest this year, finished the MII suspension, narrowed nine inch with steeper gears, old style 327 SBC, moved the pedals off the firewall and back to the floor where they belonged. I am 70, the car rides better, steers better but it's louder and the clutch is really stiff, yeah maybe I have gotten soft and maybe being able to get into a late model is just easier to drive in the city. Maybe I need to go to the YMCA and work on my left leg muscles. Oh yeah, it had a Fiat heater in before but now I have a 50 Pontiac heater (but with no defrosters) so maybe I am getting tougher

 

My '59 Ford has a 4-speed, manual steering and brakes, manual windows, no AC. The only concession I'll make is for 3-point seatbelts up front and regular lap belts in the back and new safety glass. It will be moderately cammed, have a 4.11 posi so definitely not built for comfort.

I do have a couple of almost new OT cars that if I need comfort, that's where I'll get it.

 

We tend to categorize things too much. Life is a spectrum, not a box. Most of the world has no idea WTF we talk about on this forum, not to mention the finer differences between Rat Rods, Hot Rods, Street Rods, Cruisers, Survivors, Muscle Cars, Tuner Cars and everything in between.
Do what you wanna do. Relax and enjoy while we still can.

Are Hot Rodders going soft? Are we going to debate purity of car design? If some guy that lives in the upper Midwest wants air conditioning in his '32 Roadster, that's what he wants. To me, the real difference is whether he installed it himself or did he just cut a check for it?

 

Yes. And no. There will always be a segment that is "purist" and has no modern creature comforts or modern amenities. There will also be another segment of "progressive" rodders who adorn their rides with the latest and greatest. Who cares? The guy that cut, burnt, sweated and cursed that car he built is as proud of his ride as the "checkbook rodder". But NOT any more so. The hobby is big enough for the both of us. And needs both, to survive. Are we getting softer? Sure! And smarter too.

 

No modern ammenities or Billet for me, thank you very much! I enjoy being educated in the old-school ways, but then again I'm only 47 years young!

 

All great responses, but tfeverfred, you always crack me up. Your responses always hit the nail on the head.
The pic says it all!