Hot Rods What makes your hot rod "your" car?

The fact that I have built it all from scratch and released it from captivity within my head

 

AMEN.

 

I like the rake of my hot rod & that I build it for a rust bucket..

 

There's a lot to that statement.

 

Building the way I wanted! Not listing to these guys It's the little things
Red motor and 3 pedals!

 

my Pam Anderson witch pinup on the decklid

 

The first car I bought myself was the 51 Mercury coupe that I bought when I was 16 from the crafts shop teacher Named Chuck Darlington. He was the guy who taught the guys how to make laminated dash knobs for their cars. I owned the car for 32 years and even after changes some of my classmates still referred to it as the "Darlington Merc".
I've passed on a couple of cars over the years that were good deals but too well known in regional rodding circles to ever be "my car" My cars are my car because they are built from the frame up by me. No link to anyone else and no one can harp if I make a change to the old ________ car that changes it from being the perfect old _______ car that everyone remembers even though the engine was worn out, the paint cracking and the interior was ripped.
I've always liked the basic bones of this roadster since I first saw it over 30 years ago but am not a fan of the mural that a previous and long time owner put on it and the car is still and always will be known as his car. I just figured it wouldn't be worth catching flack from people who think the car is somewhat of a shrine and don't think the ageing paint should be changed. It was offered at a great price but I passed as I knew as soon as I got it in my garage I would start with the changes.

 

Probably that I have resisted changing the paint, or the original build of her for the last 44 years . Even though I've changed the wood floors to steel, gone thru a 301,a327 and its current 294; two T-10 rebuilds...3:08's- 4:11's, numerous magnesiums...you get the picture!

439908.jpg by bowie posted Jan 13, 2013 at 8:21 PM

439905.jpg by bowie posted Jan 13, 2013 at 8:21 PM

 

Oh, what the heck;
If you build a car from the ground up, you handle every part and nut and bolt many, many times. You also get to put everything together, figure out what works and what doesn't, and take it apart AGAIN. This is the building process; put it together, take it apart. Make this bigger, make that smaller. Bend something a little bit so it clears something else ( then do it again because now another part is compromised.)
If you go through this "creative process" it takes a lot of time and a fair amount of money to finance. By the time it's taken apart for the 5th or 6th time, you paint it ( maybe) and put it back together AGAIN.(I call this part "Christmas Morning" because NOW you get to put on all the shiney little things that, with paint ( or not) make this YOUR CAR; your Masterpiece- all those swap meet parts you spent hours repairing and cleaning and bringing back to their glory.
And then the frosting on the cake- fire that baby up and go for the FIRST RIDE!
No doubt in your mind now who's freakin' car it is!
MINE, PRECIOUS!!!

 

My car is nothing special to most folks, but I built it just the way I wanted it.
It's a stock appearing 32 Tudor- no chop, no channel, just as I would have done had I had the money when I was younger.
But, the drivetrain is where it's at for me:
I wanted a Flathead (Never built one before), with (2) 4 bbl carbs
I wanted a true 4 speed that appeared original when someone opened the door.
I wanted a real Overdrive. I accomplished this using a Jeep aluminum case & shifter, filled it with Ford toploader gears, then designed an adapter to add a Gear Vendors O/D behind. I made the shifter from a Marlin 66 22 cal. rifle barrel so I could engage the O/D using wires thru the rifle barrel, using a button switch in the shift ball.
As others have mentioned, I know every nut & bolt in the car.
It's mine

 

Larry how you feeling....hope your doin OK. Saw the post where u were a little under the weather. Wishin you all the best.

 

And the red wheels, don't forget the red wheels...

 

Nice Dash Gary...

 

I actually don't know what makes my cars mine, but my friends do, I built a T bucket 27 years ago, owned it five years and sold it. Since, my friends have seen it other places and sent me pics where they saw it even with changes it is unmistakeable. It is now in red deer alberta, had pics sent from there to verify, and yes it is there. My 36 is mine, those that know lie on the ground and know by looking under it, in a car show, it's just that little non cookie cutter different that you know it belongs to the guy with the striped welding cap......some cars just got their own personality, regardless of the current owner, you know the car in spite of the changes.

 

I agree, wheel and tires are very important. Here's my before/after picture

 

I built it, therefore it's mine.

 

Almost everything was done by me and it was built in my back shed. Now I'm doing all over again in the same order but with a different car

 

because i say so...

 

Sweet! Is that a saber-toothed tiger and a caveman in the mural? I'd rock that.

Looks great, Dave! I need to get my butt in gear and see that bad boy in person!

 

My cars retain all the original chrome and stainless they left the factory with. They are then lowered along with disc brakes and suspension upgrades. Wheels and tires complete the exterior. It's amazing how just these slight modifications makes these cars look good. Engines and transmissions are upgraded along with interiors. Not into customizing. I believe old cars should look like old cars and not look like a rocket ship. Thats just me.

 

Too many ways to pinpoint just one

 

I build it myself from beginning to end.

The reason I always discourage anyone from seeking a pro builder is that the personality of the builder is in the car there is no avoiding it. If I build you a car no matter how hard I try, even if I use components that I don't normally use it will be a Bean car any anyone seeing it go down the road or parked at a show will know it. Maybe a better example would be a Brizio car, he builds a beautiful car by the way, but go to any show and look around you can pick his cars out before you ever ask who the builder was.

Anyway doesn't matter what components I use or even if I snag someone's stalled project what makes it mine are the finger prints all over it. They are mine and it will always be a Bean car when it is done.

Oh and I almost always run radials, I've paid my dues.

 

One reason is that I didn't follow the "Kustom Playbook" and nose/deck/shave it. I already had the body painted with all the stock trim installed and the tall roof, THEN I decided to chop it. Very careful and heavy duty masking saved all of the paint below the belt line. When it was all over, I found that I really liked all the stock trim on it . Haven't seen any other Chopped Top/Stock Trim vehicles that I can remember. The other reason it's MY car is I did this frame off build myself, in my garage, and I assembled every single nut and bolt on it.

 

Nice looking custom.

Note to self: chop, then paint.

 

I built it my way and not like anything I had ever seen before

 

Never had a problem saying that I bought it.......Clark Bates has a great eye...........doesn't mean I didn't think it needed changes
The day it came home from Abbots town PA in 2007



recently with all the changes October 2015

 

My friend and I built the car from the ground up. I designed the car in my head and we built it exactly how I wanted it. There are a lot of one off parts and parts we made by hand.

 

John you made a great car even better!

 

Great question, especially for someone like me that has a car with a memorable history with a previous owner. Lucky for me that was 35 years ago and most don't realize that. For those that do I made the Scout "mine" through a lot of work, a little blood on the frame rails, (and the bed, floor, fenders...) but most of all through pounding the crap out of it as often as I can. A completely different generation will be telling stories about the scout in 20 years... I wonder how many will remember my name ?

 

I drive a Deuce roadster and a '40 Ford sedan, BUT I have always thought the Model 40 Ford is the finest design old Henry ever built. So to that, I feel that your build is the total ride; most pristine grill ever, access for family or buddies, suicide doors, and a ragtop.