Autorama opinions (not all nice)

I posted earlier on Curator's Lazy Eight, commenting on how his car, above many in the basement, really captured the essence of the traditional tag placed on the the basement dwellers. His car was a pleasure to look at. I was really looking forward to seeing more cars of this caliber down there but if you were there, you know they were few and far between. It's not about being lazy, it's about attempting to create an illusion of authenticity, which is a joke. You could look at the Lazy Eight and know it was for real.

Props to the guys who drove their car. I don't even have a problem with the dirt on the car if it was real. What I despise is the "Fred Sanford, everything including the kitchen sink look". How much non-automotive shit can you throw on a car and still come off clever?

I think it just looks bad for the whole show when you present shit to the audience for their $15.

 

I have to agree and like what highlander has to say. pride in yer ride will always be traditional.

 

i second everybody. i have two rat rods-that were purpose built rat rods. I'm not trying to sound cocky, but they're nice cars that we're built to the rat rod style. Now that everybody thanks rat rod style cars are cool every person that can stick wheels on a pile of sh*t are on the scene. Thoses people are who give the people who ain't in the know the wrong idea of what a rat rod/traditional hot rod is suposed to be
www.hotrodsigns.com

 

The basement represented this aspect of the hobby EXACTLY how it really is.

You want to see show cars stay up stairs,,,,,,,,,,

 

Well, I wasn't at the Autorama, but for what it's worth...
I feel, first of all, that the "big" shows really should be for "done" cars (yeah, I know, they're never "done"). HOWEVER, I also think it's nice that unfinished cars are getting some attention.
When I first got interested in building hot rods, it seemed impossible that anything I built would ever get into a show. Not that I really care about shows, but it's nice to have the right of refusal rather than being refused!
But now, the "RAT rod" stuff is so widely known, that any unfinished car is automatically a "rat rod". I was quite irritated a couple months ago when I drove one of my unfinished cars to a local swap meet just to have it on display as a kind of rolling advertisement for my new shop. About a million people came up to me and "congratulated" me on my "rat rod". When I explained that it wasn't a rat, just not done yet, nobody seemed to get it. Seemed like everybody wants to see a "done" car or a "rat rod", but a being-driven, in-progress ride is somehow "uncool".
Can anyone explain this to me? In high school I was into muscle cars and they were always in primer, 'cause that's what I could afford. But they were always clean. Now, I drive stuff unfinished because it's still what I can afford, and 'cause I have way too many projects. I think a ratty-looking car can be cool as hell as long as it's not a rolling death-trap (due to quality of construction, I mean). But as has been stated above, if it don't run, it don't belong at a show. Where do we draw the line? Don't ask me. But maybe running should be a starting point.

 

stay in school... a rat rod and a traditional rod are not the same thing....

 

Done,done and almost done...Hope I can get the H-bomb parked next to Deathsdoorstep next time! And I'll bring your kid a CD.

 

Interesting comments.......but describe "traditional" as opposed to "rat rod".

 

Oh boy- here we go...

 

I wasn't there, but my opinion of dirty cars at Autorama is that someone thinks they are making some anti-establishment statement about the current state of hot rodding affairs with a big FUCK YOU Autorama by bringing in muddied up cars. On the one hand if the show promoters didn't want that, they should make rules about it. On the other hand, it shows a complete lack of respect for what the show means and it's place in hot rodding and customs. I guess that was their point, but IMO it's not the place to make that point.
Now, if they had set up some back road side by side drag racing scene with some manican flag starter and tall grass running along the sides and there was dirt sprayed along the sides of the cars, that's different. But it just sounds like they parked it dirty. No explanation, no excuses.

 

Alright... you caught me... I'm a fucking loser because I didn't wash my car after I got it into Autorama...

I trailered it the 85 miles there, on an open trailer, in a fucking blizzard.
When I got there, I gave the windshield and door windows a couple of good arm wipes so I could see, warmed it up, and drove it in.


ANY time, energy, or money I get to put into one of my cars goes towards making it faster.

It gets washed every time it rains, why the hell should I worry about it any more than that...I build them to DRIVE.

If I felt like spending the day cleaning, I'd do the fucking laundry or something that actually benefits me...

If you think that means that I don't take pride in my cars, you can eat a dick... no... as a matter of fact, you can eat a whole bag of 'em!


When you start to cry as you see the dirty tail lights of my car pulling away from you, just remember, those salty little tears might stain your "built to look cool, who gives a fuck about performance" car... better catch 'em quick!

Just make sure nobody's looking, 'cause you sure don't want to be "The guy that got spanked by that dirty car"!
That would TOTALLY cost you MAJOR scene points!


Hugs and Kisses!
Steve

 

(STEVE) ill second that, and i got your back man.

 

Just a thought for some of you old timers who don't get all the RUST and clapped out CRAP.....


.....has it occurred to you that when you were going to these shows "back in the day", that these cars were what? 4 years old? Kinda hard to have a pile of rust then.



Its Mad Max days now. This is after the apocolyps. All the good stuff has been used up and the kids are now playing with the trash that has been left over and picked clean by previous generations.


Now having said that, I'll also agree that even if your glass is cracked and you can't afford new.....WASH IT! Take some damn pride in your stuff.
I like Armor all and Windex.

 

I never take my car to a show, cruise or get together unless it's clean. I drive it every day, so of course it's going to get dirty, but it's not that hard to keep it clean (especially with some of the high-tech shit available these days!)

Could never figure out why someone would put a car in a show and not clean it, especially the windows! That comment about driving to a show and then not cleaning it? WTF?

People don't want to see shitty looking cars at shows, especially the show organisers. Patina is cool, but not looking after your car is inexcusable.

 

Whether these cars, trucks, bikes, etc; are at the level of a "Roth", or the opposite extreme, they are STATEMENTS;...period. Often these statements are well received; sometimes not. I think the old saying: "Beauty is within the eye of the Beholder" pretty well sums it up. To be honest, I'd rather see that than a six-figure Billeted Trailer Queen! In the long haul, they are simply reflections of how the owner and/or builder sees the "State of the Art" at the time. I accept it, and I don't let it bother me. If any one of these owners brought a vehicle to "bother" me, they have failed. Hot Rodding is more or less my Lifestyle. ...It's not real crowded. It allows a lotta' different degrees of "Art" if you will. I do appreciate the original posting on this topic. Food for thought. Just my 2 cents worth, that's all.


Without our dreams we are merely driftwood in the Sea of Life!

 

i will second that

 

Ain't that the truth...

Maybe the "unwashed masses" in the basement are there because so many people like the raw and gritty cars opposed to the lean, mean and squeaky clean.

The promoter could be looking at it as good business. Each extra car he can get in is that much more money the show makes. The bigger the show participation, the more people it'll draw . The bigger the crowed, the more money that is made. tickets, hats, hot dogs and t-shirt sales go up.

I would have to agree with Highlander that the cars should be free from built up filth, but, then again I don't like indoor shows because of the "higher class" illusion the promoters always try to create. When the quality of the entries obviously proves otherwise. They always think it's nicer, cleaner... better... because it's an indoor show. Whatever, I've yet to go to an outdoor show that didn't have a larger, higher quality, more diverse field, than the typical indoor show.

But like Hot Rod to Hell said... fuck you if you don't like it.

Speaking of Fuckers.... why haven't the Nazis' closed this thread? Does this look like tech to you people?

 

ok from what ive always known is that Hot Rodding Tradition was to take a POS and turn it into something cool...not take something cool and turn it into a POS! I too agree with the Opost... There were a few downstairs that i saw that had to be trailered in so that would throw them into the category of "gasp" TRAILER QUEEN! Now i can see not having it finished in time for the show but come on ..Im tired of the whole im cooler cuz i got more rust than you..The whole sellout shit has been around for years....musicians form bands for one reason....To make it big! Once they do you call them sellouts because they have a 100 dollar bill in their pocket...Jesse James built bikes to make money...Now he is a millionaire and is Still building bikes the same way he did before the fame...But hes now a fuckin sellout! Chip Foose is now a Sellout! B.C...ok that guy is just fucked up..all he does is test drive it and then says he built it...Hes a moron!...

Sorry but if i ever make it big doing what i love to do..I call it living the dream..not being a Sellout..just being able to afford to finish my car and paint it and build more...

and driving 200 miles in 30 degrees just makes you hardcore or stupid...but im sure any one of those tuner guys would have lent you a can of windex..

 

Dont get me wrong....rust or no rust...it always looks better striped!

 

Dont disagree with Roadstar. I am sure it did represent the hobby as it is today. A mix of good and bad hotrods..

 

WHAT HE SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don

 

I did, but now I'm so scared you'll leap from my screen I'm going to hide under a bed for a few weeks.

 

I liked Autorama this year, it is the downstairs area that has gotten me interested in Autorama again. There was creativity everywhere, both upstairs and down, clean and dirty.

Buckle

 

I am one of those old guys, but I really think I "get IT" . I attended the autorama,first indoor show I've been to in many years. I spent a couple of hours upstairs,then went to the basement where the real cars were. I think the real problem is the autorama is a prestigious show and there should be some standards for entry. I dont really know who is to decide whether it is a rat rod or a POS. just because it is covered with patina(rust,worn paint) doesnt make it cool. I do understand that most of the good stuff has been used up,and I appreciate a 4 door or a wagon that is well built,also those old truck cabs are excellent rod material in my opinion.I was really impressed with stickeylifters hamb chop chevy,after following the chop on here.the lunar lander is certainly an awesome piece of work.it was nice to see a lot of the hamb cars in person,not just in pictures. I loved the show,and I agree,if you dont like it move on to the next one.

 

Quick!!!!!! Close This Thread!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I realize by page three, nobody's really reading these replies, but I thought I'd just get my opinions "out there" anyway.

I have a nice, finished car. It's a gas to drive, but always in the back of my mind is the incident where the woman backed into it and how much the body work and paint really cost. I don't flog the car hard, I guess I'm a coward.

In that respect, I can really see the appeal to a primered, unfinished ride. If you read the Jalopyjournal blog today (I've taken to reading it every day, lately it's been better than the HAMB even), Ryan talks about Kevin Lee beating on his modified - hanging it around corners, dong burnouts, etc. I think in my minds eye, that's stuff best reserved for the unfinished. You let it all hang out because you aren't concerned about destroying something perfect.

On the other hand, I think the deliberate crustiness bit has worn very thin. When the fellow with the Model A roadster replicated a barn car, that was fun and fresh and cool. But you know what? When I picture my perpetually unfinished "beater" it's wearing a smooth coat of red oxide primer that's easy to touch up and an army blanket over the seat because I can toss it in the wash if my sweetheart drops her milkshake - it's not rusty with the seat springs poking through.

I think the difference is between customisers, who want rolling art; hot rodders, who want to drive hard and fast; and scenesters, who are playing out a deliberate bad boy plot for their own piece of mind. I don't begrudge them that, some of them are quite creative and they have a right to enjoy themselves. That's just not me.

 

highlander ive been saying the same thing for years.. since when is soap and water not trad? as far as patina goes my car earns it,wasnt biult with it, and when theres to much "patina" i will re do it!! can you imagine going to a show. and seeing say the hirohata merc sitting there with filthy whitewalls,and pabst cans filling the interior.. ahh fuck it why do i waste my time with this shit

 

I like hot rods. Mine will never be 'done'. The suspension is rusty old Ford crap......can't afford to have it blasted properly for paint. It's been around since 1936 and works fine as is. The Model A grille shell is tarnished. It was free. Can't afford to get it plated. Other than that, my car has 'paint', clean 'glass', an interior and I drive tha crap outta it. As a matter of fact, I broke it driving it out of Cobo while doing a primo burnout across an intersection. Know what? I'll fix it because I can. I built my whole car. I break it, I fix it. I pass you on the road with a built Flathead!