Hot Rods So what do you call it?

I been rolling this around in my head. I suppose it is hypothetical or opinion more than anything else. So let me throw my disclaimer out there first. Please do not make this a drama fest, a little respect goes a long ways.

Still reading?

In the '70s I think it was that I read in an article in a car magazine that made the claim than anything that did not have a split windshield was not a hot rod. I have thought back on how narrow that article was considering that split windshields did not come about until boat fender cars. I actually think that the premise was that anything newer that the split windshield era was not a hot rod.

So we are always ready to pigeon hole everything. My question comes about because I have an attraction to cars built between '54 and '64 +/- and I am not necessarily a custom guy. What do you call a car from that era that goes faster and handles better than the original?

Just so you can beat on me of you like I have always figured a souped up late model to be a hot rod.

Your turn. Remember be nice and don't fight.

 

I’ve always thought that anything made to go faster than original was a hotrod. Not talking about tuner cars, but even many OT vehicles of the HAMB.

 

HOTROD plain and simple..

 

and the drama begins. Thanks man.

 

D

Naw. It just wants attention.


Good post/topic. Hope it stays

 

Tell us how you really feel.

 

yep, I was taught doesn't matter what it is if it goes faster than a stock one, it is a hotrod. if it has just different body mods then it was a customized car and then you can have a customized hotrod if it has both engine upgrades and body mods and then if you have just a plain jane factory car then we call those boring cars.

 

I agree with fuzzface.

 

Go fast is a HOT ROD to me, and IMHO if it's got red primer it's a HOT ROD, regardless of what it is if you wanna call it a HOT ROD who am I to tell you that your wrong!

And Beeno, your right, there seems to be a over abundance of chest pounding bravado as of late. HRP

 

I have 'hot rodded" several cars later than the split window models. But I always thought of a true hot rod as 1948 and older even though I call later models hot rods for lack of a better term.

 

I am going to paint everything in red primer now .

 

Street Machine

 

Parse and parsnips Beaner.
As a Noun "a Hot Rod is what this site is dedicated to and easily identified by all who are found worthy.
As a Verb "I hot rodded my Prius with flames and dubs"
As an Adjective "That hot rod miata makes me throw up a little in the back of my mouth"
As an Adverb "He hot-roddedly customized his Schwinn by adding playing cards in the spokes.

 

Seems a totally unrelated criteria.
I wouldn't pay too much attention to it

 

The earliest hot rods were the "tuners" of their day...

 

I must agree with Beaner or mine does not fit.
' Course, I'd agree with him anyway.

Ben

 

Sure they were, but that was not my reference to the men/women tuning them. I’m sure you know what I am speaking of, unless you feel a fart pipe and neon lights under your import is a hotrod?

Sorry Beano, I know you said no drama, but when folks gotta find one word out of a response and try to twist it, just makes me go WTF?

I mean I could have pointed out that a hot rod can’t tune, but a hotrodder can, but I let that slide


Sigh

 

A '52 Chevy with dual pipes & 2 coils whacked off ...

 

For some reason things that happened in the '70s are out of focus, ill-defined or foggy.

 

But what about the poor color blind hotrodders?

 

Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s anything built to go fast and handle better was a “ hot rod” or hot rodded “

customs are just that built to look cool “ low n slo n jus for sho “


I dunno I’ve owned a lot of o/t hot rods I guess.


Cause then you get into categories:

pre war

Gow jobs

hot iron

traditional

street freak

street rod

pro street

muscle car

gasser

then the whole sud section of 2 door 4 door coupes buckets sedans roadsters etc etc.

all cool and all “ hot rod “ inspired!!!

heck, even rodent ridiculous rods have a really really small spot in hot rodding.

the tuner generation owes itself to what all you older guys and they guys before you all looking for speed and looks it’s just transformed into computers and sensors and stuff from mechanical goodness is all.


All hot rods in my book.

 

@porknbeaner we are all built different, some like girls that are "thick" some like thin, some like red hair and some like blue eyes. Some want a hopped up banger while others have to have a big block blower setup.
My only issue with your statement is "cars" I got to have me some trucks.

Whatever you do porky, just keep posting .... When porky post I listen

 

I prefer not to pigeon hole the term. However as a generic term I am guessing most people think of a roadster or a pre-1950's modified vehicle. A good trivia exercise would be to ask the man or woman on the street how they define it.

 

All depends on how you split it I guess.....

BTW.... these are before the boat fenders.

 

That split windshield idea works for me, but what is a boat fender?

 

remember that in the 70's the cut off year for the NSRA was 1948 - here the cut off is 1965 - guess it all depends on what you like, and build it the way like - most stuff here is usually is referred to as a car or truck - maybe paint the name that you call your ride on it - then people would know what to call it

 

I think some may miss the question, so if I take a 1980 XXX that had 145 hp V8 engine in it, and pulled it and now make 330HP, that car could/should be a hotrod (of that era).

I don't think - I could be wrong - is there a real definition of a Hotrod? I mean is it in Websters? Since original post did mention 65+ for years, I don't think we should be trying to define a Traditional Hotrod. Just a Hotrod.

Beano, what say ya? You started this, now get up off the LazyBoy and respond.

 

I am so confused.

 

I think the article was off for sure. Narrow does explain and doesn’t speak truth.