Good meeting you. I think you might be a bit low on your estimate. More like between 30 % to 40 %. But whose counting.
my 2 cents... I build a lot of different vehicles (Jet ski's, Truck, Pre runner, rc cars and others). I join sites of all of them to get help, guidance and info. Getting responses and help/info on my 56 merc is the hardest out of all of those. I know my build is not as interesting as others and I am not as talented as others but I am trying to build a mild custom. Shaved, decked, lowered, smooth and cool. I do my best to respond and help others to try and get them along with their project but as stated this is just a side hobby I am sort of teaching myself. Another issue I saw is if you build your car differently then how others would they either ignore or flat out tell you how wrong you are. I get voicing it when it is dangerous/unsafe but when its a looks thing it is always up to the owner. I am not referring to just this site where there are rules around what is allowed or not. Other sites also where there are no rules.
I always built MY Cars the Way I wanted To & if they Said other wise I would tell them to Buy a Car like mine & do it your Way But Don't tell me How I should do it.! Just my 3.5 cents Live Learn & Die a Fool
Possible all the old die hard custom guys are a vanishing breed, sadly they are passing away and they are not that many left to carry the torch, it's a crying shame. HRP
I will say finding guys in the real world to share their knowledge is getting harder. I found a few local guys that know everything about these cars but fewer that still work on them. I am getting help from some Off Topic guys also when it comes to body work, paint and stuff that is universal between all styles of customization.
I think it boils down to the majority of newer customs guys are not as set in their ways as many here and have much more open minds to adapting newer technologies and combining those with older styling so this just isn't a compatible forum for them.
Man, you think you have it rough. You should live in OK. I would think Cali would be running over with custom guys.
Very good suggestion..Rik is a master of custom history...we also feature customs on the FB "Pre-hot rod" site.
It is, just not always ones that fit on this site. I went to The Mission District Carnivale lowrider parade. I estimate that there were 300 cars, and this is during a pandemic. All extremely customized, most traditionally done, just not HAMB tradition.
Hello, Having watched our lives surround hot rods and customs, then seeing teenage life in 1989 was a world of difference. Now, in 2021 our granddaughter is a teenager and her world is so much different than ours or her dad’s. So, what do those two have in common? Their friends have/had no inkling about hot rods and less towards custom cars. Since the hot rod/custom car world is such a small portion of everyone’s lives that to them, a nice car is one that drives down their street making a rumble from a modified motor. (thanks to me…they both got that information) But, when they see a nice hot rod, they are impressed at the workmanship and unique looks. That era passed them by at light speed. Their world from 1989 to now has been so much different than our teenage years. But, isn’t that what all parents want their kids to become? Independent and not like their folks? We wanted to have our son become independent and be able to fit into society, while having fun living and working. He is that many times over. For our granddaughter, she has to overcome this terrible pandemic and seek the future that is a lot different than ours. She grew up with my wife and my ideals using them for ways to have fun. That is a start. She is so busy with her own individual activities and friends that it looks like a great teenage time period, if it weren’t for the limitations of the pandemic. Do we care that our son and granddaughter have no inkling about driving hot rods or custom cars? A car with nice paint, a few modifications, and custom wheels is a custom, which it is, in a different way, to look at the word custom. The HAMB has its traditions and traditional words like custom car or mild custom. Is it a custom when a total wheel/axle is changed, a different custom wheel set is added, a racing transmission is put in place and custom accessories are part of the modifications? It was not a show car, but a daily driver that was fast, reliable and to most people, a custom car. Today, there is no identification other than a mild custom, which is was back then and now. Most people already have their notion of custom and that is fine. Thanks @themoose For most, a hot rod sedan that we drove around was considered a custom, as changes to the look, the power and individual accessories were different. Sure, there were show cars with wild fins, flames, scallops and frenched headlights. It is just the way you describe what you think is the correct word. They all provided those people with their individuality in building their cars. Were they daily drivers to high school or to jobs that had giant parking lots away from the main buildings? For the most, probably not. Another daily driver car was used and today, the same thing applies. You see custom cars in car shows and arenas when it is their time in the spotlight. But, rarely, do you see them driving every day on the streets or freeways to get to work. (or school) It reminds me of fine historic dinnerware. They only come out when a special occasion happens, like a giant Thanksgiving Dinner with the family. Jnaki The hot rod world is in its own place for enthusiasts. It is very minor in percentage of participants. Those old photos of hot rods and car shows were taken from special events or set up photos to sell magazines. They were part of the lives of the owners, but not their daily drivers. Yes, there were some that did drive their customs with scallops and flames, but they would be customs back then and “mild customs” today. There were very little full customs used as daily drivers. The percentage of hot rod people was very low back then. In our high school less than a quarter were involved. But the teenage activities involved a ton of people using their own daily drivers with no inkling of how to “hop up” a motor or race at the drag strip. We were in the very small minority, but to us, it was the MAJORITY, due to the fact that we live and breathed hot rods and drag racing. Customs… not so much. They were in a smaller minority than just the normal hot rod/drag racer group. If it takes 100,000 people to watch a championship football game, that is a majority compared to a 300-500, perhaps a 1000 people at a car show. It just seems like a majority, but, they are dying... because you and others are interested in hot rods and customs. Hot rods, yes, customs not so much. Even daily life dictates that extra money for most goes to living day to day. But to spend whatever money on an extra item, plus having that custom car sit for days/weeks/months and perhaps even years is not worth family worries about getting to the end of the month. But, as we all know: YRMV and your opinions are varied as there are people in the world.
I wonder, were Nick Matranga, Bob Hirohata, Sam Barris clones out there today as young guys wanting to build a Custom how they’d approach current styling .. or would they rush back to those halcyon years appreciating just how fortunate they were ?
If you asked me or anyone experienced with new car construction to chop the top on a2021 whatever, it might not happen. You can’t compare it to a chop from cars made 10-15 years ago, much less 50+. The issue is the steel used and inner structure design. The use of boron and other high strength steels are not designed to be cut and welded. For instance, your new ride gets hit in the side and needs a new B post. It has to be replaced as complete post. No sections. The regular steel around it can be sectioned, but not the reinforced inner pieces. I guess, if the customizer disregards this , you can do whatever. Chopping and old ride with just an outer and inner panel is simple. Now add 2-3 more pieces in between them made out of all hinds of high strength steel. Lots of staggered cuts. Lots more labor.
On top of that, most newer cars all have curved side glass you also have to account for. Some is flatter than others, but most cars side glass also has a curve to it so it can also be another speed bump to take into account if trying to chop a late model top. Its not like an old car where almost all the side glass is flat and easy to cut down.
A little glimmer of hope. Last night the owner of local antique car resto/repair shop had his weekly weenie roast. A group of guys 15-16, were riding their bikes through the neighborhood and stopped by to check things out, and talked to the owner. I don't think they knew much about cars, or how money worked hopefully they didn't scared off of the love of old cars.
If you look up Bello's Kustom's on YouTube, Customs are alive and well at his shop. Great style, and entertaining to watch him build a Custom and work with metal.
I figure young guys in thier 20's will live to see the day where modified autos of any kind only exist in museums and private collections as we all use some sort of public transportation and live in skyscrapers full of people. this is the plan for the future. make the entire world one big shitstain.
That was predicted to happen 20-30 years ago. I like the predictions from the 50s with cars on slotted roads like a toy race track. Or the predictions from the 20s and 30s with Zeppelin looking floating buses transporting people from skyscraper to skyscraper. And dehydrated food like on the Jetsons. The future looks bright my friend On the other hand, if it all goes to crap we ain’t stopping it. So hang on and enjoy anyway. Weeeeeeeeeeeeee
When the Billitproof show moved to Antioch Calif fairgrounds customs were coming out from hibernation here in northern Calif, Man I sure miss them early years of billitproof at Antioch,
these are not predictions, that is the plan. if you think the future looks bright, you need to find another news source or at least start paying attention.
That Angry Orchard tore me up. Indiana needs to sell cold beer at the gas station like the rest of the free world.
The rest of the free world can buy beer at the gas station? Where the hell do I live then? Oh yeah, that's right.....
Also, some general musings as to why customs fall out of favor with the younger generation; -Cost. These things cost a damn fortune to build. It's just more of everything. More chrome, more upholstery, more body work, more glass.... -Value. After spending said fortune building the car, it's worth less than you have in it. Most don't have collectable value, either. -High skill level required to build. Full bodied cars are inherently more complicated, with many coming from the factory with power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, etc. Perhaps moreso, the body mods in making a custom require advanced skills and equipment in metal fabrication. It's one thing to chop a Model A, it's a whole other to chop a Chevy Fleetline. Plus you have to restore the car first before you customize it, and the custom is a more complicated machine than a basic rod. -Lack of creativity. A custom is an exercise in artistic design, whereas a hot rod is not inherently more than small car, big engine. Sure you can make them look good, but that not the main purpose. A custom has no other purpose other than to look good. -Lack of aftermarket support. You can build a hot rod and not even start with a car. There is an ample aftermarket for anything Model T, Model A, or 32 Ford. It has driven the cost of parts down and makes it easier to replace than restore. The same cannot be said for most customs, especially of orphaned brands. If you have any aftermarket support at all, it's limited and you're bent over to pay whatever it is because there's nowhere else to go. Obviously this isn't true as to all cars, or even as to all parts of the car. But for many, it is a significant impediment that runs up build time and cost. -Unjustified stigma and/or lack of Machismo. A custom doesn't have to be "bad ass" or the like, and really is more put together to be a pretty car where speed and performance takes a secondary or tertiary role to beauty and style. Some dudes don't get down on that, and want something loud and fast because that's what they've been conditioned to think is manly and cool. -Not enough people pumping the benefits of a custom car. There are lots of great things about a custom, not the least of which is how incredibly usable they are as cars. Going to the store? Take the custom. Going to a show hours away? No need to trailer, just drive it there. Hit rain while your out and about? No big deal, we have wipers. Winter hits and it's cold? That's OK, we have heat. Have a family? There's room for everyone! It's a shit load of fun to just get your car out there and use it. Customs are great for that. -No pop-culture point of entry. For new people to the old car game, the hot rod is just the more popular choice. You see guys with them. It's really not the case for customs. The only relevant people I can think of now are probably James Hetfield and Jesse James. For me in the early 2000s, it was Mike Ness. I saw his Cole Foster-built 54 Chevy and it struck a chord for me. I don't know who else in pop-culture has customs now for people to see as a point of entry.
All these things are very true but I still think the major factor of anyone thinking there is a decline in customs being built is they are still only looking for new builds of custom cars on the HAMB. For the most part they are not here and don't belong here. There are tons of customs being build by a bunch of different guys and shops that I see on Instagram everyday but the fact of the matter is almost every single one has bags, many have new independent front suspensions and many are using modern power plants. For sure there are exceptions but for the most part strictly traditional custom builds are far a few between and realistically I think they have been for quite some time. And I will also note that almost all of the builders are younger to middle aged guys so the custom car is doing just fine IMO.
As a now aging (35) builder I have both customs and hot rods. I think with the rising prices of earlier cars the custom will make a return soon. The initial investment in a custom is substantially lower. You can pick up an "ok" shoebox for less than $1k but a rusty clapped out 34 ford is $20k. The metal work or custom work is definitely something that takes time to learn but isn't impossible. There are a TON of really good metal guys that are more than willing to pass on some secrets if asked. My shoebox coupe will be a full custom. It's just time consuming and mind consuming!!
I'm not a fan of bags, that being said modern IFS and engines in otherwise traditional cars don't bother me one bit. My shoebox has Mustang II for the simple reason I could install it for less than dropped spindles and a complete rebuild of the stock stuff. No brainer. I also think you don't open the hood of a custom. Ruins the lines. I guess I'm a "streetrodder" at heart but like traditional styling?
Y'know, the more I thought about this, the more I think we're not recognizing what's actually happening. Customizing isn't particularly dying, only 'traditional' customizing as defined here is. Now, a 'traditional' hot rod is relatively easy to build. Really, all that's happening here is if that's your build type, you're basically just limiting the degree of technology allowed, with the attendant limit on performance. Fairly easy to understand 'rules' limited to mechanical mods mostly, and given state requirements and sanctioning body rules, not something that's unknown to hot rodders. That's never been the case with customs. Now the original justification for customs was a way for guys to 'convert' their low-priced car into something more resembling a coach-built car, i.e. more 'stylish' and 'expensive' looking, with absolute practicality less of a factor. That was the case from pre-war until about the mid '50s. And originality has always been prized, which is why certain cars are recognized as icons. Then it all changed.... Barris broke the mold with the Ala Kart. Here was a car that looked nothing like what had come before; the coach-built look was gone. With it's fame, the message was clear; imagination was released. While the Hirohata Merc single-handedly represented the early era and became the 'ideal' for it, in the late '50s/early '60s many of the most now-recognizable 'icons' were built by names now synonymous with customs, all with their own style. But one constant always underlay what was going on; customs represented the cutting edge (for better or for worse), embracing current trends and materials, exploring the limits. There were no 'rules', the only limit was what you could build. Then the muscle cars hit, why build when you can buy, and both customs and hot rods faded away for a while, although rods revived first. Few new customs were built, and most were 'cartoon' show cars. When 'true' customs returned, they picked up where they left off. New names, guys like Troy Trepanier, Chip Foose, Boyd Coddington had their own vision, they weren't interested in plowing the same ground. It's like telling Picasso he has to use a paint-by-the-numbers set... And therein lies the problem. With our 'traditional' rules, it'd damn tough to come up with a new interpretation of 'traditional'. A lot of the reasons have already be given (hard to find parts), but a basic reason (and don't take this wrong) is the truly innovative customizers don't like the 'rules'. So you get endless variations-on-a-theme until the cars start to all look alike. One of the reasons for owning a custom was to stand out in the crowd, that's getting pretty tough to do. In a lot of cases, outrageousness has substituted for styling. Want to encapsulate the whole thing? The Hirohata Merc is an icon, and deservedly so, but it also 'locked in' a look that's stifled imagination. The other end of the scale is Winfields 'Solar Scene' Merc which perfectly represents the early '60s and is detested by the Hirohata crowd. The last good, truly original Merc build IMO...
The styling cues of traditional customs are not going away it is the underpinnings that are. Most of the cars I see being built would all be perfectly acceptable from a styling point of view on this board it is the suspension and drive trains that no longer fit this board on the vast majority of new builds on other social media.
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