Slightly off-topic. But I watched something on Speed this morning, Vintage Nascar racing, and It got me thinking. If anyone pays attention to "Hot Rod", they will occasionally bring up something about dirt-track, circle track, open wheeled cars, "Track Look", etc. In the last two years, their "Dare To Be Different" has had atleast one car running fenderless IFS, with a bit of a "Track Car" vibe to it. This year it was a little more "Rat Rawd" looking, but last years was a late 60's Toyota. They mentioned that the same "look" could be applied to various 70's smogger compacts. Gremlin, Pacer, Pinto, Chevette, Golf, etc. Hopefully the next step in the evolution of the "Rat Rod". Something that actually has to look functional and like it would be capable of competing. While not as aesthetically pleasing, there would definetly be a market for rusted out 70's Smoggers, Muscle Car "Parts Cars" that are rusted to the point of being bodypanels held together with an roof, and compacts of the era. With the improvisation of "Rat Rodding", and a bias towards "Racing". There are a few reasons why I predict this will happen. Muscle car prices are getting ridiculous, as well as anything "early Hot Rod"-ish. An "Rat Rod" is just too hard for the "average" person to pull off, there is just too much work with straight axles, proportions, bodies, keeping it somewhat period correct, etc. However finding an rusted out pacer body, taking off the front fenders, painting it white, and dropping it on an S-10 with tubular A-arms is much easier and cost effective. Its cheap. Magazines are pushing it. Skulls, Iron Crosses, Red wheels, Primer, "Patina" and the exageratted "Rockabilly" thing are just played out for the Popular Hot Rodding culture. So...save your compacts, and rusted out Muscle bodies, they'll make someone a nice "Track Rod".
(If anyone pays attention to "Hot Rod") Now see...thats the catch right there. LoL HOT ROD doesn't set trends...they just guide the posers, and usually to their advertisers...just as they should if they wish to remain in business. I think the "core" here on the HAMB couldn't care less about fabricated or perceived "trends"... they just unknowingly help create the REAL ones.
Who cares what the next trend is? Trends are what brought us Vans and Pro-Street in the '70's and '80's.
I've seen some of these creations and I'll tell you -most of them are just rump-ugly in my book. I don't really see it catching on.
Haha...If anyone pays attention to Hot Rod. I find the magazine asthetically appealing, but I'm certainly not going to go out and torch up my collection of to Chevettes to start a "revolution". Just pointing out, they keep dropping hints on were the next "different" will go. Why? Maybe they have alot of stock in Circle Track Parts.
I think flat black and red wheels is passe' and the people verbally pissing on that car with Barris crests shows others hold that opinion too. As the rust rod fades into the been there done that even the NY Times knows about the "fad" it so it must be long over. Since the after market will never go away, it just moved around from plastic dash knobs and finned cast aluminum to billet and back, it will continue to fill the needs of the hotrod by Visa majority of people. Since flat cycle is over, again, and shiny is returning for another cycle, I think the "entry level" plastic Fad T will return with a higher finish quality pigmented glass body so people can just order their "Hecho Elsewhere" where there isn't any Green Laws glass T body in the color of their choice. It's not really a new idea, after all Ski and Bass Boats and dune buggys have always been available in color and metalflake since about forever. You go to Hobby People now and the model cars are already "painted" and just snap together if they don't come pre-assembled in the box. Not being allowed to paint by law is going to be the biggest construction problem and I predict this will be an answer for the "average" hotrodder. I specify hotrodder and not street rodder here because a hotrodder is SUPPOSED to be more concerned with performance than "looks" so a prepainted serves the purpose body shouldn't really be of that much concern, as long as it goes fast, right? That Barris & skull crested "Rat Rod" is just a "ratstyle" decorated Fad T anyway isn't it?
Thats VERY true and a definate trend builder! Aftermarket Gel coat and powder coat for the trendy masses...latex or passe' rust patina for the garage bound rebels!!! All jokes aside...I think you might have nailed it DrJ.
My shit is always out of style anyway so fads don't bother me but it is fun to watch em' come and go. I liked some more than others (Street Freaks, TALL T-bucket roadsters, Gassers for the street) but hated many too. You just know there are folks building cars just to keep up with these fads only to find out when the car is finally complete that the fad is over. I wonder what happened to all the horrible smoothie street rods of the 80's. Remember all the 30's coupes in pink and other pastel colors? Don't forget the graphics and billet, they were a must have. Now they'd be embarassed to pull one out of the garage much less drive it around. A lot of guys that chase fads are left holdin' they're asses when it's all over.
On a less critical note... I can see it coming, too. I like the restored racecars from the pre Nascar days of stock car racing. I like the old Bonneville stuff, too. I believe it's about the difference between modifying a production car to race and building a purpose built race car. The early '60s had some awesome stockcar racing. Now it's domminated by tube chassis' and tremendous safety measures. I appreciate the need to build such a car when you run near 200 mph, but it isn't the same as a built 413 in a car that's been lightened all over on bias ply tires. If people too young to have participated want to bring it back, I'm all for it. Isn't that what this community does on the salt flats?
54 Chevy 210's ( 4 doors) with dented roofs, shitty, almost down to the primer paint, patched doglegs, painted wide whites on steelies with doggie dish caps, glass packed 235's and stinky interiors with no carpets are the next big thing. Man, am I ever glad I got in on one before the trend! Whatever makes YOU feel good when you look at it is all you need to worry about. Todd
Fads always seem (to me, at least) to run about 25-30 years prior to the current year. Maybe thats why lately some '70's cars are appreciating in value - even in small fringe groups (nerd cars, Olds Vista Cruisers, Pacers, Gremlins, etc....... ) Didn't 60's musclecars start to get outrageous around 1990 or so? Same effect. and I'm NOT saying Pacers will sell like Chevelles, just pointing out the appreciation cycle. Anyway, back more on topic, I have always hoped the next trend would be Nascar Vintage Racing. maybe then, I'll watch it again.
Just the way that "Rat Rods" are an exagerattion/pastiche of 50's culture, early Hot Rods, Salt/Drag Cars, Customs, etc. I'm saying that the next "step" will be a mixture and exagerattion of dirt/circle track, Trans Am, vintage Nascar, and Muscle Cars.
Late 60, early 70 Toyota Corolla. 800 HP 4 cylinders, Hemi of course... Sorry, Sun's over the yard-arm...
I hope the hell not as far as old short track cars go.. There are many of us..John, K9racer (Bobby) Modifiedriver and myself, just to name 4 from the HAMB, who race old circle track cars. There are vintage oval track clubs all over the country who stage races, primarily on dirt for our old Late Models and Modifieds at various tracks over the course of a summer.. They provide a fairly inexpensive way for longtime veterans (or newbies) to continue racing for as long as we want. The last thing that I want to do is to have to compete with some"trendy" poser for old circle track cars and parts. Right now, what the Rat rodders have passed on has remained cheap enough for race car building material, plus we can substitute some "modern" but obsolete parts bought for low bux from current style racers. John's street modified coupe is great, but I don't want to see thousands of them. I don't care about old NASCAR street clones, Trans Am stuff nor any type of sporty car racers. Gold chainers have build quite a few of them over the years. There is even a series or two for "verified" '81-up Nascar stockers to compete in road racing series'. Let Hot Rod pimp this stuff and leave us "non-trendy" vintage coupe and coach racers alone... Jan
Trends? We don't need no stinkin trends! Do you own thing no matter how strange it is! let others worry about the trends.
I love 54 plymouths (my first car was a 54 savoy 4-door with overdrive (insert funeral music here), and believe it or not, I like this one (56 in your Universe) especially the gnarly grille...
I have the Plymouth version also! They look like the American version 1954 Plymouth but they were made in 1956 in Australia (note the steering wheels) I will be selling the Plymouth but the Desoto is my keeper (the only one in the states) Of course they never made this body style inthe states!
Race cars for the street......it's not a NEW concept. The very foundation of Hot Rodding is exactly "race car" inspired. Many, if not all, of the early (late 30's - early 40's) Hot Rods were actually raced. At the time race cars were specially built machines with professional drivers....but, any young speed freak could get an old clunker and strip off the fenders, tune up the engine, etc...and have a street version of a race car. Naturally, most owners tested the speed of their machines by challenging others to races. After World War Two, when automobile production started up again...many people had old cars that they'd been patching together through the war years (when things like gas and tires were rationed) and they couldn't wait to buy a new car. Suddenly there was an over abundance of un-wanted used cars available dirt-cheap. The result was the emergence of "Stock Car" racing. Stock Car racing opened the sport of auto racing to the "average" car nut. Now a homebuilt "hot rod" ...and a fearless driver were all that were necessary to participate in auto racing. As things progressed technology wise, the street versions and the track versions began to become less alike. Drag racing also followed a similar path. Street hot rodding started to become more about impressive workmanship rather than maximum performance. Eventually the "custom" car mentality took over for the majority of the street rodders. To this day, the majority of street rodders are consumed with making their cars LOOK impressive. Now enter the rodders that want to do something unique. What hasn't already been done? Hey....with the popularity of Nascar, why not "race car inspired street cars"? Wow, what a novel idea? Done right, I think they can be pretty cool. But in my opinion, "right" is to try to have the car appear more-or-less period correct. A 1960 Car shouldn't have a Jack Roush engine and Basset wheels. Each era of race cars had their own unique appearance and that's part of what makes replicating them cool. If a "trend" like that gets more cars out of back yards and onto the streets, then I'm all for it! My 1933 Chevy is WAY too rough to even consider building a "conventional" rod out of...but it will be just fine as a vintage race car/hot rod. I have a 1965 Oldsmobile parts car that might be worth bringing back to life in a similar manner, but definately is not good enough to be restored or street rodded to the standards expected these days. Although our 1933 Chevy would have lent itself to the currently popular "rat rod" concept, that's not really "my thing"...and who the heck would want a 1965 Oldsmobile rat rod? But, a mid 60's style Nascar/Arca type car might be pretty darn cool!
I started out,building a "street rod",but with some provision for adding some serious horsepower,when $$$ allowed.I found the"my wallet is bigger than yours"attitude drove me away.Very few of that crowd,were willing to help out on any project.Then i discovered the "family"of"traditional rodders"here on the hamb.Seeing the outporing of advice,expertise,comradship and good old fashioned"traditional"fun,restored my"faith"in what i thought,hot rodding was all about.Now i see the so called "mainstream rodding",embracing the traditional cars again.Let's hope the "traditional values"don't get overun,in the return "trend"for more traditional rods.
I think some of the trends, certainly in terms of cars that get hot are driven by supply and demand. As the desirable body styles and years get scarce, the 2nd tier cars get more affordable and are still available. I remember when 37 Fords and the 46-48 fords came on big. 53-54 chevys are getting there too. As for the awful thigs done to all cars through the years, I think I can only say there's no accounting for taste. I remember the "Pro-Touring" thing when HotRod floated that turd, and the NASCAR look needs to stay on track. At least some one somewhere will always be building black 32, 34 and 40 Fords, and getting their 55-57 Chevy ready for the digs. If you're looking for some one to validate what you like, you're in the wrong hobby/lifestyle/whatever, anyway. My .02
Come on guys, trends are fun, even if you don't like them. It's like looking at pics of what you were wearing in High School. Man I looked like a dork, but back then I was the Bees Knees! So, have a little fun and remind your buddies about the 2 tone pink "Pro Street" 48 chevy he built back in '92. (however I DO hope this trend stays in the past) Something else I learned in High School : The non-conformists, the ones who refused to be a jock, nerd, prep, etc.... were in fact conforming to the other non-conformists.... They took pride in being different, but actually identified and hung out with all the other kids that were "individuals" Know what I'm Sayin'?
You guys think too hard. Traditional hot rodding will stay about traditional hot rods, no matter what the mainstream moves on to next. The same goes for customs/kustoms. Isn't this the focus of the Jalopy Journal/HAMB to begin with? No matter how forgotten traditional hot rodding becomes to the general masses, there will always be a small group that'll still build traditional hot rods and customs waaaayyy into the future....you just won't hear about them as much as you are right now. It's kind of like what some pseudo-famous guy said about punk rock, when asked why all punk rock songs pretty much use the same three or four chords, and I paraphrase: "The rest of the guys keep searching all over for the right ones, and we've already found 'em."
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