What is a Traditional Car?

Okay I will be brave and open up a can of worms....Guys tell me what you think makes a traditional rod.....I hear everybody saying they have a traditional car,,,,,,.if its got disc brakes is it still a traditional rod? If its a 32 ford and its got a 350 chevy is it still a tradtional rod? If its got a 10 or 12 bolt rearend is it still a traditional rod? If its a 50 merc custom with a GM front clip is it still a traditional car? If its got a dual master cylinder is it still a traditional car? you get the idea....I don't need a bunch of pictures and I am not looking for everyone to argue and cuss at everyone else.....be civil and discribe what you think is a tradtional car....Thanks ..this ought to be fun.....

 

Traditional can be different depending on what time frame you are trying to build your car after.

 

I doubt it will be any more fun than all the threads that have asked the same question. It's all a matter of opinion, plain and simple.

 

here we go again,,,this subject has been beaten to DEATH here,,,if you do a search, you will see what im talking about...............this seems to come up almost as often as the "4 doors are cool" threads, and "how much is it worth?" threads,,not being an ass,,but how many different times do we need to discuss this subject??????????????

 

Thats a gallon can of worms. Industrial size.

Well referring to my past, the cars we now call resto rods were traditional.
They looked like stock cars for the most part, but were rodded in several ways. Parts were not available from catalogs for the most part so you had to think on your feet.

One guy would do something cool and another guy would say, howd you do that? I think of my late uncle and his 32 Ford Tudor, upon seeing his first rod with Jag suspention, early 1970's, he was hooked. It had complete Jag not very long after.

Some people say 32 Ford colors should only be the following....

No Billet. Did you hand make anything.

I think of the car thats a driver. Someone who put it together, has fun with it and uses it.

Traditional, build one and drive it. I think I just found a T shirt to sell!

 

Just like beauty , it can be in the eye of the beholder . Everybody will think it's different . My take is , that a car , truck or vehicle , correct to the period / era , usually before early 50's for a Hot Rod . Can be original or new build as long as it's period / era correct . No disc brakes , front end clips . A 1963 car might be traditional if the parts are new or original , as long as they would have been correct or used in 1963 ...........Just an old guys opinion.

 

For me,my car has the features of a traditional rod, but very road worthy with modern brakes, seat, shocks and motor.And it really does not bother me to drive it that way.Most people around where i live like the more modern street rods anyway.I think it really depends on how you feel about it.Very rare do you see a "REAL" traditional rod anyway.That's only my opinion.

 

Like stepping in a big giant cow pie, then falling backward onto another one.

 

IMO traditional Hot Rods are built using parts only from the era.
Street Rods (Bleh) are those who put modern things on them, and make them terrible.

Traditional Customs are that too-- built now, they were then. Maybe with new ideas here and there, but without using newer parts.

It's all opinion, and who cares. Build and drive what you love.

 

In my humble pie opinion, i think its a time frame deal. If your building a traditional 30's/40's car it better have steele, or wire wheels, and a flathead. 50's/60's rod can have hemi,sbc,nailhead,sbf,etc, with steele wheels, or mags, no wires. 70's, 80's, to present have to be fiberglass to be traditional. JUST KIDDING. BUILD EM , AND DRIVE EM. THATS ALL.

 

I like the bunny

 

A car Traditionaly built to the era

like a 28 Tudor Hot Rod built in the 40's, 50's 60's etc..
what would have been used and how it would have been built

 

A traditional Hot Rod is stripped down, fenders and bumpers, etc. removed for the sake of minimzing weight. If local law banned fenderless at the time, that don't excuse putting fenders on, because nobody 'in the day' considered it a Hot Rod if it had fenders, most still don't.
Example; My 1929 Nash is a Hot Rod, but not a 'Traditional' Hot Rod because I chose to keep the rear fenders for 'look'. I chose the modern Chevy 292 with Carburetor Thrice. Not Traditional. Homemade intake manifold is traditional, Monojet Carbs (date mfgred.) Not Traditional.

Chassis modifications/lowering, to improve roadability/stability and for the purpose of reducing drag/wind resistance' is considered traditional for Hot Rod.

Example; A hopped up 1927 Chevy without some chassis modifications is pretty scary at 90 mph. Cool looking, but questionable. (marginal stopping power with no front brakes), but I would consider traditional if it had 1928 front axle with brakes, even with early Lockheed or Bendix juice. Therefore modifications that were made 'in the day' that improved handling are considered traditional, if the part used to modify it was available for the period the car is proported to represent.

The car would be equipped with one of the motors available 'in the day' it represents or was built, with speed equipment that was available 'in the day' it represents or was built, with similar wheels and tires that were available 'in the day' it is to represent or when it was built.

I would assert that a 1949/50/51 Merc, Lincoln, Hudson Hornet (for the sake of examples), chopped, sectioned, slammed, (or not), with any motor available in 1950 would meet my expectations as a Traditional Custom Car and also a Hot Rod if it had speed equipment or motor upgrades available in 1950, wheels that were available, preferably stock, tires similar to those available, ie, Bias Ply.

A car with ralley/radial/aftermarket alloy/etc I would put in 'Custom' caterory, not 'Traditional Custom'.

There's more, of course. Somebody will cover it.

 

well,i'm glad we know what traditional is now...

 

mmmmm, wormburger .... yummy...

 

I'm only 16, so I'm not cultured on what's right and wrong. I don't really care if what I'm doing is "traditional" or not, if I like it then I'm going to do it. I draw from traditional ideas, but if I want to do something different I'm going to do it, I don't care if some old guy starts barking about how that's not how they did it back in the "glory days." These are my glory days, so take a hike.

 

I am glad to see that at 16, you still haven't lost your attitude.

 

Someone wake Ryan and tell him to please close this...

 

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

ryan!!!!!!!!!

did it work?

 

I would classify this as a traditional bunny.

 

There are as many answers to this as there are people. Even if you talk to the old guys they have different ideas based on where they were. Let's face it, either you get it, or you don't. If you're new to it then listen and pay attention and maybe someday you'll get it too. Or not ....

 

Traditional!!!

 

hes on drugs! ;P

 

64 1/2 mustang