Some parts of the U.S.A. just seem to have always been hot beds of hot rodding activity. So Cal obviously has that distinction for many reasons, i.e. the year round great weather, proximity to numerous dry lake beds, dragstrips, oval tracks, and the many speed purveyors and custom shops. But why have other areas become so influential in this regard? Cincy, Ohio comes to mind ( I've never been there but, there seems to be a huge contingent of hot rodders in that area). Detroit and Wichita have made big contributions to the world of Customs. Austin, Texas (Once again, I've never been there) seems to have a very active hot rodding culture. Tell us about your part of the country with reasons why you think hot rodding is alive and well (or not, and why not ) and give us some history of influences that may go back years. Feel free to name local racetracks or speedshops or local builders who have had a part in making certain areas Hot Rodding Hot Beds.....Thanks, Don.
I would like to say that CHarlotte, NC sucks but since I have met some really cool dudes I won't rag on it too hard. Coming form Buffalo, NY I feel that Charlotte take for granted their great weather and only shows up when a major show in present. The cruise-ins are pathetic down here but there is definitely some talent as far as building cars go. I am extremely grateful for my fellow club members because if it weren't for them, I may have looked for another place to call my home. I think it's got a ton of potential and as soon as the rest of the city takes charge from the Yuppies that control it I think it'll be alright. Nice driving here though.
Pennsylvania,,but then you had major parts Makers here,,.....Hurst,,Cure Ride,,etc and all the race tracks
Coming out of the depression and then the war, people went to where the jobs were, militray debarkation bases left many midwest farm boys in sunny Ca., and other places, with more to offer than the farm.
Yup, guess we're all biased to a certain degree in our home state, but it's good here in Indy and the Midwest for that matter. Lot's of activity.
Grew up near Indy and there was always a pretty good scene all around Indy and surrounding areas with drag strips and little tracks everywhere...moved to SoCal and there's no comparison...it's everywhere! Moving to Charlotte area so I will have to join forces with Jeffrey James and the others and get the scene going back there...definitely good weather and lots of cool places to go...alot of muscle cars and novas on air shocks though...
Ohio.... Mmm don't really know why and never really thought about it. Its just always been here and I always took it for granted. I will say alot of the industrialized states in the 40's 50's and 60's propagated craftsman and mechanics who naturally had the love of working with their hands and in these areas the raw material, population ie (cars), and parts were readily available. Any Ohioians have any other ideas????
Ohio, Hot bed of manufacturing for many years, many talented craftsmen. Lots of population, lots of cars, lots of mechanics needed. Many talented craftsmen with nothing to do in the winter !!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you build them...they will come!! The big hubs for the auto industry for must have played a part. Detroit, Cleveland, Akron , Pittsburgh and Youngstown come to mind...heck the Corvette bodies were made in Ashtabula!! Ohio was right in the middle of the whole shebang!!!
NYC's got nothing... Unless you're a stock broker yuppie who likes hang out at a wine bar. This place is losing all of it's character, and losing it fast. It's a shame.
It all has to do with where the good factory jobs were during the good ole days. It takes money to play with nice toys. ....always has.
Your/our home town has been a huge hot bed of hot rodding through the years all through the history of rodding. At one time in the 50s/60s the DC armory show was the best of the best. In the 60s Hyattsville had 2 nationally famous AFX campaigners within blocks of each other. The Bounty Hunters and Malcom Durham. There were an ass load of national record holders from this area in lots of classes. Lustine Chevrolet sold more high performance parts than any other Chevy dealer on the east coast in that time period. You did not need to order a high performance crate motor. They were sitting in the waiting room to lust after while waiting for your number to be called.
Ohio, we got a HOnda plant. No, we spend the winter in the garage so we can spend spring and summer tearing up some pavement. Plus, i think ohio is the hub of blue collar workers, midwests best imo.
As an Army Brat we lived in and around Army bases until I left home to join the service. All the "Army" towns we were around were car towns too. Why? Because the servicemen didn't have anything else to spend their money and time on unless they were boozers or dopers. The Army and Navy bases always had pretty nice auto hobby shops, some hotrod friendly, some not so, I think it depended on which 1st SGT or CPO was in charge. I'm sure the Air Force had some nice digs too but no experience there. In the US Coast Guard most bases didn't even have quarters on base.
Wichita is an aircraft town - Boeing, Hawker-Beechcraft, Cessna, LearJet, etc., are the big industry here. There are hundreds of machine shops who support them, as well as interior companies, avionics builders, hydraulics shops, etc. There are other companies here like Coleman (camping gear to the world), Chance Manufacturing (carnival rides & busses), Case (skid loaders & tractors), and more providing people with fabrication skills and the money to build cars they like. There are also many car clubs here in Wichita, nearly 50 at last count - there may be more small ones who do not get much attention. Anyway - Wichita has car genes.
Dayton Ohio is the tool and die capital of the US. We have a huge population of machinists, welders, fabricators, etc. Don't forget we have 5 months of winter here. Nothing to do but work in the garage.
Totally agree. My area of NW Indiana has quite a bit of stuff, much of which has been around for a long time. During the heyday of the steel mills there were hot cars everywhere in this area.
Ohio - Gasser country and home of the Willys Overland factory. Gasser stuff spills over in to PA too.
Wish I had a time machine to go back to Philadelphia in the 1920's, 6-8 MILLER Indy race cars were based there. Four cylinder ACE motorcyle setting a speed record on public highways. Lots of racetracks in the area, people with money had some great cars, speed shops selling Fronty and RAJO equipment to entry level race car and speedster builders.
That's just the kind of great history I was hoping for in this thread. I never really knew that Willys were produced in Ohio. It just stands to reason that many were still around to be built into gassers. Anybody else got any little known facts about their part of the country that played a part in that particular area becoming and remaining hopefully a Hot Bed of Hot Rodding activity?
It always seemed to me that the most activity was around middle-class manufacturing areas. Peoplle had a little money, and worked with thier hands so they knew how to make things. They also had race tracks to keep them entertained.
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