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Hot Rods Can you define a "traditional" 40's hotrod

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Modeljunkie, Oct 18, 2012.

  1. Modeljunkie
    Joined: Sep 25, 2011
    Posts: 279

    Modeljunkie
    Member

    ...hmmm, maybe I can fit in a catogory after all!..."hooch hauler" :D..thanks!
     
  2. Modeljunkie
    Joined: Sep 25, 2011
    Posts: 279

    Modeljunkie
    Member

    ...startin to see the 54 kaiser supercharger I have won't be correct then...oh well, I can live with that one...and maybe a few of your McColluch decals...maybe a custom McColluch decal saying "injection is nice but I'd rather be blown" under the pic. ;)
     
  3. Pop-Rodder
    Joined: Oct 6, 2011
    Posts: 325

    Pop-Rodder
    Member

    This pretty much sums it all up...it should be required reading for all members here...especially noobs
     
  4. Pop-Rodder
    Joined: Oct 6, 2011
    Posts: 325

    Pop-Rodder
    Member


    And I was always under the impression that a "hooch" was a girl of somewhat questionable morals:D
     
  5. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    haha well i guess it depends if youre running with corn liquor in the trunk, or you just had a lonely night. either way your haulin hooch i suppose hahaha:D
     
  6. firingorder1
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 2,147

    firingorder1
    Member

    Anymore "traditional" is whatever you want it to be.
     
  7. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Whew! What a relief! I just cant IMAGINE the pain of not having a convenient buzz word to describe my car!! The HORROR!
     
  8. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Thats a "hoochie". Or if your REALLY traditional, a "Jezebel".:D
     
  9. GearHead614
    Joined: Dec 28, 2006
    Posts: 145

    GearHead614
    Member

  10. Modeljunkie
    Joined: Sep 25, 2011
    Posts: 279

    Modeljunkie
    Member

    Yeah, I get the sarcasm, but you know all the catch phrases for cars today....custom, ratrod, hot rod, street rod, pro steet, pro mod, unmolested{as found}, tradtional...it's a car...my car/your car, that's all...but at least maybe I can know what the masses call it per catogory- if that matters to one.:D
    Remember, I'm simply asking what the term{s} mean{s}, not trying to fit in one or any of them... :eek:;)
     
  11. Modeljunkie
    Joined: Sep 25, 2011
    Posts: 279

    Modeljunkie
    Member

    Wow, nice pics! Iteresting for me, being only 47yrs old, I guess I imagined more 40's cars being fixed up in the 40's but it was the earlier, lighter, cars that they used back then...learn something new every day I guess. That's why I'm here!
    Ok, so, if I ever get to the salt flats I guess I can be a pusher with my sedan for anyone with a T or an A....with my flathead 6's torque, I can pull a small house down...slowly. :D
     
  12. Normbc9
    Joined: Apr 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,121

    Normbc9
    Member

    Here are a few to look at. Flat heads, inlines and banger OHV conversions. All fun to ride in and pretty representative of what the thinking was in that era.
    Normbc9
     

    Attached Files:

  13. Mr Haney
    Joined: Jul 17, 2008
    Posts: 1,000

    Mr Haney
    Member

    [​IMG]
    this old Jalopy was parked in 58, pulled out of a long sleep in 08.

    typical example of 40's budjet built hot rod. The patina is NOT from that erra, for it was aquired in the long storage process. The car originally had a nice coat of pastel house paint brushed on not sprayed :) During mechanical restoration owner found head was milled, 125 over pistons, oiler mods.

    early examples of gas welding throughout build, pretty cool old rod overall
     
  14. Those are nice, but not 'period correct' or even 'traditional' rods of 1940's.

    I have to agree with what's been posted here and elsewhere - there is a difference between 'nostalgic', 'traditionally styled', 'traditional', and 'period correct'.

    IMHO 'nostalgic' and 'traditionally styled' cars represent the overall attitude or 'feel' - they denote a general movement or trajectory where 'traditional' and 'period correct' represent a much more defined tie with materials, methods, components used during a specific era (pre-war, 40's, 50's, etc.).

    Sure, people built MorDoors, MoPars too...I believe much of the response in this thread is a result of how these builds seem to be the norm nowadays rather than the exception they were historically.

    My suggestion is that if you are REALLY interested in building a period-correct Rod or Custom, find a prototype or two and copy profusely.
     
  15. Dane
    Joined: May 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,351

    Dane
    Member
    from Soquel, CA

    He's right. If you ask most people nowdays they have no idea what was traditional unless they have grey or no hair. Even then they will describe what they liked rather than what was out there. I grew up in Las Vegas in the late 50's and 60's. My step dad had a 50 Ford and my mom drove a late 50's Ford 2 door with a "Thunderbird" engine as she used to say as she gunned ayay from the green traffic lights. Trucks were only used for work and no kid wanted to be seen in a stationwagon. And for the muscle car crowd - Nobody ran steel wheels longer than their 1st paycheck, then it was "Mags". They bought what they saw at the drag strip.
     
  16. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Wow, some SERIOUS justification goin' on NOW.
     
  17. Ester Eddie
    Joined: Feb 26, 2012
    Posts: 3,988

    Ester Eddie
    Member
    from Alaska


    Nice .someday I hope to be lucky enough to own something like this.:D
     
  18. Why not build it as a nice period mild custom? Seems like there were a few Plymouths and Dodges built that way in the postwar era...even some 4doors. Lots of these had warmed over engines as well.

    [​IMG]

    I believe Al Twitchell's 40 was a 4-door...do a google search on it & see if you can find more info

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  19. thunderplex
    Joined: Nov 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,182

    thunderplex
    Member

    STOP!!! Hot rodding was, and still is, about making the car you liked and could afford, go faster and look better according to your own vision and the size of your wallet.
     
  20. That's Lee Petty's '49 that he ran during the end of the 49 and 1950 Grand National Seasons. No mods to the motors on those...at least, not legally. They were truly 'stock cars'.

    Nonetheless, the Plymouths were good runners in the 49-51 seasons. One, driven by Johnny Mantz won the inaugural Southern 500 - NASCAR's first superspeedway race (and first 500-miler). The margin of victory was several laps - against the big OHV Olds and Caddys. Fords and Chevrolets were a non-factor during the first 3 years of NASCAR Grand National racing.
     
  21. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,731

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Cadillac, and Oldsmobile for that matter (their OHV v8 came in 49 as well) were not Chevy. So no, 55 was the first year for the venerable SBC

    Not even close to 40's style.
     
  22. Speaking of NASCAR...here's a shot (one of my favorites) from the 1950 Darlington Southern 500. Johnny Mantz's '50 fastback being tailed by Glenn Dunnaway's '49 4-door.

    They really did 'run what they brung'.

    [​IMG]
     
  23. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    You can build ANY car and fit it into that mold, but that doesn't make it a hot rod. It's a car that got restyled by it's owner. Cool? Perhaps. Fast? Maybe. A hot rod? Open to debate.

    IMO, first, a hot rod is pre '48. It also can't be a four door, COE, van, station wagon, Hudson, Volvo, etc. Just because a couple guys built a fast hearse, that don't make it a hot rod. What has happened is that people have morphed and abortioned the word so much that it can no longer be defined as a general term. That being the case, each person has to decide what his car is or should be called.

    I call my T Bucket a hot rod and my definition won't fit everyone elses. Is everyone elses opinion wrong? Nope, it's just different.

    As to answer the OP's question, pick up some issues of the first 10 years of hot rod magazine. That MAY answer your question. If you ask it here, you're going to get 200,000 different answers and none are wrong.

    And those cars in post# 46:confused:... only 1 of those are "traditional" and it's borderline at best.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2012
  24. Mr Haney
    Joined: Jul 17, 2008
    Posts: 1,000

    Mr Haney
    Member

    tomorrow could be your lucky day! Fuel up that avitar, fill the trunk full of homemade blackberry wine, bring that fat caddy over to my house:)
     
  25. Awesome. This pic 'does' it for me. Simple, timeless, classic.
     
  26. Modeljunkie
    Joined: Sep 25, 2011
    Posts: 279

    Modeljunkie
    Member

    Nice pic- 41 ply b/c body, but what's the grill?...looks like 50 ply?
     
  27. Modeljunkie
    Joined: Sep 25, 2011
    Posts: 279

    Modeljunkie
    Member

    Actually that's where I'm headed with the car....lowered 3"-4"{nothing major} skirts, visor, spots, 39 ply dash w/ custom gauges, and custom interior. I love the lines on my old girl and wouldn't want to chop it up...a 265 chrysler block in favor of the 201{I likes my flatheads and how often do you see them today?!..they should be preserved too}, and "maybe" send the kaiser s/c off to Erb to get rebuilt and installed....for added fun.
    If "cruiser" was an official catagory I'd be heading for that.
     
  28. Cowtown Speed Shop
    Joined: Sep 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,192

    Cowtown Speed Shop
    Member
    from KC

    Modeljunkie.....You have ask a loaded question, And will get about 10,000 diffren't replies from a bunch of "1940's hotrod experts" who were not even born yet. then they will start arguing among each other about a time in history they never even seen, until this thread is closed by a mod......I have seen many post just like yours here and they all seem to go the same way. Just build what you like and Fuck what other people think!!....
     
  29. Modeljunkie
    Joined: Sep 25, 2011
    Posts: 279

    Modeljunkie
    Member

    ...yeah, seems I unknowingly did. Really didn't want all or any of us to get worked up over the whole thing...wanted a simple answer and found there isn't one that everyone can agree to.
    ...sorry, did get alot of input on it though.....thanks folks
     
  30. 327Eric
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,116

    327Eric
    Member

    Mill the head, maybe dual carbs, add a sunvisor and wide whites, maybe spotlights for the 40's look. Otherwise, buy some old mags and do the research. Rods and customs were different from coast to coast. East coast was more add on, and west coast was more minimal in terms of body chrome. (and that is my interpretation from the old mags i scored, and my great uncle's stories)
    Its hard to say what guys did if you weren't there. In 50 years, guys will say only Hondas were "hot rodded" in the late 90's, 000's, But i'll be damned if i didn't see a hyundai with a fart knocker exhaust tip and some dumb wheels the other night. There was always someone with a different than "the trend" car, looking to fit in, or just liking what they had, and wanting to look better and go fast, or get the girls.
     

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