Cookie cutter cars

went to Goodguys in Pleasanton the other weekend. I think this one is opened to all years (?) and other than some restored muscle cars or tri 5 Chevrolets I don't think I saw 2 cars that were the same, or even close to it.

if a person is looking at a bunch of early Ford HOT RODs and thinks they are "cookie cutter cars" it probably means the viewer doesn't know enough about HOT RODs to tell the difference.... either that or this was just another "boring sbc "rant.

 

Fabricating is a completely different category. That's where a part or parts are made by the individual. Like building a frame from metal stock. Or pounding out a gas tank from sheet metal. That's fabricating.

Whether you buy your parts from a catalog or a junk yard, both are assembled or built by putting tab A into slot B. It seems like what's REALLY trying to be said, is that cars built by using parts from a manufacturer or catalog are somehow not as good as parts that are found in a junkyard and refurbished. It's okay to feel that way, but it's a whole different debate.

All cars are basically the same. Four wheel, four tires, a body and a frame. It's how those pieces fit together and blend that defines the cars individuality as well as the owner/builders taste.

So, looking at a car in a passing glance will make them all appear to be the same. You've got to look closer. Body fit, engine detailing, upholstery choices and paint finish deserve a close look. Again, if people feel cars are being built the same or cookie cutter, perhaps they're not looking close enough. And if it still bothers that person, then they should probably stay home or stick to cruising around by themselves.

There are no cookie cutter cars. Just people who aren't paying attention.

And this thread IS just another way to have a boring SBC rant. Just worded differently. Same old shit... different day. Boring and pointless.

 

There is no original, and the closer that many get to it, the more many of you yell at them for not being traditional. Move along, boys, there is nothing to see here.

 

I drive my '56 "tri-five" Nomad all over creation and I couldn't care less what "tri-five haters" think

I like to build my own hot rods rather than assemble them. I begin with mining the iron ore myself. That way I can say I didn't build a kit car. I also butcher my own cows (the meat is less expensive that way) and then tan the hides so I can say I really did the upholstery myself rather than take the gold chain route and buy hides from an upholstery supplier.

Most of all, I like to post on threads like this. It raises my post count and allows me to poke fun at those who get their panties in a wad over what other people choose to do with their own dang cars

 

I hardily concur.

 

Sorry, but I will not appoligize for building my cookie cutter car. It is the car I pretty much dreamed of since I was very young. We all know that life gets in the way of our projects once in a while. It took me eighteen years to finish mine. Money ias always a problem. A 350 powerglide and 9 inch is what I had, and I am very happy with the outcome.I learned as I went and am very happy with the outcome. Even learned to sew my upholstry. Only thing I didnt do is the paint and I wish I had done that. This is my fourth summer on the road , 14,000 miles of highway driving. Very reliable little car. Cookie cutter? I dont give a damb. We just love driving our little hotrod. I am nearly 70 years old and my wife is 65, been around this hobby a lifetime. If you dont like my car, just pass on by

 

Henry's A's were not all the same color. 1908- 1914 Model T's came in various colors as did the 1926-1927 T's. Only the 1915-1925 T's were available in only one color. But your point is well-taken: All those cookie cutter Fords!

 

What I don't get is brand news cars at a show. Why would I want to see new Camaro, Challenger, Vette, Mustang, etc at a car show when I can just go down to a dealer and see the same thing?[/QUOTE]

I think the key word in this quote is "Car" I never went to a "Car" show that said"Only cars that HAMB" members want to look at( although there are "pre-60" etc.) If you go to a car show expect to see cars! not just what you like.
Geez this is another topic like "do you use your seatbelts" shoud i run a SBC", do you have turn signals".!! Do what the you like, if you don't like Cookie cutter cars don't go to cruise nits or cars shows with them.I'm pretty sure the gold chainers are making fun or complaining about "us" on a website !!lol

JimV

 

Hi all...Great topic....but remember about your cars, your taste and what you want your car to be....YOURS! My wife said to me a long time ago when this subject came up about my Black 38 Chevy coupe. I had seen several other coupes in Black at a show. She told me not to worry about it...Because my Black coupe was the "only one in my driveway" screw the others....Very Kool of her.

Want cookie cutter? I went to Ford Carlisle...a lot of that going on there with the Mustangs, but it was a good show after the rain and I found a near perfect left 'Real Steel Original' fender for my 40 coupe, so I'm happy

But I did spot these....no cookie cutter here....enjoy!

Murph

 

This is why I find myself spending 5 times as much time at car shows looking at Rat Rods. They are filled with tons of ingenious ideas and character. Ya I know some look like crap but a lot are WAY MORE INTERESTING then the flock of 32s that everyone here is talking about. Case in point...... Check out Rustarado. Probably the best Rat I have ever seen. Now don't everyone get all jacked up on the word Rat. Is Sunday as its sunny where I live. So enjoy your car whatever it is.

 

startred building car things in 50's w/ only hand drill [not electric],wooden handel screwdriver that needed pliers to keep from turning in handel, hac saw, 4 piece wrench set. bought a piece of body at daytona rod run few years ago. built rdst. pu., took back to daytona run,was talking to friends when another friend said a man wanted to shoot pix of my car, went over and he said '' look at those guy's over there, they thought i was coming over to shoot their cars. if i see another red 32 ford roadster i think i'm going to puke''[ had over 250k in their cars]. he went over my car and wanted to know what each part was and how much it cost.[ 8 min. on cnbc]. had owners ask me to move my cars away from theirs,leaning against theirs to look at mine. people like cars that are different....

 

how do you feel about cookie cutter threads?

show some originality in your next thread

 

Maybe a thread on how "stupid" the 17 year old kid at Autozone is...

 

Not being picky but it was Model T's that came " any color you want , as long it's black" that changed in 1927 T. The model A came out mid year 1928

 

The coolest thing I see on cars at a local outdoor car show is bugs on the grille and bumpers. I don't mind the upscale stuff and enjoyed going to the Peterson museum to see a different level of cars.

I really like seeing cars that are driven regularly.

 

"I want to be different, Just like everyone else"

things that never change will always be the same. nostalgia is just that! either you build what everyone else has or you park over there.

when I first joined the HAMB it was all about the revolting against the "Gold Chainers"
rat rods were cool, different, and cheap home built. alot of talent and really different cool cars. about 13 years ago I wrote a post about Rat Rods wont be as cool when the Gold Chainers start building $200,000 rat rods. it happened big time. what is real funny is we can't use the words RAT ROD on the HAMB anymore. seems like the Gold Chainers won again lol

whether we like it or not we are all snobs of some sort. It's the old Chev vs, Ford or the 350-350 crap. Human nature at it's finest.

My son has a Model A that he and I call a rat rod, it was a real Rat Rod when he bought it with a 327 350 combo a cracked and welded stock frame, suspension that didn't work. He bought an after market frame did the 4 bar suspension, disc brakes a 330 DeSoto Hemi 727. replaced the glass fenders with original steel. new exhaust. replace the bogus headlights with after market repop originals on a dropped bar. 32 tank and steel frame horn covers. slammed to the ground with full fenders. it's a tudor sedan with the roof cut off and a touring style top. he loves driving it in primer and rust. can park it anywhere and not worry about kids on bikes or rock chips. pure fun and no worries, and it isn't going to kill everyone on the road because we call it a RAT ROD. yet everyone get their panties in a bunch everytime he tells someonne he has a Rat Rod.

he does have a restored 56 Olds that he also drives and enjoys on the road but breaks out in a sweat everytime it's parked with other cars

 

"Gold Chainers start building $200,000 rat rods. it happened big time."

Where are they? I must have missed them.

 

Your kidding right? all the builders are using flattened paint minimal seats, simple designs that are the style started by RAT RODDERS

 

Not hardly,most of the RR are rusty substandard builds,,not all of them.

As for me I think some of the pros are leaning toward the simple builds.

My pickup has semi-gloss paint and unfinished interior,,much like the first hot rod I built many years ago,,I built it for me to drive and enjoy,,not to polish and power park.

I have had really nice cars..but they come with a price,,constantly trying to keep them that way,,much like my ladyhrp's wagon.

My pickup & sedan are what I refer to beaters,,drive the wheels of,do mechanical maintenance when required and wash it when it gets to the point I think it needs washing.

This obsession with cars is suppose to be fun,,build it to suit your personal taste,,nothing is new and if a lot of cars look the same it's probably due to the fact it is a tried and true method,,proof of this is the prolific amount of cars that look similar. HRP

 

Cookie cutter cars? Hmmmm...lemme see now...now, how many 28-32 roadsters or coupes do you see in here with 3 deuce flatheads, www's, 32 grill's, painted steel wheels with trim rings and small hubcaps, painted black or red, chopped 3" coupes? I don't think calling them "traditional" takes away the cookie cutter brand. I think there are probably more cookie cutter cars in here than anywhere I've seen.
Just saying...

 

Traditional cars tend to look alike,,,who cares? HRP

 

Back in the day (mid '70's), we had to built the car are selfs (not a lot of bring the money type shops), T- buckets were the "cookie cuter" car, then '32's, etc. i drove a different type of rod then (1940 GMC suburban) had about $3000 in the truck. got tired of the rod run thing, older now, into brit cars ( austin healey roadster, just got a '61 morris[stock]) i don't see my cars coming at me when driving down the road. my .02$

 

Nope and I'm still waiting for a pic of the $200,000 rat rod. And your statement about rat rods being cool here? I must have missed that too. Flattened paint, simple designs and minimal seats were around way before the rat rodders poisoned it.

 

i drive what i like ,get in your own head and drive what you like---don't live for the opinions of others...

 

Nobody with any degree of success built things the way everyone else did.

 

Hey I totally agree. human nature. when builders get less press than a $1500 (or 15,000) they mimick what the public likes. Detroit did the same thing when Customizer were getting all the 50's press. it didn't long to start building them longer lower.
Nothing wrong with anything except the name calling and looking down your nose at builders that without cash or expierence, trying to Dare to be different.
We all complain about all the government intervention. yet we have time to down grade a young builder for trying to do what we (or I) did 50+ years ago.
I agree that with all the cheap (HF ect) tools that are available to the public. someone today can far exceed what we used to build and they should.
I remember buying one used recap white wall at a time because white walls cost was 2 bucks more than black walls.
It's all good and whats wrong with cookie cutters. if they didn't look good no one would copy them at all. but not everyone wants a 32 ford and that a good thing too. if they did someone would start building fibre glass copies. whoops to late

 

I don't know when you got here but in 1998 (when I got here) there was less than 100 members and all were a tight knit group that was all about traditional builds. as in 1930-1959. and didn't take kindly to painted cars unless they were of that time period.

I said at that time that if they built a car that was to cool. someone would build a better one and it would evolve into high dollar cars that style. poteet is a true rodder with some of the finest rods on the planet. boyd built some. them MIchigan and New York boys are over the top too. look around those Traditional cars are being built everywhere.

now instead of Rat Rods today on this very post they are Cookie Cutters lol. I don't want to start another FLAME WAR like the RRT/HAMB war but it was the same arguement then and now.
I just have one opinion and you have another, all is good
Please don't take anything I say personal

 

i prefer the original stock cars of any year...and highly used modified cars and unfinished projects and cool oddball stuff. but....i also don't wan't to see less of the 'belly button' cars.

 

Yesterday, I was thrilled that my "dare to be different" hot rod won "Best of Show" in Chiefland, Florida. I really enjoyed my 1 minute of glory!

 

Oh dear,,,,,,,,,,,,,if it is wrong to see a row of Deuces at a car show, think of it this way, I'd rather see any ANY old cars compared to a parking lot of new ones. If mail order parts and off the shelf stuff have made it easier to build cars then that is fantastic news! Because in the real world it is us vs them............and they are the ones trying to legislate us all off the road! ALL automotive enthusiasts have to stick together or we will all perish together. So yes they may look similar, but if one of them comes back next year with a throw down one off ride, then that is another rodder added to the ranks...............Lots of new guys go with the easy route the first time, then when the hook is set nice and firm.................look out, you never know who is behind the wheel and what wheels are spinning behind the sunglasses! Snobbery of any kind only makes us all look bad...............next time give the guy a compliment on his novel approach to a bracket, or accessory, maybe you will find a nice guy who can be converted.............