Can a Traditional Rod win the big awards anymore?

There's a place for pretty much every type of car in the hobby, that's what makes hot rodding so diverse, and keeps it interesting. If you think that all-out show cars aren't important, then I'd say you are pretty close-minded. And you don't have to be intolerant to be a staunch traditionalist.

Maybe the focus should be less on "winning" and more on the idea of bulding a car good enough to compete.

If all the owners/shops/builders, both professional and hobbyist, had said "why even try?" when they were building their cars, then we'd have a whole lot fewer nicely finished traditional cars. Having these kind of cars out in the public eye is good for the hobby.

The silver lining to all these dark clouds I keep reading about is that there ARE actual traditional-styled hot rods being built as contenders for the big awards.

Here's a quick example to support my argument:













These were all contenders for the 2010 AMBR award at the GNRS this year. 6 out of the 10 cars up for the award were trad-style cars, even though all but Sidney Allen's red roadster and Hetfield's Auburn are more late '60-70's style. Yes, the last roadster pictured has a modern/wheel tire combo, but the rest is pretty late 60's-70's style.

I could go back over the last 10 years of the AMBR award contenders and provide more examples. There have been some AMAZING traditional hot rods built in the last 10 years that were in competition for the award.

All of you that say a traditional car can never again win the AMBR or Ridler need to realize that it's not always a trophy that makes building a car good enough to be considered for these awards worthwhile. For a lot of people, it's about building the best car you can. If it wins a trophy, that's great....but that doesn't have to be all that it's about.

And I'd also like to say that I absolutely DO think it's possible for a traditional car to win one of the big awards again. Now, it probably won't be a 40's style black deuce roadster...but we are lucky there are plenty of builders that build in the traditional vein out there right now that have the ability, the connections, and the financial backing to build a car that can win.


I personally would love to build a car to contend for the AMBR sometime in the (near?) future... but I know that by confining the styling and parts selection to a trad-style car, it greatly lowers the chances of winning. That doesn't make any difference in my mind however, because traditional hot rods are what I love, and that's what I'll build.

And of course, the big-money aspect is always going to be there when you are competing at the absolute top levels of the hobby...and it's going to be continually harder to be competitive without being a billionaire. But there are still things that money has less of a bearing on, like having a good eye, good attention to detail, and big ideas.

So, the moral of all this is that if anybody out there is contemplating building a traditional hot rod and believes they can put together a car that's good enough to go for the Ridler or AMBR...then I say congratulations on having a set of balls! Thank you, and good luck!

 

And I absolutely love that there is now a Jalopy Journal award that is recognized at the GNRS. I think it has the potential to be just as important as the other big awards.

 

My big problem with show cars is there are no points awarded for good taste. In the early 70's there was a 70 Chevelle LS-5 convertable show car in the Indy 500 World of Wheels. It had been bought new, driven 17 miles home, and turned into a full tilt show car. The paint was the typical 70's multi-color panels, bands, scallops etc. But under the floor, the paint was exactly like on the rest of the body. They award show points for chrome so for the most points you just chrome everything. Under the hood was a real nice engine....I guess but you couldn't tell because with everything in there chromed, you couldn't tell one part from another. It was just one huge glare. Everything on the entire car that wasn't rubber, paint, or fabric, was chromed, including the inner fender wells. There was not one ounce of good taste to be seen. Just a big checkbook. It was HORRIBLE.

 

I think you nailed what I was trying to say, when I said whats the point of trying to build a rod to compete in these classes, i meant in order for it be able to always compete, you wouldn't be able to drive it. if you can't drive it, whats the point? just drive the heck out of it, like it was meant to be and forget the award. I'm not a trophy person myself, but I would like to get one of those small show, home made ones welded together out of parts, I guess because it would mean something to me to win one that someone made by hand, I just think they are kind of cool. if I never win anything, oh well, i'm going to finish my car and drive the wheels off of it.

 

The Hot Rods have evolved so much that they have morphed in to very high end creations. I think that that the traditional Hot Rod scene holds its own, but when you have both at the same car show its like octomom having 8 more kids; it dont make no sense. I agree with VooDoo R&C. There needs to be more car shows that promote traditional Hot Rods and Kustom cars (1930's thru 1960's), with no so-called hot rods with big ass teeth for grilles, diesel truck tires, mailbox aircleaners, street signs for floorboards, no floorboards, or any other similar modification that you wouldnt have typically seen in 30's thru 60's.....just my opinion.

 

if you get a traditional judge, there's a chance. went to a cruise in last night and there was a metallic green over silver, i think, 32 ford(couldn't even tell what it was). went over to it, pushed my way through the crowd looking at it and basically it was a plastic bodied, stretched out new car, everything brand new, trying to look old. the owner was struting around, grinning that everyone was gauking. it was interesting, but phony as a $3 bill. The 20+ billett wheels was the icing on the cake for me. they gauked, i just shook my head and walked away.

 

This quote is spot on. Traditional rods were built to be driven, shown off to your friends, and raced. Show trophies were not a consideration.
Build him a boo-koo bux street rod, and you'll make more money as well.

 

My favorite AMBR car was the 1992 winner. It was a '29 Ford Coupe roadster. I think it was built by Boyd but it wasn't like a crazy off the wall custom job. It was really pretty tame. IIRC the owner drove the piss out of it on rod runs.....rainy weather w/the top down. Saw pics in some R&C mags of him flying down the road in monsoon conditions. He treated it like just any old hot rod. You never see those cars treated like that. The only driving most of them do is to/from the trailer.

 

They give out awards at car shows?

 

Very well said..............

 

The question should be this, is it possible to build a car that earns the respect of this group, wows this group, and yet not confuse the derfs out there who dont know what they are looking at but expertly do so? I would say no, I would say that the eye of the Derf and the eye of the traditional rodder are currently too far apart, the Derfs are all captivated by electronics and flash and bling, they currently are not in tune to their actual surroundings enough to appreciate simple stylish quality lines and spot on execution, the dumb have influenced the field and derailed the visions. The airwaves are saturated with 5 second shots of flash, rash and dash, impact impact impact, the trend will change, low money shaped the traditional look, low money is now in vogue.

 

There are two kinds of people who want a rod, those who want what makes them happy and don't worry about what the rest of the people want and those who want a trophy.

As long as you are chasing the trophy, you are not a traditional rod guy.

 

yea I plan on going to shows, mostly to hang out with other people who are into the car hobby, i never have gone to the big ones anyway, mostly local stuff. It would be cool to win one trophy just to say I did, but Like I said before, it's not that important, if I did win one it goes to a friend of mine anyway, who helped me so much with materials and parts to build this thing. plus let me use the weld shop,machine shop, etc.

 

Why would any one who is not in the industry want to enter a car show for a trophy, if your'e happy with what you did stay the heck away from shows, why would any one stone cold sober want to stand there and listen to Glum and the other Lillypewsians piss and moan and ponder and befuddle over their car, this is how alcoholics are made, work hard, make nice, listen to BS, pull out hair, do shots, thats what the house is for, just go in the house, hello honey, look I do nice, bla bla, pull out hair, do shots. Bla Bla, go to tavern.

 

Good to hear you were able to get a "PP" for yours. Here at GG Snottsdale, PP will have alternaters, radials, T5s, hidden discs, dual mcs, etc, most of their judges wouldnt know trad if it bit them in the ass. Depends on you defination of "PERIOD". Its your HIGH $ cars that most have bought or had built, the old back yard builder is history when it comes to awards, who gives a shit, Ive got a ton of trophys and they just gather dust, most are put away, I didnt nor will I try build a "SHOW CAR", (and I could) will still attend the runs/shows, etc. What pleases the wife and I the most is when the "Old Timers" come up and look at the 40 and can talk the talk and know what the are talking about, take their pics and leave talking to their buddies about the "Old Time Stuff" the car was built with. Now that I have stated that, here comes the "Firestrom"!! Oh Well, my attitude is and always has been and will be, "I built it the way I wanted it to be (56/57, my HS times) and we like itand enjoy the shit out of it" "Different Strokes for Different Folks"!!!!!!!! To each his own, what gets your juices flowing may not mine. For those that like the 40, GREAT, for those that dont, just walk on by, my feelings wont be hurt, thousands of Hot Rods out there to look at and enjoy!! We look at all we can. Still the greatest hobby Ive ever known, I'm thankful to be a part of it!!

 

Did you come back with any trophies ?

 

Always very humourous to me is reading the spec sheets in the GG "Home Built" group, get all the "Humour" I need for the whole week end, most are very true and correct but many are pure BULL SHIT, and the "REAL" home builders can see thru and thru it!!

 

try small local shows, much more fun, no big dollar cars and real people who have built their own cars, really doesn't matter if you win anything or not, I wish the confetti's series hadn't closed, it was in the south georgia,north florida area, small shows, local people mostly and a lot of fun just to be there with other people into the hobby, they judged on real creativity and work, not things like correct bolts.

 

Street rods are an investment option. Think along the lines of a 401k that gets a lot of attention. Sad to say but its true. What bothers me is the gold chainers pretend its not true and that they are true gearheads. We all know it couldn't be further from the truth. It's gotten to where I won't bother going to a show that's not at least mostly hamb friendly. The real kick in the groin for me is the styling aspects that have become the norm. If I never saw another polished torq thrust II or 20" wheel on a car it would be too soon.

Build it, drive it and enjoy it. My cars are far from nice but can be found roaming the streets all year long. The pleasure I get is the subtle head nod, thumbs up, smiles and the occasional "cool car". Comment

/rant. Let's get back to booze, broads and hot rods!

 

I wasn't thinking AMBR or Ridler, But I think an award from NSRA or Good Guys comes from guys that are doin it themselves and are possibly considered your peers. So I guess you are right I have led a sheltered life (not trying to be a smart ass) but look at those awards did those guys turn a wrench or even have the idea themselves? I call them Rolex Rodders.

 

The question is, can any hot rod with Bias-ply tires win any awards, at big events....????? ....hahahahah....

 

Are you impling that the judges in Detroit for the Ridler, or the judges in Los Angeles for the AMBR, have never turned a wrench? And are not "peers"? How are the judges at a GoodGuys or NSRA event different? I'm curious...I know they have different judging criteria, but they are certainly still just "car guys", aren't they? Just my opinion, but I don't think any blame should be put on the judges shoulders. It's the venue...

 

Bass nailed it on both counts, his examples and the JJ award meaning something. At least for me he did because I build show cars for a living but a different venue. Something you should recognize about high-end show cars and their builders/owners...they're "all in". It takes patience, discipline, talent, and vision, all wrapped up in one mindset to pull it off. I find it best not to expect anything, but once you're there wiping it all down that's pretty damn hard to keep in your head. I've taken a few over the years but never a big timer like a Ridler or AMBR. Our work does get awards and it has to. It's what we do. To just cop out and say "who cares..." and "I drive my car..." sort of disrespects what it takes. I think that when you bring all you have to bear in one serving you deserve the attention and the rewards, but that's not the juice. The juice for me is like Bass was saying. Do your best and be able to compete, win or lose. I think the right car, the right vision, the highest quality possible, sure it could win. Sometimes the "money machines"are a bit boring to look at. Sometimes they're truely unbelievable in execution and finish too. The Foose 36 cabriolet and Troy's 36 coupe were simply masterpieces. Almost too much to see at any given time, but to able to have your work share space with that level of work is an award you can't buy at any price.

 

Lets see if I can put into words what I'm thinking. A hard answer - no. Mike Bishop wrote an article many years ago just after finishing "Bluey", the car he wrote the book about. He and Vern had thrashed like crazy to enter it at Oakland that year, not as an AMBR competitor, but in the street roadster classes. His greatest disappointment was that at that time the judges that looked at the car really saw it as "a very nicely done, but mostly stock model "A" with the fenders removed". Now I'm sure that these days there are some of the folks that do the judging that are a little more hip to what our stuff is and isn't. But you have to admit, although here on the board we seem like many, we are in reality, in comparison to the rank and file in the outer reaches of our hobby, the few. And while you and I can appreciate the perfection of a nicely dropped '32 heavy beam axle that has been rubbed on six ways from Sunday, the more average "lets push the limits" type car guy is going to say - "cool, but did you see the hand polished double wishbone suspension over there?" Now that might have been the longest run on sentence I've done, I don't know how to state it differently. I would level that allot of these guys have no real connection to the history of what we do, or, maybe not overlook it, but suppress they're enthusiasm for traditional cars to tabulate points. 'Cause no matter how we hate to admit it, the most perfectly executed traditional front end you can think of, is not nearly as eye catching as the most blingy, non functional, over the top, machined and fabricated, independent deal out there. It almost looks stock. I think this is the curse. As A side note, I noticed some thing about me lately... With a female in my house now, I sometimes am forced to watch things such as beauty contests. I always seem to be rooting for the most normal looking contestants, you know, lesser amount of improvements? Traditional women!?!?