For those not born in the usa.....

What makes you think that America is the only country that has cars, and car nuts?

Do you honestly believe that "America" is the only place in the world that guys mess around with their cars ?

You may be truly shocked, but we no American foreigners actually have ice cream, have mobile phones, and watch movies as well.

 

Growing up piss poor in Liverpool, Hot Rods and Customs were, to me, the ultimate indulgence.
Having a "schooling" in Rock N Roll and Rockabilly (older brothers were Teddy Boys) Hot Rods seemed a natural progression.
MANY a long night spent drooling over "Custom Car" magazine (and not just the naked bimbos sprawled over the cars!),
Persuaded my Dad to take us to the Hot Rod shows at Belle Vue (Manchester) and Birmingham NEC.
But I was already in love with America and Americana. Glad to say I'm living my dream now!

 

No, but I'm sure we'll all agree America is where the whole "Hot Rods" thing started!?!?

 

I was born in Canada.

We have cars here, just like you folks in the 11th province.

Shawn

 

I live in Canada, dont know how far off it is.

But ive been into hot rods and muscle cars since as early as i can remeber... mabey it was the fact that all my dads friends have them and tell be wicked stories of my dads cars and adventures, combined with his disapproval and my natural urge to rebel, but they have always symbolised breaking the mould and going fast.
I heard this one from a wise old man.

If you pull up to your girlfirends house in a honda her dad will laugh at you,
you pull up in a hot rod he's gunna grab for his shotgun.

 

I know very well that hot rodding and cars and the culture of cars exist else where in the world.even today with all the lack of material my country of birth Cuba has a "scene".
obviuosly we're all on this sight sharing a common interest.but my statement stands true.
america(USA) was/is a driving(pun intended) force for what we all love. as I said the ripple effect coupled with your own home grown influences.thats what makes "US"+WE=US

 

Jesus, take the blinkers off mate.

 

There's a very strong car culture here in Australia. The hot rod scene here is healthy also, it's roots were in the States but it grew independently here. I remember reading a book in primary (elementary) school about some kid who was helping his grandad fix up an old car he had out in the shed. Fuck, I wanted to be that kid!
Grew up playing with matchbox /hotwheels toy cars, watching Thunderbirds, the Munsters, and Batman on the TV. Always believed I should have been born at an earlier time, which is why I love all things associated with 40's, 50's & 60's.
I've been to the States quite a few times, and did one trip in particular with a couple of close friends where we only did stuff involving cars. We called that trip the 'Mecca of Madness'. What a trip man!
I was really into muscle cars for a long time, hell I have owned a lot of cars from GTO's to Dodge Coronet's, Fairlane coupes, lots and lots of stuff. But I fell in love completely with the simplicity of a stripped down, bare bones, nasty as hell 40's or 50's styled Rod. Like all of you I find myself outside staring at the lines of my ride completely mezmerized. I turn 43 tomorrow and I don't really remember a time when I wasn't bitten.

 

It sounds corny but for a young kid with "leanings", easily accessible Elvis movies, Happy Days and Hot Wheels cars combined with 50's R'n'R on the radio were all that was required to "kick-start" an interest. Ya gotta remember that this all pervasive USA "atomic culture" is the parent of Pop Culture and has influenced the World. Hot Rods and Customs are an integral part of all this and I don't have to explain to anyone here about their attraction.
The Stray Cats who rose to prominence in Australia in the early '8o's, seemed to tie all this together and importantly for me, offered an alternative to the mainstream crap available to teenagers at the time. It was a slippery slide after that, after all cool is cool right?

 

Dunno really. Just happened. A long time ago.

 

Personally...

Sitting in the dentist's waiting room, late 1963, took the afternoon off school to get a toothache fixed I would have been about 15. Flicking through the pile of crap magazines on the desk for something to read, and I come across....????

October 1963 Car Craft! I'd never seen anything like it!

When I left the surgery, the magazine somehow got tangled up in my school uniform and came with me....

On an Australian National Basis...

By 1966 I had my licence and was driving a (stock) 1941 Willys sedan. I was chatting to an 'old bloke' about cars and souping them up, and he told me about his car when he was young. He and his brother owned a 1929 Chev sedan. They shoehorned a sidevalve Caddy V8 into it before WW2, and swore they wouldn't part with it until something beat it at the traffic lights. The car that finally beat it was a brand new 1948 Mercury.

Cheers, Glen.

 

X 2....well said A Bone - that trip was killer, maybe next year again ?

Aussies are traditionally into their cars although I cringe at how a lot of people don't even know how to put air in their tires.

But i digress.....

I too was born in the wrong time as well. Lakes race cars, vintage engines, hot rods, art deco rides, 30-40s Westergard styled Kustoms/taildraggers and muscle kars turn my crank., and I love, live, breathe eat and sleep this shit. Did I say I need help?

I grew up in and around cars of the 50s ad 60s as my old man ran a Service Station in the 50s/60s/70s (remember when they actually provided SERVICE?) working on old Holdens, Chevys, MoPars and Fords. Hell my old man's daily was a 58 Biscayne for years and I can still remember Dad taking me out in it, trips to the drive in and the smell of the leather seats.

PS: I need help.....

Rat

 

The Doc sez your ok Rat!... It's normal to feel that way.... So, join the group!

 

I wasn't born in the usa, I was born in the great nation of Texas. I was always into the way things worked, took apart allot of toys and other items, sometimes putting them back together. But cars didn't become important till I was in my teens.

 

Like some other posters, my folks were about as far removed from hotrodding as it is possible to get.I was labelled a black sheep or a 'rebel' early in my teenage years..(unfounded.. of course.)
I played around with pommie cars because they were the kind of cars my peers were souping up. E93a prefects, 100 e prefects, 105 e Anglia's,etc, etc, ....then I lucked onto a Mk2 Zeph with a hot 283 and the biggest back wheels in creation. Jacked to high heaven!
It was fast tho'....quickest thing in town till a buddy knocked me off my perch with an HR Holden/ 327.
About this time an older local guy (aircraft mechanic) built and squirted around town, a 23T/ 272 powered, well that was it .....shortly afterwards I bought a stock low mile ( old man drove it to church....really!) '60 Dodge Pioneer 4 Dr....318 auto, plastic on the seats no less!..that's when cruisin and the culture really started to take hold.....it's been a learning curve ever since.
Of course American Graffitti came along right about then and sealed the deal.
Now that I'm in my 50's i really feel the need to visit your country and pay homage to the roots of my obsession.
I know that 'progress' wipes out a lot of the physical milestones..( like a lot of Rt66, etc) but if I were there, and kinda half closed my eyes...........

 

Same here.

Always into American cars, so when I moved here 13 years ago I got myself a few muscle cars quickly.

My interest has changed over the years and I'm now more into "weird" older stuff.

Own and operate my own hot-rod shop http://www.hrclassiccars.com now and building some very cool customs and race cars, both for myself and customers. My '30s Indy car replica is sitting in the shop mocked up, building a frame is next, but there are many cars to be complete before I get to that one.

Also getting my kids into hot-rodding, building a 1946 Lincoln Truck custom with my son Jason who is working hard on getting his first daily driver a 1971 Plymouth Duster ready for the road.

My 9yo wants the 1968 Galaxy Convertible when he grows up and my youngest is looking forward to building her own custom.

 

Born In Canada, where I was into Rods & Customs before I knew of the American Way. I am over 60 and my Dad had a Hot Rod when I was born, my first ride was in a Hot Rod. I have had a Hot Rod all my life.

 

I was born in Sweden and live here
When i was a kid i like the big cars with V8 sound. and it sill in this way

/Stefan