Hot Rods Is the traditional "fad" over where you live?

Sorry, I forgot about my friends in england,they too have always been into the traditional cars and helped a lot to start the scene.my good friend Steve rickets has been essential in sending the bodies and parts over there.

 

This is so true. I was first into restored cars, then street rods, then finally hotrods. I build what I like and stay in the traditionally styled category and not in a pure traditional sense. But throughout I was influenced by who I hung out with and the shows and cruise nights I attended. My final push to a traditional style and forget everything else was my first flathead powered car, a 40 Ford coupe. I knew nothing about the car, engine, tranny and I called the PO so many times I thought he would hang up on me. But he didn't - he kept showing me stuff, explaining things, and never gave up on me. It took a few more cars before I finally decided where my roots lie and to the build of my avatar. He's long gone now but his influence has stayed with me.

Now, guys like and follow what I am doing and more hotrods have been popping up in the past several years and from all age categories in my area. It's tough when you are raising a family and doing that right to have time enough to build or afford to build what most of us drive. I did not really start to get into building a car until I was 45+ - there was just no money or time.

So is the traditional "fad" over? For some, yes and for whatever reasons you want to give it. But for most, they are still dreaming, planning, collecting ideas for their own build and the younger ones I know are dreaming pre 50s hotrods .....

 

I just talked to a couple of the guys I worked with before I retired. The corporate heads of the company we worked for decided to get rid of all of their mechanics and hire outside contractors to do the work. They figure it relieves the company of liability. They had started sending trucks and trailers out for annual inspections and periodic service because they would do them at night and cheap. They got a trailer back that had passed inspection and didn't have any brakes. He said his fingers fit between the brake shoes and the drums. When the air was connected and applied the shoes didn't move. They got trucks back after being serviced that hadn't been greased.

Both of these guys went looking for work. Mechanic jobs were $15/hr starting to work in a shop. $17/hr for road work but $10/hr travel time. They also had flat rates for scheduled maintenance. One guy went to check out a maintenance job for $20/hr at a manufacturing facility. They were also hiring forklift operators and paying $24/hr to start. He had a forklift license so he took the forklift job. He's been there over a year. They're still looking for mechanics and he's happy as can be sitting in an airconditioned forklift all day moving things around now making $28/hr.

 

Demographics have alot to do with the decline in interest for the earlier cars. I have two sons-one is 54 and would'nt want my 40 or drive it if I gave it to him--Chevelles and Camaros and BMW's are his thing. My other son is 47 and we built him a very nice 40 coupe-he sold it and has no interest in mine either but surely wants my wife's 55 or a Camaro or Chevelle as well. My grandson also has no interest--only in jacked up 4X4's and the latest long range rifle. Times are changing.

 

Not over in Connecticut! Have you seen other countries that have picked up our early hot rod culture? It sure was present at the LA Roadster show this past weekend.

 

You are also correct about the music, alot of my friends got into the scene because of it. Tom Ingram played a big part by doing his show over there .

 

Later in the evening us old farts are in bed.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^ Speak for yourself on bedtime! I'll be 80 in about 5 months and a show that finished up by 9-10 pm would be great as far as I'm concerned.
Early in the day is good also, before it gets so hot. That Caffeine and Octane show early in the morning would be great for me if it were a little closer and not on the other side of the biggest constant traffic nightmare in the Southeast
It's the shows that start about 4:00pm and end about 7:00 thereby encompassing the hottest part of the day I'm complaining about

 

I can't comment on if it is over, as the traditional fad never really came here to rural farm county Michigan [in recent times]. Yea, there were a couple guys, but it never was a fad.

 

As a baby-boomer hot rodder, I agree with the first two paragraphs. After that it is is total BS, off-topic, and offensive to myself and any other hard-working boomer who has saved diligently his whole life for retirement.

 

X2--agree with corndog. Many of us boomers didnt inherit anything. Worked hard (44 yrs) and lived below my means. Don't expect to burden anyone-can pretty much buy what ever I want within reason-no bills-no debt. The demographics are the change-younger folks have much different interests. When I check out my wife can get whatever she can out of this stuff-if it's 50% oh well-no big deal. As to retirement savings, we have more than enough. Were I to leave our cars to the kids (as well as other collectables) they would probably sell them to buy the latest whiz-bang car or whatever. Some of them may want the 55 so my plan is to tell em it's for sale then see who offers the most. Who offers the most I will have come over and sell it to them for $1.

 

Tim, my son is the same way. He loves Trucks and 4x4's and he grew up with Deuces and Forties in my garage.

 

What's a baby boomer?

 

Still strong in LA

Sent from my SM-J700T1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

DD not me...I was war baby...

 

To be honest I have always leaned toward the traditional style before I ever heard the term,I guess when I try to explain it ,the style was more of a resto rod.

I credit Ryan for his insight and a desire to elevate the old hot rod & custom styles. HRP

 

I live in Los Angeles where we have a large number of car enthusiasts who build various styles of Hot Rods. Yes, I call them Hot Rods, as that is the term I grew up with in IL. Traditional style has different meanings to the masses. I grew up with solid axles and my son grew up with MII front suspensions. He thinks that is traditional, which it is — in his mind. I don't think early style Hot Rods will ever go out of style. What has changed is the interest in early 28-34 Fords has really diminished in our area. Late model cars such as Mustangs, Camaros, Tri-5 Chevrolets dominate the car shows I attend. The LARS still has the older models but in general the demographics have changed the presence of early Hot Rods in my opinion. I'm 76 years old and have been building cars since I was 14. And have changed what I build to satisfy my need for a ride that will allow these old bones a decent ride for my many journeys with our group. Sure, I love the solid axle roadster for around town but not for a several hundred mile trip. I come to the HAMB to see all the traditional style cars being built and appreciate the younger builders who still like the style of the early Hot Rods. I like Hollywood Hot Rods slogan, " Respect Traditional!"

 

As I see it, hot rods came about when young guys couldn't afford the new cars in the 50s and the old cars were cheap. Model Ts and As were being dumped into ravines because they had no value. They could get the cars just for hauling them away. They had to learn how to get and keep them running. Then the performance and body modifications started. Technology was advancing. Everybody wanted the new cars. Even the wrecked ones were cheap. Most people only kept a car 5 or 6 years, the body styles and engines changed fast so there wasn't much demand for used parts. Hot Rodders could buy an engine from a wrecked newer car and started putting them in old cars. It was a melding of new and old technology. That tradition is still being done today but with different vehicles and fewer people are exposed to mechanical repair.

 

… This thread is so stupid, trying to pigeonhole car builders creations with a cute collective terms like `traditional’ is imposable at best and then imply they are out of step with times. Modified cars are as old as the hills and as varied as the person who built them. Are you just trying to annoy the one percenters building modified and Home built Cars for the past century? Guys building cars to their own likening have been doing it to defy any tradition. As old as cars are and way before they penned them as a Hot Rod, hoodlum heap, trashbucket. Whatever you call them they have been and will be continuing to be a statement to individualism and never a trend. And we don’t build em for where you live anyway.


Check out this `South Park Garage’ built 1911 8cly Locomobile. Named the LOCO from Rochester NY from back in the day. I wonder if he was concerned about what other people thought?

 

Cool pic. Looks like The Loco was ready for some recovery work, with the assortment of snatch blocks and rope. Is that a winch on the rear?

 

I live in So Cal and I think traditional isn't a fad I think it is just the correct way of building things (if that is your direction) and our society as a whole has become so precise in what we do that sticking to what was original is harder than doing what the Boyd thing was 25 years ago. Look at the women of these days. Seems like if you aren't a perfect bodied female which seems to be anyone in the Hollywood limelight and some money you just aren't ideal. Our society as a whole wants perfection and when "traditional builds" come to mind I think some of the same thought process comes to play. Hot rodding was almost born out here and has gone through it's ups and downs and you just are not going to rewrite the book on anything any longer. What you can do is write a page for yourself in that book and to get recognition you have to up the difficulty of that build. So, when it comes down to a "traditional build" that utilized 80+ year old parts that still function and at times almost look brand new it is a level of respect that is earned. Unfortunately it also takes a good chunk of change, time, experience and patience. IMHO I respect anyone who dares to drive old shit on the streets no matter what their style is but I think the traditional thought is a timeless one that has circled back around to the community as the cars become more scarce. Hence the prices going up everywhere where even the Pomona swapmeet seems like a scam these days. I think that "traditional" is more of a recognition that this shit is becoming harder to find and many people want to preserve it's roots and what hot rodding was raised on rather than throw it together just so you have an old car.

But then again, WTF do I know because I am only 35 and all of my cars have always been a traditional look and my current build is a traditional build. So maybe I am just the cookie cutter So Cal wannabe, too? Hopefully I am oatmeal raisin, though. I like oatmeal raisin cookies.

 

I think the "loco" mobile could use a little bigger headlight.
Tom

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???? Geez. Damn dude, I just noticed around here there just isn't as many building "Hamb" style cars as there was 5 years ago and I wondered if it's just around here or other places. That was it, nothing about labels, styles, what's cool and what's not. Certainly don't see how it could annoy anyone building a car their way, wtf.
Glad you think my thread is "stupid".

 

I think there is still lots of interest in building cars, it just seems that economic stress has slowed it down. there are a lot of people interested in the cars at car shows and all kinds of thumbs up when you are cruising around. Down turns in the economy , insurance prices, parts prices etc. tend to turn the young ones away if they are paying for school or preparing for marriage etc. they have just set their priorities a little different than we have. some will return to the dream later some won't. JMO

 

You see a bit of everything around here but I see more new traditional style builds when I go to certain shows than new full on street rod builds. I think one reason is that a lot of rodders are figuring out that you can build a more traditional car and not be expected to have to make changes on it to "keep up with the trends" every year or so.
Think about it:
No worries that the "rims" you bought last year are out of date this year.
Your paint color or paint design isn't out dated compared to the hot lick new street rod paint of the year because your paint or graphics are three years old.
Your engine trinkets or engine it self isn't viewed as "so last year or five years ago"
Yes some of the gotta stay with the hot trends brigade will move on to the next trend just as some guys who were around last year with the traditional chopped coupe have disappeared from the rod seen entirely and now have a Harley or a wake boat. That happens and no biggy. The rest of us will be content to work at getting our traditional rods or customs just right and some will even update the paint or interiors without getting away from the traditional look.
I probably would be out of hot rods or customs all together if it weren't for the traditional rigs coming back. I was totally burned out with the idea that you had to constantly change things to keep up with the trends and what ever you had last year that looked great then was so outdated this year when you showed up at an event. Now I can build it like the rigs I fell in love with as a kid and not worry about making changes because things are out of date.

 

"Traditional" or "Nostalgia"? I built my first hot rod in 1960, a 1931 Ford coupe which I purchased from the original owner for $50.00. It was bone stock and when I got it home, I re-erected the back yard swing set in the garage and had the motor and trans out that same day. By the end of the week, I had the body off the frame and the floor cut out for a 4" channel. I bought a 303 Olds motor and a kit to build a 4 carb log manifold. Clay Smith cam and solid lifters, home made adaptor plate and on and on until it was on the street for just under $1,000. It ran good, and most of all it was fast enough to compile a load of exhibition of speed tickets. I painted the car with free navy blue lacquer and zinc chromate primer. Used a hand pump bug sprayer to apply the paint and sanded and rubbed till my arms were sore.

Now it seems that my first hot rod was what some call "Traditional" and for the time and the amount of money I had, it probably was but when the Olds motor blew up and I couldn't afford a 283 chevy motor, I replaced the motor with a friends high school auto shop project, a completely rebuilt 59AB flathead motor. Another friend gave me a McCullough supercharger, manifold and 4 barrel carb. My dad had some triple v-belt pulleys made for the water pump and crankshaft and with a set of matched belts, I was in business again: Perhaps this time it was "Nostalgia".

In the early 60's we built and ran what we could afford and most of us would never in our wildest dreams have been featured in any magazine. Our cars ran and were dependable but for many of us, 'chrome don't get you home".

Now I am seeing cars that are being built "Traditional" that have parts cut by water jet, are MIG welded and don't have any cotter pins or safety wire. It seems that "Traditional" has evolved. Or maybe hot rods with flat motors are those being built by elitists?

Hot rodding used to be making improvements or modifications to Detroit iron to make it better (read faster) and to make a statement (look what I did). In the early '60's drag races were mostly won with cubic inches but it quickly evolved into winning races with cubic dollars.

What the heck does "Traditional" really mean? If I had a double barreled money gun, I could build a traditional hot rod that would run hot, brake poorly and not be all that fast.

 

Not here.

 

It's only a fad if you just got here.

 

Well atleast 20 years from now the swapmeets or Ebay whatever still exists will be hot, with 90's billet and kids will be buying it up....LMAO Watch it will happen! Barn find "easter eggs" just sayin!
For me the best part is all the cheap stuff right now I keep collecting the parts and I'm teaching my son how to put them together and end up with a Hotrod. A previous comment about "it's who you hang around" it's true! Thanks again Terry!