Is traditional the new billet?

I just got the september 2009 street rodder magazine....wow!! Usually I see one or two cars I like in an issue, just the opposite this time. The tech is great too. I saw some HAMBers in there recently and thought it was a fluke. I'm kinda scared because seeing too much traditional stuff will make it stop being so special. None of us want a 1932 camaro.

 

I hope not

 

Too late......

 

Nah...its just the other way around...Billet, has just, finally now...this second...become a tradition. Look for it again in 10 to 15 years....

 

20 yrs from now,someone will have a billet laden barn find and think its cool

 

Seriously? Are you really worried about more people building traditional styled cars? I don't get it, you don't like cars that are built in a "non-traditional" style, but you don't want to many people to build them in a "traditional" style? That really doesn't make any sense. Is it really going to make it less "special" to you if more people are doing it?

I would welcome it with open arms. Gives you more options to get your hard work recognized if you want to and may also get the attention of some manufactures to design and build products that will cater more to the traditional crowd.

 

this is gonna get bad, i can feel it...

 

I personally still don't like the fact that Joe Q. Public refers to anything with patina, suede, rust or that is low slung as a "rat rod"... If only THAT stigma would go away I'd be fine with seeing REAL traditional rods on the road everywhere I go. Now, the fiberglass aftermarket bodies being represented as traditional DO irritate me...and it's easy to fool most people who don't understand that door and fender gaps were NEVER that good from the factory.

I think billet will always be billet...and truth be told I NEVER liked it...even when it was considered as cool as easter egg colored paint jobs, ghost flames, and fake wheelie bars. Traditional will always be traditional...

 

Scarey but oh so true

 

My cat's breath smells like cat food.

 

What's up Scott? You hitting the gin again bro?

 

What about the other end?

 

Please, No!!!!!!!!!

 

there can never be enough traditional rods and customs!

 

Yes. Personally I am stocking up on 1st generation Boyd wheels. When it comes back around I'll be rich!

Hot rodding is gay!

 

Yeah..street rodder is now putting more traditional cars in their mag because they feel that the "hobby" is headed that way. They actually just took pics of my roadster for the mag and I was a little surprised when I was asked...as I knew in the past it was a Boydster style mag. The photographer was telling me how they are changing things over there. I actually bought this months issue myself.

 

Yeah, traditional isn't real comfy. You know what I'm saying though. Street Rodder magazine used to be the place to go for castrated crate motored fiberglass nonsense.

 

Billet will always be bolt on. Traditional will always have a limited number of participants because it isn't easy.

 

I hope to hell every one starts build tradional rods maybe some of the companies that made speed parts back then will make repros and that pile of "junk" in the corner of my garage will be worth more. Ill be able to buy new 45 fin drums at a decent price

 

Yeah, I just thought I would energize the base a little bit to buy myself some time to find a few more sets myself.

 

New meaning to the phrase "thats the cats ass"?

The auto rags are sellouts! Its always been and always will be about money and as of right now "traditional" sells ad print. I'll just have to wait it out until the next fad comes down the road to replace it.

Traditional takes effort and most people are not willing to deal with the maintenance, so they bail and go back to what they were doing before or they move on to the next.

Brit bikes came on strong about 5 years ago and have since died down, back in Seattle in the early 90's I had several brit bikes. I bought them because they weren't cool, hard to identify without badges (you had to know what you were looking at to make any comments that had merit) and they were a pain in the ass to keep running well. All the tough guys wanted a brit bike, then after they had to make they umpteenth trip to the shop for carb help they sold cheap and bought easy, reliable, no effort jap bikes but kept the beat up old leather jackets for the "look".

Any guess on what will replace traditional?

 

Traditional isn't going away after 60 years, it'll just eventually fall out of the spotlight, it ain't goin' anywhere though. Maybe canary yellow and ZZ4's will come back into vogue again! Or 70's vans, it'll be a logical next step after selling children to get muscle cars dies down.

 

Nothing will replace traditional because it started it all and is timeless. I would guess the next trend to be 70's style flared fender tunnel ram shag carpet trunk mural side pipe cars.

 

Don't worry...you'll always be "special" in our eyes, Goldtop!

Forget the Trad Rods....buy a van!
Catch the NEXT wave as it comes in...'cause those things are gonna go thru the roof in 2 years!!!!
Just like the 70's...Bro!

Keep on Truckin'........

 

I'm liking the vans showing up here on the HAMB and the CoE's are awesome as well. I'm just happy to get away from hoopty wheels, pastels and bumpers that are coloured in with everything else.

In the end it's the substance of traditional customs and the craftmanship that'll shine through. Haven't the slightest doubt.

 

Yeah, I get your point, who gives a $h!t what everyone else likes. Yer probably right about vans though.

 

If I happen to find one and get a good deal on it, I won't turn it down. I'm a sucker for good deals when I have the money even if they are billet laden. Although I have never thought that billet looked good. Chrome looks better. Of course, I haver never been a huge fan of chrome either. Street Rods aren't what I call cool that's for sure. I wen't to a car show just recently and the best looking one there was a '83 S10 with a 355 Chevy. You want to know why I liked it? Because it was loud, fast, and ushered no trend just like most of the cars on this message board. Non traditional but it was a Hot Rod, not a Street Rod.

 

I personally am getting really tired of lightening holes and non functional rivets , WTF? Something shows up in a few magazines and thousands jump on the band wagon , same as the billet craze . I'll be just fine if I never see another one of those overdone fake " bomber seats" .

 

Just wait 'til Jan. 1st rolls around...Next year when you fuckers need a set of 15x15 Tru Spokes or Cragars, and a set of stretched out Wide Ovals...you'll be lookin' for me...And don't forget about Viking murals and crushed velvet..I've got a few pallets of dark walnut paneling too, and a couple rolls of shag. And don't EVEN get me started on bubble sun roofs and side windows...

I GOT WHAT CHU NEED SON!!!

And then in 10-15 years when Billet is back...I GOT CHU!!! I even got some easter egg dye to paint your ride with...Shit comes in lushish lavender, sky blue, sauve sea foam, pepto pink, canary yellow, vanilla cream, and pale orange sunset

 

To hell with whatever becomes the new trend! Traditional hot rodding and kustoms is in your BLOOD.....not in a dollar bill and a hand shake damnit! Take your billet rods and shove them!
I don't yet have a project, but I sure don't care what becomes a new fad....I WILL always be for traditional ways!
I also don't care if traditional stuff becomes the "new black, billet or whatever"...What difference does it make? Think about it...it's been that way for awhile, just take a look at the heaps people call "rat rods"....trying to bite that old school style, but FAILING in a perverse way!