Hot Rods Original Steel or reproduction?

I have a all original steel Deuce sedan which I have had for years and I love it, I've had glass cars that I loved also, I like what I like be it original steel, repo steel or glass, it really doesn't make any difference to me. HRP

 

...I've always said I'd rather have rusted out steel cars than a glass repro,...actually they do repro 3 of the cars/trucks I have now but I prefer the real thing,..and I couldn't afford the repros anyway,(glass or steel)...that said, I like all kinds of cars if they're done rite, who cares what they're made out of, they look cool goin down the road.

 

I hope it doesn't alienate anyone, since that was farthest from my intent on asking the question...
I learn alot from this site, and sometimes if you ain't askin' the questions, you ain't learnin'. I wanted to understand why we think the way we do. I'm pleased with the banter, and folks behaved themselves (I've seen alot worse comments in other threads). As for me, I think I'll have an easier time getting a Brookville A than finding original Henry steel. Brookville also fits my skill set better if I realize my dream and build a car some day. So I'm grateful for companies like Brookville, since I'm certainly not going to whittle a Model A out of Coke cans, and doubt I can do the bodywork on a rustbucket. Thanks to all who participated in the thread!

 

Sorry I've already read stuff here that gives out negatives...and as innocent a question you may have intended it can generate some staunch attitude...I do know however that all three get a pass here but one must chose the correct Forum to place it in.

 

If I ever bought a Brookville roadster to go along with my original 1929 ford title, I wouldn't have a problem because it was probably made with melted down real Henry Ford steel from China.

 

blonde , brunette, or red head...…… petite or meat on the bones...…..

 

I'm fortunate that my Chebby is all OEM steel and as everyone knows, good cars are getting harder and harder to come by, however they are still out there. Sometimes you just need to be in the right place at the right time.
Some owners don't have the funds or ability to build/repair a steel car and they compromise. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Driving it is the best part, you could inspire someone to jump on board and build their own car.

 

Let's face it, the main reason for reproductions was to give supply to a high demand. Think of how long reproductions have been around. What I always liked about originals was they have a history attached to them. I always see an old body at a swapmeet or car show and wonder who owned it, how many people owned it, and where it's been to this point in time. Many guys I talked to know the history of their cars but there are many, like me who can only speculate or be able to trace the history of your car only so far back.

 

How long have they been pulling glass from molds and stamping new panels now? Glass, probably fifty years or more; steel, probably better than thirty? New frames for how many years? Couldn't begin to say. If time alone is the deciding factor, then it's all fair in love and war. How many prewar cars are still running factory WOOD inside? How about some of the truly artistic cats we have that built their cars from the ground up? Who's going to question their legitimacy?

 

And then you have the guys that know the history of their car but hauling manure from the barn to the pasture for a majority of it's life isn't glamorous enough. So, it miraculously becomes (in the b.s. sessions) a well known drag racer (always from another part of the country) and set all kinds of records, etc, etc.

 

LOL

 

You could force me with repo metal but no to fiberglass. Dead horse?

 

I would love to have a repro car. Practically every body style that has ever been reproduced is of a very desired car. However, I deal with original steel bodies of the slightly less popular type because they are more affordable and I make do with them. I would take a quality fiberglass car in a heartbeat.

 

I like original cars. That's what inspired all this.
I like reproduction cars. It lets anyone in on the fun.
I like fiberglass cars. But, being a hot rodder,
It's only original once!

 

I prefer something I can park and not worry about it...

 

A friend of mine just bought a set of rockers for 20 a piece for his 58 Pontiac not quite body off restoration. How good can they be. Chinese tin? I would of opped for a higher priced set.

 

Considering the ever changing political/legal issues on our hobby the division of the hobby is counterproductive. Stand united or we will be legislated out of the hobby. If repro metal/glass keeps our numbers up enough to keep the idiots in government under control then we should be grateful.
just my humble opinion.

 

theres no patina on new metal. lol

 

The biggest mistake I ever made was thinking I needed to build a glass 32 Ford Vicky. It was a Downs body on a TCI chassis, 350/350 combo. The happiest day in my life was the day I sold it. Its kept me out of glass cars ever since. Real steel 50's and 60's cars are all I deal with now. Repop parts never fit properly and are never the quality of OEM parts.

 

Sometimes you can't tell where the body came from. HRP

 

I always thought the repro parts were much better quality than Henry's. Some of the stuff Ford did wasn't that good and that's why the repro parts didn't fit that well.

 

Depends on the repop. Some come real close to original and some are exact duplicates of original. The exact duplicates are made of expensium.

In my own little universe where everything else revolves around me; in my way of thinking a repop steel body is the same as a good repop glass body. If that is what I owned that is what I would use, but its my world and everyone else is just in it.

 

Didn’t this issue already get locked about 3 times this year
It is about time for our quarterly young people suck/dying hobby thread

 

It is kind of silly isn't it.

For a full on traditional hot rod original steel is the accepted norm.

My biggest problem with glass is that it is damned hard to get the good old rusty "patina" look. I guess easier now that people are using raps instead of paint. LOL

That said and me being the most interesting man in the world. I seldom use a repop body but when I do I use race weight glass.

 

Sometimes I swear I hear “only Henry’s steel is worthy” and if you don’t agree “my old man can kick your old mans ass any time”. Seems to me we should unite in what brings us together rather then things that separate us.

 

In Holland a country with 17 million peoples i know 0 (zero) people with an original 1932-3 window coupe. So a reproduction, yes also fibreglass is the only way to built something. Yes i know i could import something from the US, but our friendly taxman/import guy also wants his share.
Answer to the question is: yes original if i have the choice, but there is no choice.

 

a reproduction body is cool, its like buying a super cool new car except its customized exactly how you want it, so theres that. an original body has history, its the same question of whats more valuable to you? your first car or a 2019 ford fusion lol (just an example) the old car might not be my first car, but it was important to somebody, somebody put a floor shift in my 47! they put a sweet aftermarket steering wheel on it in the 60s, how fast was it then? what motor trans was in it? did the owner get lucky jn the backseat or win an awesome drag race? did they drive it to work? bring home their son or daughter in it? its special AND cool not just cool. thats not to say yiu cant make memories in your repop bodied car and make it special too

 

I think there is a lot to be said for this approach. I sometimes wonder what ever happened to my old heaps after the next guy that owned them. I got an idea that most have been made into soup cans by now.

I think that is why I like cleaning an old car out. Sometimes we get a car from a HAMBer and its already been cleaned out but every once in a while you get lucky and look at the stuff and wonder. The Effie I was building when I joined the HAMB for instance had 22 shells between the fold in the floor and the back of the cab. I found that out when I took a torch to it to remove the floor. Should have taken the shop vac to it first I guess. Or the '53 Stude I traded it for, I found a Navy Blue formal (prom?) glove under the back seat console. Got an idea that someone got lucky back there and someone else had to explain what happened to half a pair of gloves to their mom.

I think a lot depends on your wallet and what you are after at the end of the day. I like old cars but my reasoning is two fold, one is that yes sometimes I find a prom glove or a 20 year old pakc of camels under the seat and the other is that I look for what fits my budget and my budget is not in the $30K model 40 Ford range.

 

I've yet to see a Chinese or Nigerian repop that was anywhere near the quality of a GM or Ford OEM part. That includes fit and finish.

 

my friend built a coupe and had to replace everything below the belt line
I guess is a repop roadster with a fixed roof if you’re a purist