Sorry guys, I just don't get the "traditional" idea of a car that has a 100-point quality "restoration" of a hotrod chassis complete with fabulously finished and painted drivetrain, wheels,new wide whites, and often even a done interior(if "bomber" seats and plaid-covered pillows are done), all covered with "patinated" grunch sheet metal. Seems to me the chassis and drivetrain, restored or no, should show the grunch factor more than the sheet metal to be authentic.
Somehow I thing Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth would disagree with you. It just depends on what you like. Back in the day, what you call a 'traditional' hot rod was usually unfinished because the owner didn't have the money to finish it. The same holds true with a primered paint job. I like them finished and detailed myself.
In my dreams, nice cars (hot rods or customs) are either painted nicely-- or are butt naked in bare metal because they have a hot body to show off.... if you dont have the money or it's not complete: 1) In a custom, first significant spends should be on paint and body. Next interior. 2) In a hot rod, first significant spends should be on drivetrain. Its a hot rod afterall... That said, im one who definately doesnt think the rusty look is cool. Rust is the enemy in my eyes. -scott noteboom
I just wrote " I HEART SCOTT NOTEBOOM" on my Trapper keeper...etched in with an eraser. You hit it right on the head my friend!!!
I don't get the guys that worry about cars they don't own. I might not like the car you drive every day, but what does it matter? It's not mine.
Who cares? I build and beat my cars to death. They're mine. Don't care what other people think of it. If ya don't like it, don't look.
I like originality. Not like in a bone stock original car necessarily but that's O.K. also. If a guy finds a car that isn't perfect but presentable and original, I say by all means, leave it be. I think making something appear old and weathered when it isn't is gay though. As for a restored chassis with no attention to the rest I know of one example it worked and I'm sure there are others. My buddies Nomad. This was a show car back in the 70's. Painted Rootbeer brown and all. It was red and rough when he got it. He was only interested in drag racing it. He totally redid the chassis for safety reasons and just tossed the body back on. He didn't care. The rust wasn't faked.
Peer pressure, desire to be a part of the group, ability to hand paint the frame and bomb the motor/drivetrain but inability to do quality paint work, lack of money....all if incomplete. If it's called complete like such, I don't get it either.
The wonderful thing about this "hot rod" deal is that if you don't own it you don't have to "get it". If your name isn't on the title and it bothers you look the other way. I'm sure there are a lot of cars out there that do please you so spend your time looking at those or better yet get in your own car and drive somewhere in it (after all that is what they are for) and enjoy some of the beautiful scenery that the two lane provides. Other than that take a Stress Tab and find something more important to waste your time on. Frank
Perhaps there is a certain mystique about seeing the effects of 70 or 80 years of authentic use right in front of our eyes. The dents, holes, wear and tear, and natures effects all add up to give each representative car it’s own personality. The effect does conger up lots of personal speculation about the specific history of any given car or truck. Nostalgia appeals to everybody on an emotional level and quite frankly means different things to different people.
not to worry....the guy who paid to get the car built that way "gets it" even less than you do just shake your head and move on
Yeah, painted cars are totally gay. And what's with these guys who think its cool to fix the sheet metal on a car instead of just spraying black primer over the rust holes??? What a bunch of fags!
is it wrong to drive around in a car you just rebuilt the engine in if you haven't had the time or money to make it look "pretty"? personally i cant wait to get my car on the road. i dont care if its ugly to look at. ill just be glad to have my first engine rebuild back on the road.
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I think people miss the fact that there's a BIG difference between unfinished cars, and cars that never will be finished. Unfinished cars are works-in-progress. It may go like this...Chassis gets finished one year, bodywork the next year, then it gets painted, finally the interior gets done and you have a finished car. Cars that never get finished...those half done cars that 3 years later still look the same, and still have the moss growing on them from where the body was pulled from the woods and the chassis has now turned to rust because the bare metal was never painted. For some reason, these seem to have become the latest rage in rodding. I'm all for the to each his own mentality, but to intentionally drive a car that just got pulled from a junkyard and NOT try to improve its looks with a little paint and elbow grease at least after a while just confuses me. I've always tried to make the best of what I had for a car, rather than the worst. I always take pride in when someone notices when I have improved my car by getting something else done on it.
The Jalopy Journal
