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Hot Rods What do you give up in order to be nostalgic?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by ekimneirbo, Sep 11, 2020.

  1. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,055

    wicarnut
    Member

    It's funny how one's thoughts, dream ride changes with time/age. When I was a kid I had to make it faster, louder and forget about creature comforts, when young not needed. Then I went racing for 21 years, satisfied my need for speed somewhat, came back to car hobby and bought my dream car, a Roadster, cool car IMO, no creature comforts, after 8/9 years, traded for an unfinished 32 coupe, full fender car, finished, added the comfort items, enjoyed 7/8 years, then went to mild kustom 51 Mercury with comfort items, a nice cruiser, makes my old body happy, still have it, but it is for sale. Along the way I've become interested in restored classic cars, I have a big appreciation for them, my wifes 51 Buick Roadmaster, black and chrome, beautiful car, Through the years I have also acquired a few OT hobby cars with all the comforts and more performance than I need at this time. The late model OT cars are what I will finish it off with, my garage time now minimal, far more talk than do, love the hobby/people. This car deal I was born into has served me well. I've been/am a very lucky man.
     
  2. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    The question itself is sort of a moving target because you're not losing out on something you don't have to begin with. If your daily driver is a 89 Caprice, then a 50s or 60s era car is not really a far cry from that, save for maybe overdrive, disc brakes and fuel injection (primitive EFI at that which would be outperformed by most Holleys or Edelbrocks). Thinking about my ride into work this morning in my OT daily, my car started right up in 35 degree temps and gave me a nice steady idle that I could drive with immediately with no gas pedal input. Backing down my curved driveway I used my backup camera to make sure I stayed on track. I used my factory bluetooth to hook in my streaming music, turned on my heated seat and steering wheel, and put on my automatic heat and wipers, which stopped when my windshield was clear and the cabin up to temperature. My coffee was in my cupholder, and I silently cruised along between 75-80 mph at 1900-2100 rpm without much fanfare. If my old cars are being judged to that standard, then I'm giving up a lot. The truth is I like that my old cars DON'T have those features, so I'm not really giving anything up by them not having it. I'm also giving up a lot of cool factor in my OT daily, which my old cars have in abundance, so that's perhaps the quid pro quo.

    Bottom line, we all give up money to be traditional. Sometimes we give up reliability, but really that's usually a function of money, too, since basically anything can be made to be super reliable with enough money. We definitely give up horsepower, fuel efficiency and drivability, since we're not using EFI, turbos, sometimes overdrive transmissions, or serious engine management to aid in those. For the custom guys who like their cars with the proper stance, you're giving up practicality and ride quality (if you do it the traditional way).

    Ultimately, it comes down to where you draw the line for nostalgia. It seems to be different for everyone. Some on here, and the standard to which the board seems to be held, is that everything is nostalgic with no/few modern parts mixed in. Some on here will deviate slightly. Others will use modern drivetrains in otherwise traditional cars.
     
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  3. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,248

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I'd give up a lot to do my "last build" so to speak. What would it be? Why, a 427 BBC, period, nothing else. I have a lot of reasons and nostalgia would be more recent and almost not fully accepted here. It would go into a Two Lane clone, and that too I shamelessly admit as it's the only car I'd ever consider doing a clone of. There's others that I have no time or probably life left to go after so go for the real as far as I'm concerned. Why a 427 and not a 454, 396, 502, 540? Because. I ask you, when you hear "427" after asking "...what is it?" doesn't it tickle a little something? That 1 hair on the back of your neck? 1 eyebrow slightly raised? Nostalgia alright. I won't even bother to say all the what and who's and other internals because you can't see em anyway. Power? C'mon, you know the answer there, right? It would have factory chrome valve covers on risers, old school tunnel ram, of course the OG Chevy orange paint and nothing but white headers even if I had to repaint the fuckers every year. I'd bet a good cup of coffee that every traditionally-focused show would let me in too. If they didn't, well the ride home would be as bitchin as the ride there. Probably alone, nostalgia in my head, with little or nothing to do with TLB other than style. Maybe one day we "advance" our schtick here. Imagine a taped show of Steve Dahl and old Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Ten years After, visions of waiting in line to get into the strip ready to see a battle of the baddest front engine dragsters and early SS wars. Not all nostalgia is Buddy Holly. You asked...
     
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  4. Why does everyone assume you have to give up performance to be period correct?

    396 Four speed Chevelle vs. 430 3 speed 58 Merc.
     
  5. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,829

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    "nostalgic" is a thought process, so you don't need to give up anything to be nostalgic. period correct or HAMB friendly would be a better way to put it.

    my old cars are toys, so the reality is I don't give up anything to be nostalgic, other than the money spent on all my old junk.
     
    ekimneirbo likes this.
  6. Speed and performance are relative, 55-70 M.P.H. in my 1953 Chevrolet doesn't seem that fast.
    When I rode around a half mile cinder track in T speedster (Roof 16 valve no less!) going 40-45 M.P.H. it felt like I was going 200 M.P.H!!

    The same goes for performance. When I first got my 53 it had a stock 261 Blue Flame rated 148 hp from GM.
    The first modification I made was dual exhaust, it freed up 15 or so horsepower and could you feel it!

    You take a 700-800 horse race engine and free up 15 horses are you really going to feel it?

    My cousin allowed me to take his vintage dirt oval track car out for warm ups.
    When he drives the car it runs in the bottom of the top ten, he runs very completely with two or three other cars.
    I had never been in a racecar before, I drove as fast as I felt comfortable and faster than I ever had driven before. In a five lap warm up the cars my cousin races with position passed me like a had a parachute out and I got lapped.
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2020
    ekimneirbo and olscrounger like this.

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