I've been wondering this for a while. I grew up in Missouri where the traditional scene was alive and well. I work for a shop called Colorado Speed Company. There are the occasional customers with pre-'64 rides, but 99% is muscle cars, trucks, HEMI stuff, tri-fives, supercharging modern junk, etc. We do a lot of $100,000 plus builds, but very little that do much for me. My question is this: Is there just no traditional scene in Colorado, or is it just a sign of the times and the wave of old school that was going on about 10 years ago just fizzled out?
Because these cars are anachronisms. Be the scene. Drive, build whatever you like. They're just cars.
I think it is a little more underground in CO. I recall there being a couple of guys down in Trinidad on the I25 (they used to have a Friday night meet in the main street) and my say I am surprised you have not found anybody in Colorado Springs or Pueblo. Keep an eye out for a big street car show in Golden which has been an annual even for quite a few years now. There as also possibly other reasons why traditional stuff is not around like it was. A number of hot rodder have moved States, like Slimegreen and myself. Your avatar wording probably does not help making local contacts any easier. No concern of mine but just another point of view. There is a neat hot rod shop in north Erie on State Hwy 52 not that far off the I25 north of Denver. They work on various styles and bodies and do a nice job. Bryce the owner is part of a show committee or use to be so he knows folks... Happy searching
There used to be lots of nice tin out there in the fields, Is there still? That was before scrap prices went thru the roof around early 2000. There used to be more than a few nice hot rod shops out there as well. It's been 20 years or so but it used to be either CITY housing developments with homeowners associations that don't like project cars or COUNTRY big land & mini ranches with horses that take up everyone's time.
Colorado has a good sized traditional scene. Monte Vista dirt drags, Hot Rod Hill Climb, Pueblo for the NSRA show has 2000 rides in attendance. Memorial Day & Labor Day on west Colfax in Denver. Just to name a few.
I belong to CS Rod & Customs and there are a few traditional cars here and there, but the main thrust is Rod & Customs around here. The same down in Pueblo where there is a big following of NSRA. I think FlynBrian48 might be correct...
There is a big car culture in the Four Corners, traditional cars are just a small part. Been using my roadster as a DD with my F-150 in the shop until this morning...snow!
I guess its more of an underground thing like stated above. There are street rods, muscle cars and lifted hillbilly craps all around, but I just dont see much love for the traditional stuff. Might be the town I live in too, its a tourist trap. Peope come here in droves from multiple states away to buy weed, which baffles me. You can buy weed anywhere in the world without making a 30 hour trip and risking 25 years in prison for it. To each his own I guess.
Yeah, not too excited about the snow this morning. Impeding getting started on my new '54 DeSoto. My 1.5 year old son is usually all about "helping dada." on the weekends, but the snow runs his battery down pretty quick.
I think you just have to look for it. There are a lot of hot rod builders here in the lower left corner and most of them know each other but there is no effort to get together. Most are anti club for various reasons.
Nick's Garage, Englewood Deluxe Speed Shop in Westminster. Dirt Drags in Monte Vista the 1,2&3rd of June. Probably meet a fair number of locals.Our scene here in NM has lots to do with mid '80s pick-up trucks and low riders @Pufff is here on HAMB and in CO See you at the dirt drags
It's hard to have a "scene" when there isn't a large population of people. I think that's the main thing more than anything. Well, that, and the local economy.
I could see that to a certain degree. I think its more of a demographic thing around here. I live in Springs, which is a population of about 500k and an hour fron Denver thats a lot bigger. Definitly way too many people here (go some where else and smoke weed.) , but most of them are the "Best and the brightest." that come from everywhere else to either smoke weed, join the military, or both. Lots of straight piped pickups and muscle cars with black rockstar energy wheels.
When people ask me about the weed out here, I just tell them, "You know what? That stuff was immoral before it was legal and it's still immoral! Nothing's changed! Some of us don't do it no matter what, so get over it!" They always look at me kinda cross eyed. Besides that, this has nothing to do with traditional rods & customs.
As with most things and people that dont have anything to do with cars, its dumb. 2 kinds of people in this world: -Car people -Dumb people.
There is good scene in Northern Colorado. Nicks hot rod garage etc Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It's the Colorado Springs Rod and Custom group that comes and does tech inspection for the Hot Rod Hill Climb. Solid bunch of folks. You ought to have no problem finding them
There are at least three different gatherings of car guys in Durango every month. First Saturday is coffee at PJ’s in the north valley, twice a month at Sonic on Saturday nights and breakfast at Kennebec Cafe on second Saturday. Cars from Cortez, Pagosa Springs, Farmington, Bayfield and Durango. Check out the Durango Old Car Club FB Page for exact times.
Flynbrian48 hit the nail on the head. Build and do what you like. Hotrodding isn't about a "scene" or fitting in or flavor of the week. Do what you like to do. I'm sure you can find some likeminded people in your area.
I'd as far as what the shop where you work at most any rod or custom shop has it's focus on what the builds are and the end product of the build no matter what year model it happens to be. Hard to mix traditional with billet on a daily basis and hit the high mark on both every time. I'd say it may be just as hard to talk to your boss about having a traditional car built as it would be trying to get the Tardel brigade to put together an all billet flathead powered rig. Every shop owner has his vision and his thing and they don't usually get far from it. One thing I'd have to say is that for the most part Traditional rod or custom guys are usually more willing to travel a distance to go to an event where the focus is more on the traditional side and are willing to bypass local events to go to a "good" event. The guys in your area may be jumping up early and heading to an event a hundred or more miles away rather than attending the local event that primarily draws late models.
There is quite a few traditional hot Rodders in Colorado, the hillclimb and dirt drags gets a lot of us out in a good sized group..... me and my buddies have a traditional club we started about 7 yrs ago called the Denver Deton8tors and have been able to meet a lot of the original Hotrodders from back in the day that were the pioneers of the hobby here
The Jalopy Journal
