Hot rodding

[RobertKB]

I can never understand the need for power and speed in an old car from the '30's and '40's. These are old cars with a sense of history and an abilitly to draw you back in time. I have ridden in lots of rods that were built from nice original or restored cars and they leave me cold as they are neither old or new. Drive a newer car if you want power and speed. I see this happening more and more and obviously don't like the trend. Seeing a nice original car cut up is like chalk on a blackboard and this forum is getting pretty much that way for me lately.

I am going to check out some other forums for a while for like minded people but know I will never find one with the amount of traffic this forum has or the great people I have come to know. Probably be back but not for a while. Best of luck to all.

[Robert Horne]

I drove my friend's 50 Plymouth Coupe the other day. He spent well over $20,000 for 350/automatic, S10 suspension, etc. What a big disappointment the car is to me, but he thinks it is great. It looks real good, but a pain to drive, noisy, hard ride, etc. I will stay with my little flathead 38 Coupe. I have other Plymouth projects that I will experiment with on other engine/trans modifications just to resale. My 49-48 Dodge is all original, and will stay that way as long as I have it. The important thing, is to enjoy our hobby, and not be negative to anyone that has a different outlook in our cars. The thing that brings us to this site is, that we are interested in similar vehicles and not necessarily exactly the same. Every one out there be safe and enjoy the ride............Bob.............

[hkestes41]

I would agree with Robert to a point.

I actually enjoy hot rods (does not include the unsafe rat rods), customs, and originals. Where I would agree with Robert is in not cutting up nice original cars to build a rod or custom. My original intention when looking for my 48 coupe was to do an old school rod with a poly engine. When I found the car I thought it was in too good of shape to start cutting on. So I just added some speed parts to the flathead.

However, most of the rods you see were not done from nice originals or restored cars. Most were built from fairly derelect castoffs. While it is true that many of them were in decent enough shape they could have been restored, that does not often fit within an owners desire or bank account. Hot rodding gets the car back on the road and saves another one from the crusher or returing to the earth.

Edited June 5, 2010 by hkestes41

[PatS....]

I find very few hot rods are built from nice originals, most, as was mentioned, were derelicts.

Mine was one step from the scrap man, had been sitting outside from 1969 til 2003. It was original...once. It had been advertised for about a year and no takers. It too would be rebar in China now had I not scooped it up.

Needed a total restoration and they aren't bashing the doors down to get 49 Chryslers to restore. Or hot rod, for that matter.

I have no guilt about doing the 350/350 if I end up that route. Beats being rebar.

There is another "original" on the Saskatchewan Kijiji for $450, When the farm sells, it goes for scrap.

I would sooner see it rodded than scrapped.

If it's an old car, I like it, rodded, restored or survivor.

Sad to see you go Bob, but we'll be here when you feel like coming back to share your knowledge.

Pat

Edited June 6, 2010 by PatS....

[homebrewer]

Back in 1956, I had a 48 sedan with a Chrysler spitfire, fenton headers, w smittys, and an Edmunds head. We used to dabble in a little stoplite to stoplite street racing back then, and I could hold my own with most semi stockers of the day. Back then ChevyV8's were very rare and in 1956 dollars very expensive.There was a kid in the neighborhood who put a 283 chevy in a 48 P15. It was unheard of then, and let me tell you that sucker was the king of the streets. Ever since then I've lusted over Chevy powered P 15's. I've had 3. Two I built myself and one that I bought done. I love P15's. I can see both sides of the argument. Since I've been on this forum the Chevies have either been dissed by some people or embraced by others. Ya'll have your opinions & I have mine. I don't mind the fact that this forum has a lot of purists on board . I respect their knowledge and their love of the hobby..Lets face it a chevy powered P15 is still the same car as a stocker except for the running gear. So most of the problems that are solved on this forum apply to 90% of the cars out there regardless of running gear. If I ever get another P15 it will probablyl be a stocker But I will always keep my little hot rod.

[BeBop138]

Bob---don`t leave:(. I am not a purist BUT I never understand why it is so important to the purist to have a negitive attitude towards the street rodder. I don`t feel that way towards the purist. I appreciate the work that goes into doing a complete stock vehicle. Likewise to the street rodder who can fabricate parts to make a custom. The point is to save as many from the crusher as possible-----Bob leaving won`t solve you problem---you have to have a change of attitude of whats more important---the car or the friends you make along the way. We all have something to offer here, some more or less than others---we all need each other for the knowledge we have----can you imagine how many people this site has helped. If we all start running away---it will go away...........Lee

[Tim Keith]

If I were to restore my '46 business coupe I'd need another P15.

Then, I'd probably not want to scrap the other car once I removed

the many items that I needed.. If I find the parts I need on Craigs

list I could restore this P15, but I need a lot for this empty shell. I

don't even have a front seat or rear bumper. I wouldn't choose

the V8 route, but my P15 doesn't have a motor or transmission.

This P15 might look okay with another seat and lacking some trim.

The average person wouldn't know what a P15 was supposed to

look like. First, find a decent trunk lid, then think about what's

next.

My '47 DeSoto is complete and I'd not consider it, other than

brakes.

[Plymouthy Adams]

personally I see no reason to flog a dead horse..if you like the body style and the car is a good price and the drivetrain is toast...by all means upgrade..heck I see no reason in the world to go so far out of my way to put a drivetrain with known limitations into an empty engine bay or a bay with a toasted enigne..as for being of the purist type owner..you have your point, hopefully you have your car..but again you do not have sole claim to the hobby and the direction if would/could/should go...I have both sides of the coin..some cars are just not worth the effort..some are ideal for the upgrade...everyone knows your like old originals...you say this at least every other thread...I like the upgrades...and further if you do your own upgrading I like it even better...I enjoy reading about the challenges one will have to overcome in making a older mopar a bit modern as it truly is not a bolt on market and seat of pant flying is rule number one..I also enjoy reading of the ones kept stock...personally I am happy we have a mix of both here as a straight dose of any one by itself would be super boring...when simple stuff like this gets to annoy you then it is time to move along or at least broaden your hoizons a tad..I bounce aoung 6 fourms on the average..

[55 Fargo]

Hey Rob, sorry to hear you want to depart to explore other venues, hope you change your mind. I have a 7 year old Boy tugging on my arm to go outside, will add more later.

I think there is a number of issues lately that has become a real turn-off, with 1 individual at the forefront of these issues. I am not blaming this individual for your wanting to leave the flock, but that person has rasied the "devil" in a lot of us.

I am with the majority, if there is a decent or a very complete original then stock certainly is my answer, but scrap heaps, that may get crushed and melted, a tasteful hot rodding is nice too.

I know a Gent from the Yahoo 46-48 Chrysler board, he has 3 such vehicles 2 rag tops, all original, except he is currently installing a hemi under the hood of one of the 48 Chrysler rag tops, the body, and interior will remain bone stock. The engine trans and diff, are getting upgraded to hemi power. I think this is cool, but there would be a lot of people cringing on what he is doing toa 48 Chrysler convertible. I think it has been said, when people spend there money and build what they want who am I to say, and vice versa. I certainly have enjoyed your posts Rob,and you have been a big help via email and PMs, hope to keep intouch..Fred

Edited June 5, 2010 by Rockwood

[JoelOkie]

My take on this is that I never could understand what anyone ever really cared about what someone else might do with their own time and money. Joel

[rockable]

Robert, I don't know you but, based on what I've read, you've been a valuable member of this forum. Therefore, I would hate to see you leave because you possess knowledge and experience that everyone benefits from.

For a long time, 1983-2008, I was a member of the Porsche club. I had stock cars, race cars and restored classics. I loved them all. When I first joined (long before the internet) the thing I enjoyed most was the sharing of information amongs members who really knew the cars. Because I owned, racedTech and restored different cars, I met a lot of different people and I learned a lot from them. When I went to an event, I was usually soaking up info and sharing info with people. If I hit a snag, I knew members I could call who knew the answer to my problem

The reason I finally quit the Porsche club was simple. The local and regional events were no longer attended by a lot of enthusiasts who knew the internal workings of the cars and knew how to work on them themselves. Technology and ever increasing prices, over time, attracted a whole different set of people. Most of them were nice people but they didn't know crap about their cars. The local meetings turned into "dinner and wine" events and that was not my cup of tea.

So, I made a big change in my car life, I bought some American iron (a Pontiac Catalina and a 41 Plymouth). Now, I happen to like my cars modded a little but I also like to keep most of the original cosmetic characteristics of the car. That's just me. I've done original restorations, it's just not my cup of tea but I respect them a lot.

I said all that to say this, by all means you should spread your wings and check out some AACA sites and spread your circle of friends to include Ford and Chevy guys (gasp!) who also appreciate correctly restored vehicles but don't leave this site. There are folks here who like you, respect you and have knowledge to share. You don't have to be monongamous, try polygamy1 You might enjoy it!

[moose]

I agree completely that if you find a car that has "most" of the needed stuff(drivetrain, accessories, chrome, etc.) it deserves to be restored. It deserves to be able to preserve it's place in history.

Case in point- my first car. 54 Belvedere 2 door hardtop, that I was able to drive home after it was bought in 1989. My father and I restored it very close to original. As i drove it for the next ten years I changed a few things, intake/exhaust, lowering blocks, and cut coils. All things that can be returned to original fairly easily.

Then in 2001, in Massachusetts I bought my 55. Rotted from salt, and a smashed grill, with a few missing pieces. This car could have been restored to original, but I did not have near the money or extra body pieces to do that with it. So I kept the drivetrain stock, and just did a a little to the body and grill. As I continue to drive it, it continues to change. The last couple of weeks I have been trying to "bring classy back" by repairing some body rot and looking for ways to take care of the chrome.

In 2006 I bought my Model A. After 76 years it had been picked over, and a lot of it had rotted away. I feel no remorse for not returning this car to original. Nearly every piece of the car needed to be rebuilt or replaced. Besides, I want to drive this car, and I want to drive it as much as possible. I could see no better way to do this than to make it a period correct(late 40's) hot rod.--And preserve it's own place in history.

[55 Fargo]

I agree completely that if you find a car that has "most" of the needed stuff(drivetrain, accessories, chrome, etc.) it deserves to be restored. It deserves to be able to preserve it's place in history.

Case in point- my first car. 54 Belvedere 2 door hardtop, that I was able to drive home after it was bought in 1989. My father and I restored it very close to original. As i drove it for the next ten years I changed a few things, intake/exhaust, lowering blocks, and cut coils. All things that can be returned to original fairly easily.

Then in 2001, in Massachusetts I bought my 55. Rotted from salt, and a smashed grill, with a few missing pieces. This car could have been restored to original, but I did not have near the money or extra body pieces to do that with it. So I kept the drivetrain stock, and just did a a little to the body and grill. As I continue to drive it, it continues to change. The last couple of weeks I have been trying to "bring classy back" by repairing some body rot and looking for ways to take care of the chrome.

In 2006 I bought my Model A. After 76 years it had been picked over, and a lot of it had rotted away. I feel no remorse for not returning this car to original. Nearly every piece of the car needed to be rebuilt or replaced. Besides, I want to drive this car, and I want to drive it as much as possible. I could see no better way to do this than to make it a period correct(late 40's) hot rod.--And preserve it's own place in history.

Vert well said Moose. If I had another choice, or could afford it, I would have a 40s period type Hot Rod Model A or T.

I would go with a SBC 283 bored out.080 over, power pack heads,10.5 to 1 pistons, Isky Cam, Edelbrock intake Holley 650 ,open headers, Muncie 4 spd, maxed out, that would be a pipe dream for me rumbling down the street, and layin rubber, at every stop light, maybe a drag race or 2 down Main street in town...................LOL

[Aussie D25]

I guess my problem is because I am young... Too young to have experienced the original hot rod era of the 50's & 60's too young to have lived through the muscle car movement of the 70's & 80's ..... all I really had to look forward to was the death of cars as I began my driving experience in cookie cutter plastic faceless atrocities of the 90's and beyond.

Eco this and electric that ... original or hot rod at least some of you guys actually got to enjoy real cars.

A car shouldn't just be a means of transportation ... they should be an extension of you personality a blank canvas for your expressions.

For some it is preserving their memories, for others it may be creativity and innovation either way your car should be an outlet for you to find inner peace or a white knuckling double shot of adrenaline depending on your flavor of life.

The very meaning of restore is not just to bring back to former appearance yet to revitalise and renew.

I think its wonderful that cars are being restored to factory concourse specifications yet to me that is a recommendation, a one size fits all.

I would much rather more people taking the time to breath new life into old cars , especially those ready for the scrap yards than buying a plastic bubble that runs on your self gratification of a low carbon foot print.

No matter where I go or which club I join I am faced with a mixed bag of every one else's ideals about how I should restore my car.

Personally I spent 2 years with a restorers club who constantly put me down for my ideas of changing paint/interior schemes and adding hop up parts (true to that period) no blingy billet crap.

I got the feeling that the old dogs not only didn't like the young pup messing in their business yet the old dogs were quite reserved in teaching young pup old tricks.

This forum is the first and pretty much the only place I can ask a question no matter how outrageous, and get a detailed answer from those that have tried it well before you have even thought of it.

They say that a club dies with its youngest member which is true yet I feel that the club wouldn't even be there without the wisdom from its oldest members. To help guide others to fulfilling their visions no matter how different it may be from their own.

My opinion is that you do what you want with your car as long as it makes you happy and if you can share your knowledge and experience and make just one other person as happy as you then you've made the world just that much of a better place to drive around in.