Louis, You are going to get different answers all over the place on this question here. The problem is that Most of the So called experts Who are replying to your question Are not 78 plus years old (which is what age they really should be to give a real answer) because if you were not there and lived it then all you can base your answer off of is what you have read or been told by others that were there. Now I already know that some guys are most likey going to chime in to my post and start telling me all about how hot rodding was in the 50's All the while they probably were not even born in the 50's. Anyhow if I were you and I wanted the best answer I would talk to some Old guys that was actually building hot rods in the 50's........ there are still a few around. just my 2 cents
I would claim that you have the rigth amount of beer when you bought it, and maybe one to many when you made that post sbove, cause you forgot to add a link to the build thread lol I partially agree with you. If there is no fiftys era hot rodders around, the HAMB is the only thing that comes close! And what I got from the horses mouth is always better then my opinion! But he asked for our opinion, and that is what he got. I still claim my post is as valid as yours! There was no clear rule set on what goes, but there was some clear don't. And there was the lads that defied the rules, and got away with it. This regards another matter, but the point is still spot on or just the same. The common belive was that ford banger and flathead was the best and fastes mill to have, a chevy banger with an olds head was odd, but fast. Then Ak miller came along with a black 32 with IFS from a chevy, that all agreed on to be sub-par compared to three springer (chevy/olds/esssex) or transverse springs from ford. And he stuffed a mostly stock Buick straigth eight, that almost got him banned from the roadrunner, for being fullish and thick headed. Until he started to set records and earn points at speed meets. So compared to that, some do it like the other because it looks good, somebody did it because the other did it regardless of look. And some still takes chances and dare to do something different. And most importantly, 1938 wasent the year that started traditional hot rodding. In 1938 it was cutting edge hot rodding. What we do here is build cars that triggers an emotion in us. Some strike no higher then "traditional", at best. Others are era correct fown to choise of underpants and spectecals. All between those to points is good enough for me!! And I'm no judge.
No build thread yet as I am still saving for the last big piece which is the body. Hopefully by this summer. --louis
Something along this style, but street driveable with a flatty, is the goal. Love this car. Obviously this has a filled grill but I don't plan to build a replica. Just the style. --louis
Funny because I have your roadster as my desktop background. Read your build thread more than a couple of times. --louis
"Rolling Bones..."? Hmm... You are suggesting they get credit that they don't deserve. A return to hot rodding's roots wasn't started by them and I'm sure they would agree. I would venture to guess that unfilled shells were a reaction to the billet and Boyd era where all the original details were stripped from the cars. These cars became so expensive and abstract they were the antithesis of original hot rodding. Hinges, unfilled cowl vents and radiator shells, etc. became popular when a desire to return to hot rodding's roots, and more afFORDable and fun projects became the focus of MANY builders. Thank goodness for that; it can be argued that it revived the hobby. With regard to an unfilled or filled shell for your project, I will repeat what others have already stated... What period are you trying to build? And more importantly, what do you want to build? If you look at period photos and magazines, as others have already mentioned, you can see when filled shells became more popular. I think it was pretty early in the 1940's and I believe was done as a quick fix to differentiate a stock car from a hot rod. Also and as others have already said, rather than fill an original unfilled shell you might consider purchasing an already filled shell or a re-pop filled shell, if that's the look you want. ORIGINAL unfilled shells aren't being made anymore. However, it's yours, do as you wish and best of luck with YOUR project.
Carl, ok...maybe I shouldn't give that much credit to the rolling bones guys but their signature skull ornaments accentuated the fact they were running unfilled shells. When I think of unfilled shells I tend to think prewar cars but after flipping thru the Don Montgomery books I noticed there were more unfilled shells than I remembered. Now they were still in the minority and as time goes on unfilled shells get more and more uncommon if darn right non existent by the 60's. JohnnyA
I am not 78 yet (76 in Jan) but I built a 32 3w in 56 and I have a chopped and filled shell as did all the guys I knew who were building em back then. One of the reasons was lack of replacement ornaments for the usually badly pitted ones that were on the shells. Good replacements didn't come along until the Vintiques many years later.
I was going to say someting similiar but I was guessing as I wasnt there , but I believe it became a practice to smooth out some of the chrome , ect , if you look at many many early pictures I would say 90% of the early hotrods had filled shells .. " Noseing"and "decking "was popular on mild customs and many hotrods lost emblems , door handles and trunk handles also , I like them both but for argument sake ..filled would be era correct, ...however I would never fill a nice origional grill when a brookville can be had for a couple hundred bucks
I actually already have a brooksville shell that I peaked. But I really wanted an authentic 32 shell. If I decide to go with a filled and peaked shell I will probably trade for another one. I go back and forth since I like both looks. --louis
Just depends on the car and look you want. Also your own personal taste. That is what hot rodding is all about!
As best we can tell (based on photographic evidence), deuce shells started popping up on hot rods in the mid 30's (I have a picture of a 30-31 roadster with a 32 shell dated 1935). By the late 30's, guys were nosing the 32 shell (keeping the filler), and by 1941, nosing and filling was popular. From what I can tell, by 1942 - when most hot rodding slowly ground to a halt- the nosed & filled deuce shell was by far the most popular decorum of the early hot rodder. Haven't really studied anything past about 1948, but yes, filling a deuce shell is a period mod that was done very early in the history of hot-rodding. Pics; Road Runners club circa 1941; Whitey Johnson's A sports a nosed deuce shell in 1940; The Sellers sport coupe was decked out in a nosed & filled 32 shell in 1941;
Here's some fairly rough looking ones with filled shells, and a couple nice finished cars with rad caps, all period pictures. I'd say it's personal preference. I left mine intact because that's where my radiator fills. If I had to have a dummy cap, that'd be lame.
theres "period correct" and "Hamb correct"...Not necessarily the same thing. So you get to choose. Do you want a "period correct" car, or do you want to get a thumbs up from the majority of your fellow HAMBers...Its an easy one for me, but then, I'm a heretic... I coulda kept going, but I think that's enough to make the point...
I quickly went through the literally hundreds of fifties era hot rods photos I have on my hd, didn't see a fifties era car in there with an unfilled grill shell. Now of course, we all know that not every car was photographed, and I am sure that if I go through every file again, and search every period book and magazine I have, I will find a car with an unfilled grill shell, and of course, that will automatically negate the hundreds of fifties era photos (some in primer) that I find with filled grill shells, and all the history revisionists will be vindicated, and they will all rejoice, and all will be right with the world, and that will be proof positive that unfilled grill shells are not only HAMB approved, but the only choice for the truly "period correct" Hamb hot rod, and that filled shells, along with channelled cars, welded and filled doors or decklids, hidden hinges, and sectioned deuce shells on model 40's are the province of eighties street rodders, and it was actually a Castro plot as revenge for the the bay of pigs, and his operatives went back and altered all existing fifties era photos of hot rods, and that before the photos were messed with, those cars actually had the original rad caps. So yea, those photos I posted are actually the work of a bunch of dirty commie rat bastards just trying to confuse new millennium traditional hot rodders, lure them into temptation, and dissuade them from the path of truth, righteousness, and the American way...Yea, that's it....
Geez George, take a breath in between shots man and let the rest of us play too! Happy New Year to all you knuckleheads.
LOL I think falcongeorge has been hitting the new year's cheer early. (Or I am way behind ) I have to say that the more I look the more I like a filled and peaked shell for a lakes inspired roadster. --louis
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