That 1938 Dodge would have been late 60's or early 70's in Kansas. Neat truck! Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The truck was indeed built in the 70s, but it might as well have been an early 60s build. We took a 1 ton truck that survived a PA oil field life, and the original intent was to do what was eventually done to it after it was shortened to 1/2 ton size but we left it long. It's recipe used a 65 Cadillac sedan as a donor and gave us the engine, trans, tilt n telescopic steering column, rear axle, wheels, tires and full wheel covers. Dear ol Dad also welded the spindles from the Caddy to the kingpin bosses of the front axle which then gave us the full power brakes, and we even included the power steering. The inside was a mix of black vinyl and red Scotch plaid upholstery with the am-fm radio under the seat. The body mods were only the headlight relocation and a simple rear pan carrying Mustang tail lights, and the Olds bumper that carried Pontiac parking lights for turn signals. The traditional part? All done at home in a 32X22 garage and parts taken from the personal stash, swap meets and the occasional trip to the bone yard. I was in 10th grade when we started, and I used it for my HS commencement activities. The chrome sidepipes were made from 4" EMT that was given to Dad By the guy who ran Republic Steel here in Motown. He gave us 4 clean bends and enough straight to get it done, then off to the now gone Suprior Plating, also in Detroit. We had plans for power windows and more but it was fine just the way it was. It took some time to build. We started in 73 and had it up and running for all of 74 and 75. Dad drove it to work every day, even in the snow and slop. It was my job to run it to the .25 car wash once or twice a week and keep the salt off of it the best we could. Of course it was always an hour job or more and Mom used to wonder what took so long. "Oh leave him alone, he does a great job keeping it clean." looking at me with a wink and a grin. That was pure tradition too. I found the truck in a C'list ad in 06 or 07. But what I'd found was just the cab, box and fenders as a botched effort to put it all on a 4X4 Dode Dakota chassis, the original frame with all theCaddy stuff had been scrapped. I could have had it for about $4,000 but the soul was gone. I guess the memories have to be enough.
I disagree. I built a car that many folks say is very period correct, but it's a car that no one would have built 50+ years ago. The concept of the car is not one that existed back then. It's based on modern thinking, even though it uses mostly old parts and methods, and looks like an old build to folks who don't understand the difference. The subject is more complicated than it looks.
Nether of these cars is period correct and we would never pass them off that way. Both have too new of drive trains, the 32 has disc brakes and is actually glass. Both have some repop parts etc. I do think they both have what I would consider a "traditional hotrod" style and they were both 100% owner garage built. My 27 is built pretty much like I would have built it the mid 60s except the eng. is 1971 instead of maybe 56 or 57. I wouldn't have had the fat whites then but I like the look of them. I know if I had seen either of these going down the road any time between the mid 50s and the mid 70s and someone asked me what kind of cars they were I would have said "those are hot rods".
Trucks never Hot Rods? The first couple of magazines I looked through had these, I believe they would be considered Hot Rods infact there's someone here on the HAMB that could tell you most definitely that one of the ones pictured was a Hot Rod for sure. Then of course there's alot of them that would be considered more Custom than Hot Rod , Dream Truck, A La Kart, Kooper Kart, and more...take a look back in the old publications there full of them and you can't due that take a Hot Rod history lesson on line. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No offense Myrick, but I totally ignored your "...not hot rods..." comment. One thing I always noticed as I became more aware of 'the life' in general was that many of the 1st efforts were indeed trucks. Tow trucks too, a radical custom paint, lots of pinstripes, chrome, badass engines. Pickups were hot as well and many as attention getters for the weekend racer. Dad had a 60 Ford F-100 with a fresh maroon metallic Earl Shieb quickie on it. He took the wide wheels off of one of his roundy-round cars for rollers and it just looked insane. Then it got pinstriped from hell. Off white and as crazy as he could possibly get it. Add some glasspacks, a hot rod for back n forth to work. We didn't have it long, someone made him a ridiculous offer for it and it was gone. After that a 59 Elco with a V8 and 3 on the tree, somewhere in the cobwebs a 49-52 style F-1 plopped atop and Olds frame and a fancy custom box. All I recall about that one is that it was so fast it scared me. Another project that was sold due to a crazy high offer. Trucks are nearly the very foundation of this shit. Don't get me wrong bruz, not dissin and I sorta look fwd to your input with that tinge of sardonic seasoning now and then. And isn't it these topics that bring that out of us the most? I'll go on record to say that's not a bad thing and makes the juice worth the squeeze.
Nice story My comment was sarcastic That’s where the “some people “ part came from I have read that comment here and also heard it from others outside the hamb The only thing I have ever attempted to “ hot rod “ for myself has been trucks Your preaching to the choir
Damn.....ya what both of you said, no sarcasm, no criticism, no orgasm on my part anyways ....well maybe a little of that last one...just saying.. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It has been alluded to here, but "Build Quality" has changed significantly over the years. Methods and standards have changed over time in terms of what is or is not acceptable build quality and practice. I don't see this as a bad thing necessarily, really talented builders and craftsmen have entered our hobby and raised the bar, and continue to do so. Instead of complaining about it, I'm inspired by it. Better cars are built now than then.
Lifestylers. Apparently you gotta look the part when you own an old hot rod. A lot of them don't, they just want to look like they do. Stay away from my car with your goddamn wallet chain or I will hang you by it.
That's actually an interesting observation that I've never really looked at in that context. Guys who were building and driving hot rods and custom cars "back then" and had era correct fashion were actually dressing in modern styles. Going to a car show generally is like going to a fashion wasteland. It never ceases to amaze me how guys who can style a car so well can't put themselves together. Like you can cut the roof off a car and weld it back on again but you can't hem a pair of pants.
Talented Builders, Craftsman were there all along...Look at what has passed by before us...Kurtis Kraft as an example...these Fellas built Hotrods and Customs too. The quality and Talent that has been is as remarkable as today and carrying that bar is an admirable Art and Skill. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurtis_Kraft
Going to have to respectfully disagree with you there. IMHO, there is no way that virtually anything built back then can compete with the top cars of today, especially in terms of fit and finish. Take a look at the caliber of cars that compete for the Great 8 at the Detroit Autorama or the finalists for the AMBR award, the level of craftsmanship in every facet of the vehicle is beyond virtually anything built in the time. When the preserved former winners of national shows are rolled out as survivors, you can see the side-by-side comparison. The only guys I can think of that would compare now are the coach builders like Buehrig (Duesenberg) and the builders at Pininfarina and Porsche. But even those cars can be rough in their original form. Just in terms of methods now, with TIG welders, SolidWorks, 3-D printing, CNC capabilities, modern paints and materials... and the availability of resources on the internet, the bar has been raised in my opinion.
I'm pretty much always in a t shirt and jeans or shorts. I don't have hair so I don't have to worry about buying the right pomade. Must be stressful!!
Next time your hanging out in the teacher's lounge check with the Home Economics Instructor they could help you with that. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'm not sure I agree with that. The most common look today is the Pendleton, Levis, engineer boots & tats look. Oh, and the flat brim ball cap. Kinda of a combination of bro/biker/low rider thing. Nothing like any hot rodder back in the day.
Man if you can't let people know that you own an old car by how you look then what's the point of having one!! That's more or less my point. Everybody looks like Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies at the car shows. There's a look they all stick to, regardless of how inaccurate it may be. As much as I like ladies with tattoos, traditional pinups they are not. Nice to look at either way, but that adds to the point. I look for the guys with out of date graphic tee shirts (Big Pecker's, No Fear, all that 90's cool guy stuff). They're busy spending money on their cars and not staying up to date on fashion!! OK in all seriousness, day glow and pastel paint jobs with billet wheels. They're correct to a period all right. A terrible period.
Now that the fashion part is being brought up, that is the part of the Hot Rod following that I don't get. I realize that alot of the followers are just doing what there doing to just fit in , but for the ones that, I guess dress the part, of a time period that they are reliving that's were I get confused, if someone is wanting to dress in the style that fits the era of there Hot Rod , Custom or what ever,say the fifties, that used to be leather jackets blue Jean's rolled cuffs and the same on your white t-shirt and greased back hair and a 50 merc. a "Hood" ,I realize Hollywood had alot to do with that with every guy in the movies that had a hot rod looked that way but still where did the tattoos, goatees, wallets with chains and all of the other fashion statements that's going around these days come from ,time period, or if it is the New look that says hey I'm a Hot Rodder or Hey I own a Custom, then what period is it based on or what ties that look to Hot Rods or Customs. The way people dress or present them selves is there business and if your doing it to make a statement or to just be you , cool,but for large groups to be doing the same I am just curious where that journey, if its following a certain period of time , and being associated with Hot Rod and Custom cars ,were did they originally meet. Like when riding a Harley got Popular again it seemed like if you rode a Harley you had to be in full leathers ,let your hair grow long and grey with a tail , huge, sometimes sculptured, beards, your wallet chained to you, you know the "Biker" or "Freedom" look. Any ways I just went through some old Hot Rod magazine's from the 50's 60's and pulled some random shots of guys standing with there cars and some event photos with some Hot Rods , Customs, drag race cars and others. I realize that some of them are staged photos and the subjects are probably wearing there Sundays Best but still no hoodlums no sleeves, tattoos , no leather or chained wallets, no facial hair,....just saying...just curious.. In fact the only picture from back in the day of a guy and his car where the guy had the look of a what was considered by some as a hoodlum was a picture of my dad and his car he was about 20years old then. He's the one standing next to his Candy Apple Red 50 Chevrolet Bel-Air HT. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I can accept people dressing for the period at period shows. That's cool. But can we all agree to never take anyone seriously who mounts a plastic drive in tray with plastic food on their window?
Ya...if you didn't get to do it for real back in the day, that fake crap isn't going to make it happen...plus it doesn't taste as good . Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I lived and saw for myself in '50s and '60s there were not many primer cars running around. Most of the hot rods were painted or original paint shined up or even brush painted cars. You never saw primer cars in the magazines like you do now. Of course there were some primer cars but few and far apart.
The Jalopy Journal
