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Hot Rods Does it seem like the ring is never within reach?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Roothawg, Jan 4, 2024.

  1. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,737

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Man, I have never understood building cars or engines with all brand new aftermarket or racing parts. Do street cars really need to have 600 hp and the ability to rev to 7500 rpms? I have always scrounged for deals, horse traded for parts and used used engines that I rebuilt myself. I have always impulse bought at swap meets things that I thought I could use someday especially if it was too cheap. Maybe people that live near me are spoiled because we still have several salvage yards that have cars from the 40's-70's in them. Maybe it is time to get back to where this hobby started...REAL HOT RODDING, which means very little 1-800 car parts....

    with all the people switching to LS (yuk) engines there are more and more perfectly good used engines available. Yes you can put a used engine in your build, I have done it, typically these cars will not be used enough to ever wear them out.... It is called living within your means.... Most all of my money has always been spent on car stuff, when everyone else was going on vacations, buying new dually pickups, new motorcycles and boats and moving into fancy new houses, I did none of that and spent all my money on old cars and car stuff....
     
    UNSHINED 2, Squablow, X-cpe and 22 others like this.
  2. lumpy 63
    Joined: Aug 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,127

    lumpy 63
    Member

    My Vette was almost entirely built with left overs:cool:
     
  3. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,910

    Rickybop
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  4. Most of my projects started as a Customers unwanted and left over's. I did real well setting those things aside. What I never could figure out how to reuse was the Old Paint and Chrome. Once it was sanded off and swept up I couldn't make is stick back on. Same kind of problem when something went to be re chromed. How do you put that stuff back on? I like Leftovers also but there seems to be a limit to it.
     
  5. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,186

    Roothawg
    Member

    I have 4.......but only one holds pressure.
     
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  6. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,737

    Moriarity
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    I have the same one that I bought in the 80's. I have rebuilt it twice
     
  7. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,186

    Roothawg
    Member

    The answer is yes.
     
  8. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,737

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    really? I can't wrap my head around that... for a street car?
     
  9. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,186

    Roothawg
    Member

    Yes sir. You need to ride in one to full grasp it. It will change your perspective.
     
  10. Your rebuilt jack won't get the front wheels three feet off the ground. :D
     
  11. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,737

    Moriarity
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    I have been in fast cars, All of my cars have bias ply tires with less than 5 inches of tread..... 600hp seems silly to me, I am a custom guy. My corvette probably has 350-400 hp and that is way more than enough for me. Different strokes I guess.
     
  12. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,910

    Rickybop
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    I think maybe being subjected to sudden extreme G-forces can prove addictive.
    Yes?
    LOL
     
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  13. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,737

    Moriarity
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    this is true but I think the Fly, Roots avatar is not a street car but a drag car. Not what we are talking about here
     
  14. If it weren’t for leftovers and used junk, I couldn’t be part of this hobby. And, I figure I can keep playing with this junk by working right up to my funeral.
     
  15. A good percentage of people here want a "street brawler," as a recent thread shows.

    I don't. I want a small engine or a motor.
     
    loudbang likes this.
  16. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,186

    Roothawg
    Member

    It's genetic. My dad ran a C/Gas drag car until I was 12. He had a drag boat and I street raced until I had my first kid in 1993. The wife made me quit since I was an "adult".
     
  17. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,737

    Moriarity
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    I have a flatbottom drag boat. And I will tell you this. That is the most fun you can have with a steering wheel in your hand period
     
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  18. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,186

    Roothawg
    Member

    That's what we had. Dad would pull the motor out of the drag car and put it in the boat, turn the headers upside down and go racing. I need to see if I can find a pic of it.
     
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  19. Mark ,

    Praise the Lord,,,,,preach it brother !

    I have the same mentality,,,,,,I use what I can get for a good price !
    Hot rodding is about working on these old cars and making them better with what you can .

    If someone wants to spend more money,,,,that’s fine,,,it’s their business .
    However,,,I get so tired of hearing complaints about how hard it is to make ends meet and still barely be able to build a $50,000 engine .
    Most of these vehicles will never be able to use the value from a 2500 dollar block .

    Sorry to hurt any feelings,,,,but it is really hard to sympathize with people who don’t realize that the hot rodders are what built all this movement up to begin with .

    There are several on this board that I have the utmost respect for,,, they are always on point .
    Even if they build super nice high end stuff ,,,,,they are still gonna be innovative and do amazing work .
    And several of those guys are building low buck stuff,,,,,but it’s still great machines and they have a ball with them .
    They probably actually make money from their projects because they are watching the capital outlay and use perfectly good used pieces .

    Either way,,,,,,most if these guys are like E F Hutton to me ,,,,when they speak,,,,I listen !
    Great people on here ,,,with a lot of knowledge .

    Tommy
     
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  20. Most would probably be shocked at how little money I have into my cars…there’s always a way…
     
  21. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,186

    Roothawg
    Member

    I want a Dart block because I am 55 years old and never had anything other than salvage yard junk. I just want to build a keeper motor for my hot rod, something that will last as long as I do and still perform. Just to see what it's like, just once.

    I do everything I possibly can on my hot rods.
    I do my own bodywork, paint, chassis, rear ends, engines, roll cages, wiring and now upholstery.

    I have been using what I have since I was 12.
     
  22. I guess luckily for me I just got the dream engine for my truck, it just happens to be rusty junk. I also work on gravel, with a floor jack.
     
  23. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 4,986

    alanp561
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    And, as a result, you've got a perfectly period correct NOS kitchen, and some pretty cool cars, even if most of them are Chevrolet ;).
     
  24. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 4,986

    alanp561
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    upload_2024-1-4_21-0-2.png
     
    lostn51 and Moriarity like this.
  25. NoSurf
    Joined: Jul 26, 2002
    Posts: 4,581

    NoSurf
    Member

  26. Yea, I didn’t know about the ring either. :D
     
  27. studebakerjoe
    Joined: Jul 7, 2015
    Posts: 1,153

    studebakerjoe
    Member

    A whole bunch of rings. They go around the pistons.
     
  28. Ah…Ok, I guess I did know about those. :D
     
  29. lumpy 63
    Joined: Aug 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,127

    lumpy 63
    Member

    Chris no need to justify anything.... We as hot rodders make purchases that other people will never understand ... Too bad for them. As far as the Dart block it is getting harder to find good early sbc cores , most have been bored to at least .030 or .040 and .060 can get iffy. I build a lot of sbc's every year and honestly the Dart is a good choice for something you are going to beat on regularly . Tell Kim I said it was OK :D
     
  30. Sometimes I think it’s ok to do something “irresponsible” just because it makes you happy.
     

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