I hope like hell you're way off base cause if you're right, I'm go'in to buy a boat or some frigg'n skis or someth'n and get the hell away from that.
The next trend is custom vans. It happened before, and it will come back around says my buddy Dan. I'm stocking up on molester bubble windows now to sell later on ebay. PM if interested! Or join me on the VAMB!! I can't wait until the trends are over and done and that is when I buy up all the "rat rods" If you PM me you're an idiot. That was sarcasm.
For some, fuel economy will be the next horsepower. By that I mean we may see a trend to low-buck tweaking for efficiency. Not reprogramming chips, but making cars more aerodynamic and lighter. Stripped out interiors, skinny tires, belly pans, etc, the aero tricks used by lakes and salt racers, but with the bias toward low drag, and high efficiency. It's a game that can be played with cars of any era. One could still have a potent engine in an aero-efficient car. In a slightly different vein, someone ought to put a V-8 and rear wheel drive into a Scion Xb, that two-box designed with a T-square.
The next "FAD" will be whatever is pushed on the boob tube. witness the explosion of unridable circus "choppers" that happened in the wake of OCC and Biker Buildoff. Posers are a fact of life. I see them as parts sources when they move on. My latest project is a chopped/channeled 40 chevy fenderless truck with a mercedes turbodeisel in it. I plan on running it with biodeisel and starting a trend of "Green" hot rods built of recycled parts saved from the landfill and running on renewable fuels.
If your serious about running bio-diesel I'd like to know how that goes. I will be finishing my car in about 4-5 years and there's no telling what the future will bring.
what i find funny is that i read in a mag where a guy had a great looking 55 chevy shinyread full trim and all in his letter to the editor he sent that as the before pic and the same car no trim and black primer as the after pic those were the only visual changes and said i decided to go rat rod so what i imagine if your prediction is right is people cutting the fenders out of perfectly good shiny muscle cars just to fit the race tier and adding numbers on the door . then what do they have when the fad falls? a lot of cheks to write for body work
not trying to bust anyones balls here, but unless the next word starts with a vowel, use "a" not "an" except in rare instances. I went nuts trying to read the first post...I thought, "I sure hope nobody actually talks that way" it would drive me nuts. as far as trends go, who cares...trends are for people looking to be popular. Do whatever makes you happy and you will be. Generally whenever you do your own thing and not worry about being trendy, that which you are doing will end up being then next trend a couple years down the line and you can then say you've been doing it long before it was trendy which in itself is the trendy thing to say...
Wow that is cool. Speaking of low rider I just scored 6 local plaque patterns for low rider clubs from about 1972, they are very cool history.
yeah, when will those dumb fuckers ever learn that we don't need clean air or water, and besides, glow in the dark kids are easier to find at bedtime. our big manufacturers will be careful and not poison our resources on their own, they don't need any "regulations" or "tree huggers" getting in the way of profits. and if you believe that shit go to mexico and try the water....................
It'd be really nice if socalled "hot rodders" would finish something they started for once. Thats my only problem with "rat rods" and rockasillies. People painted their cars in primers with mexican blankets back in the day because they eventually planned to paint the cars, do the interior. Theres a ton of beautiful cars that have been built over the years and some impressive new ideas and talent rolling through, but for every one of those guys, theres 10 dorks drinking pabst blue ribbon and more concerned about their cuffs than finishing their cars. I'd hope to see more people trying to get their cars close to completion instead of painting them with fake rust and building shit boxes to impress the greaser next to them. I see so many cars that would be Rodders Journal material with the final touches on the car and its sad. As we all know, no car is ever done, but progress is a damn fine thing, so is paint, and interior.
This is at least the second time I've seen a comment like this. Where do you guys dream this Shiite up? Thanks, Kurt
when I think back on where I got the bug for this stuff ,I remember hanging out while my dad and his buddies built race cars, and going down the street to the cruise nights looking at all the 40's and 50's cars. I always wanted an old car but could'nt afford one until about ten years ago. Flash forward ten years and I still have that car, it still isn't on the road yet. I have a bunch of friends now that were all into lowriders and mini-trucks and all that shit people think is cheese, but now they're into hot rods...and you know what...they build some seriously cool shit. It may have taken the trend to rope them in, but they're here with all of their talent to boot. Ten years ago I would'nt have had their help or their badgering to get my shit on the road. I still don't have the money I need to get it together. Trends bring some good some bad, but in the end, the good will still be here and the trendies will be driving Citations and 4x4 Eagle hatchbacks with airbags and wings and NASCAR paintjobs to the cruise night at Starbucks.
I hope no one was confused, but I really don't give a damn if i'm "trendy" or not. I was just suggesting the evolution of the "look" that is being pushed.
It will come the day that you will see Pintos & Vegas, along with Gremlins, Pacers and Yugos cruising around the Good Guys events. When that happens put me in the ground and cover me up. I'll be ready for a dirt nap!! _________________________________________________ We're going to Watts at 3'oclock in the morning~~~Let's go!
i think "being pushed" is the operative phrase here. i believe all trends, be they fashion, food or cars, are influenced in a very large degree by popular media. choppers and colors were a west coast thing, then some exploiting movies went nationwide and boom, choppers and outlaws in pioria. same with hot rods. i read somewhere that when cary grant appeared in a tank top undershirt in a 50s movie that it sparked a buyer frenzy for that style of undershirt. right now america is in a position with baby boomers who have disposable incomes, time on their hands and a wish for the toys they wanted in their youth and thier childrens generation that is influenced by them. i may be wrong but i believe that in 30 years when the boomers are gone that the hotrod/biker phenomenon of the last 40 years will be gone with them.
Gassers are poppin up like muchrooms in the woods here in Sweden. I'll say, Gassers will be the next thing within some years. /Eric.
this must be the future its both a gremlin and a old racecar. this is a trend i would like to see this is a true pure hot rod anyone else is just a poser.
I've no idea when it'll be held in Sweden but two days from now it will take place in France. 6 of july 2007 the calendar says. /Eric.
The Jalopy Journal
