I didn't bag my car to lower it. I bagged it to RAISE it. I engineered my car to run very low at drive height. I drive it everywhere just a few inches off the ground. BUT if I had done the lowering "statically" I couldn't get out of my own driveway.
That's a good answer, Cleatus. But wouldn't you get the same effect with a set of air shocks, to raise the car for obsticles?
Honestly...if I had to do it all over again, I would very seriously consider doing just that. Airbags are a pain and by the time I got everything dialed in just right, I have a small fortune and a rediculous amount of time in this setup.
Hooray another thread for bashing on other peoples rides. If you like 'em, run 'em if you don't, don't. Remember what they say about opinions.
Grow a pair? Wow, i didn't realize that being bored of the same old "discussion" meant I was a pussy. I guess I better go look for my balls.
Future generations are going to laugh at what the current generation is doing no matter what. But only for about 10 or 15 years, then it starts to look cool again. I used to make fun of late '60's & '70's vans; now I kind of dig 'em a little. As for air bags, like anything else, they can be done well or poorly. Weather they belong on a build or not is up to the builder and nobody else's opinion counts. As mentioned earlier, I hate that some really nice tin that has survived this long will be hacked to pieces by guy's trying to do the "in" thing. I don't like belly scraping, bagged Model A's... etc myself and don't think they will ever look right but, I can respect a well executed example. A hacked up POS example of the same car gets no respect. Now, if you guy's will excuse me I have a new idea for that Regal I got parked out back LOL. Btw, I like this thread. Especially Chaz's original point. I may not agree 100% with the haters or the advocates of air bags but I like it.
Its just a phase, kinda like puberty, and we all grow out of it. I'm kind of in the middle, depending on the car. Some look better bagged than others. I personally don't understand wheels bigger than 17" on anything except maybe large trucks.
historicaly, The first bags were on buses, and it was done by GM in 1953. The old custom builders coulda used them, but chose not to. Frank
I was in the parts store the other day and as I walked down the aisle of "accessories" I was wondering if the billet pedal covers and neon dash lights would become sought after collectibles in 50 years..... I remember seeing all kinds of useless-but-shiny stuff in the stores and the JC Whitney catalogs many years ago. Never thought they'd be so sought after today.
I would rather see a car bagged then just laying on the ground. If it is bagged at least the car isn't going to be ground down to nothing bouncing around on the highway. I live in Wisconsin if you have a car dropped on the ground here it won't last long. So call me a fag i am bagging my car. Yah when i go to a show the car will be dropped out and when i leave the bags will be inflated again. I see no reason in possibly destroying a car to be traditional. I wouldn't want to drive a 53 bel air dropped with 3 inches of clearance from here to Las Vegas my teeth would be rattled out of my head.
Good thread. I don't know that I care too much either way about bags or no-bags. I think the main thing is how well a project is executed. I billet covered douche car that's bagged and parked on the frame will just look like a lowered douche car. A badass Merc that is chopped just right and has some innovative (and well executed) mods like custom taillights and a unique grille and happens to be bagged will look great.
I don't care if a car has airbags (nothing says you have to let all the air out, you know!), but there are some current fads that will fade fast. I'm pretty sure the whole rough/rusty/"patina" thing is on its way out. No floor boards? Passe. Cars that sit 1 inch above the pavement? So long. Those really, really long/tall shifters? I don't know if they are popular enough to call them a fad, but surely I'm not the only one who looks at them and thinks "What the hell??" Tops chopped so low that your shoulders and head stick out through what used to be the cloth insert must surely die soon. Hopefully the gawdawful bright flake paint won't last long (pee green? on a purple car? REALLY??). Flat black might never die, but it surely will become less common. (And yes, my car is flat black. But the next one is going to be shiny!) If we are all lucky, the whole zebra/leoparad thing will fade away. Am I missing any?
I know this really isn't a BAG issue in this thread but, a buddy of mine had a mini truck on bags and, it was just fun. Not the coolest thing to look at, but drive it slam the ass on the pavement watch the sparks fly FUN
Bagged Hot Rods.....BAD Bagged or Severly Hammered Kustoms....GOOD Juiced Lowriders....GOOD Ive run bags and hydraulics. Hydros are fun, but heavy, space consuming, and no matter what anbody says....more maintainance. Bags ride great when set up properly (as does hydraulics), less, mess, cleaner less obtrusive install, ....and did i mention ride great andstill offer that bit of adjustability to keep from draggin the shiny chrome off that freshly redplated rear bumper
as with everything else, they have an application. For example, staticly low can get you into a heap of trouble in certian parts of Austin in a big hurry. the ability to "dig yourself out" of a crappy driveway, speed "Hump" (Y'all should see these things we have around here. You can literally beach a caddy on them if it's about 4 inches lower than stock...sheesh!) or some other "unknown" obsticale is in the way. (anyone remember the guy that dug a trench in the treestump at the round up a few years back? ouch...) another interesting quality of SOME bag set ups is ride. I recently installed Shockwaves on a customers previously staticly lowered 64 Galaxie...and the ride quality is EXCELLENT. of course. we went the whole way and added a triagulated 4 link...but still sucker rides beautiful. MUCH nicer than the quality lowering springs that were previously installed. and finally..Profiling is a matter of opinion. I dislike the super slammed model A. but to see a nice Custom in the grass...it adds to the total picture for me-but I know that's a personal thing. Now the guys that slam Giant Dually's for example...what a buncha weirdo's... ( Inside joke, fellas. sorry.)
Hahaha... Now THAT made me laugh I've seen the red dually I think you are referring to, and it is pretty cool. As far as airbags go, I've been happy with the ride quality and adjustability of the system that I have installed on my Galaxie. Some of the roads and speed humps are killer in Omaha, too. I also have to raise my car higher than the normal ride/drive height to get into my driveway. It couldn't be (staticly) much lower than stock, otherwise. Installing the right shocks with an airbag system helps ride quality dramatically. I'll be installing a pair of adj. shocks in the front of the Galaxie soon.... Malcolm
Hmmm..... No bags. Lowered ride. Skid plates. Sparks. FUN! Why curb feelers? Your fender will let you know when your close enough... Sounds the same, doesn't it?
My 51 F1 is set up for bags. I like the look of it when its parked and settin real low. When I drive it it will have a low but decent stance to it. I agree some cars look better than others on bags. As for Rat Rods...They have been around since the old days and becomming more and more popular...They can be built cheap and some look really cool. I'd rather see a kid build a rat rod instead of a ricer with a fart cannon exhaust...lol
i dont know,,,the only thing my hydros on my 56 require is a charge about everyother week,. when i set up a hydro install,it STILL has RIDE to it when the pumps are let out,,,meaning,even when its al the way down you still have give,,,, on the other hand,,,the airbag setups i have seen (and maybe ,maybe they are all shity setups that i have seen,,,but when they are fully aired out,,,the have no supension! with that said,,though,,,i think air bags AND hydraulics(unless on an actuall LOWRIDER,not an ALAMBAMA lowrider,,but a real lowrider) are pretty much overdone,,, i have been going through some personall fits with my merc,,,it is low,but due to the fact that EVERYTHING is bagged now,,,it ISNT low,,,,i have sometimes thought about bagging it,,, but ,,,even though i know most of the people knowadays dont,, i still prefer the "LIL PAGES" look,,,..... i wish more people would build TRADITIONAL rides...
Are bags traditional? No, are bags practical? Yes. I'm with Lux Blue. My daily is lowered, and I can't tell you how many times I've almost ripped the exhaust off in driveways or speedbumps in DFW. I have ridden in a bagged car, and I was impressed with the ride. I say, hooray for new technology! But like everything, it can be used in the wrong way. By the way, my hotrod sits too high for me, but at this point with my cash flow, it's going to stay that way. But I won't go with bags, just a Mustang II probably. (38 chevy)
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