Do the Primer Nats represent the H.A.M.B. taste?

One of the guys who works the gate was telling me that there was about 1200 cars who attended. All I can say is there was lots of cars! More than last year,FOR SURE! I was surprised that there wasn't as many bikes this year.

 

You know, I read this thread, and I can't help but think that I fit in to your "most hated" catagories list more than once. Never once have I nailed one of my "Shitheaps" together intentionally leaving it in flatblack with a few rust spots and minus the $500 full wheel caps as a done car, but being 28 years old with two kids, a wife. Time and money are always in huge demand. I rarely get one FULL day a week to work on my stuff, and have about $75-$100 to spend on cars every two weeks, if I want something that costs more, I have to save. Being a professional mechanic(although heavy truck) my cars are always safe, or I won't drive/put my kids in them.

Closing:
I'll be more than happy to send you the email address that links to my paypal, I'm not above donations/handouts from people with plenty of money that like to knock guys cars down when it's the best they can do with what they got. Also, my garage is always open for help if ya want to come by and SHOW a young guy trying to get by that loves old cars how it's done(no sarcasm it that statment). Maybe when I'm older, when the kids are grown and gone, and me and the mrs. are more financially stable I can build "PERFECT" rides. For now I'll just keep hammering on my beaters, drive, sell, and repeat.

Drew

 

I think one thing some of us older guys, and I'm not THAT old, forget is that back when we started going to shows, there weren't that many shows and only the best was shown. We went to look at the "Stars" (the cars) and get ideas, see old friends, hang out and just do car guy shit. We parked our undone and primered cars outside and went home with new ideas and a rejuvenated sense of what we were gonna do next, maybe even that night. The shows inspired us to go further.
Now days there are many more shows and the cars aren't necessarily the "Stars" but just a gathering of car guys, and yes posers, that have a very different idea of what shows are. More of a place to hang out than totally about the cream of the crop cars.
I also agree that there are a lot more shitboxes, as some have so eloquently put it, around now and that's partly due to a mentality shift that has decided that outlandish, unsafe crap, with no sense of style is somehow "Cool". Where this has come from I don't claim to know, there are many factors and I'm sure a sociologist could go on forever about the causes, but I do know part of it has to due with a warped or uninformed view of the way it was. I'm not saying this is good or bad because I don't claim to have all the answers, or even some, and I do like ALL kinds of Rods & Customs - just have NO USE for rusty, bubblegum weld, parts below the scrub line, unsafe heaps that claim to be "Old School"

 

Yea, I agree with JimA...I began to check out the OC cruise pics. I did not see anything interesting IMO, I just closed the page after looking at 40 cars that were all the same, basically hand me down style from the 80's.

When a guy can build a nice car from a cab that was left in a field, I am impressed by his dedication.

 

I dont have an issue with primer as long as everyone is not using the same color (not that red oxide or other colors are being used its fine. I have really grown tired of shitboxes. guys taking decent rides and just shooting black primer on them because they think they have to to fit in. but I am really tired of seeing mid 30's/late 40 (and recently even newer) PU cabs placed on F' up frames with no proportions. I have decided that 80% of the builders of these shitboxes do not understand the look they are trying to copy (Ruby's PU). the beds are to short compared to the long front ends or they look like they are so short they are on Mailjeep frames or beds so long I can land a plane on it or running what looks like Model A beds on a tall 40's cab just so the rear wheels can set above the bed... To those builders, stop wasting the sheetmetal that remains so those with an eye for style/proportion can find decent metal.

For the 10 to 20% of you building Hiboy 30/40 someting PU that get it right, I applaud you..

 

There's a HUGE difference between a guy who is working within his means and a guy who wants a POS for a car! An unfinished car and a car that's built to attract attention are two different things.

 

thank you. finally after reading this post and puking from all the whining I agree with some one. and if you want my paypal account info for donations I'll give it to ya. did someone say there's depends on sale.

 

Did you see the post about "Negative Camber" club plaques? Mini Trucker+EarlyTruck Cab=most of what you described. The "No Limit" truck comes directly to mind.

 

i do not think one of my dads hot rods back in the day were ever painted, they seemed to be all red oxide or as he would say "red lead" they always dumped the money into the engine or other go fast goodies. the cars that were painted and purty were usually owned by a paint or a custom shop. i think my dad got as far as a TJ tuck in roll in his 40... his motorcycles on the other hand.. they were all painted and purty!!

 

Are we heading down that old road we went down in the 1970's? Pretty soon all we'll see on the H.A.M.B. are painted kit cars wth 350/350, 9" just like the 70's!
Keep these guys out because "I" think their car is ugly!!!
Oh Ya! I'm 63 and born and raised in So. Cal. I'll stick with the younger guys, they are having fun with their old cars.

 

Gotta agree with Bad Bob on this one. In Progress and Done to look like shit are two WAY different things.

That said, I always worry when I roll in somewhere in my Impala, I hope people don't think I'm going for that look. Yeah, there's lots of black primer and yes, the quarter is rusted through, but I'm working on it! It's not supposed to look like this!

 

mines 100% Henry Ford but she has paint, it doesn't matter to me if it's painted or not
that's why we have the diversity here

 

BIG difference to a clean driven car like yours to the ones with the day glow skull grilles, filthy monkey fur interior and crusty red capless steelies with the worn out skinny white wall radials- you know what I'm talking about

 

I like baby ducks...really they are cute. I have a family of ducks at teh end of my driveway.

 

I'm an old fart, but I think you guys in the US are very lucky. Here in Kiwiville, we have ONE show a year that caters for HAMB friendly rods and customs, and that's the Burnout put on by Kiwi Kev's club the Scroungers. In the area I live, only about 1% of rods and customs are Hamb friendly, the other 99% are all street rods. I dont know if that percentage applies to the US, but all I can say is..... thank your lucky stars you've got the Primer Nats, the Hunnert Car Pileup and all the other Hamb friendly shows. You've got it pretty damn good!

 

any pics?

 

I think the events of today are more about the drive to the event, hanging out with friends who have the same interests, good music, bbq's and checking out the cars. Sounds the same as going to shows with my dad when I was a kid. That's part of what got me into hotrodding.

 

Are they black prime with red feet?

 

I find the "scenery" more interesting at "those" shows..........

 

And to think, they are teaching people "Fabrication" skills with that thing!

 

This is why I wasn't able to drive my '57 to the Nat's this weekend. It's got motor issues and right now I don't have the money to fix it. Plan on drivin' it down next year though!

 

I wanted to put together a model A show a few years ago I thought that would of been fun..

Hell I say more shit boxes!!! it only makes my car look better

 

Fabrication and Beauty do not always go hand in hand- unless you are Jimmy White or Rudy Rodriguez.

 

there will always be some "garbage" at a show and not everything will be to your liking, but 10 other people might find it worthy. all you have to do is walk past the cars you don't like and pretend it wasn't even there. there are a lot of people out there that need a smack upside the head for the shit they "build".... i'm talking about the ones that do it just to be cool.

 

Hey, long before Kirk and I ever met in person (let alone worked together) I organized "Poseur Proof". The event only happened one time in my driveway with no other cars than my own- no spectators, no other vehicles. I had total control and I feel the event was an emotional success

 

There already is a Model A breakfast in Orange,down in that riverbed. I went this year. About 400 cars show up. You and Scott should bring your cars next year...

 

I have a dog. He likes baby ducks. Maybe we should meet. Do you like long walks on the beach?

 

Here's a couple of pics of my 30 A coupe in 1976. The red oxide primer pic was taken in early '76 and the gray primer pic was right after I got back from the Street Rod Nationals. I was 19 years old, almost 20. I was excited as hell to be able to actually drive a car I built to the Nationals. I thought I was part of the "brotherhood." I thought hot rodders were a great big family. They're not. One of the "heroes" I'd seen in magazines had his white Model A roadster there, and I parked next to him, and he gave me no doubt that he thought my coupe was a POS. Back then, the restorod look was common, the minimalist clean look that morphed into billet was just starting, and everyone was going to Pete and Jakes 4 bar suspensions, etc. I had a bare bones coupe, with a swapmeet 48 Ford front axle with split wishbones, Lincoln backing plates and brakes, '46 Ford pickup steering box, cut-down deuce grille shell, real, old King Bee headlights, upholstery I did myself.

I had big dreams for the car, intending to finish it to look like Milner's '32. I sold it in the summer of '79 to pay for my last semester in college. I never intended for the car to stay in primer and unfinished, but paying for college myself made selling the car a necessity.

I know what it's like to have people look down on you for what your car looks like, even if you put many hours of hard work into it. At most shows I go to, there are lots of cars that are built differently than I would have built them, but that doesn't mean they're crap, unless, of course, they're actually dangerous to drive.

If you see a car you like at a show, check it out. If you see one that doesn't blow your dress up, move on to the next one. There are far too many people in all levels of government who would like to see all modified cars go away for us to be getting in pissing matches about what is HAMB-worthy.

I respect and enjoy everyone on this board, and I'm glad to be part of it, and this is just my two cents worth on the subject.

 

Groucho likes the scenery!!! (Groucho's official photographer)

 

Borderline "wardrobe malfunction"!!!