Hot Rods Educate me on this growing prejudice with Traditional Hot Rods.

I'm trying to get a little more "in tune" with the perception of Traditional versus Period Correct. I'm looking for different perspectives from an array of people, so please don't look down on me. I grew up around many different Muscle Cars. My father took me to elementery school when the weather was too bad to walk in a triple red '66 Coronet 383 4spd, and the cool rides multipied since then over the past 30+ years. I've been a shop owner myself since 1993. I keep a all original vehicles here, hot rods, kustoms,and rat rods, to try to offer some diversity that my customers can appreciate and show that I cater to all aspects of this lifestyle. I even occasionally trade around older imports, anything to pay the light bill. Just sold my Harley that was part of the family for years, and really never desire another over the stigma surrounding them, but that's another story all together.
Anyway, back to my point. I've witnessed alot of changes over the years with this lifestyle, and as of the last few years there seem to be so many " Bible Thumping" Traditionalists that look so far down on people because their car doesn't fit a category, that the rest of the world is oblivious to, and enthusiatically put all their time into reviving a project that passionatly means so much to the builder. Is there a majic year you can't cross building a 32? Are we allowed to run seatbelts to secure our kids on the way to a show? They chopped tops in the '40s so their dad couldn't fit in with his '30s hat, and removed '50s fins because they were so gaudy, is that period correct? Please don't hate me, educate me so I can offer more traditional and period correct cars and trucks to the hobby. Thanks for your input.

 

Hooooooooo boy...!!! Let me offer this: If you're already building cars for your customers...let them decide what they want and build it for them...don't try to tangle up their thoughts with "traditional" thoughts...it's a whole can of worms and on this board, about 60,000 different opinions...

R-

 

the car culture surrounding "hot rods" "ratrods" periord correct/ traditional or factory fresh ----------what ever you call it has finally come full circle i believe, all thanks to the internet. Im 31, but I recall riding in my uncles 71 AAR cuda on friday nights looking for some "street action" in his words. He could diagnose a street race just by the other guys tires. I dont see how it has broken off into so many sub-categories but it has. I am currently building a car that I like, even though my circle of car buddies really dislike the car. I say fu*k everyone else, build or drive what you dig. If you are running your business to cater to a certain group, you will limit what you sell or "could sell" imo. A relative of mine has a "rod shop" you can check it out @ www.jjrods.com no shameless plug but, he has all kinds of cars.

 

I think it all depends on what you're trying to accomplish with YOUR ride... I think the attraction of folks who seek to complete a build to a 'period correct' ride is that they are trying to re-live in modern times another time period of interest to them, that is why someone building a period correct, hoped-up model A 4 banger would cringe at the use of wildwood disk breaks, and would even go as far as using the original mechanical brakes to achieve a certain 'period correct' feel, look, etc...

as with anything you have those that get overly selfritious with their pursuits but in the end I think most who "thump" the period correct or traditional build and lifestyle are trying to re-connect with a percieved past, and are willing to go to great lengths to do so... in order to feel and experience what someone would have felt and experienced way back when.

So don't get turned off, or question OR THINK TOO MUCH... get turned on, and re-live your favorite time period!

 

That's a terrible reason to sell a motorcycle!! Build what you like and don't worry about everybody else.

 

What is typically considered a "traditional" ride on here, usually makes me chuckle. A "magazine" car from the fifties and sixties was hardly indicative of what was actually being built and driven at the time. Don't get hung up on labels. Build what your client's have envisioned. You can't please everyone, as Rick Nelson sang.

 

This debate, question, whatever on "period correct" and "traditional" is way overdone.......hotrods are supposed to be fun, some guys take this shit WAY too seriously.....



Can't we just get back to threads on Ferraris and Chicks who backed up drag cars during the SEVENTIES........ya, know, traditional stuff.....

 

How about buying a pile of real old rod magazines...then you don't have to take someones modern opinions?

There sure was a whole bunch of different builds in very different styles.

 

This argument is so 2007....

 

The prejudice is only internet based. The elite traditionalists who rip apart other people's cars would NEVER do it in person at a show or rod run. The first rule of "Bible Thumping Traditionalists" is that their attitude requires the anonnimity of the internet.

 

I'm sorry, what was the question?

 

Seatbelts are something even hotrodders "in the day" were using. Remember, many of them were WWII vets and saw the advantages of seatbelts in aircraft and knew the safety carried over into automobiles as well. You can't control your car if you can't stay at the controls and your passengers are being slung all over the place.

Hotrodders have been the leaders in not only speed but in safety as well. You can be sure that a car owned by a late 40s hotrodder who was active and lived this long still participating with the same car would not be the car he drove in the 40s. It would have advanced as technology advanced and been changed and changed again in an effort to be the fastest. Even if a guy had stuck with a flathead it would be port injected today hooked to a 5- or 6-speed transmission, open drive, independent rear suspension, but of course retaining the Dago axle up front but with disc brakes and yes, boys, radial tires and all.
It's OK to pick a period but don't forget hotrodders were the innovators and led the advance in many automotive technologies and USED THEM.

 

Good Educated Point.

 

I happen to like tasteless 70's builds. Who here cares? Nobody.

Cruisin in my 71 paneled Comet listening to ABBA... Whatcha going to do about it? Cut my shackles?

 

"Period correct" implies a restorer's mentality. Restorers and hot rodders are two different breeds of enthusiast with different priorities, although they sometimes like the same cars.

A traditional hot rod doesn't need to be period correct to be a good hot rod. Sez me.

 

Personally speaking, I am fine with pretty much whatever someone wants to build as long as they put some hard work into it and are proud of it. I may not necessarily like it, but I will respect it. I am ok with it coming back at me that way as well. I don't expect everyone to like my project(s) let alone agree with how traditional they may or may not be. But, as far as being traditional goes, a very good start almost everyone can probably agree on is to avoid giant billet wheels that just scream how much money I spent on the project.

 

I think that building or owning any car really boils down to two distinct parts. The part of you that owns the car because it speaks to you and your needs and what you want out of it, and the part that speaks to other people and the feedback you enjoy getting from that. Some people split this 50/50 and others are 99% about MY wants and care very little about what others think. Other people own a car bascially just because of what other people think about it.

So, my advice is to figure out what kind of a guy you are, and build a car that fits both sides of the equation in the percentage that's important to you. It's the ONLY way you will be happy.

 

I am not a hater. I don't mind disc brakes, coil overs, Vega steering, EFI on a closed hood car. Most wouldn't like my 4 door Lark. It is not traditional, but I like it. I do not like Billet crap on everything, Easter egg paint jobs, tweed seats, or digital gauges. No place for those anywhere.

 

Amen

 

I think I'm going to be sick.

JH

 

you are a fraud I just got clipped yesterday on this very forum for using the term "period correct". But of course he was hiding behind his keyboard.

I humbly disagree that the term applies to restorers. I feel restorers have no option...it needs to be exact and accurate. It is indeed the hotrodders that so focus on being "period correct" even if they detest the term. Watch and listen on this forum, or attend a hot rod event and listen to all the critics when they discuss wheels, tires, accessories, engine detailing, etc. While they may have conditioned themselves to avoid using the terminology, it is that very vein that causes them to look down their noses at other. Just my .02

 

Good choice of words

 

Roll your sleeves up......slick your hair back......and build the SH#% out of em!!!!

 

There are some who want to recapture an era, and others who are just happy with a concept. I'm in the latter group, and this place is the fuel that stokes my enthusiasm.

It also sustains the "period correct" guys.

The HAMB is an inspiration to all kinds of car guys, and that's not a bad thing.

 

People take this shit too serious.Have fun.

 

Hey Jeff!! I love it, climb on in and get after it!

Is there a growing prejudice? I hadn't noticed. I've mostly just noticed a bunch of elitists being rude about what they think about other peoples cars for the most part. I guess that makes me en vouge. All that should matter is if the guy that owns the car is happy about what he's built or got.

I like Zerks point too.

 

I will not contribute to this ridiculous thread.

 

I'm a newbie, but only to this site. Some of those answering this didn't get past the title of it. Sorry, I do think too much.....surviving this economy and endless negativity as an open door Sole Proprietor consumes my thoughts....for years.

 

Riddles.....