Glass Rods, show us whatcha got...

I don't mind glass cars. I think where the whole "fake" deal came about is when glass guys insist on calling there glass car a "Ford". Theres a fella here in town that has a great looking 3 window replica, he insists on calling it a "32" when in reality there is not a thing on it thats more than 5 years old.

 

Glass or steel a poorly built car is a POS, I don't think I would ever go a glass 30-31 over steel as they are still available at reasonable prices.
If I ever wanted another 32 I would NOT buy another steel body, glass would be fine for me, then I can sink that spare 30g into building the car!
Glass has its place but there is a mystique about the real deal, the age and history always gets me about them. Where they have been, who owned them, what of life was lived in them? That is the true history we are saving, but on a budget so every now and then we make our own history in a glass car.
And Rats car is one of the nicest cars in Australia, glass or not!
Doc.

 

I was amazed when I found out this was a glass car-

 

Lots of arguments , lots of opinions .....my opinion ...JUSTDUG , that statement makes you sound like you are twat.....just my opinion.

I've owned and worked on both , both have there own merits and disadvantages , both have there place in our Hobby , living in the U.K. steel hasn't always been an option .....some guys have imported bodies/cars from the U.S. to achieve there 'steel dreams' and that gets frowned upon by some people coz they don't want their heritage leaving the country !!

I started building nostalgic Hot Rods with fellow club members in about '85 / '86 ...The Low Flyers club , here in the U.K. , SOME OF YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF US .....All glass cars , all considered to have there place in our Hobby as a landmark collection ........ask a Chopper !!

 

Okay then, here's mine. But before I put up a photo I'd better warn "Justdug" not to look!

Not only is it glass, but it was built from a kit! Oh horrors!

But wait it gets worse, it's got disc brakes, and electric fan, and an alternator.

But it does have a flathead.




I was able to "fake" the state of Tennessee into thinking this was a '28 Ford, and I've "faked" both Goodguys and the NSRA into thinking it's a real hot rod. It looks like a hot rod and the flathead makes it sound like a hot rod. But since it's a "fake" I guess I'll just cut it up and never drive it again!

 

Can't say I disagree with the cool factor of a gennie part that was on the road 70 yrs ago....anyone who would argue against that simply doesnt "get it". Hell I have plenty of gennie parts and cars myself and its that "passage of time" that makes em desirable !!

However, to state that they are just fakes, kit cars or anything like that is simply elitist in this day and age, and as someone else mentioned, worse than the gold chainers themsleves.

Let's say for arguments sake, a hot rodder in '09 builds a wooden buck, and proceeds to hand form his car out of aluminium? Do we ostrasize this guy because it aint steel, or do we marvel at his dedication, skill and commitment to build something out of an alternative material? Get the point? Once again, THAT'S hot rodding.

You can bet if the original hot rodders could have used glass on the lakes (ie: being lighter) back in the 40's they would have been onto it in a heartbeat - IF it was affordable. They sure as hell used hand formed aluminium.....

REAL hot rodding is about building your car YOURSELF with the best materials and components one can AFFORD to create something that looks better, goes faster and most importantly, something thatbone can be proud of as a result of THEIR toil and sacrifice. Thats my friends is REAL hot rodding.....

That in itself means that type of material shouldnt have anything to do with it.

In all honesty would I love to have a gennie steel 32 roadster? Of course I would, Im NOT going bullshit you OR myself. Am I prepared to fight off a million gold chainers who will jack up the price to stratospheric levels on Egay to do it? NO, I am not.

Remember guys, this is 2009, not 1946, these bodies just are'nt around any more for the old prices they used to sell for.

That means i will build my car with what I can afford to the best of my ability, just like other gearheads would....GLASS OR STEEL.

And that don't make me LESS of a hot rodder.

Rat

 

Here is my dad's glass car. We started this car a long time ago before I had ever even touched a welder. That's why we went with glass. I would rather have steel but it wasn't in the cards. Hood, hood sides, and grill shell are metal.

 

If youre gonna cut it up I'll come and get it. This is one of my favorite cars. Just let me know when you want me to come and get it

 

You got that right my friend! You can take the easy way out on a glass car for sure but try and hang roll up windows, crank out windsheild, door dovetail & latches, etc. where you have nothing but a blank space.
Don't talk "kit car" to me. I looked for a year for something decent & affordable, those two words don't go together.

 

Aw man, you don't want my car. It's a fake.

Besides, you're having too much fun with yours!

 

Sorry man, I gotta get at least $75 out of it.

 

I'll trade ya a 59 Olds bubbletop fer it. Its real. You wanna be cool dont ya!???

 

Not a lot of pics here. I'll come back when the bitchin' is over.

 

Why can't we all just get along! I personally don't give a crap if it's glass or steel. As long as it's safe and reliable. We're are all gear heads here . Let just appriciate all the time and effort someone has put into their rides no matter what there skill level.
P.S...... I do however hate people who buy these high dollar cars (Steel or Glass )and never work on them themselves.
Just my 2 cents

 

Post some more pics please. If you don't like glass cars don't look at the thread.
Smokey

 

Well yea, but between my "fake" hot rod, my '02 Mustang that has a 'fake" glass hood (from the factory, somebody should tell Ford they're fakin' it!), and our "real" '47 Mercury, there's no more room in the garage.

But if it's free and you really want to get rid of it, we'll find someplace for it!

 

More pictures! LoL

Glass is a good alternative...especially in the rust belt or in countries where original steel just wasn't available...and building it yourself is totally cool!
Building to a Traditional STYLE is where my head is at.

No way I can put a car together with only vintage parts.
I have an original body/frame but that doesn't help as much as some would claim it does! Seeing as the parts for a totally Traditional ride are all around 50-60 years old, it becomes more of a restoration than a Hot Rod.
(And lets face it...you better not be using a MIG welder, BC/CC paint, Epoxy primer, Plastic fillers, modern insulations...a wiring kit etc...or your really just a hypocrite to black list Fiberglass!)

The "Corvette isn't real" stuff that someone passed off as defending fiberglass is flawed though.
It's not the material thats the problem.
It's the fact that glass Hot Rods are obvious reproductions. But so are Brookville bodys and they're steel so glass isn't the end all of that!
Saying original Rodders WOULD have used glass IF it were available is lame too. Of course they would...but they couldn't...so it isn't "by the book" traditional.

I know one thing for sure though...IF there were NO reproduction bodys of any type put into the hands of regular guys or rich people alike...90% of us wouldn't be able to have a Hot Rod at all, as all the old bodys would be picked up and used already by the guys with mega dollar bank accounts.

WE'D be in the cold and the grassroots end of the hobby would be dead.

 

Here's my "FAKE" Roadster

 

Well said Hacker Bill!!!

 

This is NOT my car - it was the last car built by Roy Delaney (there's a thread on the discovery and provenance of his old custom pickup). He passed away last year from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). It has a JB Donaldson body, a GM crate 350 and all the "right stuff". Far as I know, it is for sale now - google Las Vegas Rod & Custom.

dj

 

This argument is neverending. My coupe is glass. I live in Florida. EVERYTHING rusts to hit in a short time. I knew I was going to drive this car EVERY day, rain or shine, and I have for 9 years. You can buy a new steel body from Brookville right? Are they real? I understand your point, it's not a vintage car, but it's still a car. That "kit car" thing is the one thing that just frosts my ass though. It's no more of a kit than your steel car you built in your garage. I piled up parts in the corner of my garage just like you did, spent countless hours turning a wrench on it (still do, just did yesterday), and I can tell you where every bolt and nut and wire is on that car because I put most of them there. I farmed some of the early work out (never again),most of which I've redone or had friends redo correctly. I love this car as much as you love steel car!

 

Your not repairing those bodies with "after market patch panels" or steel that didn't come from the Ford factory or was made after the year of your car's body are you ?...... If you are, I guess (by your rules) that only a percentage of your car is "The real thing" and you should admit it. In fact you should paint the repaired areas a different color and point them out as being "FAKE" and say,.....
Yeah ! it's the real thing ! form about here up ! the rest of my car is fake,.. and from there down, it's a kit car,.... in fact it's a fake Hot Rod, it wasn't really built in the 40's or the 50's but I like the style, so I took this body that was probably never a Hot Rod in the day and faked this kit car to look like one !,...... ( I'm sooooooo cool cause I got the real thing, well sort of )

But you have a point I guess,.... between these three 32's, you can just feel the vibe ! you just know which one is a brookville, which one is glass, and which one is original Ford,........ Cant you ?

 

That's getting a rich for my blood.... sorry.

Finktim... people in parts of the world like Hackerbilt and I understand rust. Really.
That looks like a fun ride. Maybe a little street-roddish for some of this crowd but I like it.

And the more I look at 2002p51's ride the more fun it looks. Anyone who cares if it's 'glass or not needs to re-examine their definition of fun.

I've done a lot of 'glass (years ago) and considered laying up some panels for an A truck I'm trying to work on but built an English Wheel and a plannishing hammer so I'll go to metal for this.

How are these reinforced? All wood? Or have things changed that way?

 

What Harms Way said!

 

My dad and I built this one a few years ago.

 

"JUSTDUG" how about posting some pics of your rides?
also how many have you driven them? I have a GLASS Tbucket that i built in 1999 & have 46000 miles on it.
If a car (steel or glass) sits in the driveway all the time, those the ones that deserve a raggin!!lol
JimV

 

What I've learned today is that when I build my A most of my car will be fake, kit or reproduction, except for the top two thirds of the bare body shell. I need some aspirin!

 

A lot of good looking "fake" cars there.
Here's a couple I had a hand in building. I was the "fake" guy who cut an built the frames, and then "faked" the bodys.





A finished product:

 

The gray Fiats is glass, made from the mold from my steel body. Rich Venza from Rod and Race Fiberglass produced them before selling his company. I was fortuneate enough to by the steel Fiat from Rich when he finished the mold.

 

I don't mind a glass body, unless you're like this choad and fake a rusty patina onto it...