History WHAT'S SO GOOD about Hot Rodding???????

With all that's going on with hot rod related legislation (like California's AB 1740) lately I started thinking that it might be a good idea to put all of the positives of hot rodding down on (virtual) paper. The idea is a list of good stuff that hot rodding does for the economy and community to counteract the trumped up lists produced by groups like the Sierra Club and American Lung Association to push through their heavy-handed "green" agendas.

I know we all want to be rebels and relive the "good old days" that most of us have only seen in photos, but the reality of the situation is that we are just car nerds who enjoy a neat and harmless hobby. I know I am.

Our hobby is tame and actually looked upon with awe and inspiration by the general public. In my opinion, what we do makes the world a better place.

That said, what do you see as positive results of hot rodding?

-We spend money with suppliers who employ fellow Americans.
-We spend money on gas, hotels and restaurants when we go to car shows; injecting capital into local communities.
-Our cars are not gross polluters and even if they do put out some, we don't drive them enough to make any impact compared to new cars.
-We spend money at car shows; employing promoters, fairgrounds staff, food vendors etc. in turn those people buy products to supply us with.
-We keep a part of Americas past (some of its best years/history) alive.
-We add spice to otherwise dull roads and sunny weekend afternoons.
-It's an excellent family activity whether you are building, driving or just spectating.
-We're the ultimate recyclers.

You get the idea. Please keep it clean and positive. I want to be able to use this post to influence legislators who need guidance.

 

The number of technological advances in contemporary automobiles, that have thier root in the home hobbyist, are countless.

 

Building cars and hanging around race tracks kept me and my brother away from drugs. Instead of buying dope, we were buying car parts and car magazines and car clothing, etc, etc. As soon as the car world got into our blood, it has never left, just keeps getting stronger. JOKER JASON.

 

Whats not? Its a hobby that you can show off your vision and what you've done. You can be different and not another Lemming. Its all about individual freedom and creativity.

 

It gets ya laid...

~Jason

 

It's good therapy for most of us. When we're out in the garage wrenching, going for a cruise down a quiet country road, or just bench racing with like minded souls, our other worldly problems somehow become less overwhelming for a while. Without this old car hobby to keep us sane, who knows what kind of trouble some of us might be into. Just as any other hobby, it is an escape from the daily grind, perhaps a boring job or a nagging spouse. It's really the psychological well-being that we gain from it that keeps most of us involved well beyond the busted knuckles and empty bank accounts.....Don.

 

We recycle and re-use.

Our cars dont need the energy to get broken down, and then more energy to build a new car out of those materials.

I would be very surprised if a mile driven in an old car isnt acctually cleaner ( greener ) than one driven in a new Hybrid, even if what comes out of the tailpipe isn't quite as clean...

 

You hit it right on the head here mister!!!

 

Excellent point. I wonder how I could put some numbers together to support that.

 

It keeps kids outta trouble

 

What's good about hot rodding? It's said by somebody's signature right here on hamb..............
"If everybody is thinking alike, somebody isn't thinking".
(George S. Patton, General, United States Army)

 

The OEM`s learn almost everything from Hotrodders and the aftermarket performance world. Light wheels were developed for speed but they also lighten up vehicles for fuel economy. Legendary Ak Miller developed propane fuel systems for speed but his company put propane on everything imaginable to burn cheap and clean.Even Henry Ford ,Chevrolet and the rest of them raced at Indy to develope better automobiles.Detroit learned from Hotrodders about fuel injection.The list goes on and on.

 

Looking at it another way, it might take more energy to rebuild an older vehicle, due to the amount of parts needed to be shipped, the act of driving to a swap meet looking for parts, the electricity needed to run welders, all the chemicals needed to strip/paint a car, etc etc.

 

for me it is the romantic idea that one could live/relive the past, also a great bridge builder between many different generation gaps, and most of all one of the most beneficial forms of self expression and American freedom.

 

There must be numbers available how much energy it costs to melt down a pound of aluminum.
( if they use old aluminum, making new out of Bouxite costs more...)

Or to manufacture a pound of plastic ( a percentage of which is going to find its way into the enviroment )

A pound of glass, etc.

Taken over the average lifespan of a new car ( maybe 10 years? ), means a 80 year old car eliminates that process 8 times.

 

I've heard a term used called "Manufactured equity" or something along those lines. I'm not sure if that is the actual term. but close.

But basically a car starts out with a negative manufacturing impact and it takes X number of years of use to be on the positive side of things. What I remember from the thread is that a car from 1930 has lived like 400% more than it expected life span and thus hasn't caused negative impacts such as the cost of destruction and manufacture of a new one to take it's place.

 

Cars are my pursuit of happiness

 

For me, it was either Hot Rods, or cocaine & hookers...

Seriously, I think the most positive thing about Hot Rodding is the quality of the people...I am NOT a people person, not even close, but it seems like the only people I can even stand to be around are car people! I've met some of the finest people you could ever hope to meet in and around Racing, Hot Rodding, Customs & Old Classics...wish I could figure out what it is about them that's so special, 'cuz I'd bottle it and sell it...

Eric

 

It certainly doesn't stifle creativity...which leads to new parts, new colors of paint, new interior patterns and materials and new tires.

Manufacturer's designers finally took a 1960's painted/rolled pans on kustoms and incorporated that into '80's cars, eliminating chromed bumpers and integrated those "pans" , turning them into plastic bumpers.

R-

 

The guys and gals who put on the hunnert donate all of the $ brought in to charity and I know they are not the only ones who do that with the dough they raise.

Also, car clubs that take their autos to retirement homes and hospitals to bring a few smiles.

 

By doing a bad ass burn out down the stree we inspire a young man to get off the couch playing japaness video games learn a trade and make his own bad ass hot rod. Im still one of those young punks.

 

I dumb struck a someone by saying that my car is recycled. Since it was built many years ago there were no more fossil fuel burning machines being utilized to produce my car like there are to make new ones.

I also explained that with the various engine modifications it took less fuel energy to produce te power out put than some newer cars. While they maybe "good on gas" did not produce the same fuel efficiency that mine did.

I was also able to prove that through fine tuning and proper maintenance that it produced zero emissions. I then told him that since I love my car and there are other people that feel the same way about these cars that it will never end up in a junkyard to leak and pollute the ground and in turn never have to be crushed and melted down so thus more fossil fuel burning machines would not be employed to help rid the environment of "my big polluter"

Also Hot rodding is beneficial to community economic impact you could easily compare Paso Robles before and after the show moved to Santa Maria and santa maria before and after.

Look at all of the shows sponsored by non profits and clubs....Kiwanis,Elks, etc, etc. they are money makers. and for good causes.

Also contact your local sherrif and ask him how many groups have contacted him about street legal racing recently...I guarantee you it's more than one. so what does that mean? hot rodders are trying to fix a local problem in almost every community where kids are getting killed because they have no where to go....
Also we vote, as do our friends, children, brothers sisters and the members of the various civic organizations and employers and co-workers.

 

Preserving a piece of Americana. I'm a bit of a history geek as it is and this kinda blends in with that.

 

"...I want to be able to use this post to influence legislators who need guidance."

Great! Got it! Now that I've re-read Kirk!'s post, and maybe understand it a little better, I think maybe the easiest thing to get across to them is simply this, and it's what they are thinking about most of the time anyway:

WE ARE HOT RODDERS, AND WE VOTE!

Eric

 

it is a healthy expression of creativity, as opposed to tagging or manipulating markets.

 

gotcha. I deleted my 'what's REALLY good about hot roddin'. We would do better by hiding what's good from the legislatures, because they'll figure out a way to tax it.
Good luck on 'influencing legislators", Here in colorado they tripled my registration in one year. That's a direct attack on old car owners.

 

hot rodding brings out the best in people and it knows no race, gender, religion. We don't care how rich or poor you are. We all share in this experience world wide. It's the greatest hobbie you could ever have and it's well recieved even by the general public. You meet new friends, we share ideas. The world is our Car club!!!

 

I read a study years about about the recycled car issue and how it's greener than melting down and reproducing another car from the scap. Of course all this gets squashed by the heavy handed green agenda Kirk referenced.

Also, think of all the charities that shows and rod runs contribute to. Or the boost to the local economy for some of the small towns that support shows. Of course, I'm sure SEMA could help with data, afterall their very existance as an aftermarket is why they are there in the first place and all the jobs and taxes they contribute to the US economy.

 

As an independent and free American, it's what I choose to do in my pursuit of happiness. I shouldn't have to convince some know nothing do gooder politician that my hobby is OK.

 

I think it contributes alot to families as well.As well as the want to learn trades.It keeps my kid from being lazy he always wants to spend time in the garage working and learning with me.He also loves to go to all my buddies shops and to shows.Hes only 4 but man does he try hard.Think of all the kids in auto classes building race cars and drivers learning trades.Trade work is dying in our great nation we need to keep these guys motivated!