Customs Will these new Cragar wheels get me banned???

Nonsense, it's the "Have some fucking balls and build your car the way you want to" generation. Mediocrity is going to a 'traditional' show and seeing row after row of me-too flat black cars and rusty shitwagons that would have been laughed out of any drive-in back in the 50s or 60s, but that some wannabe greaser tossed together to be part of the 'scene.'

This 'please approve of my stuff' thread sounds more like high school girls picking out prom dresses.

Oh, and the photoshop with the wheels? Nice. Any show that kicks that car out doesn't deserve it.

 

There is some very interesting points made on this post.I like the wheels But not a lover of wheels like this on a 50`s cars.They look better on 60`s car.I have learn a lot about how cars were built back in the day since I first came on this site. There is a fine line that you follow if you want to be correct but not everybody is looking to be correct.That is what hot rodding is all about. Building it the way you like it.One thing about hot rodders we all have different tastes but because one like it some else don`t don`t make one right and the other wrong. On this site there is a guide line to follow you know what something is too far out there to be on here.

 

Yes vote for the puke smiley.

 

Thanks guys, couldn't have made those points better myself. Unfortunately, you need to be old enough to have been in the scene for 40-50 years to understand the subtle variations of what was considered cool in different eras. But that's only if you are trying to duplicate anyway.

The classic look was blackwalls with cast wheels. Period. Whitewall tires disappeared from performance cars of all types by the mid-60's, coinciding with the proliferation of aluminum racing wheels. And even when whitewalls were used on customs, the width had become very narrow by then.

Yes you can dredge up photos from the early 60's showing the two styles mixed, but it was a short-lived, uncool fad that died. A good example would be the Stone Woods and Cook series of Willys gassers; When they were local racers starting out, their early cars ran whitewall slicks. But by the mid 60's, when SWC became the team who dominated their field, they ran big black M&H's, as did 99% of all drag professionals by then.

The worst offense is when someone mounts those huge 8 inch wide 1949-style whites on a 1965 cast wheel and then bolts them onto a late 60's luxury car. Never happened until the last ten years.

 

If a pair of those wheels get you banned , then lord help us, the HAMB is doomed. there is a lot of shit on here FAR WORSE than that. In other words no they won't.

 

"...I like the wheels But not a lover of wheels like this on a 50`s cars.They look better on 60`s car"


...just remember, 50's cars were around in the 60's and more of them were hot rodded because they were older and cheaper. There's a new name for aftermarket stuff these days, ...they call it "day two" equipment. In the 60's we didn't call it anything, we just went to our local speed shop, Western Auto, Sears or ordered the stuff through a catalog like Honest Charlies, etc. I remember seeing cars in Atlanta with every tire/wheel combination you could imagine; steel rims with skinny whites, black walls or wide whites, "mag wheels" with the same tire combinations or a combination of just about everything.

In respons to a previous post. I really don't care what a person does to their car, I might snicker or I might think it's cooler than shit but it's none of my business. I live by this rule; everybody is just as proud of their car(s) as I am of mine. Most of the people on this board have no idea what traditional really is. A hot rod or muscle car from the 50-60's, built in Los Angeles was very different than a car built in Fargo, North Dakota or Atlanta, Georgia. Of course, everybody was influenced by the car rags of the day, most of them coming out of California. I remember reading them with buddies and commenting how ugly some of the customs were and how ridiculous the some of the hot rods were. Now, ...they're all considered beauty queens. No, they're still ugly. Just because they were built 40-50 years ago (and traditional by someones standards) does not make them beautiful.

...we not return you to regular programming.

 

I would put one on the left front and another on the right rear and the use the other two for spares. Just kidding.

 

I understand most of the points being made in this thread, and God help me for stirring up this much shit, the point is I am trying to keep the car "period correct" but realisticly that period spans the late 50s through the mid 60s when there were all types of cars out there. My idea was to rat rod then car 2 1/2 years ago, because i was new to the scene and I thought it was kool-boy have i learned a ton!! fuck the rat rod scene, it was a passing fancy..primer black and shitty workmanship in the name of rot rodding is not what i beleive in-but live and learn!! I am now going for the ideal of keeping the car like somebody might have kept their nice DRIVER back in the day, nice but not a trailer queen, few custom touches-but not over the top because of budget, nice set of wheels ie. Hawks, with some nicer wheels and back in the day I beleive it was an upgrade to put a set of white- wide or other on a car. I have talked with a few of the Czars and the guys running Torque Fest and they seem ok with the wheel choice.....and no I am going to do what I want with my car, and this is not a prom dress thread-but these are the type of shows that I prefer and it would really piss me off if I was turned away at the gate after traveling 3 or more hours to show my work in progress/driver/other girlfriend according to the wife. I am sure that at least most of you can understand and if not, go to some of the websites and check the rules for showing....thanks again!!

 

wow youve been here 4 monthes and your already to cool for the hamb.

 

also falcongeorge its funny your talking shit on early 70's tunnel rams when these are you cars listed in your profile...

<DT class=shade>Cars <DT class=shade>'66 Chevy II
'67 Falcon
'70 Duster
'66 Belvedere </DT>


you deffently should tell people what to put on their 50's chevy.

 

I was too cool for HAMB long before I got here... Get over it.

edit. Sarcasm is lost on some, I should point out, this is tongue in cheek.

 

Not talking shit on early seventies tunnel rams. I own two...I'm talking shit on early seventies tunnel rams on cars with early sixties tires. Big difference.

 

I expect to get burned for it. It is what it is.

 

True.

 

Well, if those wheels get you banned, then there are a lotta folks who will get banned. Ex: electronic ignitions, radial tires, T-5/700R4/2004R trannys, Vortec heads, 10Si/12Si alternators, disc breaks, Vintage Air, rack steering, etc., etc.

 

Put some stick-on port holes and end this thread already!

 

The Coen Brothers (Tru Grit, No Country Ford Old Men) are considered the masters of dialogue in Hollywood. The best of the best.

After reading your post I'm not so sure. You have said perfectly what I have thought for a long long time (but could not put into words).

The red 66 Ford Galaxie "gasser/streetfreak" with the ET 10 spokers up front is the poster child for sillyness and lack of taste...and it just makes me want to vomit

 

I think he was referring to the practice of putting 70's tunnel rams on 50's style hot rods with wide whites hubcaps and trim rings...

 

Why didn't I click on this thread earlier? Lot's of really good points and nobody seems to have lost their cool. My take on things is that I'd like to think of this place as one big history lesson and not a here's what I did, now you can all shove it down your throat joint.
The OP asked for advise and a creative discussion ensued. They should all go so well.

 

They had different mothers together.

Cosmo

 

I really felt this one needed addressing, as it is based on so many modern, horseshit perceptions as to what rods of the 40's, 50's and 60s were like.
Actually, if people actually did research, and looked at old photos, and built truly period cars, the scene would actually be MUCH MORE diverse than it is now, not less. We would see a lot more channeled cars, a HUGE variety of full wheelcovers, pale yellows, maroons, coppers, golds, browns,purples, greens and blues, cycle fenders ect, all stuff that is virtually GONE from the present "I did it cause my buddies said it was cool" scene. We would see a lot fewer "finished" primered cars, fewer curved spoke torque thrust D's with wide whites, fewer faux spindle-mount wheels, fewer mexican blanket seat covers, fewer moon tanks and appleton spots, and a lot fewer www pie-crusts. That may break your heart, sure wouldn't break mine. And the idea that all cars back in the day were flat black is laughable. I dont know where they get this crap. Oh wait, yes I do. They get it from what they see in the modern-day magazines, and from their "build it your way" buds on the internet. Funny thing is, I never see these "build it your way" guys popping up to defend anything other than the current, history revisionist, status quo.

 

Somehow you and I have ended up agreeing. Most of today's 'traditional' shows are as far from 'traditional' as can be. My Dad and I attended Goodguys and Greaserama last year; me with my mild-custom '68 Mercury and him with his '57 Chevy. For context, I'm 42 and he's 70; he was there and did that, including competing at the first NHRA Nationals in Great Bend. We walked past tons of 'pretend' period correct cars until he saw a '32 3-window at Goodguys and said, "Now THAT's how it was done back then!" It was a highboy with cycle fenders in front, bobbed stockers in the back, a Y-block with three deuces, white and red tuck and roll, and it was Buick Titian Red. Nary a primer spot or chromed skull anywhere, and it was on steel wheels with chrome beauty rings and lug nuts; wheels painted to match the car.

My point is that more and more of the 'traditional' shows are resembling a vintage junkyard than a vintage drive-in or vintage car show. They are growing in numbers of cars present, but not in quality of cars. The idea that the OP could get bounced from one of those shows for a wheel/tire choice that was evocative of the period (the Indy 500 style wheels start showing up in Car Craft in about '64) if not entirely dead-nuts period correct in his damn nice '51 Chevy, while a '29 Chrysler 4-door sedan chopped 10" and channeled 12" and being unusable for anything other than fairgrounds cruising breezes in strikes me as funny and sad at the same time.

As my dad said, "We weren't TRYING to build pieces of shit back then; we were all trying to build nice cars. These guys aren't."

 

first off let me say, i like falcongeorge.

i seen these wheels in an add the other day, and i really dig them. as has been stated before, wide whites dont look right on this type of wheel. there does seem to be some meshing of different eras going on lately. it is your car and you can run what ever you want, but if you are asking for an opinion because you want to keep your build in a certain era dont hassle the guys that are answering that.

z

 

Wow the knitting circle is going nuts here....but after seeing the photoshopped pic I'm not feeling the wheels on your car. Maybe on a early Nova or Falcon.

 

Attention young hot rodders who want to build a car like the Hot Rod pioneers did!

The highlighted point above is golden! I have stacks & stacks of old Hot Rod magazines and books most printed 10-20 years before I was even born.(born in '75) I'm constantly digging through them "researching".

Do the homework! If you want period correctness, and if you want a hot rod built "old school". Then study the old books and literature, read the articles, and build the car accordingly.

 

Yeah and make damn sure you use period correct air in the tires!

 

Hear Hear! Quality is key no matter what the budget.

 

Holy Crap. Sounds like this has struck a chord. Honestly, I dont care what anyone puts on their car, as long as they arent trying to pass it off as period or __ style (fill in the era of your choice). But it is what it is, and for a bunch of guys to sit around and tell you something is "period correct" or looks right when its not or doesnt, and then worse yet, try to shout down anyone who dares to say so, with the "build it your way" bullshit, runs counter to "spreading the gospel of traditional rods and customs". Last time I checked, that was supposed to be the purpose of this group.
God knows theres enough bullshit stuff being touted as "period" in the magazines these days, they sure as hell dont need any help from HAMB. My comment wasnt even directed at the car owner, for those who would care to check back, it was in response to another "build it your way" post. You can "build it your way" and still be period correct, and here is what I suggest. Sit down before you even start, and develop a coherent plan for your build. Doesnt even have to be "period" but if its not, its probably not HAMB material. Neither of the cars I have that I am currently actively working on are HAMB friendly. Thats why I dont have a build thread on here. That doesnt mean I am not building anything, it means I am not building anything HAMB friendly, and I respect the purpose of this board. That means I check my ego at the door, and I dont post my non-HAMB cars or stuff on here. I belong to a Chevy II group, I dont post photos of my falcon there, and when the chevy II is done and I DO start actually building a period hot rod, I wont post THAT there either! That doesnt mean my cars are shitboxes, junk or rat-rods, its no sign of disrespect, it simply means that they are not HAMB friendy.
Now. If it IS going to be a "period" HAMB friendly build, do a little research, look at PERIOD photos, not photos of modern cars that are touting themselves as period, or "sixties style" or any of this other bullshit, come up with a coherent plan, based on old photos, figure out what parts you need and what the overall theme is before you start. REALLY think about it. You will end up with a car that REALLY stands out, and will make the old guys that were there stop and look, instead of walking by snickering. Just a thought...