Have we gone soft?

This is what I love about the HAMB

 

I'd say that sums it up quite concisely. Think about these two examples. Two '65 Corvette coupes. FIRST ONE's been ridden hard and put-up wet for the past 40 years by fifteen owners. Started life as a 250 HP powerglide car with a radio and heater. Has been hit several times and patched-up in a boat repair shop with fiberglass matt. Has a raggedy ol' 307 in it, radiused fender wells in the rear, shag carpet, rusted frame.............you get the picture. MAYBE worth $20K on a good day. Started life as a "nothing special" Vette, and has ended-up as an easily replaceable POS. OK now, SECOND ONE's also a '65 coupe. Started life with a 375 HP fuel injected 327 with a Muncie 4-speed. Radio and heater delete car. Leather seats! Knock-off wheels and power disc brakes. Oh yeah, don't forget the 36 gallon fuel tank option. This one was ordered new by a 40 year-old oil company mgr. with a few bucks. Went out and raced it a couple of times and scared the shit out of him. Lost interest in driving it much and eventually covered it up in the rear of the garage. He finally died in 1985 at age 60. His wife finally dies in 2010 at age 85. Car is discovered with all it's ORIGINAL, "numbers-matching" pieces still in tact, and it's ORIGINAL interior and paint. You CAN'T go to the Chevy House on the corner and buy another example of this thing TODAY. Believe me, the SECOND ONE, as it sits, is a $$$SIX-FIGURE car. Now, tell me "NUMBERS-MATCHING" and condition makes no difference. Only my MIL is stupid enough not to be able to understand the difference in these two, simple examples. Go ahead and cut-up the POS. It's nothing special......just a raggedy ol' used-up Vette. It only takes a very little bit of thought and common sense to understand why it would be ECONOMICALLY and SINFULLY insane to cut the second one up. DD

 

"Immoral" and "sinful"...LOL.

 

soft? thats whats they make the little blue pills for isnt it

 

Very well put.

 

What about the guys that take decent A bodies and slam em to the ground and give them radical chop jobs. When they are older they will look back and think "What the hell did I do that for". Remember this stuff is gettin harder to find each and everyday. Back then there was tons of it. Those guys couldnt care less what they did because they knew they're local junkyard had all that stuff. Its not like that nowadays. This is just my opinion. what do I know, Im only a kid

 

dang, hot rods or original, its hard to look at it as just a peice of metal, i dont know many people that would say its just a peice of metal, i like originals and hot rods but i also like to think its more then just metal, its a life style, a memory, and peice of history

 

hey,,,in a heartbeat if i had acess to an original model a coupe/sedan/pu/rpu..... i WOULD/&WILL make a hot rod out of one!!.......BUT,that is because i KNOW i can build it right and make it a true traditional hot rod and making it better .........however,,,i have seen many times(even here on the HAMB) someone taking a bone stock beautiful model A and TOTALLY fucking it up into a half ass rat rod looking project that looks like shit and will probably never be finished...THAT is what i have a problem with.....

 

I purposely bought a car that was in not great shape and would cost too much to restore; any mods I make to it can only improve it.

THE REASON is pure economics. I hear pussies on here everyday worried about "resale value". What I don't get is, if someone is worried about maximizing resale value, what are they going to do with the money from the sale? Buy another car that can never be exactly what they want because they are afraid to modify it?

Makes no sense.

PS yes I'm completely soft right now. If that matters.

 

OK, all you guys and gals with the mentality of "It's mine...I'll do what I want with it 'cause it is MINE", here's a couple for ya. Say you had the bucks to purchase 3wLarry's coupe when he had it for sale. Surely, all you folks spoutin' your opinions about doin' ANYTHING you want to these types of cars 'cause they're "YOUR CAR", must have LOTS of bucks to be able to understand what's being talked-about here, because these "TOO-NICE" cars are usually higher-dollar cars, right? Anyway, 3wLarry's car is an icon on this site. So, everyone agrees that 'cause YOU paid him the big $$$$ to start-out with a REALLY nice one, it shouldn't bother anybody that you plan on cuttin that 3-window top off to make a roadster, and nobody should shed a tear when YOU put those 22" wheels on to update it some, and maybe some pink, furry upholstery might be cool, too. SORRY LARRY...nothing personal here, but when you're famous, ya get picked-on. Thank God Bruce knows what he has.

One more car comes to mind as an example of a "perfect" car that was turned into a monster of sorts by a new owner, 'cause HE could. Everyone still cries about this horrendous transition. The Chrisman Bros. Coupe


as seen above in it's original form, was turned into this........



...by George Barris for the Doby Gillis Show on TV, because HE could. Almost everyone on the HAMB that knows and UNDERSTANDS the history or status that this car originally gained during the years we cherish here has strong opinion as to how wrong it was for Barris to massacre the original form of this icon. So understand exactly what your sayin' when you say it's OK to cut ANYTHING. Them's some big words. DD

 

The guys who say "cut everything up" are just posers trying to be Billy Badass. In my book, they're no different than the gold chain, Corvette guys or the dudes who powerpark at Goodguys....they're what I call LAMLAMs (Look At Me, Look At Me).

A real car guy can see the beauty in a channeled Model A sitting in the weeds or a stocker, sitting up high on 21" wheels.

I get a bit uneasy when I see a really nice, survivor stock Model A get cut up, but then I've always humanized cars and have always talked to my old cars like they were friends. (I know you uber-tough guys out there will mock me for that....but you know you do it too

Frieburger is just trying to stir the pot so people will read the shameful mess of a magazine that used to be (many years ago), the bible of the hobby.

ok....I feel better now.

 

I'm against chopping good stuff, but that works because i can only afford crap. But really I appreciate a numbers matching car, it really shows how rods and customs differ from the stockers. To the normal person they dont realize that a 69 camaro coulda came with a 250 six and Powerglide when they have all been V-8'd, the same as when you say model T and most people think of t-bucket

 

Damned straight on the stir the pot! Gahnal and Jeff Smith day's.......then poof!

 

Slammed....I like your signature line.

 

Thank you kindly.

 

Cylinder spacing is wrong. I already checked.

 

Your a freakin' madman.... Enough said!

 

What are ya? A drama queen???.......

 

Screw those little blue pills!! I'm on testosterone shots!

 

Ah the only difference is I'm cuttin up restored ones and they could do it to a new one. Lucky bastards

 

I say do what you want it's your car/money. I also think most peoples outlook changes over the years.

 

.



Yes,


the fact that oil burning 350's are now considered the norm is a disgrace.

.

 

Rant, Con't........I've read this post/ replies several times, I Guess i'll toss me two-cents worth in.........I'm Cuttin' (Done cut !) as Solid of a specimum, '53 Checy, as you would ever hope to find ! It's "a Driver !!.........I want a NICE, Dependible Kustom, like we built in tha' '50's and '60's..............I Did'nt want it Rad, Just "good taste " modifications, soo'es you LOOK AT the whole car.......not just a big set of Packard Taillites, or a '56 Caddy front on a Crosley !!!
I bought a solid '50 Merc Coupe years ago....TO CHOP ! I decided IT WAS TOO GOOD !, To do that to........Sold it !.......Two weeks later, went by Local Body Shop, to see if anything was "a goin' on?? Ther's MY MERC !! WITH THE TOP CHOPPED !!!!!! That, I said, Ai'nt Gonna' Happen AGAIN !!!! And it Ain't.
IF, You wanna SAVE A RUSTED HEAP>>>> DO IT ! LIKE YOU WANT IT. I JUST bought a Rusted OUT, '50 Caddy Coupe, It's Worth Saving ! And by Golly Gee=Whizzzer, I may Make a Cuntvertible outta' hit ! If That's what I decide I WANT !
Nuff Said.......Have Fun ! Smoked-up, In tha' Great Smokey MOUNTAINS of Tenn............My Lic tag Has "H B " onit......Yep!
Hillbilly,
Smokey Also

 

As I found it at Hershey.



after I finished make believing that I was a 1950 hotrodder.

I knew then that it would be my last chance to do what my heroes had done in the 50s. This was 5 years before the HAMB even existed.

I chopped a Model A sedan for a pal but I don't want a chopped car or truck for myself. I actually unchopped my first 34 P/U.

Personally I think the magazines, web sites and repro parts dealers have made us soft. No need to learn how to weld just buy a frame and assemble a new kit car. All you need is cash. That is soft! IMHO

When I was drooling over the car at Hershey, I heard several restorers say that anyone that would hotrod this car should be shot. I had the pinstriper put "So...shoot me" under the rumble lid.

 

what a bunch of hypocrites. do anything you want, unless your buddies on the hamb don't like it of course.cut up a mint car just like they did in the 50s....clowns

 

Tommy - you make a good point about the 1-800 affect; now there would be a better story except you cant piss off your advertisers
I actually think there is a fair balance in the muscle car community, at least the guys around here. Some opting for the period perfect peices in thier resto and some uping the HP and suspensions in thier restor'rods'.
Soft can be interpreted all accross the board; I'll say this:
1. Over restoring surviviors sucks, and the high end stuff you've seen in the past ten years is more about ego than preservation...I'm not a fan.
2. There are so many nice cars in the USA, but most of the people owning them dont drive them. Afraid to drive your car for whatever reason seems soft to me.
3. It's always been about buying the best you can and making into yours the best you can. what's changed about that except the people with $$ buying into our passion because they want to be cool?

 

You just haven't cut it enough.

And to the folks that say "Do anything you want, it's your car", I don't think you have the right to bitch about the old farts that are letting them sit and rot, or the guys that are hauling them off and selling them by the pound anymore. It's their cars, they can do what they want.
Larry T

 

What's with this "we" shit anyways? I'll tell ya what I think has gone soft, the fuckin media. All over the place is this fuckin lie of being kind and politically correct. The whole foundation of what most of "us" do is based on in-your-face individuality and the acceptance of a challenge. That challenge might even be a "numbers" car, an antique resto, or what we love, a real hot rod or kustom. Yeah, I spelled it with a K. That's the shit I like, when that was en vouge later on. I also like original cars and perfect restorations. Why not? It's all good. Soft? Your problem if you are, but I get the point. Soft is a credit card hot rod. Soft is "I won't drive it..." because you worry about a stone chip. That's why your tool box should have an airbrush. Soft is not mannin up and asking that guy with the great car a question, a reasonable and respectful question. Soft is not doing your best because you're too lazy, don't get it, or can't do it and won't try to learn or earn to get it done. Soft is building a pile of rusty shit because you're a poser and have to "fit in". You don't so go finish your car.

Now we have this media and tech blitz that tells you all what to do and what's kool. Yeah I spelled that with a K too. So what. It ain't coming from a form of media or IPAD or CYBER-FUCK info, it's coming from a real person. I may indeed be using tech to say my peace, but until more folks express themselves in person the same way they do at a keyboard it's gonna get softer. I like what rustyfords and Tommy had to say about the topic too so I refrained from repeating. Soft? Not me, and clearly not the many who's views HERE on the HAMB I've come to respect and admire.

 

x2!

 

True Hot Rodders don't care. Numbers don't matter,condition doesn't matter,it's going to be cut up and welded back together. The gold chainers care, Thy don't build thy buy. there are Hot Rodders and then there are bought rodders with trailers. The article was written by a chainer about chainers