I could slip into one of those cars, or one like it, and feel 100% at home. That is exactly what I'd like to achieve in my current build.
This thread is what's called stirring the pot. I'll stay neutral but will say if this was started by anyone other than the bossman it would be a dead thread. I'll move on to something more H.A.M.B. friendly now.....
I was contacted by these cats about a 50 Buick I listed in the classified for a friend. The rockers were to far gone for them to make a totally patined ride so they couldn't use it. I didn't think they had a hotshot attitude about what they were doing, only showing how cool the concept is. I enjoyed the feature on them a bunch. Thanx ~sololobo~
I wonder if these cars have the traditional style stance of Laying Frame when they are parked?I know these cars are very high tech under the bodies so he might not of wanted to go that traditional with his stance.
The Derelicts: Doing Rat Rods Right http://autoholics.com/2012/02/13/-The-Derelicts--Doing-Rat-Rods-Right-608147<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
159 posts of arguing!!! wow now thats traditional....has anybody won? btw where does tradition start and end? nailhead in a model a...20+ years..
Don't want to pull the choke? Change out the carb to one with an electric choke. Moe fuzz if you every start a forum, I'm there...
What’s the big deal with these Derelict cars? Seems that many of you folks feel that the derelict cars are imposters. These Derelict cars look legit. Outwardly they look barn fresh. These two cars aren’t painted Easter Egg colors with square head lights frenched into the fenders. I see no billet, no catalog bolt on junk, no outward signs of modern equipment. These are no Street Rods. I don’t see dangerous crap welds, retarded rat rod shit or purposely abused metal. I don’t agree with the ‘it’s a rad rod aesthetic with a street rod soul’ take either. So where is the foul? I think that many of you have forgotten about the roots of rods. I’ve got stacks of pocket sized magazines from the 50’s and 60’s that talk about frame swaps, motor upgrades, transmission upgrades, fuel injection add-ons, brake conversions, Jag rear ends, grill changes, tail light alterations…you name it. Lost of guys back in the day wanted the old school skin with the modern ride & power of there day. Ryans argument for simplicity or lack of computer crap I’m in full agreement with but don’t even think for a minute that modern car frame swaps weren’t happening back then...they were. Of course today that would mean a 1945 Chevy was getting a 1960 Chevy chassis. But in 1960 that car was brand new!! I also don’t see a difference between the Derelict cars and someone who has installed a 350/350 power train, or a Ford 9”, or a Fat Bob Mustang II front sub frame, or a fuel cell, or aftermarket ac unit….these mods have been going on forever. I read some posts on this thread that pointed out how the builder looked, how he was dressed and how he presented him self. Some felt that he didn’t fit today’s ‘IMAGE’ of what a hot-rodder is SUPPOSED to look like. So what? Would you have liked his cars better if he was Brian Setzer? Not all hot-rodders wear leather jackets, greased pomps and converse sneaks. You watch old school B movies like Hot Rod Girl and you’ll see Flat tops, Ivy League letterman’s sweaters, horn rimmed glasses, simple grey sweatshirts, penny loafers and stripped slacks. Judging someone on how they are dressed or how they part their hair is a bad idea. And it has nothing to do with their cars coolness. The car stands alone. I like cars that look legit. If I saw these two cars on the street, or at my local car show, I’d enjoy the way they look. If the hoods were closed I‘d be clueless about the secret. More importantly I’d wonder how the hell the Desoto front clip fit onto the Chrysler wagon and why I didn’t think of that!!! Now that’s cool and creative.
Completely agree. I've met Jonathan at the SEMA show, had the chance to talk to him and visited his old shop in Van Nuys, California. He is without a doubt one of the most detail focussed, OCD car guys I've ever met. On a brief shop tour he points out the tiniest details of all the various cars currently being built. His goals and values are much like my own and if I had the budget, I can't think of anyone else I would rather have build my vehicles. You can really see and appreciate the engineering in the vehicles when you get to see them in person. Aside from the folk who would say they wouldn't have ABS or they wouldn't have EFI or they wouldn't want an ECU on there, when you look at the cars you can't really find anything where you can honestly say you would do it differently... To me - Hot Rodding is about "improving". How you define that improvement is up to you. Can be functional. Can be performance based. Can be aesthetics. Can be all 3. I just don't agree that you have to draw a line in the timeline and say anything newer than this is just not right. I think it's perfectly valid to hot rod the car using the very best tools, suppliers and components that you have access to. Guys in the 50's and 60's would have used the best stuff they could get their hands on... This is no different... we just have a bigger selection to work with now. Also keep in mind, the early days of Hot Rodding and the desire to go faster led to a lot of advances in engine development. It's always been about improving. For me, modern technology and modern drivetrains in traditional bodies is my ideal hot rod. I also appreciate the work guys do when they try to make things period correct... say building a '34 Ford with a '50s V8. That's also preserving a part of history, educating younger people of what things used to be like. I just don't think we should stop making history. And for those that are worried about making the cars too complicated... well actually by building the car with a functional OBD-II system and having a simple app on the smart-phone with a connection kit - in your pocket you've got access to a ton of info that can help you fix your car. I was once on a camping trip in my Jeep 300 km from the city and it started misfiring. Could be any number of reasons. Was able to look up the error code, know exactly what was wrong. Called the dealership and ordered the parts. Had a friend who was planning to join a day later pick up those parts and bring them to the beach we were staying at. Replaced the faulty injector on the beach. Nobody had ever showed me how but simple instructions from the internet on the smart phone had it covered. Fixed it perfectly. Sure, if I didn't have that technology I could have figured it out eventually, but it would have taken longer. Personally, I don't really go for the Patina look. I'm more into the perfect paint and perfect chrome. Which of course Icon will do for you if you want, calling it a Reformer. There's so many cars I would love to give to Icon for the Reformer work-over, I just can't decide which one to start with. Yes there's something to be said for building it yourself, and I've done that with my Jeep. I've done that with my FJ45. I'm doing that with my Cadillac. But as I'm getting a bit older I'm recognising that my commitments to work and family are taking over and I don't really have the time to do it all myself, and would have to entrust the build to someone I can trust to do things exactly the way I would want to. Someone with the same goals and values that I have. That's what I appreciate about Icon. And I'm not the only one. There's a huge waiting list. I can't wait to be on it.
Some valid points, but at the end of the day, having an app in my pocket for automobile diagnostics does not give me that warm, fuzzy, romantic, old hot rod feel. It's all in the line you balance on.
Yeah, I get that point too. I have the other extreme with my 1982 Land Cruiser FJ45 Pick Up - currently none of the gauges work. But it sounds and feels right and I remember putting fuel in it recently so it's all good. Need to get around to fixing that after I get a few more things on the '59 sorted ;-) I think Icon's customers are the people that get their warm and fuzzy feeling purely from the aesthetics. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm sure many of them probably appreciate the aesthetic and the reassurance that it should be pretty reliable and that's it. To me personally though, I like the looks but also as a designer / engineer, I just love the way they are over-engineered. To me - a lot of the classic cars are the height of style and auto design. Back then a car was much more of a privilege than a commodity and it shows... but today's technologies are clearly improvements. I think the RestoMod genre and Icon's builds are the best of both. What puts Icon above the rest IMO is the obsessive detail that they go to.
I've thoroughly enjoyed this debate/conversation. Thanks for making my morning that much better. With that being said: there are some people in this world who love old cars but prefermoremodern technologies while driving them. To each their own. We enjoy old cars becuase of their history and it gives us an opportunity at a glance into the past. It wouldn't be the same if the simplicity of it all was changed and for the life of me; I can't quite understand why someone would go through all the trouble to do so when these cars were driven everyday; in much harsher enviornments but only 50-70 years ago. I can understand the safety aspect of it but there is only so much you can do to an old relic to accomplish anything safety related...bottom line...they are never truly going to be as safe as a modern car. When you start adding in these modern built chassis underneath; the complexity of it just got that much worse. Like I said...to each their own. I would thoroughly enjoy it if this "patina' fad would just disappear.Paint it; and paint it right.
The Jalopy Journal
