Art & Inspiration How do you Spread the Traditional Hot Rod Gospel?

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

How do you Spread the Traditional Hot Rod Gospel?

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Amen!

 

I'm going to start wearing a shirt and tie and go from door to door.

 

Wow your are taking on a big challenge. Don't know where you will start. I only have patience for interested and inquisitive ears. Good luck!
Gary

 

Apparently discussing why a mini truck slammed ch***is covered by a mid 50s Chevy isn't traditional is not a productive way to spend time or spread the gospel

 

I think it's wrong to try to influence anyone to like anything. I enjoy old cars, the guy next door enjoys imports and that's cool because when it comes down to it, we both like to tinker with cars. Old or new, american or import, there's car clubs, races, and car shows for all. Old cars equal nostalgia, new cars equal the present. A guy working on his Honda today is the guy working on his Model A hot rod 60 years ago. Same concept, just different eras.

 

Well, I just answer people's questions about why I like the old traditional style and be friendly and not act like a douche!

 

Sounds like 'hope & change' to me...Frak Hondas. And tin can Datsuns.
There's better stuff to 'work on'..."Not now, I have a smog appointment."

 

Since I teach sixth grade, I try to incorporate cars and hotrods into a lot of my lessons. Some kids really take to it. Others look at me like I'm a ****in' kook (they're probably right too!)

 

"If John leaves New York in his '33 coupe running a flathead with three two's headed south at 70mph and Billy leaves Miami headed north in his '40 running a *****in Olds with two fours..."

 

I'm on the fringe of tradition, I guess, with my radial tires, alternators, and such.

I drive my '40s as often as possible, and never turn down an opportunity to answer questions, let folks pose with them, etc. Big kids, little kids, used to be kids...doesn't matter to me.

The latest thing that I have been involved with, to promote hot rods and kustoms, has been working on the series of reliability runs, to get people out of a lawn chair and behind the wheel. It's a novel concept, to some!

 

Just trying to nail down what is and is not traditional here on the hamb leads to heated debates.."this is traditional"..
No, it's not"...we can't even meet on common ground.

I tell anyone willing to listen why I build the kind of cars I do..I like to call it old style and I have been building this style since the 70's. HRP

 

Old-Soul wins my vote for "Post of the day" with his arithmetic word problem. ;-)

 

HaHa...something like that. You should see their faces when I show them how to do engine math!

 

Best way is to lead by example and hope others get it along with helping others when their in a pinch. I've been too laxed on the example part lately but try to keep my knowledge base up and contribute when I can. Nothing wrong with other types of builds either but the more the merrier when it comes to period builds and preserving tradition.

 

And on the latest one of these, I wasn't able to get my car running good quite in time. So, I debated whether to even go or not. However, bchrismer was able to let me and two of my boys ride shotgun in his 40 pickup. That was an opportunity that I hadn't even considered! But, I remember doing the same thing when I was little...riding in Dad's friends cars...a lot of what got me into this hobby in the first place! I also try to take my kids friends for rides as well to p*** the tradition on to them.

 

I happily answer questions...

drive (for the most part) like I'm an amb***ador to the hobby/lifestyle...

and most importantly to me: teach my kids. they spend time with me in the shop, working on and building cars & motorcycles. my 8yo daughter is restoring a 1962 bird mini bike with me. She's learning to weld (oxy/ace). my 4yo son can seriously turn a wrench. 2yo daughter is in the shop, too.
we go for rides, build **** and focus on having fun while p***ing on knowledge, building skill and positive exposure to traditional hot rods (and Harleys)

edit: I should also note that they're exposed to all things mechanical & building related... and if some day one wants to build anything, I'm in! whatever they want, doesn't have to fit MY definition of "cool" (which is quite broad, really)

 

Jeeves, loose the hounds!!!

 

I like all kinds of vehicles... but I don't think there is one perfect way to make them. Or a need to pretend there is a single truthful path to creating / re-creating "ordained" examples. And that there is certainly no reason to refer to what may be just a fad, trendy POV, or some sort of wannabe etched-in-stone manifesto as "the" gospel.

On the other hand, if you want to build a vehicle that expresses your POV, I'm ready to be amazed. And if you "move me" with your work, all the better. And others might be even more moved. But what if the large majority aren't? What ya going to do then, Willis? Gary

 

By being myself and letting others reach their own conclusions about what they see as the perfect Hot Rod.
jcmarz says it pretty darn well

 

By driving my old stuff.

 

I just try to relate what it was really like back then and not what some 20 something thinks it might have been. I lived it and loved it. East coast low buck hotrodding. The big buck guys were buying factory muscle car hotrods... we poor guys were building ours and solving our problems with out a web site. No one wire alternators or electric fans. I still don't understand having a hotrod professionally built. That is why I'm so opinionated on these subjects but what do you expect from an old coot? but I'll continue to spread the gospel as I lived it.

 

Exactly...
For me, that's just the start - drive the old cars as much as possible.
When people seem interested and ask questions, whether it be at a gas station, grocery store parking lot, work parking garage... anywhere --- I be sure to answer their questions politely and honestly.

Malcolm

 

Tommy has been spreading the gospel for as long as I can remember..... Keep up the evangelism, Tommy!

 

All good chat here fellas- Thank you for jumping in! Just to clarify- I'm not trying to call anybody else's car style "wrong" *at all*-- Just telling people why I built my particular car the particular way I did. And totally agree- It's not the goal for everybody I meet to get into one style cars, but for those that are interested to learn a little more...

 

the simple answer is to direct them to this site. If they are interested they will learn. And this place has all they need to know.

But just like @jcmarz said, I dont try to influence anybody unless they ask my opinion. People have their own tastes, I have no interest in trying to change what somebody else likes or turn my nose up at them either. Motorcycles, hot rods, customs, 4x4's, minitrucks, race cars...I dont care, if you're a cool person and can hang in the shop, and like to build with quality and p***ion, you're cool with me. That being said, if your a ****head with a perfectly period car...your still a ****head and not welcome in the shop.

 

Absolute best way. Seeing cars in my neigborhood as a kid like a yellow '56 Chevy with a straight axle and magnesium wheels, a '32, T bucket, A roadster and a couple FEDs got me going. Lots of other stuff caught my eye briefly but the older stuff stuck with me.

 

A good start is when young guys find their way here, we don't blast them for saying things like rat rod, body drop, or S-10 frame because they don't know any better. They just go away thinking, geeeze, those traditional guys are a bunch of stuck up a-holes!

Help to educate, not report or chastise. That will spread this 'gospel'.

 

Driving what you preach! HRP

 

let people build what they want... pushing your genre of car on somebody else is no better than door to door religious sales people. if they dont want to build the same old traditional car, more parts for you.