Hot Rods Driving our cars

Please don't make this political. What is your opinion about the future of driving our Hot Rods? Do you think in the next 10-15 years the public persona will change toward our Hot Rods to a point that they will be relegated to display only vehicles that are not allowed on public roads? I live in a rural area so public transportation is a little slim in the area. I'm also an old fart so 15 years down the road will probably not effect me but it will you younger guys.

 

I can make mine as clean as the new ones if I have too

 

That is a very interesting question. I wonder if the speed and custom equipment industry will survive the call for less NOX/particulate matter given off by non computerized engines. Will the smog laws become universal as opposed to pre '75.
We do have a lot of clout as an industry though as we have seen the growth of SEMA and, as we all know... money talks.
My answer is... A definite "I don't know".

 

With the formation of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in the sixties, SEMA got involved right away. In my opinion, the states will have more to do about future legislation that will effect our hobby. This year Colorado has embraced the California rules on new car emissions and extended the smog inspection process to counties with populations under 100,000 people. The key will be how the exemptions for inspections are handled. As it stands, registering a hot rod in Colorado is not that difficult. It would behoove every HAMB'er to start paying attention to who they vote for for local, state and federal offices. SEMA is an excellent source for pending legislation in every state as well as at the federal level. As a side note, the cl***ic military vehicle collectors are being hammered in several states as they are unable to register their vehicles. Too, there has been a fight in Texas over the registration of fibergl*** bodied vehicles registered as VW's.

 

For us with unfinished projects, I guess we'll go to our graves not knowing what we missed.

Bob

 

In California who knows whats next? At 75 I'm not gonna worry about it and drive em til they jerk me out of them. Never gonna drive a little econo piece of garbage either-never owned one-never will. Our main new rides are V8's as well. My wife will not drive any car without an American V8.

 

Sorry but your question is impossible to answer without infringing on politics. There is no demonstrable, factual reason why old cars like ours should not continue to be in daily use as transportation. They are not involved in accidents any more than modern cars - probably far, far less - and there are so few of them that their impact on the environment is statistically insignificant. So for what reason should old cars be restricted in any way at all...other than politics, that is?

 

I don't mean to be "The Prophet of Doom", but eventually internal combustion engines will be legislated off the roads. It likely won't happen in 10 to 15 years, but the writing is on the wall. GM is currently eliminating product lines and closing plants to concentrate on electric vehicles and whatever else the future holds.

 

Gary, It's a ongoing conundrum that has been talked about for years, I honestly believe since the advent of SEMA and organizations like NSRA & Goodguys, not to mention all the internet car sites like this one, we have watchdogs to keep a eye on our elected officials that introduce legislation to protect us from ourselves.

I think there will always be a place albeit may be smaller than what we see now but the future is secure as long as old farts like ourselves stick together. HRP

 

If push comes to shove, I think I could electrify the car and do without the combustion engine. Not saying that I would be happy about it, but I could keep it in operation. The weight of an FE and a C6 and a twenty gallon fuel tank might be balanced out by an electric motor and a battery bank.

 

In London we already have a low emission zone where you have to pay to enter.
Not that it will effect me as I'm not a youngen', but youngsters look at my old gas guzzling cars and think I'm using up the worlds resources and polluting (never mind its recycling). I think public opinion will gradually turn against petrol engine car owners and we'll be looked at in the same way as a fur coat wearing smoker with a blacked up face. (all of which at one time was socially acceptable). Not to mention that once it is not cost effective to produce petrol for the m***es it will become even more expensive and we may have to brew our own in the garden shed, which of course would be considered illegal under Nanny state health and safety regs.
I can see externally traditional looking rods and customs being powered by electric motors in the future. Maybe we're already going down that road? -
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...B455AF3E96E7F18625DBB455AF3E96E7&&FORM=VRDGAR
I can also see petrol driven ones being kept in the owners garage with surround screen that you can program in Van Nuys Boulevard, Bonneville, a drag strip, etc, and the you'll be able to hook your car up to enable you to sit in it and 'drive it' in a virtual yesteryear world without leaving the garage, with brakes, throttle and steering all 'interactive'.
Home building cars is also being heavily legislated in UK to the point that you cannot legally create the type of traditional rods that have been built and driven in the past.

 

I don't think its going to be that soon.

Its not just electrification, but also the self driving aspect. The self driving cars will communicate with each other hundreds of times a second, so each car knows what the other car is doing. If your car does not communicate with them, they will not want you on the road.

 

Rebel, What your saying is probably not all that Crazy. I can't see it happening anytime soon. My old Hot Rods will be p***ed down to family members. But I think 20 years from now.You may have to conform to what's be driven on the roads. Or just be trailed to parades, shows,or museums. So one day my grandson may have to do a rebuild on my 34 delivery. I picture it looking like zz tops eliminateor's ( afterburner), where we're going we don't need roads. Lol I'm glad I was born in the 50s, and got to enjoy this Hot Rod hobby. My hope is these two will also !!!

Sent from my SM-G920P using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Almost impossible to not touch on politics here.
It's readily apparent that California's future plans are to severely discourage car use. The State is becoming increasingly car unfriendly in a traditionally car culture society. If you do drive, you'll pay through the nose with tolls, additional gas tax and registration hikes. The push has been to expand m*** transit, and while they keep pumping Millions into it, ridership is down 20% over the last 5 years.
Los Angeles is considering a "congestion pricing" for drivers that enter areas of town such as Downtown LA and use the freeway systems during peak hours. Think of the Fast Trak or commuter lanes moving to ALL lanes (toll road). This is part of the "28 by 28" plan involving 28 metro link routes by the 2028 Olympics. Cost is in the tens of Billions. LA has been slowly/quietly turning busy 4 lane blvd's into 2 lane by changing one lane to bike lanes. The mega cost "High speed rail to nowhere" project that is supposed to connect LA to the Bay Area is questionable.
We've seen more stringent CA smog fees lately priced by county. They started requiring smogs on diesels and now have certain vehicles grouped as "gross polluters" that need to go through a STAR smog station. (My V-6, 93 Chevy 1/2 ton hits there. $165 for tags.)
I'd wager we'll see the pre 75 mark go lower, maybe eventually to all vehicles. That means we'll have to upgrade our old cars-and pay.

 

I have been concerned that the direction toward electric and self-driving vehicles will result in old cars being legislated or economically forced from use. There are some who would love to eliminate all internal combustion vehicles as they see them as the primary source of carbon impacts.

A few years ago I started to consider the wisdom of putting money into something that may be legislated off the road. I’ll keep what I have and probably not buy any more. Like others I had intended to p*** on mine to my son. The real value, to me, is to enjoy them now and not save them for an uncertain future.

No doubt we all have a responsibility to future generations and do the least amount of harm to the environment. To target old cars, hot rods and collector cars would be misguided in my opinion as their use is such a miniscule impact. But they are a visible target and easily singled out.

 

^^^ This-it's getting crazy for sure. Just looked-used to pay $9 for the 55-now $165. Just gathered stuff for taxes etc $1806 in vehicle reg fees for last year!!

 

That that technology is a decade away from standardization, and, via attrition, far longer away from being the majority of operating vehicles on the road.

How do I know?

I build autonomous vehicles.

 

In 1974 I bought a brand new big block 4 spd Laguna S3 and gas was 27 cents . a month later the gas embargo hit and suddenly gas was 60 cents. That was 45 years ago and if you told me we would still be discussing high performance gas gussling v8 engine's now , I would have laughed in your face. I will admit that I am alarmed at the ever increasing tech changes in the world but I would be more concern with the replacement of physical labor jobs with computers and robots and the future of young people being able to work for a living than weather they can drive a 100 year old hot rod. The world has always changed and we have always adapted but it is changing at an alarming rate at least for me and I am not sure we as a people can keep up. Just my thoughts. Right now I am waiting for spring so I can drive My hot rods! lol Larry

 

Actually, there is proposed legislation to move smog to 1983.

I actually work in new vehicle technologies, in California. I work directly with our legal team.

Instead of doom, gloom, and outright paranoia, all y'all could just ask me.

 

The thing about that is that it doesn’t have to be only in new cars. Just like any tech, sure, the R&D to build the first ones needs deep pockets. But you can put new tech in new boxes, like some the current EFI options.

I may never want a self driving car, but there’s nothing keeping my hot rod from communicating with the other cars on the road, once such things are reasonably standardized.

If I live long enough to see that day, we’ll see how it goes.



Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I think we need to put the brakes on California legislation,because as California goes it gives more States and the Federal Government ideas to eliminate everything we enjoy now. Can you picture my avatar with an electric motor? Buzzing around a dirt track just will not have the same feel.

 

Do you even know what you are asking to put the brakes on?

I do. I am pretty sure you don't.

 

It’s hard to ask/answer this question with out making it political as I believe the outcome 100% depends on what laws and regulations are created by our elected officials.
That said, I try to not think about it. I drive my HotRods as if it’s the last day I get to drive them.

 

I would like to think Veda can drive my old sedan when she is older without any restrictions. HRP

 

Electric motors are easier to install. No exhaust systems. No oil filter or oil pan clearance to worry about

 

Just finding a lone enough extension cord. HRP

 

Where I work, we have not even spent $0.10 on inter-vehicle communications. Why? There are barely even proposals for standards, and there is NO FCC allocated spectrum to use for this.

That said, when it finally does arrive, there is no need to add it to a vehicle not equipped with it. So long as your vehicle is in sensor range of one, or more vehicles that has it, it will be accounted for, by all of the connected vehicles.

For now, even without it, short of trying to actually ram one of our vehicles, making contact with one is highly improbable. We bested Human driving statistics almost two years ago, and have steadily improved since. That technology has been spun off, and is now being used in our main-line vehicles.

What's not to like about that? We are making it harder and harder for the average road clown to destroy your vintage ride (and no, it's not profit. We are spending (aka: losing) a few billion a year developing this tech).

We are at risk here of this becoming another "bash California" thread.

We are also seeing those who have no idea of what is the state of modern technology making comments on it, as if they are expert witnesses.

Everyone: the sky is still not falling. The gubbamit is not coming for your anything.

Let's go back to talking about rods and customs, and not politics, or the people who build rods and customs.

If y'all are not willing to welcome everyone, then you care more about your belief system, than you do our cars.

 

1320-foot cord reel!

 

I have had several self driving cars

 

E.J. Potter had one!!