Ryan's Article: Tradition Takes Sacrifice

When (if!) my 'A' PU ever gets done, I'm sure it will get labelled a 'rat rod'. But it's been a year and a 1/2 so far and it still ain't runnin'. Is it supposed to take this long to build a Rat Rod? HAHAHAHAHA!
Finding the $$$ to get the right parts takes time.
I'm not a master fabricator like many of the folks here, just a dude building his first hot rod with basic, proven shit that works.*(Vega box,SBC,TH400)*
It'll get picked apart by the hardcore traditionalists I'm sure but so what.
Brandon Flannery wrote an EXCELLENT article about rat rods in TRK awhile back that made alot of good points.

Long live the RAT!

 

Great article Ryan.
I agree with you entirely.
I have seen pictures in the 40's and 50's that sure as heck look like they are out of the rat rod culture though.
I like that style. i enjoy them and most of all I like building them. They give you a chance to be creative instead of trying to stay within some boundary created by a decade or timeframe. You can mix and match all you want.
Dont get me wrong..
I have been around long enough to be into the street rod scene during its humble beginnings. I bored with it after a few years realizing it didn't take much creativity just alot of money to create a perfectly bodied and modern suspensioned car that was very safe.
I have finally found my true love... hotrods... which takes me back to the days in the 60's when i first became mesmerized over the engines and bodies of the cars from the 30's 40's and 50's. Every time I see a traditional designed car its like listening to an old song that you havent heard for many years. Your memory kicks in like a timewarp. Suddenly your 11 or 12 or 13 and become enchanted with it again. I'll never grow up as long as i can afford to keep my hobby going.
A true hotrod in my mind are the ones who mimic those created by the men after the second world war who learned basic mechanical skills during the war. Traditional beefed up powertrains with body mods that were made to create speed. Most of us here follow that in some form but still mix in other ideas of what we like and what we can afford.
This past weekend i had a fellow who was in his mid to late 60's come up to me and said.
Are you going to paint that 34 pickup??
I answered. I may change the color to a flat with some bright pigment.
He looked at me and said. You shouldnt touch it. you've created the exact vehicle that would have driven the streets in the 50's and early 60's.
Thats better than any trophy or comment anyone could have ever said.
Hotrods are forever !

 

Well written and a lot of opinions generated. Now this is bench racin at it's finest. I'm sort of in the "no real definition" catagory. I know what was once done as I grew up with a father that was a hotrodder. I was also taught at a young age to respect these things. That's probably where my slight ire appeared in the "felony burnout" post. I'm not so sure about restoration being the key ingredient to a traditional approach. I imagine I could do my own drop to the truck axle and practice an antiquated craft that may or may not be safe. But to drop a few hundred bucks on a new one to get what I'm looking for and be assured of the safety factor, well that's the respect angle.

Some of the recent "rat rods" are pretty damn kool. I've always had a fondness for customs myself. That's a tradition where craftsmanship abounds. Something I've always respected. I guess I made my bones to traditional rods by driving a 38 Dodge pickup to my high school graduation ceremony. It was equipped with a 429 Cadillac motor, the Caddy brakes were adapted to the original axle up front along with the power steering, the Caddy rear axle was used, and we even built our own sidepipes muffled with glasspacks that were aquired from the side of the road. At one time we had 6 of em that were picked up at various times. Lots of guys lost em back in those days. We had a problem that just wasn't coming together in the power steering. I doodled what I was daydreaming about in the margin of my notebook during history class and damn if it didn't work. Proud moments and using the stuff we had. Dad always sacrificed to raise 5 kids. Many of our projects got sold for home improvements, tuition and school clothes, well, you get the idea. For us it was a way of life and a way to enjoy things old and in some cases fast. Some "traditions" begin at home. At least that's where mine did. Thanks Ryan for a great subject. If I find a pic of the old Dodge I'll scan it and post it up.

 

When I think of a Traditional Hot Rod... I think of cars that look like they were built back in the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's...

I've read all the books and looked at all the pictures... and have a strong sense of what-was-what back in the day. My strongest area of knowledge lies in the 40's, 50's rods and 60's drag cars. The era that my dad and his friends lived in and told endless stories about. Their perspective, relayed to me... came from different areas of the United States. Specifically, Southern California, Central California and Kansas. The differences in the two were compared and contrasted... countless times... and then reinforced with references to the library of rodding magazines that all the men had saved. i.e. A set of HRM and Rod & Custom along with a myrid of "little books" that my dad picked up in Kansas (for that East Coast perspective).

We'd chat over a Saturday morning breakfast or evening shop bench racign session... then I would hit the magazines to reinforce and/or check up on their memories...

When I recieved Don Montgomery's 1st book at age 18 in 1988... I got a perspective on the 1940's... it also helped that the guy that gave it to me was close friends with Frank Curtis and Bob Pierson. I would spend Saturdays with Jim... and on a couple of occasions, I got to spend a Saturday shooting the shit with Bob Pierson... and one occasion with Frank Curtis.

Anyone who has met Bob knows that he likes to talk... and he doesn't put a sugar coating on history...

One other gentleman that I have spent a considerable amount of time with was a hired gun in the CRA. Haven driven midgets, modifieds and roadsters in the 40's and 50's... with a penchant for going fast in a straight line on a motorcycle (Blown Alcohol Sportster 9.50' sat 140 in the mid 60's), Gerry has been there and done that... and loves to talk about it. Gerry was good pals with Gene Windfield, Bruce Crower, Leanoard Abbott (LENCO Transmissions)... the COUNTLESS hours that I have spent with him talking about these guys was not from a second hand perspective... he was right there racing with them, and working with them. His stories about Gene are from when Gene would help Gerry with his roundy round car at Oakland Speedway... or when Gerry would wax his butt with his Harley at Kingdon.

Bottom line... I hold tradition to a higher standard than most. The reason I do this is that I have nothing to gain from a touchy feely "Tradition is a frame of mind" or "Tradition is in the process of building a car" attitude.

I'm not critical about what other people build... I love them all.

But I am critical of what people call Traditional.


Cars either look like something that was built way back when... or they don't.

If I don't have to squint at and make excuses as to why it is so low, or so long... it passes the test.

Cars that pass the test show the kids what things REALLY looked like back 50 years ago.

Sure, every traditional hot rod isn't a "nut and bolt" RESTORATION...

But we're recreating the past... there is SOME creativity in that... but not near as much as you have, or need... with a Rat Rod build.

With Rat Rods... you have an open slate and that slate usually produces something that is unique to the culture that surrounds it.

Sam.

 

I say build what you like!! Build it cuz you LOVE it!! NEVER build it cuz it’s the TREND!! It doesn’t matter if it takes 5 years or 5 months to build or $1500 or $15,000 just build it cuz you LOVE it!! If you don’t your gonna regret it!!

 

Ditto - it is the truth if you want to believe it or not. I drove "neat old cars" until I was able to get a hot rod.

 

So are you saying that traditional is completely style?

What if you use a hyrdaulic T/O bearing?

A new body?

A new frame?

New everything?

If it looks the part is it still traditional?

I think that the problem with streetrodding is that people have gotten away from building their own stuff. Actually using a lathe/welder/mill to make something instead of buying it from a catalog. Traditional definetely means a style which is a close copy of the past, but I think it means more than that.

I don't think a glass 32 built from bolt-it-together catalog parts bias plys and steel wheels is traditional. Even though it looks the part.

 

well said

Everybody build what you like, but get out there and build

We're obviously most of us here because we like similar stuff - Something that has a more traditional look to it.

If 100% period correct is what does it for you - very cool.

If you want to get more creative, go for it - let's see what you come up with.

It would make for a real boring car show if everybody had the same mind.

 

Okay, here we go...This is exact reason I signed up in the first place and keep coming back for more.
Thanks for keeping it real and sharing what you know or learning from other that do!?!
As for the "Rat Rod" label the only thing that bothers me, is the guys that say "I'm going have someone build me one of those Rat Rods and then I'll sell it to some punk"
These guys have no intension of ever wrenching or even driving it. They just see another way to make quick money.

Any way...Once again Ryan has given us the keys!

 

Blair... and guys... I REALLY don't get hung up on labels and definitions...

But when I see a car that is spot-on traditional looking but has some newer things... I tend to say it's a "traditionally styled" hot rod...

This is all making my head hurt.

You know, I've never carried on this discussion with someone at a car show... but get on the computer, and I feel compelled to bullshit about it.

I need to relax...

Sam.

 

Sam. Your "traditionally styled" hot rod is waaaaaay too fast to be traditional.



Just thought I'd toss that out there.

 

I want to say that what comes to mind when I hear "Traditional Hot Rod" would be something that Vern Tardel would put together. And I think that the prices have to do with demand, not what something is really worth. Anything that is dated to a specific period will require a lot of research, parts searching, an understanding of the times, and a desire to have something that is period correct. Building any car is a lot of work. And only those that have completed one from scratch know what the feeling of accomplishment is all about!

 

Built my first hot rod back in the early 50s, a chopped& channeled 31 on 32 rails with an Olds engine, back then we went to the junk yard an got the parts. My car today is more of a custom, the headlights are 40 chevy like I saw back in the little books, the power brakes from a Chevy Luv PU, front clip a Volare, P rack Kcar, hidden hinges F100 back 41 DeSota front, all from the junk yards and the list keeps going. So to me traditional is finding parts an making them work, spending a half a day getting the hinges of an old car or crawling under with a tape to see what will fit is what we did back then and I still love doing it,I'm 70 and as long as the good lord lets me, I'll keep doing it.

 

Personally, my whole view of Traditional Rodding is changing...

I think I've seen just about every pure traditional car that's been put out in the past 10 years at least... There haven't been a lot.

What strikes me is that it's REAL hard not to make a Period car come off boring...

I think it might be because when all is said and done there seems to be something stagnant about them.

It makes me think of the picture of "The No Advancement Special" in one of the hot rod history books....

A cars impact is largely how it makes you feel. And some of the cars make me feel kinda dead inside. Like I'm looking at a lifeless THING instead of a Hot Rod... Hot Rods to me should be full of LIFE. Not museum pieces that are too Perfect to be fun.

So for me the perfect Traditional Rod pushes the envelope of Period. I like cars that aren't cookie cutter but use period pieces. Cars where the builder has built a car that probably wasn't built back then but might have been by some super creative/skilled rodder. Something that is innovative but uses old technology.

It's something that is SUPER hard to pull off...

But when it happens it's magical.

 

I'm trying to build mine to look "traditional". 31 A coupe chopped @3 1/2 " 239 flathead, 3 spd merc w/od with floor shift, 40's truck open r/end. Juice 40's drum brakes. The rear frame rails have been kicked up 10" and the front stretched 5". However there are a few things that are not, aftermarket brake/clutch assy., mustang steering box and column, and I'm sure before I'm done a few more things that are not period correct. I'll drive it before it's painted, but it'll be safe. If I don't like the ride with the bias ply tires I'll find some radials that will look decent. I've spent alot of time along with some real good friends working on this car. I know it won't be a "Fast Car" with the flathead, but it'll be what I want, my hotrod. I grew up helping my dad build a few cars, 39 chevy sedans (2) one with 68 Javelin running gear, carson style top, the other original. 34 Olds Vicky that looked origanal but had Chevy six running gear. I really didn't know the Car show or carclub scene and there were not alot of hotrods that I know of in my area at the time, so I truely don't know what a traditional hot rod is. That was the early 70's. The 80's & early 90's I was more into pot than anything else. I liked muscle cars and had a few Javelins and a 68 AMX. One night I got a bad batch of weed and quit immediatly. Then in the mid 90's I went to the Natioals in Ok City and was addicted again. Bought a 34 international at the swapmeet there, then found a old T bucket in Tulsa a guy needed to sell because of personal reasons. (Great to have money for something other than pot or beer.) Brought it home torn it down rebuilt it frame up then sold it to buy a coupe. Now 6 years later I'm still working on it, hopefully I'll have it on the road on Sept 9 2006 at our clubs 10th show. Tradtional or not. Definatly not Rat Rod.

 

After reading the editorial and the three pages of comments I think, to me the two points that came out the clearest are Samiyam's quote about the "tallent of the builder" and the sacrifice of building the car you want. I have a 54 Bel Air and thats a pretty popular car, I dont expect to build the best or coolest, that would be a monumental challenge, but I am building it with a goal, an overall traditional theme. I also would like to think I can take the time to build it with quality, even it means doing stuff over again untill it looks right and is safe. I would like to see the car look like it could have back then, but I do have an overdrive and disc brakes cause the rest of the highway system is in 2006 not 1961. If 85% of the car looks old cause of the old parts I used and the rest is driveabilty changes thats ok with me. I decided to build a car in a certian way and Im real sure I could have done it cheaper and gotten it on the road sooner but that wasnt my goal. My goal was to build it a certian way and some times its a pain in the ass cause Im working on it not driving it. To me, thats a sacrifice.

 

I can feel your pain after seen this "rat rod"....

 

I wasn't there in the '50's... hell, I missed most of the muscle car era... but I figured I'd add my $.02... I always saw "traditional" cars as those being built using the original methods (no mig welding, billet, etc)... hammered out in a garage (hell, I put a '72 Monte Carlo together that I bought in boxes together in a driveway once...) using parts and supplies available in the period of your build style... Granted, we all can't stumble upon that great barn find car that has history, or walk into a military surplus store that never aged past 1951, hell, that'd RULE.
To me (and I'm usually wrong, just ask my wife), it doesn't get more traditional than building a car with a bunch of your friends, in either yours or their garage, and just generally having a blast doing it. I'd love to have a "pure" traditional car, but, let's face it, with kids, etc, it's not in the financial cards... I don't want a rat rod or a caricature of what a hot rod "might have been like in the 50's" either... so I'll hold out, and enjoy well-crafted cars built by people who enjoy both building a driving them.

 

OK I'm comming in the the rear of this one and I'm not too inclined to read all of the bazillion posts so if I'm repeating what someone else already said forgive me or not.

But here's the bottom line to traditional hot rodding it all heart and soul. Its not about a weekend throw some old hooptie together and hit the local cruise, its all about pouring your entire being into that one perfect ride.
Its something that when done right you may only build one in a lifetime and if you're luckey you'll know and appreciate it when you do.

Ryan keep it up bro, eventually maybe someone will catch on.

 

I started a thread (Photo album-Rod page)it was photos taken some over
50 years ago with true traditional rods------ butvery showed any interest.
TWOCHOPS

 

The first hot rod I can ever remember seeing was a channeled '34 coupe with a flatty, finned aluminum heads, and several carbs, can't remember how many, 'cause that was about '54 or '55, I was 6 or 7 yrs old then. Was parked beside a gas station in Lexington, TX. Made a helluva impression on me. Car screamed attitude. I can still see it in my mind today. I imagine that all the girls loved the car, all the parents would have been horrified if their daughter rode in the car, much less dated the guy who drove it.
That car, in my minds eye, is what a traditional hot rod looks like. Period perfect, correct for the era, 'cause that was the era.
The guy probably had more in the heads and intake than the whole car. I'm sure if disc brakes were around then, it would have had them. He built it out of what was cheap and available, but that is still one of the coolest cars I have ever seen in my life.
Screw labels, traditional, rat rod, hot rod whatever. If you want a museum piece that you don't ever drive, thats cool. If you want a period perfect traditional car, thats cool. Just build it, or have it built, drive it or just park it and look at it, but have FUN. Thats what it is all about. Don't judge others, I'm sure the guy with the goofy looking touring car has just as much fun, if not more, as the guy with the period perfect traditional car that is covered with "Do Not Touch" signs.

 

Damn, I was out of country for only two weeks and all hell breaks loose. I must have missed a very engenious article from Ryan. God I hate it when that happens. I haven't read the article itself, but have read the many hundreds of replys. Here are my thoughts on traditional -vs- whatever age period.

In fact, there is no such animal as "traditional". Just what does "traditional" mean anyway? If it refers to the 40's, I wasn't there. If it refers to the 50's, I was there and the 60's and the 70's until today. Each time period had it's own unique ideas based upon what was available then and young peoples imaginations.

When remembering the raodworthy automobiles of the period I remember the 50's as lowered in rear and jacked in the front; Fender skirts and candy apple red paint; spark plugs in the exhaust and a manual choke to create major flames out the ass end; and I remember Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Dodge's, Plymouths, Fords, Chevy's and even the Nash. I remeber the Edsel, the Desoto. When remembering hotrods (mostly at the track, but some on the street) I remember roadsters, coupes, sedans, rail jobs and I remember the powder puff classes. I remember flatheads (all kinds: Mercs, Fords, v-8 60's, lincoln v-12's and caddy v-16's. I remember nitro scaring the hell out of everyone and I remember supercharges being experimented with.

When I remember the 60's, I think of jacked in the rear, low in the front. I remember the revererating sound system (no sterio in those days); I remember the quick death of the Edsel and the slow death of the Desoto. I remember candy apple green and screaming loud orange paint. I remember horrible looking psychodelic painty jobs. I still remember roadsters, coupes, sedans, etal. I remember disco (God help us) and I remember Vietnam (God save us). But most of all, I remember young people exerting their own creativity on their personal drivers and and their hot rods. "Traditonal" wasn't in their lexicon. They did what seemed right to them. I remember NHRA, AHRA, UDRA and outlaw strips. I remember the first blacks in drag racing, it scared the shit out of us white boys I'll tell ya. But I remember them with reverance and courage. The 60's was wierd in a way, but fun.

Where cars are concerned, I don't rememebr the 70's or 80's or 90's much for that matter. I was busy raising a family and left cars behind, but never out of my mind. I was one of those who grew up with hot rods and nutty young people who loved to work their magic on them. We didn't give a rats ass about traditional. Hell we couldn't even spell it, much less know it existed. We just bought what we could and went with it.

About a year ago, I decided to re-create an old race car my dad and I built back in 1960. During my research on the subject, I discovered the HAMB. Damn, I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. I thought that I had found a place where old hot rodders hang out and shoot the shit about "the old days". I was excited. Then I attended my first "round up" in Austin. What a shock for me. Tattooed guys and gals eveywhere. I thought I had arrived at the wrong place at first. I thought I was in San Francisco or somewhere. I hesitated to even go in, but hell, I had come all this distance, so in we went. My wife was not to happy about the situation at first though. WOW........there was old cars, hot rods, rat rods, race cars, old people, young people, black people, red people, all m,inds of people,,,,all having fun and talking about "their cars". I even found out that the tattooed people were normal people and wouldn't kill or eat me. They just love cars and wanted to show off their work. I was impressed to say the least.

Though I don't have any tattoes, and I am not an owner of a "traditional" hot rod, nor a rat rod, nor a whatever rod, I am in the process of re-creating my old true race car. And, you know what? These guys on the HAMB and at the Round up excepted me as a one of them. Now that is "traditional" as I remember. Car lovers having fun and exploring others work and expressions no matter the brand, the year, the make up or what.

Sorry about rambling on,,,,,but I'm just a traditional guy when it comes to young people and their car ideas. Keeping me younger every day. Thanks guys and gals

 

However, the one thing that I DON'T remember is cars that were not painted. I cannot ever remember a car, hot rod, rat rod, or whatever rod, that was left rusted of rusted colors. ALL were painted in some fashion. Mostly flat black or grey primer with Krylon cans. Remember Krylon....LOL. I have searched through all my pictures and i have not found one single car left un-painted. I wonder where this fashion statement came from. It wasn't formt he 50's or 60's I can tell ya.

 

Good point Beep. I think the word "traditional" replaced "rat rod". It just sounded better.

 

Great editorial Ryan. Everyone should have an opinion on this. But what opinion? Are they a moderate, a leftist Rat Rod drivin' extremist or a far right Traditionalist down to the GumDipped's.
You've drawn your line in the sand. I would say that I am a bit more left than you but not by much. I believe a car or truck should have a goal, a purpose and should always be a finished driving vehicle. Its the finished driving vehicle that all the fuss is over, I think. How do you define a finished driving vehicle? For me, mechanically sound, no rust, painted (everything that was painted at one time) a functional interior (not plywood cobbled together to keep your cuffs off the asphalt). And lastly SAFE. I get the feeling like I just heard nails across a chalkboard when I see cars with the spinning driveshaft not 4 inches from the drivers ass with no floorboard or safety loop. First they're just asking to be shredded if they happen to bump that spinning mass, second "U-joints" fail all the time. I wouldn't particularly want to have one of those flailing around in the cockpit with me.......

All very thought provoking stuff............

 

For me the opperative word is sacrafice. One mans sacrafice is another mans cop out. The problem is that we will never agree on where that line falls. That's OK with me. I don't want to talk everybody into using only the "correct" parts. That is what is driving up their prices.

I was in diapers for the years that I like the most. I had to learn what was cool back then. I'm still learning thanks to Ryan and the HAMB.

I just wish we could be secure enough in our own defination that we would not get offended when someone expresses a different defination. I don't like expressing my opinion anymore. All that does is rile up the safety police and the repro/original fight. I won't even mention the "F" word (10 letters).

 

Was Von Dutch's Kenford a rat rod?

 

I was planning on driving my slant six powered 52' Plymouth to Missouri for the HAMB Drages from New Braunfels, Texas - guess I better stay home - drove my 56' Buick up there last year - but I guess that wasn't a traditional car either. Would my 47' Harley Flathead be traditional enough? What, my slant six has 2/1's and zoomies - that is just freakish not traditional, oh my god it is channelled and sits on the ground without the benefit of air bags, oh lord he could have afforded it but he went without. I think the point is being drastically missed by the influence of a few, with pride and fear derived from something they haven't experienced but hopefully might.

I love traditional cars and I hang out and work on my cars with a bunch of old codgers that drive "street rods" but understand where it came from because they did it, they don't do it anymore, but they did, and they love to see people do it again.

To me it is easy to call something a rat rod or a true traditional car and it is not so easy to build either and end up with something enjoyable and fun for you and those around you. My 56' Buick is a traditional low buck custom, it has narrow whites, but not too narrow because it would have been all wrong, it sports original sombreros with added bullets, slicked handles and emblems, a little sheetmetal added to the hood vent and some more doo dads, it is flat black not Hot Hues with a flattner, it is pinstriped, and sits nose high with the back down from heated springs, it sports an origianl tuck-n-roll interior somebody gave it in the 60's - it is traditional - show me how it does not look like it came out of a highschool parking lot in 1959-61 - it is a ton of fun to drive and I love it for what it is.

- But it is not a really cool, true blue, traditional car - it didn't cost me $2,500 to build and didn't cost me $25,000 to build.

Because you are talking about pre-war and early post-war cars that were built by the owner's of speedshops and rich kids, or at least kids with a pocket full of money, most of the most famous traditional cars ever built were built for somebody not by somebody for a large sum of cash, I have seen very few true pre-war tradional hotrods done correctly unless they were done to copy a speedshop's race car.

My old man grew up in a machine shop and he drove a 51' Studebaker 4 door with a 56' Goldenhawk V-8 and cut-outs that he pulled open with a cable on the dash (like the ones out of J.C. Whitney) - and he won a few races around town - much to the competition's surprise - now explain why this car today is a Rat Rod Jalopy and not Traditional, I call bullshit!

You need a better term for Traditional and you need a better term for Rat Rod - there is no label for any of these cars except that somebody took the time and imagination to put it together and had the balls to drive it so that someone could write or talk about it and hold it to a certain standard or sub-standard of conformance.

My 52' Plymouth is a Concorde Business Coupe and it is not ugly, it has an original spider-webbed flame job done on the South Side of San Antonio in the late 50's to early 60's and it has never been painted since, I pulled it out of a creek in a pecan orchard, now let's get down to the details before we judge it. I chose not to paint the car so that the original work would remain intact and unmolested, I did not acid etch it or hand paint rust on it, it is the real deal. I purchased a 1953 Oldsmobile Rocket 303 to go in the car but soon realized that if I channelled the car as I wanted I would more than likely have to clip the car to make it work, out of the question I told myself, it will forever change the car from what it was. I looked around and saw that I could order dropped uprights for the front end, and I could always just block the back or pull a couple of leafs and reverse the eye to get it down, yes it is a 52' plymouth and it would be ugly if it weren't on the ground, rather than order the aftermarket crap, I channelled the car 4" - a full fendered car - I recessed the firewall 5" , shortened the steering column and did it well, I rolled the tunnell in the car and built the floors and now she was on the ground, I rebuilt the frontend and brakes - the two cylinder per wheel lockheed style - this was not cheap - but I get to drive it as it was and that is what mattered to me. The engine - the dreaded slant six - not cool but available and I still have the rocket on the stand, what could I do to make it better - 2 one's - damn that offy 2/1 intake is expensive - cost more than the motor and tranny - but for pride what the hell - now exhaust - hmmmm, what to do, my buddy Paul has a bender and my buddy Gates can cut a flange, Zoomies !!

Now this abortion that I call my hotrod is not fast but it goes down the road, it doesn't go down the road like a pile of shit and it doesn't go down the road like a Cadillac, it goes down the road like an old car, it is loud, and it is different, it is fun, and it is my way of bringing back to life an old car that retains much of it's charm and much of it's function but is an extension of what I think is cool, that is traditional to me.

I don't want A/C, I don't want disc beaks or power steering, I don't want anything that wouldn't have been available or used by the guy back then, like I said the 52' was flamed in the late 50's or early 60's and the slant six came out in 61' -

Imagine..... It is 1962 and I am the broke kid down the block that got his hands around the baddest ass hot rod in my neighborhood but the motor is blown and my cousin shipped off last week and left me his shiny new 1961 Dodge with a slant six, hmmmmm........ I get all the girls, fast forward today, 45 yrs later, this car is now a rat rod and not traditional.

I know it is just an explanation of the term, but if you own the car and you built the car, and you actually used your head, and you acutally drive it, and you love it, and someone calls it a rat rod, tell me you wouldn't want to kick his ass and hold his head over those six zoomies for about 3 minutes at 6000 rpm.

This is from a guy doing it, not starting or building a car, not sleeved, but lightly tattooed, running a mortgage business by day, and building cars/bikes and pinstriping his ass off the rest of the time, explain to me again what is traditional and what is rat ???

This is not about a scene to me it is about honoring and preserving the past and loving it for what it was, and is, because guys like you and me put in the effort to live it again.

You are correct that tradition takes sacrifice, and that it will only go so far because only so many are willing to give what it takes to end up with a running/driving piece of history, but it doesn't have to be pre-war history to be traditional, it takes alot of money to be pre-war traditional, it takes some ingenuity and digging around to be traditional post-war, but it is still traditional.

Traditional to me is taking the time to make decisions about your car or bike that will allow you to go back in time and do what others did, when I am in or on any old car or bike I am not driving around so people can stare. I am smiling from ear to ear and I am 16 again and everyone else is in another world, my traditional cars/bike are time machines and you can call it what you like, but if you run into me at a show don't call any of them rat rods or rat bikes, it just pisses me off.



Peace-N-Grease

-JD