Projects Ruining a “Survivor Build” 50’s hot rod?

I`d say do it. It is called reverse HAMB ology. Taking the car back a few decades build style. It looks like you have done your homework. Keep the motor period specific. Maybe a few people on the HAMB will be inspired to build something out of the box. And not homeized. (spelling) @Stogy Anybody who gets rid of a mini van seat in a Model A, a good thing to do and needs to be done more often.

 

I think it’s more like buying that 55 vette.... driving it during the week.... Maybe a couple weekends a year..... Unbolting the interior.... Adding a pair of Steelies with racing rubber, doing a solo timed lap event, sports car race .... or..... A timed straight line event..... Say salt flats or the old Maxton mile?..... Then bolting the other seat in, road tires back on.... using your car that way 90% of the year.

Yeah...... Changing up your car a little.... driving to a race or Bonneville, then with 4 bolts on a grill shell.... Axle/tire change.... back to transportation.... That doesen’t sound anything like hot ridding to me.... ?... Like I said.... the modern stuff was reversible / part “tongue in cheek”....

(I’m ducking now.... again.... LoL)

 

@MINDTRAVELER64
This forum is exclusively focused on hot rods and customs built in the style, tech, and content as was done previous to 1965. It's for preserving and glorifying that type. The clock stops here at mid-'65. Taking a hot rod in a direction away from that ideal is not going to be encouraged within these 4 cyber walls. The loss of any nice examples causes gnashing of teeth, ashes poured out on collective heads, and the general wearing of sackcloth.
Your plans may be a great fit for your particular place in the greater car culture. You just can't refer to the result as a "hot rod". It'll be more of a "Special" or hill climb special. We know that there were hill climbs back in those days and various vehicles were bolted together for that purpose. It's just that for this forum, the focus is narrow.

 

You've stuck your jaw out with your plans, have you had it punched
enough yet? I can actually get behind your plans, I'm just not big on
that particular Alfa grille, but I think the Austin 7 wheels would be
a great choice. I'd get a kick seeing and photographing it hanging the
rear end out in a hillclimb.

 

On the Dash..... It’s channeled, and I’m getting older..... It did have a really cool steering wheel... Which I’m keeping....

It’s just really large, and with the small and forward Model A door openings... I took a steering wheel from a Gocart I built for my son....


It has a quick release hub.... Was made by Moto Lita in the 50’s.... they still make it today....


I hand cut an adapter plate.... bolted the Moto Lita onto a Ford truck tapered shaft hub, and tightened the bolt.....

The car came with a bunch of these really neat larger S/W gauges..... For whatever reason..... Some of the gauges weren’t installed and had more modern small ones placed in the holes loosely..... I put back in the larger vintage instruments.... The car wasn’t wired when I got it.... So I did the best I could, farmed some out... and got everything working using existing holes.... I used modern wire, but once satisfied, I’ll go back with the modern, but cloth wrapped stuff for safety...

A vacuum gauge (vintage that came with the car) is going inside the ashtray where I made a leather dash pad... It’s one of the old S/W colored ones....

The finished car seats will look about the color of the go cart seat I made and hand stained...

 

Here's how I'd do what you're contemplating:
1) Emphasize the Pre-war GP/sports car theme.
2) Paint it silver, like the German "silver arrows".
3) Lots of engine-turned panels; certainly the whole dash and any other big flat surfaces. Maybe even the hood.
4) Stock windshield, slightly raked (like it appears right now) or maybe dual "Brooklands" windshields.
5) Lots gauges on the dash. Huge miss-matched ones. Again, think pre-war MB, Alfa, Bugatti, Auto Union, Ol' Yeller, etc.
6) Large diameter flat steering wheel.
7) Absolutely NO 1-800 street rod pieces. Paint the aluminum radiator satin black so it disappears. NO ELECTRIC FAN; it ruins the old racecar vibe. Safety gear (e.g. racing harnesses) would be the ONLY exception.
8) I'd keep the existing Deuce grille. People are comfortable seeing them and they look beautiful. The Alfa grille would instantly pigeon-hole your car as a rat rod.
9) Take your roadster to the Tail of the Dragon & show 'em how guys like Max Balchowski, Hans Stuck, and Fangio kicked a$$.

Here's some more inspiration:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/hot-rods-v-sports-cars.675051/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...-early-rodders-i-think-yes-pics-please.95821/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/hot-rod-sports-cars.956823/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/road-racing-early-cars.250747/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/anyone-road-race.46473/

Good luck & post pics!

 

The grills tugging at me pretty hard frankly.... I know I’m going to use the silhouette of the thing to hide the modern.... But it does look like an ugly “rocketeer helmet” for lack of a better term.... I think it needs “Opening up”.. maybe 37 Buick headlamps down low and on the side?.... Do you have any thoughts, styling wise?

I went to the Indy museum for inspiration a couple weeks ago on mesh and grilling styles...

I’m not too worried on “punched nose” part.... Nothing more hot rod than changing wheels, tires, adding cooling capacity to your car..... driving it to bonneville or a hill climb, drag race..... Then driving it back home.... changing the wheels, grill shell.... Taking the wife out for an evening drive and nice dinner in the warm breezes.... Top down.

 

Mindtraveller since this will be a period inspired build but a Hybrid as in one of a few...the Hokey Ass Message Board Forum is for what is not Traditional as per the Guidelines...

A Mod can help move this and trust me visibility is no issue as you control that journey...I appreciate and respect the Defined Traditional but enjoy what is defined as awesome, period and just a little different with Hotrod mixed in...

I have seen similar wheels on a flathead powered racer from the days of road and track...it didn't have a track nosed a body but that A Racer you shared is a revered warrior...and Max comes to mind albiet a 32 ford...

 

That wheel is Ridiculous Kool! I'm in to 356's... Kart is Rad

 

It's your car, you only need to please yourself!

 

Nope, I see a dual wheeled 1936 Jaguar SS 100 pic that you got off of pinterest/tumblr and says nothing about it being a hill climber or anything else. It is tagged as a pre-war race car by the person who posted it.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/525865693995336226/
Look, I'm not giving you any crap (I don't do that)about your intentions with your car, I'm in the camp that's it your car to do with what you like. I'm assuming the reason for starting this thread was to solicit opinions.....good and bad. Maybe that was the wrong assumption. Hope your project works out like you want it to.

 

It looks like you have a plan after all. Clean up a few things, add a few period correct pieces that while being upgrades don't actually change the car unless someone knows it was changed. Let's just say finished.

As for the Alfa grill and dual wheel thing. That sounds like the basis for a new purpose built project that is more race oriented than street oriented.

 

I like a little pleasing too...

 

@MindTraveler64 , all the pics you are posting up of the build direction you want to take show single seat race-orientated cars. Nothing wrong with that. They are low, sleek, purpose- built pieces of art. Then you say you will just unbolt and exchange a couple of parts and be able to cruise around with your wife. That would imply a twin seat car, as the pics of your car show. My point is, won't it end up being a halfway hybrid sort of thing that will look a little "fat" for a race/hillclimb car ???

 

I'm here .. for you to do whatever the fugg' you wanna' do. Your car. Make it so.

Bolt on, bolt off. Whatever. Let's go hill climb !

 

There were a few that put Ole Henrys body through those circuits...look at that one with the custom fenders, a repurposing of a Hotrod but still competitive...but the times they were always changing. The flatheads and underpinnings were certainly there too under many custom bodies...

 

Beautiful go kart,,,really good work .
The only part about it that scares me is the engine cradled in the front right between his legs .
It runs in gasoline,,,,,,,

Tommy

 

No worries..... It’s interesting hearing all the perspectives..... That Jaguar, or the one below if they’re both really similar, is actually on a Jaguar Heritage site, and is in the Moray museum... When I was researching things I read up on it a while back.... It’s Jag’s first racing car according to some write ups, started as a passenger car, and eventually upgraded to a supercharger.... Which is sort of the path I’m pursuing over time.

Shelsley Walsh where the car was photographed is actually one of the longest continuous running Motorsport events in the world... Sort of like their “Bonneville” with turns....

Does anyone use their traditional hot rod in the Colorado, Pa., or North Carolina Vintage events? Do you make any performance changes for the event you change back after? For increased performance and handling, cooling?

I’m just getting older.... hitting mid 50’s....want to downsize cars and enjoy some different types of events once I complete my build... Not start another one.

I really like the idea of building an old car and having some different ways and set ups .... all traditional.... and period correct.... To use in some of the vintage motorsports gatherings.... Change a few things and not hurt the integrity of the original spirit of the build. (The only exception being for safety, reliability, to a reasonable degree.

 

I did. That was the pic that looked a little "porky" amongst all the other "greyhounds".............

I think @MindTraveler64 should maybe do a search on 'lakester' or 'lakes modified'. Would fall more under the traditional umbrella, and do what he wants it to do...............

 

Hard to beat Texas Kid, thanks for the moral support! Glad to see your part of the country getting the past few weeks further behind them.

 

Ya can’t please everyone, so ya, got to please yourself...

 

A couple of modifieds...............I can see it in this direction.

 

Those Old Henry and the Like that raced on those tracks with the mixed ever changing competition didn't revolutionize or surpass they were bettered...but we celebrate the Evolution here more than winning the race...

Track nose crossed many types of Racing from Jalopy to Drag to Bonneville...so yes a plausible focus and period is to be inspired here...

 

Here a some pre 65 road racers built by my uncle in the Philippines

 

I have always been interested in hillclimbs and liked English specials so I understand the draw. There is a specials thread on here you might want to check out. There is also somewhere here mention of the Batten Special which is a modified Ford that has been one almost from new. There is a great book about it. It still runs in events and has a supercharged flathead. It as well as many if not most of the vintage cars running hill climbs have single rear tires. Before trying duals I would play with tire compounds. That was part of the reason for the duals back then was not having sticky tires. If you race it let us know how it goes.

 

I like the Alpha grille shell.

 

I think he got enough of a post count to respond to classifieds.
Good luck on your car. Going to get a lot of flack here. Most don't think outside the small box. Even when it's pre 65.
You seem like a pro builder or you have been around awhile. You will be fine on what your doing. Welcome to the H.A.M.B.

 

I have said for 50 years that there are no rules in building a Hot Rod.

I see with "20-20" your vision, ideas and plans and I say "just do it".
Your not ruining the car because your temporary changes are all reversible.

Some need to understand that for decades we have built Hot Rods from many different vehicles and a high percentage of those cars were not just toys, but daily transportation. and with the creativity our fathers had, they made parts of the cars removeable and modifiable so when they wanted to street race, or drag race, or road race, or "hill climb" they did. There was no internet judging their desires and ambitions, just their fellow friends supporting and helping them chase their dreams.

I have always loved a car that can be used to serve more than one purpose. I designed my own Coupe to have 4 different looks with changeable components and totally adjustable ride heights.

Just do it, we only live once.

 

Good God.