Hot Rods Todays messed up takes on how hot rods were in the 1950s n 60s

I'll be 63 in a couple of months, so I have no clue about 40's, 50's, or even 60's stuff other than stockers. I have always lived in rural AL, the only things I saw were in magazines. I don't think I ever saw a 32 or 40 Ford or a non stock Model A until I was probably 18 years old. And when I did, my attention to detail wasn't what it is now, I just saw the overall look of a hot rodded car. The oldest cars I seen regularly were Tri 5 Chevys, and they weren't exactly plentiful. I grew up in the pony/ muscle car era, and that was what we drove and modded. In my 20's I became aware of street rods, and developed a taste for pre 49 vehicles. I tried to find something, anything, in those years, but they just weren't around. This was when fiberglass bodies started to get big, but even those were hard to find in my area.

Over the later years, I managed to get my hands on some stuff that most would cull because of how far gone they were. A T sedan, a 36 Ford pickup cab and frame, a 36 Chrysler Royale coupe, a 47-48 Ford coupe. None of them ever amounted to anything, I did a little to them and sold them for something else. I would bounce back to mid 60's cars, and do the same with them. But I was acquiring skills for better things to come. Never had enough money to buy a finished car, just barely afforded junk.

My tastes cover a wide range. I don't cull much, 4 doors after 57, rice burners, art cars. I don't live in the past, but enjoy many eras, even if I don't strictly go by them. My car will pretty much look like it would have in 1965 had it been rodded then, but some things are improved upon and out of sight.

 

1956 in a small town in southern Oklahoma and I was 12. Saw my first real hot rod there. I didn't know about chopping, channeling, dropped front ends or anything else but I knew as soon as I saw it, it was totally different from anything else I'd ever seen. My memories of 66 years ago aren't perfect but I'm pretty sure what I was looking at was an all white '30 Model A pickup that sat real low, had rear fenders, motorcycle front fenders and a 2 deuce flathead. I don't remember a lot of chrome. The guy that owned it was just out of the service and he was just standing there talking to some other guys. He must have noticed my interest because pretty soon he was talking to me explaining what he'd done and I was trying hard to keep up with what he said. The rest of the guys left and I expected him to go as well but he said get in and we'll go cruise Main Street. I remember the interior was white, no pleats, and the headliner was made from surplus parachute silk with one of those tassels that looked like it came from a high school graduation mortarboard hanging in the middle. He started the truck and the sound was a lot different from my Dad's '49 Chevy. We went from one end of town to the other a couple of times and he said he had to leave. I didn't see anything like it again until we moved up by Oklahoma City four years later. That truck, the way it looked and sounded, has been in my memory for 66 years and if I'm granted the time to build anything other than the '27 roadster I'm currently working on, it will be a '30 Model A pickup, white, with a flathead.

 

Traditional Hot Rod, built in 1955 by a B29 Bomber co-pilot shot down and captured on his first mission over Japan.
I helped a friend of mine reconstruct this after a couple of owners screwed it up. '40 brakes, single master, '39 trans, 8BA motor, Mallory ignition twin 94s. I'm 75, grew up in THE Hot Rod era.

 

I'm with gimpyshotrods.

With no disrespect intended it's easy for me to see 3 groups of guys on this board, ones that grew up in money, those that had money later in life and those that grew up poor.

The ones who grew up with money are those that will put down other post because their car isn't paint and left primered, or blast a guy because of his interior choices aren't tuck and roll etc. These are the same that swear in their day they never ran around with other hot rodders who's cars wasn't painted and shiny. I'd say that's a true statement as most kids run with kids in their financial system.

Then the had nothing and made money later are those sympathetic to those less fortunate or less learnt, they understand where that person is now and offer support and also offering ways to make it better, all without passing judgment.

Then those that grew up hard and poor, they are there to offer support right from the beginning no matter how bad that project may seem to most. They are the " screw the looks, drive it and enjoy it!!" crowd with hardly a negative word to any posts.

The last 2 groups are the guys I love, between those 2 you will always find a friend, someone who will share and someone who will support and give you confidence to keep trying.

 

I have an interest in traditional hot rods and I always have from the first time I saw a hot rod. Today however, I have no interest in building, driving, or owning a traditional hot rod. (I really like airplanes too but I have no urge to own one) My comments earlier in this thread were my remembrance of how things were when I lived through this period of traditional hot rodding. As far as I am concerned, you should build whatever tickles your fancy. It just seems that there is a difference in opinion about this period in our history.

 

This. I'll be 61 next month, got my drivers license in 77'. Muscle cars were cheap then, would love to have all that I owned back then. I've been asked a few times if I thought I was in the wrong place here, because I've stated that 90% of the stuff here is just white noise to me. I'm here for the drag racing aspect of this place. I love the old gassers, altereds, fed's and anything related to drag racing.

 

I realized a while back that this isn't a hot rodding group at all. It is a traditional hot rod L.A.R.P.-ing group. Not quite reenactors. More like a hot rod renfaire. That's OK. They are fun to watch too. Mike

 

Not as long in the tooth but rural bama as well. my relatives talk of hot rods but the description sounds more like “cut downs”.
beater field cars used to terrorize back roads and fire lanes.
This is supposed to be a survivor “hot rod” from rural Bama reportedly built just after WW2.

doesn’t fit the narrative of all the pics we see from Cali, mid west and east coast.
But, if true, represents history just the same

 

In living history (just like the 1750s bro tm) we call them "thread counters". Everything has to be perfect right down to the amount of stitches per inch, hand sewn of course.

 

Thank goodness. I thought I just couldn't weld.

I've committed every form of welding sacrilege known to man, and then some. Undercut, lack of fusion, blown through holes, gas porosity, slag inclusion... My boilermaker brother in law keeps giving me the "I'm not angry, just disappointed" look.

Now I know my welding is just traditional

Cheers,
Harv

 

I watched a Revolutionary War and Civil War re-inactment (how ever ya spell it).
No blood, guts or limbs laying all over the battlefield. I’m sure it smelled worse as well. But they are trying to keep history alive.
I’m not gonna pick em on their mistakes. I appreciate the effort.

 

hard to come back to work on Monday after a Minnie ball took off your leg

 

I am car-less right now so I can't criticize anyone who is out there being somebody. One of my biggest problems is my friends are all dieing.

 

Tell me about it.
I seen a bone saw on a table in a tent but never seen it used.
Posers!

 

I just build stuff I like. Don’t label it therefore it can’t be labeled wrong.

 

Thats for the hard core reinactors!

 

When I lived back east, I had a buddy who was a civil war reenactor. He lost his leg during a reenactment at Gettysburg.





He's an amputee and it was a really expensive prosthetic. The next year they banned alcohol at the event.

 

Dang. I hope that isn’t true
Bit I giggled.
I apologize to your friend if it happened

had to re-read that.
He lost his replacement leg.
Sounded like he lost his real leg.

 

LOST as in too drunk to find it!

 

I can’t see myself cruising around in my scooter decades from now complaining about hipsters with mini-trucks with geometric shapes airbrushed on em and wearing ripped jeans with bandannas tied on their legs and a ripped Poison t-shirt listening to future modern hair band music.
I’ll tell em they nailed it

 

Changed it.
Sounded like the guy lost the real leg.

 

I finally changed out my big late 20s early 30s headlights that replaced the original headlights on my Inspired Hotrod...

I have pegged it at about 1963 in period so true to what Dana is implying I am trying to represent it as such despite a few details that are discernable to those in the know...

I never pass this off as Traditional for these reasons but this Lil Ole Hotrod of mine truly is a plausible reflection of past greatness over many years evolving with the changes that happened...and I always compliment the Builder and his friends involved in pulling it off in style in my opinion...







...one thing I keep in mind with the memberships journeys in Hotrod/Custom is being that so many things we do in inspiration has in a sizable way already happened...so that said I can look at it as they have chosen a day in that past history and have made a choice to live in that moment/day in the period in between the wrecking yard and full on shiny with that being where they want to be...

It's funny I can see the discussion in 1957 over a wobbly at the garage..."So when you going to paint it Bill"...

I'm actually saving the Biggies for the next Hoodlum as I think it's only fitting regardless of it being not likely to have been a reality in 63...

I sure do like the new look and the improvement in beam is also hugely welcome...
​

 

I'm building the car I want wrong. Or something.

Beats me, really. I was born in 1980. Shop class didn't exist when I went to high school. I'm here to learn from the people who know how to do things.

 

Looks much better with the small headlights.

 

Vintage pics are truly helpful as is the input by those that were there...if you are trying to be era/period correct it makes absolute sense...

Reverse mixing of periods is being conveyed as a new phenomenon and much of it is despite some evidence some did, but looking at the images in some of the Hambs gems by many that inherited their parents photo albums do clearly paint a theme that does go with the old guards memories shared by our valued sometimes passionate membership and boy are they incredibly sharp...

I call them the veterans of the Culture...

 

This is the only place I hear people talk about traditional cars.
My friends talk about cars and having fun with them.
We try not to judge and we help others with their projects.
This place is for people that want to be judged and judge others.
Most have lost what hot rodding is about or it's not to talked about here.
Try to enjoy it for what it is. It will be gone just like history is going away everywhere else.

 

Every time a bird shits on one of my cars I eat an order of hot wings out on my porch to remind them what I am capable of!

 

It's only funny until someone loses a limb!

 

I knew my arc welder would come back into vogue... LOL. I do need to buy some 6010 rod though, not that new-fangled 7018 stuff.....