Breaking with tradition...what have you done?

I built a Unibody Roadster...

 

When I got my sedan, the previous owner had installed LED taillights in the belt line. They are not traditional at all, but very functional and visible. They do not stick out like a sore thumb, and are not billet clad pieces, so I am gonna leave them alone. You will be able to see them in the attached pic, I plan to spray tint them to help blend in a little better,

 

What the hell is that inflatable PT Cruiser?

I switched from generator to alternator in my Falcon. CRAZY!

 

As a matter of fact, the inflatable PT Cruiser was the coolest thing at the Frankenmuth autofest!!!
Actually, it was pretty cool, Us HAMBers all used it for shade!!!!

 

Man...this could be rough, but common sense has made it easy. Tradition, especially when it comes to style ("style" being defined as the look, stance, and sound of the body, chassis, and engine) is guiding my '50 Buick custom. I want it to look as if it were built circa 1955 or so. The changes I've made or will make are mostly for safety or practicality, but will not impact the overall appearance or effect of the car. The disc brakes will be hidden behind steelies, the WWW radial tires will be 16s, but I doubt many will notice. The trans will be a late-model O/D unit, but no one can see that either. Electrical will be upgraded to 12V, lights will be modern, and there may be a killer sound system inside, but no one will see it. I may have a custom aluminum radiator made to keep the pricey custom-designed Straight 8 cool, but I'll paint it black so it looks like it belongs there. Even the engine will have modern internals (pistons, rods, etc), but it'll look like a vintage rod motor.

Safety, reliability, and durability are my priorities. I can nail the look I'm after on any car. Stance, color, and attitude are flexible and easily altered. Engineering the car to comfortably go anywhere, run on modern piss gasoline, and to interact safely with modern traffic (BRAKES!!) is much more important and challenging.

First, get it to cook...then worry about the look.

Scotch~!

 

Lessee, In the 40 GMC; H4 Halogen headlights, radials, disc brakes, Q-jet on a 262SBC, T350, Gennie Shifter, Astro van seat, seat belts, AM-FM cassette player radio, 12V negative ground, GM internal regulator alternator.

Who gives a shit.....It's only a movie.

 

Scotch,
Did that Buick come with one of those LOOOOOG batteries that are two cells wide and three cells long and are you still running one if it did?

(Just curious, not a dig at all,,,I would change it to whatever works best first which is a new high amp.)

 

I'm contemplating running the Fairlane on propane.

 

You can get real legit aftermarket Xenon ballasts and bulbs and retrofit any headlight. You'll just have to find a place to hide the ballasts.

No one would know it wasn't traditional until you light the way home.

-Dane

 

This very same topic is why I think traditional rodding leans more towards RESTORING than it does hot rodding.

I have a SBC in all my hot rods... 9" rear ends in two of them as well as alternators in the two that I drive on the street... now these items may get poo-poo'ed by close minded traditionalists that don't have anything better to do than nit-pick shit on a traditional hot rod messageboard... but then again, these are almost always the same people that have a pile of parts out in the garage that they can't even drive because they get hung up on what is correct... and to that I say:

 

Dr. J-

Yes, my '50 came with the monster huge 6V long-by-weird battery, and it is still powering tbe engine in its stock configuration. Obviously, I'll be changing all that when the new S-8 engine is finished, but for now, the factory stuff is in place and works fine. Once the car is out of paint, suspension and brakes get updated first. By then, the new engine and O/D trans should be done, and I'll get them in and running.

Scotch~!

 

Is this breaking tradition?

 

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Dr. J-

Yes, my '50 came with the monster huge 6V long-by-weird battery, and it is still powering tbe engine in its stock configuration. Obviously, I'll be changing all that when the new S-8 engine is finished, but for now, the factory stuff is in place and works fine. Once the car is out of paint, suspension and brakes get updated first. By then, the new engine and O/D trans should be done, and I'll get them in and running.

Scotch~!

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6volt huh? I had a '53 Olds with a long 12volt....guess they changed over somewhere in there?

 

I'm REALLY breaking tradition, with my fuel injected 5.0...

In MICHIGAN, for a daily, you can't have anything pre 1985, sorry. Maybe it's just me, and I'm spoiled.

 

My '54 has Granada disc brakes and '89 Cavalier rack and pinion steering. The car will look like an early 60's custom but underneath the tradional skin will be modern conviences.

 

Put a turbo 400 behind the two Caddy 390's i'm running...it sure wakes them big motors up, especially with a 2800stall converter! Hey Dr J, is that what you used to ride to school?

 

The most non traditional thing ive ever done was to lose the fenders and chop a vw bug 7 inches in front and 5 in the back. Even sitting on the floor the vissibillity sucked, so I whacked off the top and made it a roadster bug! That was kind of stupid since I never realized that I could have sold it to someone who wasnt so tall. Damn...

 

the whole car.. Wagons are not traditional kustom or hotrods materail.. they are just wagons, good for hauling grocerys, making families and carrying a surfboard.. also got a MII, airbags, AC and radial tires

 

lumbar support.

too many years crawling under old cars to sit on an old seat every day.

 

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The thing to do if you could find them would be Lucas Flame Throwers. Don't think they make 'em anymore, but you can still get bulbs for them. Gives you tradition and light in one fell swoop.

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Like these??? http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=37216 .

 

Well first I picked a Hupmobile to hotrod.
Decided to keep it as original looking as possible to that end I have installed:
Chevy 250
th200r4
Dana rear end
homemade nostalgia shifter
power rack and pinion
power disk brakes
tilt wheel
cruise control
AC
power windows
120 spoke reversed wheels
hidden sound system