There's definitely a functional difference between old style customs that were usually lowered mostly in the back and vehicles extremely lowered and level with the entire rocker an inch or less off the ground. In addition to the fact that they're simply not lowered to such a degree... The lowest portion of an older style custom (bottom of the skirts) is usually right at the center line of the rear axle. So when that lowest and most critical part comes to an obstruction such as a speed bump, it gets lifted as the rear tires roll over the obstruction. No scrape. But if your front tires roll over a 3" speed bump and the entire length of your rockers is 2" off the ground... The extremely lowered look is a latter day phenomenon, and I think takes away from the "time machine" quality that I like in an old hot rod or custom.
Didn’t build low? Since when Plenty of examples plus adjustable. Bags? Nope, hydros started showing up in the late 50s.
Argue all you want. Argue with yourself. Poor dead horse. It was extremely rare that any car was as low as many are today. And laying frame wasn't even a thing. Period.
When it comes to low cars, even my wife's stock 10 year old daily driver came from the factory being too low for me to slide my floor jack under it.
Maybe wierd but, one of my most favorite rides was one I could throw a clutch into without touching a jack. Keeps the neighbors looking. ????
Exactly. Just because one person thinks a lowered car looks bad, doesn't mean they look bad. Welcome to America, we all have our opinion. Why do they make so many different candy bars? Soups? Because we all don't like the same thing.
Hello, When we were growing up in the Westside of Long Beach, there were lowered custom cars in the vast neighborhood. For some reason, the farther North we went, the more there were on the streets and the big neighborhood park near our junior high school. The so called lowered cars were mild customs to more radically customized sedans. Some were just lowered with the stock look and a hubcap or two in design was added. The more radically lowered cars were just that, lowered. When it was full of guys, really lowered, to the point of getting pulled over and given a ticket. My brother’s hot rod cruiser had the coils cut and it was so low we had to get another set of coils to make the cut shorter and above the CHP/LB police scrutiny. Plus, the lakes pipes scrapped every time and so did most of what was under the car sticking downward. The lakes side pipes were sold and the new coils added. Once the decision was made as to the height, that was it. The only way to raise the car was to get new springs or use small blocks to raise the space between the coils. But, those fell out when one went over a bump or two. Jnaki The aspect of being able to lower the car was fine. People did that a lot. But the community that had mostly lowered custom cars was now into hydraulics and skid plates to protect the bottoms of the car, namely gas tanks. So, then a new aspect was thrown in, sparks flying out of the back at anytime a car was lowered in the back while moving. Showtime, folks… The one thing ALL lowered cars had in common were the tires shoved up into the wheel openings. As the new hydraulics were used, the drop to the ground was an added security measure to keep car thieves away. Unless, of course, it was deep in the middle of night and a tow truck was part of the theft. Being so low at ground level was for 90% of the admirers or thieves, out of the question. Now, with the air bags, everyone can drop the car as low as it will go. But, again 90% won’t drive any distance at the extremely low drop. YRMV
I’ve been told mine wasn’t drivable that low. Was at a show and a guy made that goofy statement. Well how did it get here, I asked. Guy thought for a second, then walked off. Told another guy I had a bad knee and it’s low for health reasons. Another said ya can’t drive stuff like that where he lives. So I asked where he was from. Guess what, turns out we’re almost neighbors. Another said it looks ok but not practical for hauling anything. I asked, like the big block and trans that’s sitting in the back? Some folks just can’t help demonstrating ignorance. I’m fine with not digging it. But come up with better dumb questions.
Hey Anthony, you are such an old stick in the mud, swim against the current, full on out of phase kind of guy. That's part of what makes you so damned cool.........
I’m not cool. I just like what I like. before coming here, I didn’t realize how low some 50s/60s builds were. I thought us mini truck guys were pioneers. Turns out I was extremely wrong. What’s cool is the custom car education you get from here.
If I raise the truck say 5" and haul some lumber to build a deck is it still stupid, useless and ruined. Since it's not road worthy yet I often sit in the cab or on the tailgate to rest my back and have a beer. Many uses. Ha
Yeah.............. but you don't beat on people for what they like, and in my book that tells a lot. Anyway, it looks like we are back to the usual tennis match of varying opinions.
When @Lloyd's paint & glass was building his dream car I was excited for him. The build style wasn’t important, his passion was. I have zero desire to build a drag car. But when USER=3595]@squirrel[/USER] is building one or on a driving adventure with one, I’m in 100%. I didn’t realize the factions in the car world until forums and social media. I thought a car guy was a car guy. Like at the magazine stand. I’d look at the lowrider and mini truck mags, the drag guys looked at their mags, off-road guys looks at theirs and we got along just fine.
I always take for granted that people on this board "get it", but then I see a thread like this one every once in a while to remind me that they don't. I like gassers, but not enough to want to build one of my own. I like hot rods, too, and probably will put one together one day. And I like regular old cars and pickup trucks as well. But never once have I thought about why they have the modified stance that they have. But for some reason, people just can't wrap their head around lowered cars.
To me the Look and Ride quality is a fine line. I raised the static taildragger rear of the Merc a 1/2" at a time and use QA1 adjustable shocks and the ride is great and the stance works. Going 100% stance and the car hits and bangs going down the road it will never leave the garage. Maybe I'm getting old or smart. Question for anothr day.
I think lowered cars look great...up to a point.... and I think some raised drag style cars look great...up to a point.... and some stock height cars look great...up to a point.... but I'm also allowed to think some of each just look silly.
We were heading to a car show once years ago with my dad's lowered 64 Impala. We were on a highway in rural Alberta surrounded by farm land. A gopher is on the highway, instead of running or laying flat he stands straight up in the middle of the road. We pass over him, and he is still standing up then instantly falls over, a later inspection showed fur on the rear shock bolt that clipped him. I guess he was used farm trucks.
For sure, and my comments weren't directed at you. We're all allowed to have our preferences. But to insinuate that cars haven't been absolutely buried since the old days and that a slammed stance is something modern, as the original topic of this post does, is a complete fallacy. It might be somewhat more prevalent now, and the means of achieving those ends might be different, but there is nothing new about it.
The Jalopy Journal
