That’s the entire point You ruin em by lifting, by lowering, chopping, setting firewalls back, moving fender wells foward, shaving trim, adding trim ……. I like ruined rides
I'm willing to bet that there are guys here, even commenting on this thread, that do not realize that your truck raises up from that stance in the picture, so you can drive it. Wanna bet? Lol
I guess back to “why so low” question. For the early hot rods, probably an attempt at reducing air drag
Man I wouldn't think you'd say stuff like that about somebody else's automobile. But I do recall you saying some pretty shit comments about my El Camino. You guys bash all you want. Makes ya feel tough
Hey, I've driven some really silly looking cars myself...nothing wrong with it! but also nothing wrong with admitting it looks silly. Sometimes looking silly is cool....well, most of the time looking cool is kind of silly to those who don't "get it". Variety is the spice of life!
I've always lowered everything, since I was a kid. Gluing the tires in the wheel-wells of the model cars I built, bending those axles on the Hot Wheels, getting bicycles down low too! I even lowered a trailer! It's all about style and attitude and looking cool while cruising. When I was 10 years old in 1973, my older brother bought a brand-new car and drove it from the dealership to the wheel shop and then to the local guy to cut the coils. I don't have air bags in my Sanford & Son truck, but most people think I do. You have to know how to drive a lowered car too, over tracks, speed bumps, and up and down driveways. I've had air bags on a chopped custom, and they can give you a great ride and some attitude, but it's all about the STANCE! So, if you have to ask............... CLICK https://famosodragstrip.com/swap-o-rama/
Yep. Racers were building low-slung vehicles to beat drag. Race cars are the fastest. As enthusiasts, lowering a vehicle therefore makes it appear more racecar-like and faster. Whether we realize it or not, I think that's what a lot of us are doing.
I have an OT car that is lowered (for racing purposes). It has an oil temp sensor in the oil drain plug with a wire coming off the bottom of the plug and going up to the gauge. One time returning from an event, I passed over a dead squirrel in the center of the road and lost my oil temp reading. Got home and found the wire dangling, with a bit of fur stuck to the connecting tab on the sender.
I can't believe how few super low cars there were back in the day. Maybe Larry Watson just painted every single one of them and there really were not that many.
And if I leave it raised up you probably wouldn't know it was bagged. My 34 3 window and model A sedan I built have a nice low stance... They are fenderless and would be silly with bags. With this truck I wanted to try something different. I'm all about the build, look and engineering. With the bags deflated the crossmember is about 1/4" off the ground and it does roll. The exhaust is just above that. It takes a lot of thought and frame mods to get everything just right. My next project will be a model A roadster on 32 rails with a flatty. Probably more acceptable here I get it. Even with that some will like it and some might not. I sure learned a ton over the many years on this site that gave me the talents to do what I do. Many thanks for that fellas!!
^^^^^^^^^^I wish I had said those!^^^^^^^^^^^ When you build to impress others, you aren't really cool. When you build because thats how YOU want it to look....that's cool.
I've had a few lowered cars, but nothing way low. And I had to play with springs to get them to sit just right...not too high, not too low. I guess the fact that I think there is such a thing as "too low" means I'll never be cool
Nope, you do things YOUR way..........thats cool. I think you are someone that appreciates "function" as a basic part of any change you make. Lowering a car/truck to the point that it sits on the ground or is constantly scraping the ground serves no purpose and it doesn't (IMHO) improve the aesthetics either. There is such a thing as "too much of a good thing".................
Stance depends a lot on body style. How the wheels look in the wheelwells at different heights has a lot to do with it. Some cars look great as gassers with nose high and a tube axle. Some cars look fine with the frame on the ground - but not for me since the only way that happens is air ride and I prefer springs. Bottom line it's personal preference a drag car won't get much love at a custom show nor will a custom at a drag car meet.
Why so low? Why so raked? Why so race ready? Why so stock? Why so ratty? Why so shiny? Why so forty’s? Why so sixty’s? Stack all these up you get the same answer.
Building low and lowering are 2 different things. Ride height, stance and tires size is the first things that need figured out. Buildung a car then adjusting stance is counter productive. If you plan to use a 27 inch tall tire then set the spindle and rear axle center line at 13.5 inches. Build from there. “I lowered my car now it rides bad” is the same as “I changed my cam and now it’s a dog off the line”.
The Jalopy Journal
