Technical DEFINE TRADITIONAL HOT ROD...

figured this would be a way to get a straight answer... whats the limits..post what YOU think right now..

 

I think someone will post the dead horse being beaten cartoon. Or the rabbit and pancake.

 

what about a small block chevy motor??? and does traditional have a year limit>>

 

and beating a dead horse is very traditional here... right.. like I can't think up nothing on topic or to add so I just stick up memes

 

is there a difference from a traditional car, and a new traditional build???

 

I checked this out when I first got here:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/guidelines-the-traditional-hot-rod-forum.828348/

 

1934 and earlier fendered and non-fendered cars (mostly Fords) modified for looks and/or performance using engines and parts found mostly pre-1965 with some minor exceptions.

1935-1960 ish full fendered cars modified for looks and/or performance using the same.

Small exceptions vary and are mostly accepted when done through the lens of education and taste.

The HAMB, little pages (old Hot Rods, Rod & Custom, Car Craft etc...), videos like Mad Fabricators etc... are a great way to develop some education and taste here.

Some folks get combative when they get a whiff that something they have built or like is not necessarily accepted aas traditional, so they make an argument trying to change the definition. I don't get why. Still has it's place... but the folks that strive to stay period correct and bleed to make it happen deserve a category too. Right now that category is "Traditional".

God bless.

 

@Dreddybear said it better than I ever could.

You either get it or you don't.

 

265/283/327 using period correct parts, yes. Stock 350 out of a 1979 chevy 3/4 ton 4x4, no.

 

Traditional depends on what decade to me , 20s, 30, 40, 50,60,70, 80s & so on to preset , Each decade has its own style Originally ,,
Here , on HAMB , is pre 64 ,
I would say , If some says there Ride is
1960 before ,
Then parts before to 1960, traditional for that time era, But you have a part thats 1963 , then is Not 1960 & prior,,
I'm splitting hairs here ..
$$$ for legit Traditional , & Vehicle needs to be a Hot Rod ,race car, etc. @ that time error .
Thats why one of my Family members
Payed 20k more then any other 32 ever did on any other 32 out of 40ish 32's,
Out of all the others none more then
30k steel .
Because the 32 was first built into a
HotRod in 1955-56 , 58 Drag car , 69ish
Back to H-R to present .

 

my car is supposed to have a 327, but it might be 283....being fiberglass, would that stop it from being traditional??? thanks for the help...


oh and the yellow paint???

 

I would saay these other 2 cars of mine are traditional....

 

I'm going to give honesty here and no offense it intended.

Is it full on traditional? No.

Does that matter? No.

Could it be? I say yes.

If you're looking for a project to take on that would be fun, you're a great spot to do it. I myself would have a blast redesigning what's there to fit a little more period correct. The hinges and detail on the firewall could make it difficult for most to tell it's glass.

For me I would ditch the yellow (sorry). Black is easy enough to make happen.

find some 40 brakes and wheels and Some bias firestones.

Cut off the shock mounts and go to f100 mounts.

Cut off the steering box mount and use one from a 40 along with the column and wheel.

Stitch up a neat old leather interior and keep it simple.

Dress up the small block with some old vette covers (or hildebrandt if I could find)and maybe a 3x2. Swap the alt for a powergen and get some fenton headers. old dizzy with cloth wires.. swap the dash for one with some old block SW gauges.

Proceed to drive and enjoy.

Even if ya didn't do any of that you could still cruise with me.

 

I would agree

 

I think will all have a different meaning on term Traditional !!
A Traditional H-R , Built originally at a certain time,
Then
Traditional build /Clone of a certain era,
None of mine are / Where H-Rs that I am aware of accept my A roadster ,built
Around 62ish originally,
My sedan when I gained ownership,
Was done early 90s to look like a 1950ish
With Original 32 parts accept 38-39
Engine , Train, 38-40 brakes , A Traditional build /Clone
Other one Built/Clone in 21 century & with modern O/T parts late 60s looking

 

I use era correct. That seems to get rid of lot of grey. Parts used in that era, in the way they would have been used in that era. Simple.

this is where your little books and library come into play. Using era correct parts in a radically incorrect for the era way makes the car as a whole not era correct.

 

Eh a lot of times when people get defensive it's because people trying to call them out are nowhere near as educated on period parts and modifications as they think they are. They automatically assume that if a modification was considered still cool and popular in the 70s and 80s it automatically makes it a 70s and 80s era modification. I've personally had to dig into my miniature library of vintage rod mags to show that I was in fact correct lol

 

i would say you are spot on,.. when I bought the car, I was looking for a frame and body with a 32 title...and this popped up...price was right so iwent and picked it up..but for me,... by the time I do all that I could just start over,... still looking for a frame and title for a build...all changed when i drove the yellow roadster...great driver...I wanna get the new wheels on it and touch up the paint and call it good...

 

Jalopy body, bald tires, missing sheet metal, big smiles


trad needs old parts or parts that look old
1-800 street rod parts won’t be on it

 

I wonder how the interior was?
The Lady looks well dressed ,
If parents living @ time wonder there thought When the guy showed up to pick her up for date ,
If pic pre wwII , wonder what term used for some one building / driving a vehicle looking that way?
Or Accepted because of the depression era ?

 

"Or Accepted because of the depression era"

Good point.

 

I've always built cars that "look" very traditional, but don't look too close...a lot of the stuff you can't easily see might be a little too modern.

 

One thing most traditional guys overlook is is it actually being driven? And no I don't mean 5k miles in a 10-15 year period. I mean actually driven. If you aren't making an effort to at least try to drive it like they did back in the day but are so hard core you even have era correct hose clamps that's not traditional. You're basically a Corvette restoration guy. Only other people that I've seen spaz about the correct date code on a block. And the way people try to bash for having a 350 is exactly that. Spazzing over block date codes. Because yes 350 "strokers" were relatively common in the fifties and sixties. Weld and offset the crank a half inch and bore cylinders to 4". Tradition is building something fun and actually using it. Not staring at it

 

Someone (might have been Confucius) said "he who stir shit pot must lick spoon".

 

Accepted cause it’s cool

 

You asked for it!

 

my low IQ made me do it. Sorry

 

i alwaays thought this was a traditional build...

 

mines a tad lower.... I don't get it....

 

It's a long running joke here on the HAMB.