Hot Rods Early Hot Rod ,Period Correct ?

I don't really comment too much on these threads but I have to say something about a shift I see on Period correct when it comes to a hot rod . I recently noticed an ad for a hot rod that claimed period correct. . Well.... is disc brakes , 4 bars , modern parts period correct ? Come on . What happened to the HAMB ?

 

What period ? Mike

 

Well, Look what happened to the "Restored" "Antique" and "Classic" side of the old car hobby. If something hasn't rusted away in the past 25 years it is an antique, classic, or vintage vehicle. I still use the same classifications I was taught in 1960, and see no reason to change. Pre WWII is what I like, but a 1950's Ferrari Coupe would get garage space, and a good running pickup or van of any year as a daily driver. The 1965 HAMB cutoff is perfect IMO, but I can see 1965- 1975 as another era of Hot Rods.

 

When I built my first 32 Ford sedan in 1974 I made my own front and rear fully adjustable 4 bar system and if my memory's correct a front disc brake setup from one of the first Mustangs or maybe that was the one from a Volvo? That was long before the HAMB was conceived. That would be considered the Mid 70's Period!

 

What the Hamb represents and what people write or think is the great debatable divide...obviously they are out of the loop...and generally it may remain intact unless reported...but let's just say to mention untruths it doesn't promote the Hambers grasp on what the Hamb is unless they're referring to a later period post outside the guidelines as mentioned.

That said disc brakes may have found their way onto Hotrods in 1965....its obvious many here don't see things the way they were...and they stand out and hopefully learn...read with caution...especially with ads...

The other thing is period...period means 1950-1960....or period to one specific year...the Hamb has opened a new forum...POST 1965...so perhaps the Hotrod is period correct to 1972 and has disc brakes...

So you must understand there are many periods too that word...now sometimes members put their rides in the wrong forums...happens add nauseum...but I understand some don't read...or know the drill...and once explained and moved by a mod all is good fingers crossed as some do put up a wall...

Parts that are copies of can pass as period correct even if others won't use anything that isn't gennie...I want to drive rather than wait but I get it and can appreciate OEM...fabricated parts can also reflect and be period correct as well...

Couple more things...did the ad fool you? The other thing is our Mods are busy and here for us so if something is not worthy there is a report button.

 

Survivor...driven till nearly 1970...a good read...AND disc brakes but read the Thread...this is The Hamb that I'm here for...
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/lost-found-time-capsule-three-window.1302273/

and another...
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1932-5w-richard-dickie-roys-coupe.1329799/#post-15478378

To me the Hamb is still an incredible place...and never disappoints if you read what matters...thanks to so many that make that a reality every time I get on...

 

I think this is something most people who build a car struggles with. I know when I got my 32 project the first thing I did was remove the stainless 4 bar and chrome tube axle and swap it out for some chrome hairpins and I beam drop axle. My thoughts were to make it look like a later 60's early 70's hot rod not a modern street rod. Did I capture the correct look? Did I manage to make the car look correct? These were the questions I asked myself and then I realized If I build it to my liking, that should matter the most. I will have a nice set of 40 Ford style steel wheels that I can put on when I want the car to look more traditional but my 4 speed big block will never get any traction with that setup. I don't believe there is any wrong way of building your car, especially if it's the look you desire.

 

4 bars were in before 65 I believe and one thing that many don't like is mixing periods that never overlapped.

The ole saying is do as you want but don't venture on to the Hamb and try to change the reality of how it was...

My ride has a few things that knock it off the Traditional pedestal but I'm okay with that and don't post it in the Traditional Forum because it isn't. I could change the details but its not my focus. Visually 1963 is there and that truly matters to me.

 

I think disc brakes are Traditional if they're old AirHeart disc brakes as that company offered disc brakes long before American cars had them. But most rods equipped with disc brakes use later, I know I did on both of my cars.
I've never claimed my cars are truly traditional, but I try to keep them generally looking traditional unless someone wants to pick them apart.

 

I have some disc brakes made around 1948. Kinmont.

 

I guess to anyone serious or is curious about being period correct to 1965 or older would be well advised to do is pick up some magazines from those years and find an example of a Hotrod/Custom that looks like yours...if you do you have succeeded...if you don't well maybe your fooling yourself but you'll know.

 

There are so many variables...I'd like to see the ad...might be off topic...and as we all should know words are words, modern details on vintage rides are highly swappable.

 

Yep, that modern stuff is only 50 year old technology!

 

Truth be told the offending brakes have been part of an ongoing revolving door since I've been on here as has the misuse of the reference period correct. Its also the one of the reasons there was the The Hokey Ass Forum and much newer in the big scheme of things the post 65 Forum introduced...

Despite all of that knickers are constantly ajar...mainly due to peoples lack of following the process, diving in guns ablazing before reading the sign on the front door...Ryan and the Moderators have their work cut out for them.

 

I believe this person was going for a late 50s or early 60s period Ford hot rod and had an automatic transmission also.
Sure there are always examples but hardly would consider it defining a period.

Alchemy - I'm glad you had some Kinmonts but again I would hardly consider them normal for the late 40s or 50s period hot rods. Were they there and do they belong ? . Yep . Sorry , I don't believe people go right to Kinmonts brakes when they think of the 40s and 50s hot rods.

The same with automatic transmissions. So , automatic transmissions are what people think of when they think of 50s and early 60s period ford hot rods? Sorry but no. Just saying.

 

The list is getting longer...
Perhaps instead of complaining about the state of the Hamb you can contribute on topic material relevant to the nuts on perfection you speak of. Thats usually the best way to help the direction stay on track...

Again many here do stick to the very fine line your speaking of but again there are forums for those that don't meet that line and I'm one of them. So you really just have to look past what doesn't meet your scrutiny and move on period. Complaining about something that's given a pass is generally fruitless and popcorn material.

 

You could buy an American built car with disk brakes in 1949, most people don't know that.

 

There is so many things that existed in the Hamb era we focus on. There's even unquestionably Hotrodders and Customfolk that did fab in pretty unusual parts including disc brakes. I suspect money was a big deciding factor for the so called Traditional populace as it's been argued add nauseum that just because two rodders run disc brakes or a Customizer used Caddy air lifts from the 50s doesn’t make it Traditional as they are lone wolf's...that's why the Homogenized Thread was born...to celebrate the ones that were there that did shit others didn't. It helps verify it was done even if it didn't get embraced by the masses.

 

Personally, I would love to build a period correct traditional hot rod with all the bells & whistles but alas I can't afford to do so, the period correct parts are made of unobtanium, so I try my best to outwardly emulate the look, it's hit and miss,but I enjoy my old beater. HRP

 

"Period Correct" and "Traditional" are terms that are rarely agreed upon by two people. Are "Pre War Hot Rods" ones built between 1893 and 1941? There aren't enough Hot Rod and other magazine featured cars to go around. They are the ones frozen in time that could document their restoration. Pick a year and build the car you "Could have built" in that year if you had the time and skills using parts manufactured in or before that year.

 

I actually like to think of The Hamb reaching right back to the early beginnings...and they were hopping stuff up and racing not long after the early dates you mention...

 

I picked 1954, the year I was born. Nothing newer on my car except a dual master cylinder, which is out of sight.

In my book, disc brakes, tilt steering, electric radiator fans, modern wheels, most anything but Ford radius rods front and back, and billet anything are disqualifiers for period-correct or traditional designation.

 

I was born in 1952 here's my thoughts.
Four bar suspension just look at the Monogram Big T model kit dated 1961 yep four bars on the Ford V-8 sixty tube front axle that model by the way is a copy of the real car! Heck our new build a barn find Ford Deuce 3 window is going to be a mid 60's Hot Rod powered by a 60's big block. The engine is something you could have found in a junk yard at that time. And hell yea its gonna have disc brakes and a four bar front suspension on a good old Ford dropped axle.

Being a kid in the 60's finding a Deuce and going to the local junk yard is what you could do. With some imagination and other older Hot Rodders guiding a kid along the way a true sixty's Hot Rod with four bar suspension a 60's big block and disc brakes is certainly period correct heck its how you could have built it 60 years ago.
Ronnieroadster

 

The thing is as stated above, a few gents were there in the early 60's doing things like 4-bars, disc brakes etc and as also stated just because a few did it doesn't make it "traditional" well if we are going to adhere strictly to that narrow thinking we might as well have anything to do with Roth deleted or moved to a sub forum because if there is a king of 1-off's Roth is it.

We could go thru many other builders at the time that did 1-off's, tall-T is another example of this, funny thing is it's the 1-off's many people remember most....

This idea that only "street rods" have disc brakes, etc etc, Yada Yada is a very narrow mind set to me. Like I've said and will continue to say " we haven't really done anything new since the early 60's" maybe it wasn't done by "EVERYBODY" but most of it was already done...


...

 

What I remember from the old Magazines, is that Kinmont brakes were highly sought after in the mid to late fifties through the early seventies.

“Modern “ disc brakes didn’t become popular until the mid seventies street rod era.

 

I really like the 1965 HAMB year cutoff, think it predates the 1-800 - Buy your parts. There was J.C. Whitney and some speed shops, but you were really on your own when it came to building stuff.

 

There's much more in life to be worried about than a couple words in a for sale ad, a Hot Rod Restorer, now that's an oxymoron !

 

Arguing over the definitions of "period correct" or "traditional" is like urinating into a strong wind and hoping to not get wet. What is the point? This is the HAMB. Regardless of what you think the definition should be, the site has defined what they want the definitions to be. And while many of the allowed parts may not have been present in the mainstream hotrod movement, it is irrelevant. And while some of the not allowed parts such as rack and pinion certainly existed, the site has determined they are not allowed. Again, what we think doesn't matter. So why do these threads on is or isn't it go on so long? If I build a car with parts that are not HAMB compliant, how stupid would I be to show them off on the HAMB in this forum? The tradition I choose to follow is to build my car my way with whatever I find that makes it work. If it strays from this site's definition I'm OK with that. But, I respect the site enough to not flaunt it in this forum. Fortunately they have an OT forum now as well. Why then are we debating what fits the site. If you see something that doesn't belong in this forum, ask the poster to move it to the OT forum. Problem solved. And if you can't agree then ask a mod to make the call.

 

If I came upon a older build and a guy has added disk brakes on the front and even a OD trans I'm going to give it a pass in my world especially if he's actually driving it on a interstate over 75 MPH.
My world is not defined by this fine website however. I guess if I ever get it done my 31 A pick on and original frame up with a 1954 Hemi and a 57 Olds rear is not correct enough because it's got disk brakes then I'll post in the OT area .
I can live with that when doing 80 on a three lane interstate in heavy traffic .

I always figured my fiberglass 27 T would be a street rod even if its going to be built to look like it's from the early 60's from 50 feet away.
With 500 HP it will need to stop.
Most hamb correct cars did not have 300 HP in the day and many didn't have 200HP and that's fine.
I'll build what I want then worry about were it fits on a internet seen on a computer website.

I look at some of these latter correct HAMB builds as true art.
It's a commitment to pull off a really correct build and a lot of time and money and searching for the parts . I come here to get ideas see what looks right and does not and maybe share something if I can.


I think the off topic area here is a good thing . It's a place for the not quite right and true . My IFS IRS 28 A PU has place i can show it here now.

I put disks on my 57 vette 3 years ago . It's not a cheap car and I don't care if its not correct. It's not correct in a telephone pole or rolled in a ditch either. Im sorry at freeway speeds the original brakes were marginal and unpredictable and almost got me killed several times . I let my son drive it now and it's got to be some what normal by today's standards for stopping .
I can live with something that's 80% better and you need to get on a knee to tell it's been changed ( untill i get the magnesium 5 spokes on any way) . Now a 32 with no fenders . Yea the brakes stick out .

 

I guess he'll have to go get his fix elsewhere or discuss it with the boss...I still believe the site offers premium content the likes you'll not find anywhere regardless of opinions such as the OP...done with it...

There are others though, CCC, AHRF and Kustomrama but The Hamb is one powerhouse and Ryan and his Team work hard to keep it that way.