Where's the "What's Traditional" guide?

That's why you read as much as possible on here. If you do not get it......well, never mind.

 

unfortunately ALOT of car guys in general still rock mullets,alot depends on your geographical location too...theres a beauty salon close by that advertises "Free mullet removel" hell i rocked a mullet 20 years ago...

 

Or is it ?????
Bro check it!!!!


www.dirtrodder.blogspot.com


It's only a matter of time bro's..... full circle.


Jerome

 

This blog has changed my life! (for the better)

 

I got a hand me down Mechanix Illustrated encyclepedia set from 1961 awhile ago and i got to the H book and low and behold a**** the clatter of the rest of the series(how to build a bomb shelter, wire your house, build a deck, etc.) there was how to build a hot rod.. it was pretty cool..

 

Mazooma, it took me a minute but I just fell off my chair......Today`s best for sure right there.....Haven`t laughed that much in ages....

 

Jax2A, That is an honest question, and I haven't read any replies yet. If you are here I think you know what era you are interested in, you just have to read everything that comes along on that subject, go to shows, look through old catalogs, talk to people. Model T's & A's, Flatheads, Dry Lakes, Drags whatever start collecting info on the stuff you really like.

 

I just picked up a couple of the "little books" and a pair of old Hot Rods that I didn't have for about or less than the price of a car rag off the rack at the store. That isn't very spendy if you are looking to see what the real deal looked like.

I have to agree with The37Kid in that you need to give info on the particular era you are shooting for as each era has it's own flame treatment.

 

we poor aussie`s have to run traditioal disk brakes,traditional indicators,traditional wipers,traditional hand brakes traditional seat belts,and the tradition goes on and on.yep i`ll know it when i see it ok

 

In the short time I've been here I've discerned two distinct at***udes to tradition.

On the one hand there's what you might call hard-line traditionalism. This conceives the traditional hot-rod or custom as basically a finished work that occurs as one of perhaps about a hundred types, with a narrow range of elaboration on each. The at***ude is basically a restorer's at***ude despite the original not being a production car as such. It might be said that that at***ude contradicts the innovative ethos that gave rise to the hot-rods and customs we now consider traditional, though given cognizance of that it is a perfectly valid approach.

On the other hand there's what you might call open traditionalism, which is about taking the technological palette of the pre-'64 era and doing with it things that are perhaps unprecedented. It's hard to pin down, and that might be why some are uncomfortable with it, because it has more to do with ways of thinking about technological problems than with the actual origins of components. For instance one might approach a fuel injection system from a deliberately-imposed discipline to the effect that one regards electronic control to be unavailable; or suspension design deliberately constrained to the characteristics of crossply tyres. It might also give rise to an unprecedented look by considering other contemporary automotive contexts, like European cl***ics, early F1 cars, British specials, or whatever.

The former tends to be more vocal, but I suspect that the latter is more numerous. I think that is as it ought to be, lest open traditionalism become so open that the term ceases to mean anything, just as long as the hard-liners don't really silence the open traditionalists.

My 16.27c (at the current Rand-Dollar exchange rate).

 

Sorry to give you even more philosophy!

 

"What's Traditional" is a religious question. Everybody you talk to will have a different answer and think their deffinition is the only right one. You can't approach this topic with your engineer cap on. A list of what parts and modifications were popular at what time in history won't give you any insight into what makes real hot rod. You have to get zin about it and don't over annalize this thing. It isn't a problem. What you need to do is just study everything you can get your hands on and talk to lots old guy's about the old day's. In a few years you'll be able to look at an "era correct" hot rod and know exactly what era it supposedly represents. Even better, you'll be able to look at an old hot rod and pick out what era's it's been through. I guess I'm telling you it ain't something you can get just from book learnin. Get out there and build something, go to shows and talk to the old timers. Learn more then build something better. Repeat till you die. That's traditional hot rodding.

 

Nice ideas. Gary

 

I think "Traditional" is to build what you like and can afford, that is what hot rods and customs were in the beginning. All the definitions are from one person or groups point of view so they can differentiate or demean another. Go to a bunch of car show and cruises, take a camera and take notes of what YOU like, then build what you can and screw anyone that tells you it isn't this or that.

 

Wow, woke up to a lot of replies. Thanks to all. Definitely didn't mean to start a "Religion of Tradition" debate though. Believe it or not I get that part. Much to my family's annoyance I can marvel at old machinery of any type for hours, whether it is a sewing machine, press, steam engine, tractor, bike or car. Today's disposable appliance at***ude towards everything does nothing for me. I only meant to get some help identifying when differenet hot rod modifications were in style.

I guess in the end it doesn't matter, I know what I like and know I won't be building a 100% period correct vehicle. Plus since a lot of rods were continually modified over the years, I'm sure early mods mixed with later ones, so unless you want a 100% period correct early car, who cares.

And don't worry, I like paint not rust, and yes I'm addicted to this site now.

 

That is a really valid point! Unfortunately it never seems to come up when people start arguing over who is 'righter' with their version of 'how it was.'

When I think traditional I think SoCal mid 30's to early 50's.

 

and when I think traditional I think of anything that was in Car Craft circa 1958 - 1961

cause I remember reading some of those magazines when I was a kid -

ultimately it is up to you and what you like.......just dont put in a digital guage!
ha

 

Well, you give your location as 'Australia' but hang on a minute...I'm living in QLD now and we can have drums and red tails/turn signals (on steel cars). Handbrakes and wipers? Everybody is supposed to have them, don't judge everything by the pictures you see in any country. My roadster never ran fenders or wipers on it for 10 years in NSW. Sure it had them for rego but they can be 'removable.'

Seatbelts are about the only thing that you can't get around.

 

you have to be carefull when you ask these kind of questions around here.even though the hamb has ALOT of great info,there are members who only want cars built to their standard of traditional.

i say build what you want with the money you have to spend,and drive the fool out of it.

take it for what it's worth.

-danny

 

almost blew snot on the computer...still lmfao...

 

There were many different styles of cars built in different parts of the country. Until Hot Rod started publishing there wasn't any way for the East Coasters to know what the West Coasters were doing so regional styles developed...

Find a style that you like... and go with it. Do only what you can afford to do. Spending piles of money on these cars seldom gets you more respect.

The hot rod movement really got going after WWII... GI's came home with $$$ in their pockets and dreams in their heads. That generation is to be admired, not only for saving the world from Fascism, but for starting this Hot Rod Obsession we all share.

So the next time you see some old guy in his LeSabre driving slowly in the left lane, give him a break. 70 years ago that left lane may have been at Muroc and that LeSabre may have been a roadster with a hot flathead...

 

Build what YOU like, hell, it's your car, right? Get ideas from as many "traditional" cars (or what YOU see as trad!) and guys/gals as you can, and start wrenching! Too stinkin' easy!

 

Almost funny,how def ideas are,really depens on some ones contact with info and when and were your talking about in time.
Even old mags don't look at much but a very small point that happened to get into it,so concept is it was all that way to some.
Mostly very few had $ to use really new car at the time parts,so if your building a 1959 type rod say,then mostly you need 1956 at the newist and older parts with the exception of taillights or little stuff that could be got from wrecks.

 

Ditto that.......don't ask the guys on here

 

Your best bet is to keep looking through books and old magazines until you find 2 or 3 (or more) cars that you really like and use them as a style guide.
If you're aiming for a specific era (say, late 1940s or mid 1950s), then obviously you don't want to use any parts that weren't available by that time.
Other than that, it's more wide-open than you would think. The photos and cars we revere today are the ones that fit CURRENT tastes. Look back and you'll see more variation. And then remember that the cars that appeared in magazines "back in the day" were the ones that fit what were THEN the current tastes of the editors. So what we get is a distilled version of an era, which then leads to homogenization.
Every car built was different from every other car, but there were general patterns and trends from year to year and from region to region. Within that broad palette there is a lot of variation. (A lot!)
To stick to the engineer's version of this answer: do anything that could have been done with the tools, equipment, parts available at that time from the mindset of someone who had never seen cars built after that year and you'll be "traditional."

 

Are you looking for a set of instructions like a model car kit? There ain't none. The first thing you have to do is decide what era of tradition that appeals to you. If you like a particular style, ask questions about that style. Guys that like that style will be happy to help. There is a lot of flexibility within each and every era that you may choose. People that get emotionally involved in any particular era can get upset when eras get mixed up.

To some of us accuracy of an era is just as challenging as the body work on the doors. To me that is a big part of the fun. I actually get excited when I find that perfect part that fits the time period of the car that I'm designing in my head. You can't get that feeling ordering parts from a web site. There is no challenge and no personal reward.

Some people don't mind seeing a 50 Chevy in a WWII movie. It bugs me. To me it just shows sloppiness. It's part of paying attention to the details. If it doesn't bother you then you then the snide comments about not being traditional should not bother you either.

You have to have enough faith and courage to build the car that you want and not feel intimidated by those with different opinions on the subject.

Be careful if you stick around here long enough you might get interested in the challenge of being accurate to an era. It can grow on you. First all you want is an old time "looking" hotrod then slowly but surely you'll want it to be more than a close representation. It's a fatal disease. If you get infected it may take a 12 step program to break the habit but not many want to change.

 

the people with this at***ude, why are you even here?


read the little books from back in the day, talk to the old dudes, read a bunch here. But don't cry and get **** hurt when you post something here that doesn't fit. And for the record traditional does not mean build it with what you can afford and parts you have laying around.

 

Here, allow me to stir the pot:
Well actually, that's how guys have been doing it forever.

The vintage pics of the hot rods that AREN'T show cars look exactly like they were made from what "they had laying around". "The Bug" is my favorite example in this category.

...of course the problem with my statement is that what a regular guy would have laying around NOW would be contemporary parts that in no way looks the part on a hot rod.

Hot rodding is tricky.....and in the end just remember: WABI-SABI.

Or as I believe Roth said: "Looks good, is good".

 

THIS just made my week!

 

In my ****. Most of what you hear is just someone talkin' out thier *** I'm afraid. Unless they were there and then you have to realize that hot rodding was and is regional and memory is selective.

Your best bet is to scour old magazines, look for old photo posts and make your own decisions.

Look at it this way if it wasn't available in say whatever period you are shooting for it didn't happen.

I'm going to have to say one other thing about looking theough old magazines. Those where not common rods and or customs. Just like today what you see in the magazine was not and is not what you see on the street as a rule.

So your best bet is find yourself and old fart or several or look for old picture posts or just hang out here and eat with the rest of us chickens, you'll have to filter the **** from the seeds but you'll learn to do that after awhile.