Anyone here who attended the Detroit Autorama this past March knows what a good time it was! With a section of the basement opened up to our types of cars, we got the rare and wonderfull chance to strut our stuff in front of the masses...everyone from automotive journalists, to legendary builders...to the general public. People everywhere suddenly found themselves exposed to the types of cars we build, and got a public glimpse into the world of rough, raw and gritty rods and customs. At the show, it was one big party for us, and a popular draw for the outsiders. My car wasn't done in time to make the field, but I was there amongst friends and had a great time seeing so many familiar faces and rides in one place, and also admiring new ones! I didn't pay much attention to the reactions and comments of the casual passers-by at the time, but now I find myself experiencing that reaction on a daily basis! For just over a week, I've been driving my car daily and taking it everywhere I go. I still tinker with this or make adjustments to that, but the car is essentially "done" in my mind, and all of the minor tweaks, fixes and updates to come are just a part of the process of driving such a car as far as I'm concerned. Parking the car anywhere automatically draws attention, and when other car guys are around, talk of "rat rods" and "that show in the basement at Autorama this year" inevitably comes up. It's probably not something you'd experience outside of the general Detroit area, but believe me...it really made an impact HERE! DirtyT and I have been to several cruise nights and car guy gatherings this past week or so, and we've both been bombarded by the same types of comments and reactions from the locals. He is far more sensitive to the term "rat rod" than I am. I don't really care too much WHAT people call my car, but he sees the term as derogatory, and ill applied. I see his point, and where his car is concerned, I agree. (Bryan's car is a genuine rolling 'work in progress', whereas mine is more of a finished beater...an on-going project vs a cool old driver if you will.) But, I do share some of his frustrations when I hear people say things like "Hey! Look at these cars...just like the ones in the basement at Cobo this year! Dillapidated old wrecks fixed up just enough to drive!" While that statement (heard yesterday at a drive-in burger joint) may hold some truth to it as far as my ride is concerned, I still think people are missing the point, and it surely does not do Dirty's efforts justice. I don't see my car as "some old wreck fixed up just enough to drive", so much as a piece of a bygone era brought back to life using backyard engineering and parts available to me through friends and acquaintences. It isn't like I found the car in a field somewhere, dropped new plugs in it, aired up the tires and hung a license plate on it...there was over a year's worth of parts scrounging, test fitting, problem solving and grunt labor that went into getting that old gal from long dead hulk to roadworthy transport! I called upon my past experiences building less-than-pretty, but RELIABLE cars and 4x4s to help me screw this car together well enough to be mechanically sound, if not nicely polished! I've passed many newer cars parked dead on the side of the freeways and surface streets since I took this car for it's maiden voyage, and I'm sure there will be many more to come. "Just good enough to drive"?...try "Good enough to drive ANYWHERE!". In Bryan's case, he has a finished vision in his head of where he is going with his car, and is working towards that goal as he enjoys the fruits of his labor by driving the car. With a completely scratch-built rear suspension, all new wiring, a V8 engine and open driveline, he also did much more than just make his car "good enough to drive"...he modified it to run and drive better than ever, while expressing a sense of individual style. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but like it or not, our way of building cars is now more recognized (if not completely misunderstood!) by the public, and we've gone from being a curious anomaly to being something of a grossly misrepresented movement! Where once a primered or bare bones rod was a curious attendee at any show or cruise night...they have now become a conversation piece for armchair experts to call attention to and ponder aloud! Hearing people marvel at our "unfinished cars", "rat rods", "old wrecks" or "suede look rides" goes from being amusing in a comical way to downright irritating pretty quick! No different now, really, than it was back when I was building and driving big 4x4s in the late 80s...back then people gawked at our giant behemoths and asked "How do ya get up IN that thing?" or "What do ya do if ya get a FLAT?", while others balked at the fact that anyone would dare to drive such monstrosities on public roadways with "people's lives at stake!"! I heard over and over again how 'dangerous' some ignorant bastard thought my rigs were...when I knew every nut and bolt on their chassis and had a way firmer grasp on the abilities and limitations of MY vehicle than they could ever have on theirs...but listening to their drivel was all part and parcel of enjoying my elected automotive pursuits. Still true today, but in a somewhat different fashion! I think it was incredibly cool to have a large section of the basement at Cobo opened up to our kinds of machines, and I do hope it continues in years to come. But, like anything that suddenly gains any public recognition, we are opening ourselves up to MORE scrutiny and blind analysis...so prepare yourselves for that trade-off if you venture into Motown driving your RAT ROD! (As another interesting footnote...I've overheard LOTS of locals talking in a blindly aloof manner about "that Billet show coming up the first Saturday in June" just this past week! People with billet-laden gleaming street rods saying how they're gonna go to that show! Be fun to see the looks on their faces when they show up to find themselves as the ones being poked fun at and turned away!) Of course, though...there are always the Winners you meet out there, even if they are few and far between! Guys like Nick in his extremely well built Anglia who gladly extend a handshake to guys like us and admire the creativity and engineering that goes into making a functional driver out of a discarded old rustbucket. We've spent lots of time going over the details on each other's cars, and have struck up a quality friendship in the past ten days or so. Here's a guy who's been around the car building and street racing scene for years, and he is only too glad to share his time and enthusiasm with guys like Bryan and I. That makes it well worth enduring the idiotic verbal diaherea that spews forth from the mouths of many...and encourages us to continue attending cruise nights and car shows! Letting the goofballs who just have to comment on things they have no conception of ruin our fun would be a tragic mistake on our part. There's many other like-minded people out there to interact with, as well as open minded good guys like Nick who accept us and our cars without condition or reservation. Yes, the "Autorama Extreme" exhibit suddenly shoved local Detroit area "rat rodders" into the Public Eye and opened our World up to criticism and review by all who attended...but it also showed these same people that we're here...and we're not going away, nor changing our way of doing things to suit their preconceived notions of what hot rodding and car building are all about! It won't be easy all the time, and the constant blatantly stupid comments will get old...but we endure many obstacles in our daily efforts to enjoy our hobby and lifestyle, so keep in mind that you're among friends HERE, and have a place to come to and get away from those turkeys when you need it! My 49 is my daily driver now...and I can live with the jabbering dimwits who offer their unsolicited remarks in between the miles of smiles I get while driving something I've put together, and meeting others who enjoy the same passion! If you find yourself growing tired of the unwanted commentary of Joe Average, just open the throttle, turn up the 8-track player and tune 'em out as you motor around! You can always find your buddies here, and amongst your local friends. Dig what you're doing and don't let the masses get ya down! After all...look what THEY drive!!!
You know, Hack for a guy who usually has the funniest avitars around you are pretty damned eloquent! A very, very well put post! Now get in the Hackmobile and get out here to Paso!
Some people will never "get it",unless it's spoon fed to them by TV, or big coporate magazines. Even then,they are just following the crowd, for the sake of following the crowd. Always consider the source of stupid comments.
damn dude rains all day and u have time to write some words down. as allways i enjoy reading what you write. did ya sell the truck?
The Sheep can only relate to stuff that is Shiney,New,and Expensive. And the only thing they can do,is make more Sheep.
A guy in a Viper told me my Rivi used to be a nice car. I said it still is. He replies that I dont deserve the car and that I need to fix it up. I reply that all of us dont have money to throw at are cars or in your case the car thats making up for your small penis. At least I'm out there saving cars that people like him would turn there noses at, and in the long run will be way cooler than any artifical penis that he spent way to much money on.
i'd stomp that guys ass into the ground........every guy i've ever met with a viper is an ass,too,what a coincidink...... and that was great F.H. keeps the thought alive that we won't get drowned in the mainstream.......
I met Z-man and Murph at one of the local cruise-ins only to find that most of the cool old cars parked elsewhere due to the fact that everyone with a new (er) Mustang or vette taking up the prime spots...WTF? I did talk to one old timer about customs for awhile,he seemed to dig the Rivullac and I tried to clue him in to as why the "young kids" were getting into it and he told me about how it was "back in the days" But for the most part people here are clueless..maybe thats just as well
great observations 'Hack-I liken the reactions you are getting ,to yet another strange quirk, I noticed that some folks have. Have you ever noticed in the last ten years or so, that MOST guys who build or "fix up" an old car,buy what we would consider a damn nice useable -as is-old car -unassemble and 'refurbish" it like a restorer would? Myself ,I always have to get some peice of shit that looks impossible at best . I believe they do that because they are really concerned with what the better half or the friends or neighbors "might say" when it shows up in their garage-"for their approval"- -Ha! I as a person who does work for others- often have a primered/unfinished car or one with bad paint -so I am not usually too concerned with a reaction like theirs..........
Good points Hack! I drove my Touring to the shop today to make an appearancefo my boss' sake. The NSRA dudes were doing inspections there. Myself and a pal wouldnt let them look at our cars out of respect for Ryan. I drove to my sign-painter pals shop and had a beer instead, then let my best freinds 2yr old sit in it and make Vroom Vroom noises.
"Car people" at "Car Events"...what a pain in the ass. I prefer DRIVING my car. When you arrive at a car event, shut the car off, and leave it. Go look at stuff and when you are done, get in your car and hit the road. Problem solved.
When you drive down Woodward for the next few weeks, you're going to see little groupings of cars parked here and there. One grouping will be traditional hot rods, another will be ricers, muscle car guys, billet rods, low riders, exotic euro-trash, lifted trucks, bikes, whatever. On a sunny day, each group is going to be out there hanging out. Detroit has its share of every niche of the automotive culture. It is inevitable that some moron is going to walk up and say something stupid about your car. All the guys out there with cars of a different genre are going to get crap from somebody too. The ricers get Fast and Furious remarks. Muscle car guys get made fun of for their mullet. And billet guys get beat up by HAMBers. So all these gearheads have a lot in common. Most of the HAMB would have little respect for any of the cars I've worked on and owned. That's fine. You probably don't like music I listen to either. And you won't like my politics, trust me. But, we all love cars. We have that in common. That's why we type all kind of odd conversations in to this little box on an ongoing basis. And the ricers have a similar website. And so does that jerk with the Viper. Autorama, this year especially, is like a United Nations of car culture. It seemed like everyone got along nicely. I'd like to see more of that on Woodward. Everyone will complain during Dream Cruise because a lot of cars will show up that are effectively "off topic." They think Dream Cruise is about poodle skirts and Bel Airs. But I think it's about cars. And if you happen to love Yugos and want to show up with yours, that's awesome. Good old Rodney King whined it best, "Why can't we all just get along?" Mostly, I write this because I don't have a sweet traditional rod. I have a mildly crappy VW. And I want Fat Hack and his gang of hoodlums to be nice to me if I show up in it when they're hanging out. I bruise easily. As an aside, I saw a really cool Stude Friday in Clawson. I know it's a 51 because the license plate said so. Flat black. Zipping around in traffic, it seemed pretty fast. Anyone know that guy? Tell him his car is nice. Oh, and the same goes for the lime green Lotus Elise I saw driving in the rain Sunday. See, it's okay to like all kinds of cars. Really it is.
Amen Airkooled, I love my 51, can't wait until I can get it done (almost done with my new garage ) however, If I had the space and money there are MANY more cars and trucks I want, from the 20's up thru the 80's. I know there are traditionalist that only like the pre 64 cars and I respect that, but it's not me, I get all hot and bothered for a nice 1972 Chevy K5 blazer as I do for a 32 ford. I can't stand the "my decade is better than your decade" argument. Course I also can't stand restoring by check writing.
Acceptance????? I wouldn't want it any differently, I had the best remark given to me a few weeks ago when I drove my 37 to a local cruise-in. A group of like-minded friends joined me who are true car people but don't necessarily like the traditional hotrod styles. A crowd gathered near the 37 and I was looking at a nearby car and overheard one friend talking to some strangers. This guy "built" himself a steel model A with it share of tweed and billet. Beautiful workmanship... I didn't hear the first statement that led to his remark but I heard him respond...... Don't tell this to Rick, he has too many wierd ideas already. No, I don't want acceptance, and I'm sure most of us here feel this way. Alittle Shock value and the acceptance from my traditional loving peers is all I require. Taking a rusty old hulk and making it safe and roadworthy??? Yes, most here want just that look. I feel it stems from our barn find fetish of running across that hotrod or stock vehicle tucked far into the corner of that 150 year old barn. And never wanting to change that look and feel of the old patina, alittle rust and mouse infected mohair. My exact thoughts...And I do it most of the time. My only problem with this is. My wife loves to ride in and shares my exitement of my old cars. But she is not interested in looking around at other vehicles. She would rather take a book and sit in a corner to read. I want her to go with me at these times. So on occasion, you will see me on a chair, near my wife and close to my vehicle.
Oh jeez, I forgot to mention. I'm a huge jerk. My car was actually my only hope of making friends. But actually, like we were talking last week, if there's a get together Woodward-ish this week, I'll stop out. Probably in my buddy's Fleetline though. It's got more charm than he and I combined. Looks like Wednesday might have okay weather. See that's where you're wrong. I just watched an episode of "Pay Me Huge Dollars To Steal Your Car From Your Driveway And Pimp It In A Short Timeframe While Arguing With My Employees: Celebrity Edition" on TLC. Boyd Coddington was dropping Citation motors into Deuces and Merc sleds, a couple '63 Vettes, a '62 Lincoln (he de-suicided the rear doors!), and even an Ed Roth Outlaw replica. It's all the rage now. You probably should have kept the idea under your hat. That kind of attitude is just the thing that helps me get through a 40 hour week sitting next to a guy who belongs to a Cavalier club. Speaking of automotive diversity, there's an SCCA autocross at the Palace next Monday. If you're in the area, It's fun to watch little cars drive around in circles. I'll be the one in the little slow yellow Saturn.
The Jalopy Journal
