First time poster, long time lurker... My name is Vic, I'm 33 and I live in Alaska. I have a car that is probably younger than most members here... before you start panicking I'll tell ya it's a '71 El Camino. Don't scold me for owning something "modern"! I feel a little out of place as 99.9% of the cars here are older than my car and of course myself, but I think I can manage. My El Camino is an unrestored survivor (besides one paintjob), I bought it in '00. It had paint that was about 4 years old when I first bought the car... it was a ****tastic paint job, covering 1" thick bondo and fibergl***. The kid I got it from, had left it to rot out next to the highway for the last two years before I bought it. It had sat within about 10 feet of a major higway, getting covered in road grime, and it's amazing it never got vandalized, as most cars parked that close to the road usually lose windows and headlights fast. It was a sad sight to see, I finally stopped in one day to ask the kid if it was still for sale, it had been the first few months it sat there, then the sign disappeared. He said yes, and I got a great deal on it, $2500, with a strong running 350 (14.18@96 mph my first time at the track) and over $4000 in receipts within the last 3000 miles for a new trans, rear end, and brakes. And the paint was still fairly good at the time, even if it was "wavy gravy" looking down the sides. Right now, I'm finishing college... third time's the charm... right? Anyway, I haven't had the time or money, mostly the latter, to fix the car the way I want. The car is so far gone that it's never going to be worth the time or effort to restore it, and nobody around here drives rats, so I'll be the first. So that's the plan now, soon as I can afford a few gallons of Blitz Black and find a place I can spray it. Going to go with some long flames down the entire side, or scallops behind each fenderwell, color matched to my Olds 442 wheels which I restored last year, since I plan to keep those wheels, I love the way they look. I still drive my car every day, rain or shine, I rarely wash it, and I take it to many shows and cruises, and nobody ever pays it any attention... Not that I mind, my car is almost always the ugliest thing there, and for that I am proud! My father currently has a nice pair of old Chev's. He has a beautifully restored '47 Chevy Fleetmaster Coupe which we will be rodding one way or the other this winter... shhhh! Don't tell the old guy we bought it from! (hope he isn't a HAMB'er!) My dad also has a very primitive, well used and abused, fresh off the farm, literally, '53 Chevrolet 3600 Longbed that is daily driven too, and it's used like a truck is meant to be used! Now for some pics of my junk:
Wow, a rat rodder in muscle car clothing....and articulate, too! Since you are a long time lurker, you know that your car would require an OT header anytime you talk about it, and that those times should be minimized, right? OK then. So you plan to flat black your truck, flame or scallop it, and use Olds rallye wheels to make it a rat rod? It's your truck, so do what you want...but.... I don't understand your comment - "He has a beautifully restored '47 Chevy Fleetmaster Coupe which we will be rodding one way or the other this winter... shhhh! Don't tell the old guy we bought it from! (hope he isn't a HAMB'er!)" Do you think there are guys on here that would be upset about rodding a car? Are you sure you've lurked here a long time? Anyway, welcome,.... it could be an interesting ride....... Mutt
Trust me, should I ever get it done, and post pics, you'll understand my vision, and you'll love it! You'd be suprised at how many people I've met that read this board, rod or no rod, this place is a wealth of good information for everyone!
Trust me, should I ever get it done, and post pics, you'll understand my vision, and you'll love it! You promise? Mutt
Think I'll go back to lurking with close minded people like you around... I sure wouldn't feel like talking to you much.
Welcome aboard rusty mino, rfom another one of them FNG's. You gotta love it here, don't let 'em run you off. This is a great place full of great folks. Like they told ****olli in Fast times. Learn it, love it, live it.
Thanks Derek! Oh there ain't no way some comments on a message board are about to run me off. I can dish it as well as take it, around here you gotta! Lurked long enough to see that!
I'm in the same boat... except my camino is affectionatly referred to as the HELL CAMINO. Its real purdy and has gone as quick as 11.08 @124. ...except its a 1980 model year. But welcome aboard anyways!!!!! MIke
Traditionally hotrodding was never meant to have boundaries, hot rod what you have. Do what you can afford and what you like, and screw what anyone else thinks. That's my definition, if you guys disagree that's your loss.
God this place is boring... Perhaps you didn't read, but I will be rodding a '47 too. Not that it matters, you guys have such a narrow view of the world and all your junk looks the same.
We are what we are. It doesn't appeal to everyone, and that's fine. What I don't understand is why people expect the site to adjust to them. Why would someone go to a Mopar site, and try to talk about their Chevy? Same thing here - we all like traditional hot rods and customs, and limit our discussions (for the most part) to that subject. It's what the owner of the site wanted, it's his site, and he welcomes anyone who wants to learn, or talk about, the subject. You're not the first, and won't be the last, to discover that it's not for them. That's why I tried to warn you when I saw your intro. Nothing personal, just tried to let you know what we're about. Stay or leave - your decision. You're welcome as long as you abide by the rules. Mutt
I'll certainly stay, as I will definitely enjoy the help I'll get here when the rodding of the '47 starts. I just don't get the hatred expressed towards someone trying to put some traditional custom looks onto a somewhat newer ride (not even that much newer than so many customs).
Well, that's a taste thing, and not everyone has the same tastes. The general consensus here is that trying to make a 60's, or 70's car look like a fifties car is pretty lame, much like making a Honda flat black and whitewalled. Muscle cars were after the period we enjoy, and the attempt to make them fit by retrofitting is rather silly, in my opinion. Would you put a flathead in your ElCamino? How about wire spoke rims? Would you pull the 12 bolt, and put a 40 ford rear end in it? If not, then why would you paint it flat black and try to make it LOOK like something it's not. I like musclecars, and a lot of people here do also. But we don't talk about them here, as a rule. Put a dress on a pig, and it's still a pig. You can't change it by dressing it up. It's not hatred, it's not wanting to erode the site with just anything that someone wants to post. Once you allow it, you can't stop it. And if your thought is that we're a "rat rod" site, we're not. We're a traditional Hot rod and custom site. Mutt
Simple answer, for the painting part of it anyway... It's more the fact that I'm on a budget right now. Hell, Blitz Black is $20 a gallon and my car is in need of a paint job. This is much the same reason so many cars were painted flat in the past, or not painted at all, because it's freaking cheap. I'm not going to worry about it really, I'll get along just fine here I'm sure, I have plenty of knowledge to impart and plenty to learn. I've been around "traditional" stuff my whole life too but I expected a little more open mindedness... some of ya are almost as rigid as the "Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance" wackos!
Your signature says a great deal about you. You wouldnt walk into an AA meeting and try to convince them to go have a beer with you? I suggest you just sit back and read through a few posts. Many guys here have and have owned musclecars, but they generally dont talk much about them on this board. Like it has been posted previously, this board is about traditional rods and customs not flat black 'caminos. Unless we are talking about choprods 58 "El Camino".
Added the /sig later on when I realized you guys were way too set in your ways... guess I might change it, and just go back to blending in, but I won't like it...
Sorry. Was it something I said; or was it my jovial at***ude; or was it the grin on my cute little face? "Well excuse me! " (Steve Martin) pigpen
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