Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm still designing my first traditional project (1928) and I hear about "60's style", also "50's style" & "40's style". 30's style?? Some people talk as if the 40's and 50's are the same style? I understand that a given "style" uses the parts that were available at that time, and recreates a style that was popular at the time. So, how many distinct styles and what are they?
Well as long as there have been cars there have been souped up cars. Hot rods may be a little different than customs and from one era to the next there is always some overlap. The reason that people say that '40s and '50s cars are the same is that they were a lot alike, mostly because there wasn't a lot of hot rodding or custom building going on during the war. So most of what is considered '40s style is post war. If you are looking at customs then late 40s early '50s customs were a lot like late 30s early '40s customs. Someone where around the middle of the '50s cars started to look more modern and customs changed to reflect the era of the cars that were comming from the plants new. In the '50s car shows started to be a big deal as well so to further muddy up the waters there were show cars and street cars, again some overlap but the really wild stuff was what was seen at the shows. Not so much really wild on the street as in the car shows. drag racing had an effect on hot rodding as well, in the ealry '50s it was all dry lakes type of racing at least on the wets coast but by the mid '50s peple were beginning to be ingfluenced by drag racing. This is what I would do I would try to find as many examples from an era that I liked as I could find and pattern my car after what those examples showed me. Then if someone asks tell them I built it like this set of cars from this time period and let it go at that. One thing to remember is that hot rods morphed almost dailey. When a new speed part became available someone had it on their car so what was the real deal in say '35 may not have been the real deal in '38.
It's often confusing,,I relate the 40's and 50's pretty close to the same style,,the lines get blurred between them. 60's styled cars usually come in several different looks,,bigger(wider) tires on the back,,think Mcmullens roadster. Baby moons,jacked up hot rods lowered customs,,lots of chrome,during this time Flatheads were being replaced with the sbc was common and the g***er look was also established along with blown street engines. The 70's had a lot of carry over but the resto rod look was popular,,guys were adding all kinds of accessories like spare tires,luggage racks,motor meters and tires hinging out from the fenders,,this is just one man view,,there will be many more I'm sure. HRP
I think it takes a great amount of reading and homework to fully be able to figure this out.Although you just got a pretty good cheatsheet by starting this thread.
You've got the idea. '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s. And '40s is not the same as '50s. We could talk and argue all day over the suble nuances and such, but very basically... '30s - Pretty close to stock, with a hopped up banger. (4 cylinder) Maybe a '32 4 cylinder "B" engine transplant. Probably sittin' pretty close to stock height, but not necessarily. Very likely, the original paint. Blackwall tires. '40s - Close to the same as '30s, but more flathead V8s. They started producing steel wheels in...what...'39 or '40. So some were still running wires, but many changed to steel wheels. Probably more lowering during this time...but again, not necessarily. Many with original paint, some not. Mostly blackwall tires, still. '50s - The start of the "glitzy" era. More disposable income at this time, so more money available for flashy paint, interior, chrome, etc. Previously, hot rods were often dual-purpose vehicles...race on the weekend, and drive it to work/school during the week. The main focus then was to go faster...not to look fancy. But in the '50s, a lot of the hot rods weren't even raced...at least not seriously. So the cars became more of a street thing. Overhead valve V8s were introduced in '49, so those started to get used, and displaced many of the flathead engines...though there were those who still used the flatheads. Predominately steel wheels. Not much in the way of "mag" wheels except for true magnesium for the racers. Shiny stainless/chrome wheelcovers from other cars were often used to gain the glitz in the wheel department. Lots of whitewall tires now. '60s - Let's stick with the early to mid '60s, 'cause the late '60s got kind of crazy and psychadelic...lol. Very much the same as the '50s, but with some differences. One of the main differences was the availability of "mag" wheels for the street. Mostly back to blackwall tires now. Some newer and more powerful engines starting getting used, as well as durable 4 speed transmissions. There seemed to be a shift from white tuck and roll interiors to darker colors...a lot of black. Understand that there was a lot of overlap between eras. Some guys were "cutting edge", and had all the newest stuff. Others were die-hard hold-outs for the older tried-and-true methods. And the beginning of a decade may, and often did, look a whole lot differerent from the end of the same decade. You can see too, that it didn't and doesn't take a whole lot of difference to put a car into a particular decade. A simple change of wheels and tires can do it. Generally speaking...figure that a car can be dated by the newest part on it. Again, some will wanna argue all the little points...and they will...lol. But you get the idea.
The late 60's and 70's reflected the counter culture of the time. A lot of the show type cars were way over the top in chrome, fir, paint jobs, etc. The 1950's was a car renaissance in America.
I didn't touch on the '70s or later, cause most here aren't interested. And location was always a factor. Such as chopped highboys in the west, and channeled non-chopped rods in the east. And everything in between.
Wow, thanks to all who took the time to answer this question!! (I guess I'm heading toward the 60's, probably using mags and blackwalls.)
I could be wrong since I wasn't there, but I think the aftermarket manufacturers and shops grew exponentially in the 50's, so one difference between 40's and 50's styled cars could be the use of a lot of certain bolt-on parts that were available in the 50's. (and what Rickybop mentioned about OHV engines)
As for customs... here's how I see it. There were obviously exceptions for every era. 1930s 1940s Early 50s... Mid 50s Late 50s Show Cars (heres where I start losing interest) Same car by 1960.. just had to keep adding and adding. Early 60s show Cars... amazing work but no stylistic restraint. EDIT: Oops, I guess you were asking about hot rods.
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