$5,000 TRADITIONAL Rod, can it be done?

It can be done, but not on a quick time line. I had about 7 grand in my 33' when it was first on the road. I could have saved some money at times, but decided not to. If your planning to keep a car for life, it doesn't make sense to nickle and dime it. If you enjoy swap meets and junk yards and have some good friends, I am convinced that you can build a car for 5 grand.

 

Some opinionated BS and some humor from yours truly...
take it with a grain of salt...

I think a lot of it has to do with what's laying around already that someone can start with. If you mean, can someone start with NO parts or project car, and round everything up, and build the whole thing for 5K, I'd like to see that done in a truly traditional rod. I don't think it can be done with true trad stuff, the prices have just gone too high. Either that or it's going to trun out like a POS

Now, I DO think a "rod" can be built for less than 5K, if you just use whatever's laying around at your disposal... it just won't be truly traditional in almost all cases of a budget ride.

"Lessee... oh yes, we can start with this old bucket... what's it, a '21 Studebaker you say? Well whatever... we'll use it. Don't matter about the floorboards, we'll just use plywood... hey now, there's somebody givin' away a free Dodge 318 out of a '74 Duster in the local paper... score! We'll mate that up to the (also free) late '50's Chevy heavy truck 4spd ****** my buddy just dropped off, and we'll be bangin' gears in no time... if I can just find an adapter... ANYONE GOT ONE OF THESE ADAPTERS? No? Nobody??? Okay, well, we'll just have to make one out of a piece of plate. I'll just use a grinder to cut it... COOL, a rearend from a '38 Buick for $50! I'LL TAKE IT! Boy, that thing is long... No problem, I'll get some deep-offset wheels and mount them backward... anyone got a posi for this rear?... what gears are in it? Where can I find a pinion seal, the pinion's rattling around and the seal's leaking... maybe I'll just put sawdust in there, an old-timer once told me that trick... I think he used to sell used cars, so he ought to know... OK, got it all mounted up, now I'm off to the 99 cent store to get some rattle-cans..."

OK, I'll stop there. This isn't meant to offend anyone. I guess it's just a humorous stab at what people will build for less than 5K. They may be untraditional in the strictist sense, and they may be completely unsafe, and they will leave you stranded, but there IS something very traditional about using whatever is laying around-- and the unsafe strand-mobile's existed in their day by the droves, too. The guys who put this stuff together have one leg up on us ****ers who've been working on the same project for a dozen years or more... they actually get their's built in a couple years and get to drive them around for a while.

Sometimes I'm tempted to build something like this myself.

 

OK,well that Diamond T is ...um......well...........I hope you were drunk when you envisioned that? So much for Samyiam calling me the HAMB niceguy

As for the 5 grand deal, Beatnik is the smartest guy here. do a search for my post on fittings and tubing ***led "small costs ..........."

I pay wholesale at our local parts house and am doing final buildup on my Touring. I have dropped an average of $40 bucks PER day at the parts store for little **** for 3+weeks!!!!! And the main plumbing is done and paid for already. I still have hoses,belts,starter and some fluids.

Get real folks. the little **** can run a grand or two

 

[/ QUOTE ]
"and i thought nobody else had the sense to think of that...
i don't know when a hot rod became a flashy, showy, expensive top-dollar ride; but i don't like it. the guys who built the rods back in the day took what they could get, put it together and made it work. i see guys like boyd coddington, chip foose and troy trepanier making these sweet cars...SHOW CARS...that people are calling hot rods now. ********, it's an awesome vehicle but it's not a hot rod! also, since when did the '32 ford become the end all be all hot rod?! to hell with that i say...i think most of them are boring. i've seen too many, it's NORMAL...correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't a hot rod supposed to be unique and different?

it's like all those stupid *** kids out there "rebelling" and trying to be unique and different...just like everybody else.

cars are a way for people like us to express themselves and hot rods are taking that one step further. be different people, things are getting boring..."

[/ QUOTE ]
A co-workers T-Bucket,we built as a HOT ROD...not a show car,a HOT ROD.
He said he always wanted something to "raise hell in" (his words )
He has less than $5000.00 in his tire smoking T and drives it every day he can to work.(daily driver?)

 

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Get real folks. the little **** can run a grand or two


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WORD my brother!

 

[ QUOTE ]
OK,well that Diamond T is ...um......well...........I hope you were drunk when you envisioned that? So much for Samyiam calling me the HAMB niceguy

As for the 5 grand deal, Beatnik is the smartest guy here. do a search for my post on fittings and tubing ***led "small costs ..........."

I pay wholesale at our local parts house and am doing final buildup on my Touring. I have dropped an average of $40 bucks PER day at the parts store for little **** for 3+weeks!!!!! And the main plumbing is done and paid for already. I still have hoses,belts,starter and some fluids.

Get real folks. the little **** can run a grand or two


[/ QUOTE ]

What he said.

Also, I do believe Jim was talking about a FINISHED car not just capable of driving around the block in the middle of the night and coasting back into the barn...

 

[ QUOTE ]
Also, I do believe Jim was talking about a FINISHED car not just capable of driving around the block in the middle of the night and coasting back into the barn...

[/ QUOTE ]

OK- now I do agree with Dr.J! Yep, that's what I meant.

 

Problem is, most guys forget half the **** they buy for a car.
Here's a list of stuff that went into the Roach Rod... free or otherwise: BTW, the stuff marked "free" is stuff I had or got from friends out of stuff they were throwing away... mostly stuff I had.

'33 front axle= free
Frame= free
seats= free
steering box= 13.43 @ PNP
Swing pedals= 8.00 @ PNP
Gas pedal = 3.50 @ PNP
Starter ****on = free
Wiring = free (left overs)
Front wishbone = free
Front '39 spindles = free
Rear '36 bones = 13.00 S&H Jay Carnine
F-1 Shock mounts = free
Steel T body = 50.00
Complete Saginaw 4 speed = 200.00
Arrow headlights = 21.94 e-bay
tail light lenses = 10.95 e-bay
tail light bezels = free
Hurst motor mount = 13.00 swap meet
F-1 drag link 20.00 swap meet
front F-100 brakes = 26.87 PNP 1/2 price day
headlight bulbs = 3.00 PNP 1/2 price day
F-100 9" rear end = 42.00 PNP 1/2 price day
283 Chevy v8 = 109.00 PNP regular price
deco dash knob = 3.95 PNP
White vinyl steering wheel = 5.00 swap meet
chrome valve covers = 36.19 e-bay
front spring = 40.00 swap meet
4 speed yoke = 8.00 swap meet
hooded shocks = 5.00 swap meet
'47 front spring for use on rear = 21.65 wrecking yard
master cyl = free
bolt for swing pedal = .87 OSH
steel for body = 51.90 PTown Steel
Radiator = free
heims for wishbones = free
steel for firewall "hoop" = free
****** mount = 3.94
steel for rear spring mount and front kick up = 10.00 PTS
coupling nuts for gas pedal mount = 2.47 OSH
Tie Rod ends = 12.78 PNP
Tires and tubes Coker = 414.90 swap meet, no shipping
(1) 16x 4 and (1) 16x 4.5 Ford solid rim = 30.00 swap meet
(1) 16x 4.5 Ford rim = 10.00 swap meet
Gaskets for 283 = 21.90 Summit
Gl*** pack mufflers = 15.00 swap meet
King pin kit new = 32.54
steering arm = 20.00 swap meet
nuts and bolts to hold rear end to wishbones = 2.72
(1) 16x 4" wheel = 40.00 engenjo
headlight carriage bolts = .51 OSH
steel tube 4 headlight bar = 7.55 OSH
Pitman arm = free
Acid dip body panels = 253.00 NorCal Metalstrip
Hex cap screws for front spring mount = .66 OSH
3/8" steel plate for rear end brackets = 9.19
2 STromberg 97 carbs = 10.00 YES, Ten bucks!!! Bob
baby moon caps, blems = 30.00 swap meet
90 degree street elbow for radiator = 5.09 OSH
Upper radiator hose = 12.85 MAP
Thermostat = 6.10
Steel for body = 29.92 PTS
Front bearings and seals 70.68 Motion Industries
Wheel cyl rebuild kits = 13.22
Aluminum fuel tank MAS = 80.00 swap meet
Radiator repair = 15.00 American Radiator
Adel clamps for brake lines and fuel lines = 12.94 OSH
brak line fitting = 3.80 MAP
Engine gasket? = 3.01 MAP
Spark plug wires = 23.09 MAP
Plugs = 11.15 MAP
Brake lines and hoses, new = 86.10 MAP
Fan belt = 9.46 MAP
Bolts and metal for clutch linkage = 15.03 OSH
Misc bolts and nuts = 1.76 OSH
Carb kits for 97's = 53.50 FAST Ford Parts
Offy adaptor 2 97's to 4v = 55.00 swap meet SCORE!!!
Bolts and nuts for adaptor = 1.17 OSH
Br*** freez plugs = 7.06 MAP
Spray bomb primer 10.45 OSH
Pipe plug for manifold = .64 OSH
Misc steel for body = 58.34 PTS
Brake shoes and dust caps = 49.63
Steel for trunk area and back panels = 58.32 PTS
More steel for trunk = 8.65 PTS
Wood for floorboards = free, I teach woodshop
Fuel filter = 2.69 MAP
Fittings for fuel line = 11.40 MAP
Brake line + nuts = 7.29 MAP
Br*** plugs = 4.62 MAP
Wire loom and ends = 4.09 OSH
Dip Stick and clamps = 24.31 MAP
Shocks rear = 35.64 MAP
Fuse panel boat = 9.45 MAP
Fuel pump = 24.41 MAP
Battery cabel and ends = 13.41 MAP
Brake hose for rear end = 34.77 MAP
Hardware for floor boards = 5.29 OSH
Wire nuts and electrical "stuff" = 9.51 OSH
Cable for Wolf Whistle = 2.19 OSH
Wolf Whistle = free
Br*** fitting for wolf whistle = 4.41 OSH
Batter gel cell = 129.58 MAP
Drive shaft shorten and balance = 178.00 Bay Shore Truck Parts
Exhaust system tube and bending labor & fit to my tail pipes = 125.00
Cowl vent = 31.59 Model T haven

...and that's about it a little over 3k.

and about a year after driving it I spent another $3500 on a motor and a bunch of other stuff...

Someone want to add my list up?? I'm tired of typing.
Sam.

 

Here's how ya do it.

Buy two cars for 7 grand. Sell one of the cars for $3500. When you get it home sell the fenders for $500 . Buy a rebuildable flat head for $500. Trade the 4 banger for a rebuild of the flatty. Run the stock rear end. De arch the spring ($75). Used drop axle ($150). 39' ****** $100. Z the frame (free). When the kid in the hood takes the wheels off his truck and buys new ones, offer to take them off his hands. Don't paint anything you'll have the car below and $1000 in your pocket to spend on seats, go fast goodies, brakes and whatever else I forgot.

Can't do it quick, but you can do it.

 

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the big HOWEVER in this case is that i bought the body many years ago and have been collecting parts for a long time. some of these parts were purchased for a song ten years ago but would cost several hundred today.

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EXACTLY! I'm thinking of what it would take to start from SCRATCH and gather the parts in 3 months, not 3 or 30 years. The same '32 I put together in 1990 for $12,000 would be at least 40K today IF I could even find the same stuff I bought back then.
I totally understand it CAN be done, but my vision of what the finished car is would be something you would see in a magazine 50 years ago, or today.

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depends on what you want if you want to build somthing from s****s ,a modifiede and can wait for the deals or handouts - no problem ...but if you want it done in a time line and have to have a specific body it would be hard ...im building a basic no frills 32 brookville and the end should be around 15k if it were an A it,d be around 1Ok

 

(Quote JimA):
I totally understand it CAN be done, but my vision of what the finished car is would be something you would see in a magazine 50 years ago, or today.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok,so THATS tradition for you.. It all make sense now!
You have a vision of a car thats seen in some fifties magasine....
Most of the hot-rods never ended in the mags,you know?
But that explains the "dropped axles,and only ford body" philosophy.
Earlier,traditional street driven rods,(who were built for speed,also on the lakes),rarely had dropped axles,often the cheapest body they found,maybe even a non ford frame and engine.
But if you are expecting to see a car that was highdollar already then,Im willing to agree with you. It can hardly be done.
But,in all,if the little amount of cars shown in the mags back then is the "blueprint" on traditional,Im probably never gonna build something "traditional".
Z

 

Oh,yeah, DrJ is wrong.

 

Gday guys
Ive been following recent threads about building a traditional rod under $5K. Here in Australia, our authorities are pretty strict about engineering and V8's must run disc brakes, cycle guards are a must etc etc. An engineer needs to inspect the car 3 times during the build. The up side is that if your a first time builder without a clue like me then you know youll end up with a safe, well engineered rod. Anyways... Ive ben trying to keep costs down and have no stash of hoarded parts - except for a stock I beam a mate sold me for $20.

Here's a break down of costs so far...

fibregl*** 27 one piece body $1500
home made ch***is (inc repro front c'member) $ 200
engine and trans $ 700
rings,gaskets bearings, machining $ 800
spindle kit and front end parts $1100
discs(new) calipers and new pads $ 250
used diff $ 100
used steering box $ 30
engine & trans mounting tubes $ 150
used front shocks $ 30
repro gl*** 32 rad shell $ 150
used rims and tyres $ 150
early Ford wishbones and axle $ 120
used jaguar rear coilovers $ 80


TOTAL $5360 (US $3750)

I also needed...

engine hoist $ 250
larger arc welder $ 450
compressor $ 250

Costs to follow will be...

material for ladderbars (inc rod ends} $ 250
mounts for split bones (inc rod ends) $ 150
rear brake shoes and wheel cylinders $ 150
brake MC and booster + lines $ 300
petrol tank and elec fuel pump $ 150
steel for steeling out body and making floor $ 150
pedal set up $ 100
steering column and wheel $ 100
wiring loom $ 250
headlights and mounts $ 150
rear lights and indicators $ 100
tie rod/drag link & panhard bar $ 200
windscreen and posts $ 300
paint $ 300
seats, belts and interior upholstery $ 450
dash and gauges $ 250
used radiator and trans cooler $200

TOTAL APPROX $3000+

Hidden costs include:
nuts and bolts (Ive spent heaps on stainlesss and grade 8's)
MIG wire and welding sticks
cutting wheels and wire brushes, rotary files etc
aerosol paints, primers

This is pretty approximate but i can see my rod coming in under 10K - I might have missed a few things so I plan Ill spend a grand over my estimate. When its on the road I'll save for things like repro Ford steelies etc

Steve

 

Well guys , You can allways do the " Rob Pete to pay Paul " thing , But you still have to add Petes` money to your Cost-list. If a friend gives you a part for FREE , And you are dumb enough to call it a freebie .. ?? Are you ?? Didn`t think so !! He kinda gave you dollares out off his own pocket , so treat him with the respect a good friend deserves , and do so by adding the $$$Value too your Cost-list !!!!!!!!
JIMA... To answer your Q ... Nope , It can`t be done .Mainly because you can`t build a " traditional" HOT ROD-engine for less than $3000 !

 

holly **** if you guys are talking about 5 g's Im trying to do it for $500 dollers with hand me downs and left overs got a roller so far w/ body gas tank wide wite and 235 chevy and 3 speed ****** so far im in the hole $300 I sure hope you could build one for 5,000 **** if I had that cash I could afford paint and chrome. [ QUOTE ]
"I want to buy it but my wife wont let me till I get rid of the other cars."

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all these car I have built in the past few years for between 5 and 7 grand. No i am a tight *** horse trading sum*****. I am not too sure I want to drive in a car under 5000. hahahaha just kidding more power to you guys for doing it.

 

roadtser

 

sorry that was a roadster and the tee closer to 7. i had to pay my dad for paint I used

 

Traditional does not mean “Lets see what how rough a car somebody can live with and call that cool just because they threw it together with wore out parts and didn’t spend any money on it.”

I see the lists people have made and some sort of car that rolls can be put together for around 5k, but all that **** will have to be replaced or rebuilt to have a working machine. In reality, the cost just doubled. SO the initial throw together may be cheap, but in the end the real costs will be up there.

How long can a 38 ****** and 40’s rear end drug out of a field last on the interstate at 70 mph? I am not going to do that research. There is a reason that **** was in the field 40 years ago. It was also never designed to compete in today’s traffic conditions.

Hot Rods were and still are about putting a machine together that will operate as the owner desires. If a dude wants to throw some old parts together for under 5K with a piece of **** engine, a field ******, a free 40's rear end, and use it as a beer holder with the look - that is the what he wants and BAM it’s a hot rod. Rock on.

Some people want a machine that will haul ***, reliably cruise at 85 with ease, safely run up to 130, idle in traffic all day, go more than a week without having to be wrenched on and search for a 38 synchronizer or some other obscure part, sound wicked as hell, stop, etc.

The later of the two will cost more than 5K.

The art is put the machine together with care. If you have a cool old mill – have the balls to rebuild it. Get it to stop leaking. Paint the damn thing. Put a cam in it while you are at it.

You got an old ******? – rebuild it before you slap it in. Let’s see the parts restored so they can be used before you call it done for less than 5K. Hot rod the part to stand up to power, a 40 or 50’s drive train part was designed for a flat head motor. This means it is weak brand new. Now you have a hemi or a nail head because you are cool. Now engineer the old part to be better than it was and stand up to the new power – that is cool.

Slappin it in the car unpainted the way you found it cause it was cheap is not cool.

I don’t know about the junk yards around you, but I mostly find cars from the late 70’s to early 80’s in mine. I can’t remember the last time I saw a 46 rear end or late 30 straight front axle laying in the junk yard. ****ing never. I’d give my right nut to go back to the day when a fellow could pick up a 48 ford woody for 15 Bucks. Go down to the junk yard, pull a motor/****** for another 5. It kills me when the old timers talk about way back when. It must have been so killer – all you had to do was want to do it.

My whole point is people are kidding themselves when they say their car was built for 5K (TOTAL from scratch) and they have really have something. I am not talking interior or paint, there is still money to be spent – it is just one stage in the project.. Tee buckets don’t count.

You do have to be able to pull an ole lady off her bedpan!!!! That was cl***ic.

 

You have to search and search, every day in all the local papers.. I found a 1932 5w in a local paper 1500 bucks and it was for a body, chopped and channeled, frame and some other goodies.. Been trying to trade it off to a buddy Steve... Just last weekend I went to a freinds estate auction. I could heve bought a 1930 ford 5w compleat car for $2100.00 bucks, a freind bought it.. He's gonna sell off the ch***ie and just wants to body... Plus we knew a restorer guy with a full fendered 1931 tudor , no motor or trans for 1500 bucks super nice shape. Yet noe one really want to take a look, too cheap to be real?? I don't know?
Street rodders updating there ch***ies are the best deals.. my buddy was working on a 1939 sedan, sold me the drive train for 500 bucks.. That gave me:
engine , trans, rear axle, pedal set-up, steering column, front spindles and parts.. Also had juice brakes..
He was happy to get it out of his drive way, thank you!
Your just not gonna build one out of a catalog for 5k, you can get a few parts.. I guess your gonna have to do it like the old days before catalogs and the internet(ebay). Car shows, boneyards and freinds and there buddies freinds!

 

i had about 4,800 into this and thats no ********,,i bought a mutilated cab and ch***is that was started and never finished in the early 60s rechopped, rechannelled it,fixed the frame reused the front axle(bent) made some hairpins,reversed the front spring thru out a couple leaves, my friend gave me the granada rearend for some help with his windshield,the brakes were still 1/2 good. to set it up i used some chevell ladder bars 10$ at swap,and coilovers 65$ super chevy sunday swap.panhard bar i made from toyota camry parts i actually got out of the dumpster at IRA toyota. the gl*** is left overs from customers.i also do custom exhaust so i traded a set of tailpipes on a monster truck for a killer biult l82sbc(very lucky) i do my own bodywork and paint,and the interior is just luan plywood,foam,and 5 yards of t/ruhpolstry (20$ per yard) of course there was tons of tradin and free labor , a b-day gift or two but i think im prettyy accurate

 

im hesitant to even tell what i got into this ****box no one will believe me! **** it im gonna anyway.i bought a decent 4dr and a ton of 2dr parts from a friend that was in a little over his head with this project 1,100$$ spent about 1500 hours weldin this whole mess together and tradin parts free motor free ****** all old **** but it runs good i nosed and decked an uhpolsterers 56 ford and he did my front seat. front tires were pricey however about 140.00 each the backs i just ground the whites in coz you cant see them much anyway, blah blah blah, any way im into this toilet for about 2200.00 bucks

 

[ QUOTE ]

My whole point is people are kidding themselves when they say their car was built for 5K (TOTAL from scratch) and they have really have something. I am not talking interior or paint, there is still money to be spent – it is just one stage in the project.. Tee buckets don’t count.

You do have to be able to pull an ole lady off her bedpan!!!! That was cl***ic.


[/ QUOTE ]

Mine was dependable, cruised 80-85 no problem. It had new brakes all the way around, including master cylinders,wheel cylinders and new lines. The interior was half completed, it had new tires, wheels and hubcaps. It also had a brand new gel cell Optima battery, and all new wiring. . IT was under 5 thousand.

 

[ QUOTE ]
(Quote JimA):
I totally understand it CAN be done, but my vision of what the finished car is would be something you would see in a magazine 50 years ago, or today.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok,so THATS tradition for you.. It all make sense now!
You have a vision of a car thats seen in some fifties magasine....
Most of the hot-rods never ended in the mags,you know?
But that explains the "dropped axles,and only ford body" philosophy.
Earlier,traditional street driven rods,(who were built for speed,also on the lakes),rarely had dropped axles,often the cheapest body they found,maybe even a non ford frame and engine.
But if you are expecting to see a car that was highdollar already then,Im willing to agree with you. It can hardly be done.
But,in all,if the little amount of cars shown in the mags back then is the "blueprint" on traditional,Im probably never gonna build something "traditional".
Z


[/ QUOTE ]

You're smoking CRACK.

I would venture to say that 75% of the hot rods back in the day were Fords... sure they had different brand motors... but the majority were FORDS.

And you are also mistaken about the "high dollar" comment... Model A and Model T bodies were EVERYWHERE... they were CHEAP... and with a part time job you could pick on up and start building... it's only been in the past 20 years that people have had to resort to building MORE non-Ford bodied hot rods than they have in the past... because that is all that is left for pennies on the dollar.

Sam.

 

My RPU was safe and reliable to drive. It went on at least 4 800 mile round trips and one trip to Florida (one way..our other car broke) Jim took a pic for his magazine (thanks Jim) It head lots of cool parts.. LeFrance headlights,Goodyear wheels and more. If I would have paid the going rate on those items it would have put me over the 5gs just on them.

The 999 car is not a reliable driver. It's not supposed to be. It is a cheap pile of parts that is fun to play with. It could never be a comfortable road car. It's more at home on the dirt track!

It takes me about a year to gather parts for a project. Most of the time it's the parts that cause the project. I'll find a cool part cheap and have to build a car around it. It's a sickness.

I'm sorta retiring from UPS and am going to try to make a living building cars. I figure I can build a cool looking hot rod for around $5000 and sell it for between 10 and 15. I've been stocking up on parts at auctions. I'll buy a pile of stuff and sell off what I don't need. I bought 20 40s Ford backing plates for $10. I sold a couple sets and the rest will go to future projects.
Clark

 

this kind of sounds like a political debate. everyone keeps throwing out numbers and the other calls him a liar or worse. I could, and have come up with enough free parts that I could build a decent rod for under two grand, anyone want to buy the parts for 5 grand bring cash and a big truck and I'll take you thru your shopping list and I'll keep the change

 

I've got a '32 2dr, chopped top 2 1/2", 350 mild Chevy engine, T400 w/shift kit, narrowed 12 bolt rear w/ 8 3/4" Chrysler axles and brakes, dropped axle w/disc brakes, steel fenders and running boards, minimal interior (one door panel by Hatch) and DP 90 paint. I've got around $4500 in the whole deal but I used parts that I've collectd for 25 years. If I were to do it today, starting with nothing I couldn't duplicate it for $20,000, and that would be doing all of the labor myself just like the first time.

Frank

 

Keep the day job Clark- this bussiness only looks great from the outside.
of course I only got 28 years in so far so I may be mistaken. [my personal opinion]

 

Didn't try and start some **** and I'm happy to admit that I was WRONG and it CAN be done. YES you DO NOT need a dropped axle if you want to be like the Doanne Spencer and run a '32 Heavy or Tommy Ivo with a '37 Tube, but have you tried to buy either of those lately- I have and they aren't giving them away like Model As and '37-'40 Ford stockers.
I'm really enlightened to see guys doing it cheap.

But as far as the "traditional" thing goes I'll stand by 95% being Fords back in the day and stick with a very large percentage of them having a dropped axle. I've seen A LOT of old cars pulled out of hibernation in the last 30 years- many of them said to be "old hot rods". Sure they weren't ever magazine cars, but 99% percent of the survivors have been Fords (funny nobody found it important enough to put the beat up, rusted out, channeled 18-inches half of a Dodge body in long term storage)- and most of those had a dropped axle- other wise it was just Grandpa's old stocker. It was REALLY easy to get a dropped axle 40-50 years ago at any local parts store for $8 to $20 dollars exchange so pointing out the 3 cars that didn't have them isn't really an argument to say that the majority didn't- because they did.

Yep, just like the price of parts the definition of "traditional" has GREATLY changed in the last five years. Suddenly if it's black prime, red wheeled and channeled a foot EVERYTHING is "tradtional". Doesn't make this new generation of nostalgia INSPIRED cars any less of a hot rod, but it doesn't make them "traditional" either. Maybe it's just because the few people that disagree speak up, but I know plenty of HAMBers that think exactly the same way- just aren't speaking up other than Sam.