Inverted snobbery?

I'm surprised how civil this has been so far. ​

I think one of the things that pisses me off most often on here is the douches that talk crap about how much a guy does or doesn't do on his car. What difference does it make as long as the car is cool. And the Whole "Gold Chainer" title is born from jealousy and carried way too far. Was Bob Hirohata a "Gold Chainer"? How about Nick Matranga? Or George Poteet?

Of course they aren't.

The point is that there are very few here, or anywhere, that do 100% of their own work. It funny how many will say they "Built" it and then it turns out that it was painted by someone else, upholstered by some one else, plated by someone else, they bought the motor or had it built - like all these aspects are not important enough to include or our somehow just expected to have been done by someone else. I mean really how many of you did your own chrome?

I don't think there is anything wrong with saying you "built the car" if you did the majority of it, but certainly give equal billing to the painter, interior guy etc.

Just because a guy can do most or all of the work himself does not make him any better or his car any cooler, than a guy who can assemble the talent and has the eye for having a great car built.

It seems that too many times the guys I hear really bad mouthing the cars that were Pro Built or had a lot of help, are just guys that are trying to compensate for their own shortcoming, whether it be talent or finances, or both. It's called jealousy and it really is not becoming.

 

I have no clue what this is about...other than both cars are bitchin'.....regardless of who built 'em. Cars don't build themselves....

 

Easy there, big fella.. in the final anlysis it's just you and the mirror. I pick my battles, since I have adult onset asthma, you will never find me doing paint or body work and my truck shows it, LOL. If I had a quarter for every time someone says "When you gonna paint it?" I could buy a store-bought coffee at a name brand place.

I ain't here on earth to make others happy. I have what's called 'My Pyramid Theory Of Life' ...at the top is me and my spiritual relationship to God, next is my wife, my family, my close friends, people from church, and down it goes to the base to where the HAMB is, the HAMB ain't really real until you go and meet some HAMB people...I have and it's well worth it.

Whatever someone said to set you off CONSIDER THE SOURCE. Then look in the mirror and see what's really important.

Your brother,
Cosmo

 

Kripfink,

While I do as much as I work as I can on my own stuff, I'm really not "qualified" to do much of anything except make mistakes. Often I can't afford to have it fixed after I mess with it so its hired out (or should have been to begin with).

That being said there is a big difference between what I consider a "car guy" and a "check book".

Have you taken the time to research and make the big decisions on your builds?
Do you know what drivetrain is under the kripplekart?
Do you know what major elements were customized to make it yours and unique?
Do you know what the bolt pattern of the rims are?

If the answer is yes than I think you a part of the vast majority of us HAMBers.

Now on the other hand if you can't answer any questions about the car you bought or hired out... but you liked the purple graphics and the shiney motor thingy under the hood then I think you may be part of the minority.

However, your money still made the world go round, kept craftsmen employed and honed their skills for the next piece of my nickel/dime project.

 

I was going to say I didn't like the first one as I don't like taildraggers.
Who gives a rats ass if it was pro-built or not.

 

"That's a nice Dune Buggy ya' got there..."

 

I want to add that the only problem I have with paying someone to do work for me.....is money and the fact that I don't have any.

 

Building a car to me is the biggest part of my hot rod experience. I am on an extremely limited budget so a build comes with alot of sacrifice. It also comes with a sacrifice from my wife who has to hold down the fort while I "widowed" her for the whole late winter/ spring to build my last car. I know every part in that car and for better or worse am responsible for them being there. I am proud of the fact I built it and of those who supported me.
That being said, I am able to do this because I have a support network of experienced rodders around me, a father who can build/ fix anything that raised me and have been blessed with good health.
If you build your own house people are impressed, if you own a nice house that you didn't build people don't talk shit.
If you build a car with bad taste your car sucks. This is true. If you pay for a car thats built in bad taste it also sucks. A nice car is a nice car. If I listened to the opinions of others, especially on the internet, I would have put a gun in my mouth along time ago.

 

I would also like to say to the origional poster that I hope this thread is just something on your mind and not a reaction to anything specific that happened to you here. I have seen pics of your ride and it is badass. Anyone who would imply you don't belong here or your car is on some lesser tier is a fucking idiot.

 

it ain't brain surgery ... but then ....brain surgeons do expensive ,intricate work ... but do not work on their own brains.. except in the movies...:}

if we all do what we can feel comfortable doing and keep the faith we'll all get a along just fine

 

Kripfink, You had the most important part of the contribution to the building of your truck...your brain, inside which is your vision and imagination.

 

Stylistically there is no difference whatsoever. None, zero, zip nada... You cannot tell a homebuilt from a shop built just from looking at it.

 

A few years ago I got on a soap box and wanted to teach myself the last few things that I lack in automotive re-building & restyling, those two things were automatic transmissions (gasp) and interior trim work....

Long story short, I was a complete failure at both aspects....then I realized...I've come to a point that I can build 95% of my vehicle....screw the other 5%, the time and effort that it took to learn those specialized trades will be better spent refining other skills that I already know and work toward becoming better at them than know how to do everything (and have specialized tools that I'll only use once every ten years)....

I admire guys that know how to do everything for I am not one of those guys...I resigned myself to have to buy a built trans and send my trim work (oh I forgot glass....)

 

Well said Hotroddon!

 

I have built about 1 car a year for the last 6 years or so I do almost everything my self except for the paint/body work. I live for the frikken day I can pay someone to build a car for me!!!!

 

Home Built, Shop Built, everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. It's the passion that counts and the sharing of accumulated knowledge. I have a friend that can rebuild a transmission but has panic attacks about wiring and electrical stuff. I can wrench just about anything, but don't ask me to do bodywork.

The guy who buys an already built custom who doesn't know diddly about cars loses my respect. This is someone with more money than brains or passion.

 

real rodders drive 'em!!!!!!!!!!

 

Agreed. I can do some things, and others can do more. If I pay them to do it for me does that make me less passionate about our hobby?

 

I don't care if a car was built by the owner, or a shop. just don't park it at the show with the hood open or a bunch of chairs and coolers around since that will make for a shitty photo.

 

I forgot to add that in my original post....I'd be willing to bet there's many more guys that feel that way than will admit it.

 

I think a lot of guys use the word "build" when the more appropriate word would be "assemble"

big difference......I long for the day when some guy has the honesty to stand up at a car show and proclaim..."I assembled this car myself".....
...it'll never happen

 

Paul, I worked at one restoration shop for 14 years, then ran my own remodeling business, now I work at a friends restoration shop. If there were no customers paying the shop owners I would have no funds to build my cars. Nothing wrong with farming out work on a car IMO. Your car looks fine to me.

 

I did everything on my car...

Except...the paint, upholstery, building the engine, building the automatic tranny, the new aluminum radiator and the chrome...

However, the rest of my car was "built" in my garage at home...including the documentation and photos...and you can view the whole thread right here:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329070&highlight=the+best+55+caddy+build

I can't do a lot of things, but I can do a lot of other things...does that make it a home built...or does that make it a pro-built...???

R-

 

You guys just love me, don't ya?

O.k., o.k., I know I could have been unclear in my meaning:

What I meant was that I like the GOLD CAR's styling better, not because it is home built, or that you could tell it was...because you are right, you cannot.
I just meant that I like it better.

It was just an additional observation.

 

I didnt build my engine or tranny.I dont have that skill..The guys that did know their stuff.I can metal fab at the same level,they cant.Whos better??????????

 

As long as the cars are being saved, who cares who builds and who buys. Plus isnt working on, and finding people to work on cars a big part of meeting new people in this hobby/culture?

just a newbie

 

Inverted snobbery;
I'll take a shot at defining it with a comparison. Some people dwell on how much their ride cost. They seem to believe that the fact that it cost big bucks it is better than somebody elses that cost less. They like to brag on how much it cost. I like to brag on how much I didn't spend, a lot of which is due to the fact that I did all of the work myself. I guess that makes me an Inverted Snob?? On the other hand, some of the work I do gives me great pleasure. Some of the work I do doesn't give me any pleasure at all. If I had the money I would gladly pay somebody else to do the dirty work, and brag about it.

 

If it were not for guys with a few extra bucks to blow on the current speed parts of the moment, the hot ticket item, there would be no 32 Fords, no belly tankers, no Ardun heads, No used blowers, no pickup trucks to RPU, no steelies nor geenies or moonies nor fuzzies, no lakesters nor roadsters or leadsleds. The cult exists because guys stepped up and bought new to the moment parts and components and the industry grew and flourished. With out a guy spending yesterday and creating that parts market and building that school new once upon a time there is no school to age and become old, once upon a time that tradition was new and rare and a bit taboo and could have been a fad or a trend that failed to ignite the soul of man. When you buy an old item and attach it to your ride do you ever think about the man or men that may have held it prior to you. Don't curse the man who buys the parts that your son or sons son will some day hold dear.

 

I'd love to have money to pay someone to work on my car. at least then I might actually get it driveable in my lifetime!

 

I'm doing my best to build mine on my own as much as possible because I want the challenge of learning something new while focusing on something I love. And god I love my beast of a buick. It'll be unlikely that I get it on the road without the help of professionals at some point (first thing that comes to mind is reupholstering the seats, I just don't have the equipment nor do I think it's a good investment to purchase it), and that's just the way it is and I think that's fine.

Frankly even at this point I'm not doing it on my own because I rely heavily on the knowledge and advice shared on this board. I'm grateful for the HAMB and for the professionals that support the maintenance of these old cars and no matter how one of them gets on the road or is loved in pieces in a garage while it's owner puzzles over how it should all come together, I think it's all good.

More power to ya, enjoy the ride.