The reason Modifieds are call such is they MUST have a narrowed body. Thus; "Modified Lakes Roadster". There's more but this defines. They historiclly began in the '30s as a Class for Dry Lakes Racing. There are/were rules and definitions, and a purpose. T Buckets are 1950's style carried over. Both completely diffrent styles of cars.
With out a doubt, Mitch's opinion deserves the highest respect. He one of the few guys in the world actually racin' one!! If anyone hasn't seen his car, check out danielstrohl.com. Its on there. The site has a great modified page. Mitch has written a great essay on the subject, there. What most of us are refering to as mods are certainly NOT fad-ts though. Hopefully, the purists won't be too insulted by the continued use of thier class designation as the term for our little bobtailed roadsters. After the current project, I want to build a true pre-war modified, with no parts after '41.
The lines are getting blurry. Why does my driver's license say my race is white? What race are my children?
[ QUOTE ] With out a doubt, Mitch's opinion deserves the highest respect. He one of the few guys in the world actually racin' one!! If anyone hasn't seen his car, check out danielstrohl.com. Its on there. The site has a great modified page. Mitch has written a great essay on the subject, there. What most of us are refering to as mods are certainly NOT fad-ts though. Hopefully, the purists won't be too insulted by the continued use of thier class designation as the term for our little bobtailed roadsters. ... [/ QUOTE ] Do you always read things people write totally backwards? Yes Mitch is right on. There were and are modified classes in the salt flats and dry lakes racing, but there were/are also circle track modifieds, and surely sometimes the same cars doing both. Since I grew up closer to Ascot track than Mojave, and they televised the races at Ascot when I was a kid, my memories tend to go that direction. Ok, since the opening question probably still has you puzzled, and I'm the one who said what people are calling"T buckets" are "Fad Ts". In no way did I refer to Modifieds as Fad Ts, it was the type that AREN'T Modifieds that I referred to as Fad Ts. Is that clear enough? If I gotta splain it again you'll never understand...
I think I'll have to come up with a new name for mine Muddle-fied? Our Pee Yoo? or like in another post, Goo Job Paul
DLSSC, I think "the Bean" has a lot of similarities to the old Monagram Bob Tail "T" kit. That is a compliment by the way. It is a T bucket but the saving grace is the tires and wheels as well as the no frills attitude. I like it. Hell Roths Tweedy Pie was a bucket and it is one of my favorite cars of all time. There is nothing wrong with a T bucket but most people relate them to the cartoonish '70's style cars instead of the original concept.
Drj, I never said you called mods fad-Ts. Please don't read that into my post. I was agreeing with you. Maybe a clarification to that effect was needed there.
I think Mild Mitch pretty much cleared up what a modified is. I think "fad-T's" have given buckets a bad rap. Not all buckets have to be fad T's or modifieds. Mine is definitely NOT a fad T and WAAAY to wide to be a mod. Call 'em what yyou want, I guess, the main thing is just to have fun with whatever it is you've built!
What would y'all call this one ? It sure ain't a T-bucket or a Fad-T..... It doesn't appear to be narrowed either.
A lot of cars, hotrods, were and are just street rods, and can be called such. Before that term got a bad rap from it's too close association with billet and Visa it was and could be ok. I think Fad T is a term that has been endeared by those who have owned them much longer than a fad could last, much like the originally meant to be demeaning "Yankee" and "rat rod" have been taken on as a name or title of honor by some of their followers. (Well, At least some New Yorkers like Yankees, I guess) Becoming ever more curious about what is currently allowed in modified race classes I looked thos up on the SCTA site; VINTAGE CATEGORY This category is specifically intended for the lovers of antique iron. Although fiberglass and aluminum bodies are allowed, they must be an exact replica of an American production car, except for the Vintage Oval Track class. No modification is allowed to the body proper from the stock firewall location back and the window down, and only limited modifications are allowed to the hood and top. This category runs the gamut from the basically stock Street Roadster and Vintage Gas Coupe to the slightly modified Highboy Roadsters and Vintage Altered Coupes, to streamlined Modified Roadsters and Vintage Competition Coupes and Vintage Oval Track cars. Except for the Vintage Oval Track vehicles, only automobile bodies produced by an American manufacturer prior to 1948, at a rate of 500 or more yearly, or exact replicas of such bodies are allowed. Tops may be chopped, but no other alteration to the contour or size of the body shell is allowed, except as specifically allowed in the class rules. Wheel wells may be filled, but not deepened. Rear axles may be narrowed, as long as no part of the tires extend within the body shell. Turbochargers are not allowed on Vintage class engines competing in Vintage Body classes, see Section II-1. Return to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------ MODIFIED ROADSTER - /BFMR, /FMR, /BGMR, /GMR, /V4F In addition to the general category requirements, cars in this class must have a production roadster body or an exact replica of a roadster body produced between 1923 and 1938. Minimum Wheelbase Requirements: Classes AA, A 110 inches Classes B, C, D 105 inches Classes E, XXF, XXO 100 inches Classes F, XF, XO, V4 95 inches Classes G, H 90 inches Engine classes allowed are : AA, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, XF, XO, XXF, XXO & V4. -------------------------- Is this the modified race class we're talking about?
First, I'll state that I don't like to strictly catagorize what Hot Rod is what. Semantics discussions never serve us well here. I'm an opinionated Traditional Hot Rodder. Call your car what you think it is. It's really up to you. Next, If you need to catoragize your car that fits into the HAMB theme of things, DO call it a HOT ROD! Make sure it is, and if you find a need to explain more, well someone eles probably won't understand anyway. Describe and let the chips fall where they may. Modifieds aren't solely built with T Roadster bodies. Mine certainly wasn't. They (and mine too) were built with what may have been available. I built mine with the vision of a Racer that may have seen double duty, Lakes and Dirt Tracks. T's (Fad, bucket, or otherwise) are just that, built from Model T Fords, what else? Yes, Dr J. Modifeds were raced on DIRT tracks too. Usually against Roadsters. But truely started as a Lakes Class that no longer exsists as it was in the begining. There are modified classes for current Lakes racing, yes, but that's not the issue as I've read Hotel's--- question. Perhaps I've over-simplified my description. I was trying to NOT CONFUSE things any more than they had been already. So much for that. Everyone interested in Modifieds SHOULD read thru Daniels website as stated previuosly in this thread. He has taken the time and effort to compile a really informative site that may help clear up things. You'll find other references there too that will help. It's some great work on his part, I applaud his effort! That's it for now, see y'all at B-Ville!
Wanna build a Modified and wonder how it should look? GO BUY DON MONTGOMMERYS BOOKS !!!!!!!! I assume you are reading Hop Up annualy. It's all there for you to see. Good luck Paul
One can take a bucket body and do just about anything imaginable with it. If you put on a little bobbed bed, giant Mickeys on the back, skinny tires out front, lotsa chrome on the engine and a tall windshield then it's gonna be viewed by most as being in the "Fab T" category. Lose the bed, expose the rear suspension and tank, run big/little vintage rubber and a vintage or at least a relatively undecorated mill up front then it may not be a "modified" in the strictest sense but it will difinitely have that "style" to it. All these visual cues can be mixed and matched to some degree but there are combos that would alarm most HAMBers eyballs--for instance a minimalist roadster with split bones and bias-plys running a hyper-chromed blown big block, or a T-ish car running Mickeys in the back, wire wheels in front, a tall vertical windshield and a Model A motor up front. Personally I think the modified "style" in its various permutations has a lot of legs left in it and won't look "dated" any time soon. I consider the Green Bean to have a number of "modified" styling cues but no one's going to accuse it of being a direct imitation of a "lakes modified" roadster. I also consider the Green Bean to be exceedingly toothsome and bitchin' in general.
[ QUOTE ] One can take a bucket body and do just about anything imaginable with it. If you put on a little bobbed bed, giant Mickeys on the back, skinny tires out front, lotsa chrome on the engine and a tall windshield then it's gonna be viewed by most as being in the "Fab T" category. [/ QUOTE ] Ya mean like this one??? I'm running 4 1/2 inch Saltflats and Coker sprints on the front now, and I KNOW what this car is. -slacker
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