My letter to R&C

And Edelbrock, Offenhauser, Weiand and Moon SOLD them a LOT of good stuff.

 

........I completely understand and appreciate what you are saying. I have a '40 Ford Coupe (a real Henry) and I often think as I'm driving it about the owners who have been there before me. Maybe a young couple on their honeymoon or someone going back and forth each day to their job. I know and accept that my '32 (gl*** car) will never have that feel to it and I'm OK with that.

 

If its not an original its a kit period and if its a restored car it took kit parts to put it together. simple not by any means.

 

The ads pay the bills. The trends dictate the current features. The cycle then continues as long as people/sheeple are buying it ALL>. Stop using the term 'hot rod'. It is *******ized to point of 'jumping the shark' (Google it if you do not know) Do any of you desire the HAMB to become a street rod/Pro tour site? Or allow pot shots on how this place is slipping, yet never addressing the posters whom are diluting the place?

 

I had a gl*** 29 A, 454 4 speed. buggy front end, coil overs. Some of you may remember it.
I sold that car, got the 47 tudor I have now, and soon realized some things.
First, I'm having way more fun with the 47. And your letter to R&C made me realize why.
On the roadster, I had to fabricate damn near every f-ing thing on the car! From frame brackets to steering, to body stiffeners, to etc.etc.etc.
Jeeze! It gets old! It takes a level of dedication and determination many of us don't have. One reason for the huge number of unfinished so called "kit cars" out there.
I'm having more fun with the 47 because I'm driving and not wracking my burnt out brain trying to reinvent the damn wheel. Don't tell me "kit cars" are simple!
Build one and get back to me on that!
Thanks Fred for standing up. Mike

 

Kinda like getting mad at a movie critic for not liking your favorite movie

 

"The guy sitting next to me had a gl***ey look when I finally had enough and handed him a magnet and ask him to hang it on the door. He moved. "

Well that about says it all I personally like owner built cars even though I realize that some are not qualified to build one, but those that don't build it themselves and then critize someone's work piss me off. I would rather see a well done owner built car be it gl*** or otherwise than all of the high dollar trailer driven overpriced wheels on the road. This even boils down to putting Olds valve covers on SBC and other faux **** I see, make it real or don't make it, my thoughts..... or who in their right mind would put a set of fake flathead tops on a SBC that is just plain wrong on soo many levels.
And Fred that was some well written letter you made, it made my day.

I don't care what you build, just be correct on what is, and who built it, and don't try to give me a line of **** on it..................

Plus you still have the best avitar on the net Fred
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Finally, the voice of reason.

 

Who's mad?

 

I think the answer to that is not a simple number. It depends on what kind of car you're interested in. If your interest is in a Tri 5 Chevy, then chances are you can easily build one from all steel. If your interest is a '41 Willys coupe, then you'll probably be cheaper, and easier to start with a gl*** body, or if you're lucky enough to get a steel body, then many gl*** parts to finish it. Same thing for a Cobra. It will be way cheaper and easier to start with gl*** than try to save up, and find a real one.

 

rats, beat me to it...

 

fred i read your response and again wanted to say i did not intend to offend anyone even though i knew it would. i still mean and believe everything i said and i never said they shouldn't exist. i guess when i look at threads like KIWIKEV building a willy's pickup out of sedan panels, or KOOLKEMP building a '47 coupe out of the most rotted sedan i've ever seen or CHOPMERC building a wild '60's style custom in his driveway into a magazine cover car, well then yeah, i guess i put mail order, catalog cars below them. again, not saying no one should have one but i think alot of people will always give them second cl*** citizen status. you seem like a nice guy and not knocking you or your car but i think we'll have to agree to disagree. mike

 

I think there is an unsaid belief, that if you have a hot rod made out of fibergl***
and I have the same car made out of steel, then mine is " better" than yours.

 

Kit? Mine has parts from all over that I had to scrounge, seek, modify, and 'make fit'.
Seepwater

 

Post 57 from jerseymike and Fred covers both sides well, which is why when I am asked if I built my coupe I am conflicted....

Henry Ford build the body.
Brookville built the frame.
Gm built the Chev engine, transmission and rear axle.
Tanks Inc built the gas tank.
Ford built the front F-100 front brakes.
Ch***is Engineering built the front axle and spring.
The rear coilovers came from Lindblad.
Speedway sent me a few other suspension parts.
I threw in a few junkyard items.

....... so I guess I put together a kit car?

 

Excellent thread so far, but as usual, gets off topic. Us older guys have seen a m***ive shift in hot rodding in general, used to be we had the fastest cars around, now the average honda will make us look dumb, christ, my duramax is 400 horse and a real race for my hot rod considering my big truck weighs 7 odd thousand pounds.
The availability of affordable shop tools has made me a better builder, same for most here, should we stay in the stone age cause that would be "traditional"? Gl*** and reproduction stuff has opened up the affordability of alot of us to get into the hobby, although I personally make most of my stuff I don't go around believing that everyone has to cause thats the only way to build a hot rod. Its not, period.
The diversity of this hobby is instrumental in keeping it alive, I repeat, I DARE anybody to pick out a gl*** car as it drives by looking cool as hell, it looks like any other hot rod out there. Hot rods for me are a lifestyle, a car that the average joe can't go somewhere and buy off the showroom, it shows my personality, my creativity and sweat, something that goes into any car built in a home shop, saved for, laid awake at night solving problems instead of sleeping, bringing to life some idea in the back of our heads kinda cars. They're to be enjoyed, not picked apart.

 

My roadster has a 'gl*** body, therefore every cruise night I 'm asked if it was a kit. I explain I built the frame from 2x4 steel, I designed the 4 bar rear suspension, I modified antique Ford front end parts, I sourced parts from various places and figured how to make them work together. No one on this board built 100% of their car, even if you built your body from sheet steel someone else smelted the steel before you got it. When I'm asked what part of my car is 1926 Ford, I answer "the ***le".

 

not hard to find - it's just the $800,000 minimum starting price now days

 

IMO....

A fibergl*** body does not a kit car make....

How ever it would also be like taking a test and the highest grade you could get is a B. Even if its perfect, It still wouldn't beat a perfect steel car.

 

I've give up on all the hot rod magazines,I still subscribe to Rodder's Journal but when they get away from the styles I like I'll drop it also. HRP

 

It's all good. Like I said in the beginning, all I did was express my opinion on kit cars to the editor of R&C and post it here. Whether my opinion is right or wrong, is up to the individual and me. Some of the posters here have misunderstood what I wrote and why. It happens. That's the good part of forums and the discussions that come up.

We all have our idea of what a hot rod is or should be. As time has gone by, it seems the criteria has possibly changed, but I wasn't there in the beginning or middle. I can only base it on what I've heard and read and draw my own conclusion.

As I said earlier, I remember when ALL hot rods were cool cars. I never disqualified a car because of how it was made or what it was made of.

And, you really do have a sweet build going on. Next time I post a thread about me and school, drop a line. I know you have the skills to offer some help to this beginner.

 

Well written
Non car people don't realize the work
Magazines and tv make it look pretty easy
A buddy of mine has done 3 gl*** cars - 32 roadster and coupe plus a willys pickup.
Nothing kit about them
Had to modify, fit and fabricate a lot

 

Thanks, Kona. And I'm good with a "B", if I have to be graded. In my opinion, Mr. Fortier gave me an "incomplete" and I felt I needed to tell him my side. In a nice way too.

 

No, Fenders---you built a hotrod. In the simplest of terms, that is how this
hobby/obsession got started. Gathering parts, adapting, re-engineering, fabricating. Personally I don't give a red rat's *** if it's gl*** or steel, bought or bartered for, NOS or a reproduction. It's all hotrodding in my book.

 

All Above^^^ Fred- You've nailed it! It's what hot-roddin' is about. Never take any **** for what you've accomplished.All's well to me. Some REALLY get it,some just say they do.........Carry on!

 

As all hobbies evolve and times change, ideas change , people change and so on. It's the personal likes and desires that keeps us going. JMHO