Something New for YOU at Detroit AutoRama this year (2005)

Bob...Thanks for the invite...I had the pleasure of attending the Oakland (oops!) Grand National Roadster Show two years ago in San Mateo. The cars, in my opinion, that had the most lookers were Jimmy Shine's pick-up, the Stink Bug VW and that Tardel kid's display..what I'm saying is traditional cars will be a hit...All the High-Zoot stuff was cool..but the crowd loved the trad cars. A HAMB display would be cool...save the trophies for the Angel-hair crowd...my two cents..and I WILL go this year. (And I can't wait to see our cars parked next to Mitsubishi's..you know "From The Same People That Brought You Pearl Harbor Comes the New Eclipse !!!!....) Ain't it a shame they quit making the Zero...what a car!

 

I really don't care what anybody calls my junk. I build what I like. If it is not "period correct" I don't really care. If it ends up "ratty", so be it. It is my God given right as an American do do what I want dammit!

I don't think the original poster of this intended to spark up the weekly "is this a rat rod?" debate so why don't we all give it a rest.

Can't we all just get along? To quote the King..... Rodney that is.

Anyway, I have an IMPORTANT question tha cannot get overlooked, can you drink alcohol at the Autorama?

If not, how far to the nearest tavern?

 

Yes, you can drink alcohol inside Cobo Hall. They sell beer there in large plastic glasses. I have always had a cooler there with cold beverages. I bring ice and more beverages in a brown bag and refill the cooler daily.

 

I am definatly going this year, and I will have to make a weekend out of it. If the pickup was closer to be done or if I had more $$$ I would bring it

 

Skip the classes and skip the trophys, cause nobody needs em......just call this segment of the show..."Lower Level Lowlifes"..... ...after all, old time hotrodders were just that (lowlifes) in the eyes of the public.....Everybody wants "traditional"..well...here ya go.

 

what he said

 

Play nice yorgatron, you're sounding like a big baby. Anyone got any pictures of yorgi do's I can tell just how big of a baby he really is?
I get believe how bent people are getting about something as historically significant as The Autorama inviting 'our' cars.
Do you all really wanna go back to the time when we were universally ignored?
Hey Bob, don't worry about anyone calling your car a rat rod, be appreciative they have any reference point at all.
The term 'leadsled' was a derogatory term once, now you can buy chrome scripts that you can proudly display on your car defining it as such.
Shit, this gives me an idea. I wanna make 'Rat Rod' chrome scripts, I'll need a minimum order of 5000 to get started.
PM, if you're interested.

Everyone have a good time in Detroit, I wish I were there in that festering, stinkhole of a city....so I've been told.

 

yeah. It's nice to see media coverage of our hobby. Of course, some will be misguided, as are some of our brethren. So what? Everything has to be called something. Life is more enjoyable if we take it with a grain of salt.
The more driven old cars I see & the less trailer queens - well they each have their place & their own reasons to be cool. They're both old cars & we like old cars.
Don't forget the old folks in our old folks' day looked at hotrods, probably how we look at tuners. I'l stop right there with another can o' worms.

 

Loudpedal does have a point. You should leave out the term Rat Rod. Save that for the cars that self destruct the first time they hit a pothole. That's what it meant before the media thought it was a cute label for cars without shiney paint & chrome. It's almost a racial slur to a traditional or old school rodder.

 

Are rat rods "KitCars"????

 

Smokin Joe, I carry the term "Camel Jockey Freakazoid" as a badge of honor.

Ain't nuthin' racist about it.

 

Hatch, your a pot-stirer

 

ME??.....A POT STIRRER?????....I'm just a goldchainer, kit car drivin, billet lovin, goodguys attendin, RRT lurkin, California hate n'...magazine bashin, kinda guy....that sorta likes old cars....especially VW's...(the traditional ones )

 

re-read my post, loudpedal... i don't need you to spell anything out for me.what i was saying was kind-of like what bobbleed said...take your car and show `em! people used to call my impala a lowrider because it was lowered...also asking when i was going to paint it...some people get it, some don't..no use in getting your panties bunched over it. your car is awesome and obviously not a rat...rat rod got coined quite a while back, and now folks that don't know associate it with anything traditional. they just don't know better.take your ride, show `em what it IS NOT and they will not make the mistake again. getting offended won't make things change.i've seen people call kustoms "rat rods"...it's because it has primer, and they just don't know any better. like i said...go to the show and teach them.

 

Someone call Loudpedal's ride a "rat^rod"......come on......come on...... I dare ya,

with his stance, you may earn a poke in the nose!!

 

I guess no one on this board is old enough to remember when the term,"Hot Rod" was a derogatory word.

 

Seems like a lot of griping back and forth, it's a rat, it's not a rat, it's traditional. HRLC says it's not in stone, and AutoramaBob seems agreeable. What if the Autorama just called it the 'traditional' segment of the hobby? Also, the old school customs are far from 'rat rod', even to those who don't consider rat rod an insult. My suggestion would be make the sign/advertisement for the area something like:
--------------------------
Traditional

Traditional is those cars that are either survivors from when they were first hot rodded, or have been built to the standards and tastes of early hot rodders and customizers. Where 'rat rod' has negative connotations to some, bringing up images of poor workmanship and lack of style, 'traditional' better defines this group of cars, and what their owners/builders are after.
---------------------

That way, 1. You can start putting out the word that 'rat rod' isn't appreciated by those who really are into the car, not the lifestyle; 2. You still have the reference, for those who only know that label; 3. Autorama shows they're progressive, welcoming, and 4. Autorama can safely blow off the 4-door Valiants in primer, and the bodywork with a chisel crowd, because they're not traditional, they ARE rat-rods (also known as POS's, 'cause the guy just wanted a car that'd match his cuffs and Pomade).

I mean, I think it's pretty cool to have a section just for this style, although I can understand those who are insulted by the term being irate. It'd be like being invited to participate in some kind of cultural event at a museum to display your heritage, then the exhibit title is some racial slur...

I wish my car could make it, but I think 'pile of parts destined to be a traditional-style custom' is a bit much of a section to ask for...

Steve

 

But seriously folks....it would be a big bunch of fun if there weren't any "classes" or "trophys"....just a bunch of cool cars and friends hanging out and sharing a couple of brews in the warmth of Cobo....I would like to see a bunch of hambers there, but no info displayed by the cars, so no judging could be done....no winners...no losers...no pissin and moanin about whos car is better, worse, period correct, period incorrect, shinier, duller, more history, more patina, etc etc etc.

If anything, just put a number on each car....votes are made by cash contributions by the public on their way out of the display...the contributions are donated to the worthy cause of each car owners choice......Now THAT would be worth bragging about...."The biggest cash donation to a worthy cause award"...awards for first second and third places could get some type of plaque...and a tax deduction!!

 

Ok I was going to stay out of this but I cant stand it any longer.

I heard at the detroit autorama this year they are going to have Traditional cars along with HOT RODS in the basement!!!!!!

Loudpedal your car is nothing but HOT ROD and probably one of the coolest A's there is. My car is probably considered Rat Rod more than most peoples cars ever would be. Until you get up to it and see the History oozing out of it. The people that call it a Rat Rod just plan show how much they really know about Hot Rods and that determines whether or not I want to hear what they have to say about my car. So far the most people that call it a RAT ROD are Bikers (nothing against bikers I have a lot of freinds that ride) but all you have to say to them is (Thats a nice Honda and they shut up and go on there way).

Lets not keep this debate going on. Please if you want to go then GO!! If not stay home and let the rest of us go and enjoy the weekend. If we keep this debate going there is a good chance that they will say Hell with it and just cater to the Tuners and let Boyd and Bluebear show there Rat Rods off.

I think they should just call it Traditional Hot Rods and Kustom show.

 

CheaterMike drives a STRAT ROD.

Sometimes you fags take yourselves too serious.

 

You will never control what others want to call your car. The majority of the media and public are clueless...this probably won't change anytime soon. Put your ride in the show and stick a sign on the seat that will educate the masses...staying away and griping about the idiots in the media and the general public's lack of knowledge won't help solve anything.

I vote for the term "Traditional Rods and Customs (Kustoms...whatever)" as well.

 

I think we we're on to something with no awards or trophies. I don't care if my car, or any other car gets a trophy, I want to go to check out the cars, and bring my car for others to check out. Have a good time, shoot the shit with fellow rodders.
Maybe they can take the money from the awards and make the beer cheaper in our area
But if there are awards just don't use rat rod, and I think that solves it.
I think it is awesome that this is going down though.

 

[ QUOTE ]
Play nice yorgatron, you're sounding like a big baby. Anyone got any pictures of yorgi do's I can tell just how big of a baby he really is?
I get believe how bent people are getting about something as historically significant as The Autorama inviting 'our' cars.
Do you all really wanna go back to the time when we were universally ignored?
Hey Bob, don't worry about anyone calling your car a rat rod, be appreciative they have any reference point at all.
The term 'leadsled' was a derogatory term once, now you can buy chrome scripts that you can proudly display on your car defining it as such.
Shit, this gives me an idea. I wanna make 'Rat Rod' chrome scripts, I'll need a minimum order of 5000 to get started.
PM, if you're interested.

Everyone have a good time in Detroit, I wish I were there in that festering, stinkhole of a city....so I've been told.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nads....Detroit isn't a festering, stinkhole of a city...and just like commenting on california without living there is a sin, so is your hateful slander of a wonderful sunny town like Detroit...after all, where else in America will twenty bucks get you your choice of a hooker, a bag of crack, or a HUD home?.....Detroit has EVERYTHING!!!

 

Have a check box on the entry form: Non-Judged. Another would be: Traditional Class and yet another Rat Rod! 'Cause some do and some do not......care.

 

[ QUOTE ]
You will never control what others want to call your car. The majority of the media and public are clueless...this probably won't change anytime soon. Put your ride in the show and stick a sign on the seat that will educate the masses...

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. You can't. But what you can do is suggest that the guys running this show do not perpetuate the missuse of the term. They asked for suggestions. I gave them one.

It seems to me that the general feeling from everyone that has posted is they would prefer to not have the term used either.

I would encourage you guys go and support it if they end up using 'rat rod' or not. However, as for myself, I could care less about going to most car shows. If I am going to go to one, it won't be one that is throwing around the term 'rat rod'. That's how I feel, and this is my last post on this subject.

 

i think what's getting lost in the argument, is the single most important reason you would want your car 'in' the show, that's having a cooler to refill. even if you don't like the car show itself, you gotta love move-in night! beer and fried chicken, no crowds, no ropes, no admission fees...mf

 

BINGO!

 

what's a rat rod?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4506667205

 

and rubbin' elbows with pioneers in the hot rod and customs biz...Here's Denise, Jime and myself with Mr.Alexander! (thanks again, Denise)

 

[ QUOTE ]
The "terms" aren't set in stone for this event, neither are the "classifications", everything is subject to change. Let's give AutoramaBob some ideas and suggestions. Let's be constructive at a point in the process where change can happen. He's listening, and so are LOT of others.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. NOBODY from AutoRama has said that bare-metal or primered cars will be classed as Rat Rods.

As far as awards go, the Specials we are talking about are more "Picks" than competitive awards. Like Jimmy Shines Pick, the A Bros Pick and stuff like that. There WILL NOT be any regular 1st 2nd 3rd type trophies given in any "classes".

I have no problem with calling it Traditional and dropping Rat Rod terminology.

Going back to where it all started with Bob Larivee Sr. and his experience in Cincinnati, the term "Rat Rod" was thrown around quite a bit, with nobosy visably offended.

Let's educate those who don't know instead of getting pissed off about it. I am sure that most of the people who use the term Rat Rod are not doing it in a derogative way, they just aren't used to this type of outlet for creativity.