Traditional Trucks... Really?

I dont understand how all of these slammed trucks or even hot rod trucks are considered traditional. Hell I own one and dont call it traditional for many reasons. They may be rusty and cool but werent trucks "traditionally" used for hauling, pickin parts and working? I would imagine that back in the day (there is another over-used term) people werent spending their money making cool looking shop trucks because they didnt care as long as they served their purpose- they were spending their money or time making their rod faster. Right? Begs the question what is the oldest truely modified shop truck? I dont mean what oldest manufactured year, I mean the earliest modified truck. Am I way off base here or is this shop truck trend just that, not traditional but trend?

Oh and dont say it, because I already got the popcorn ready.

 

Wow, someone who gets it , how refreshing.

 

I'm not sure what the hell your rambling on about,
are these not traditional customs?

 

You got a point there. 3 points there. lol... My dad says in the 50's trucks were very un cool and not many would fix them up or "add" extra to them. that was Florida maybe other places were different.

 

Why worry about what others do -and what they call it?...its not traditional

 

Un-common doesn't mean un-traditional.

 

Alexander Brothers.

 

I think he's talking about the trucks with what looks like broken suspension.

 

Owned.

 

Nope, nothing traditional about this one. . .

 

zman, I'm sure that that is what provoked the topic, and I agree, I can't stand the broken suspension look, but he did say: "I would imagine that back in the day people werent spending their money making cool looking shop trucks because they didnt care as long as they served their purpose."

 

Gene winfield had a bitchen custom shop truck.
So what the hell are you talking about ?

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=318067

 

I am going to find arguments on both sides of this I am 100% sure. I know there were some trucks that were show trucks and drag trucks. I am more or less referring to shop trucks. And I did ask for the info on the earliest customized trucks- I am guessing early 60's is when they started popping up, from the pictures you posted, that looks about right.

I got a slammed one- I love it, but I dont consider it traditional. The pics you sent are not of shop trucks either- I guess I am refeferring more to those. Sorry for the confusion.

 

Good that is EXACTLY what I want to see.

 

The truck I posted was built in the 50s, and was used as the Ayala's shop truck.

 

weird, they all have nice paint.

 

The term "traditional" is the most mislabeled, misused and misunderstood term on this site.

Everybody's definition of traditional is different, and this topic has been debated to death. It isn't going to get solved, no matter how much chest pounding and arguing you throw at it.

Good Luck

 

Not sure what part of Pittsburgh you grew up in, but I was there and saw a lot of hot rodded pickups in the 50's and early 60's. A few I remember were a 34 Ford pickup that was chopped, channelled and full fendered with an Olds engine, a 50 Chevy pickup named the HOBO because it was bought from a Hobo then hot rodded with a Pontiac engine, a 40 Ford pickup with one of the first sbc swaps, about a 49 Willys Jeep pickup that was done fenderless and channelled, and probably a few I am forgetting. Broughers Speed Shop had a cool shop truck, but it has been so many years I forget what it was based on.

Sometimes this "what is traditional" stuff gets really out of line. What was traditional in my area might not have been in yours, so what does it really matter ?

Don

 

Heres another earlier custom shop truck

 

history, thats what matters.

 

*** yawn ***

 

Yes, but who's history ? If you lived in So California you would have one history, if you lived in Chicago it would be a different history.

Don

 

everyone's, yours is mine and mine is yours. I think it's important that you or guys like you chimed in with a list of truck that you remembered. so cal isn't the only place you can hot rod stuff. In fact it's probably more important to document other places while we still can that aren't already well documented, before it's lost forever.

 

Are you talking about trucks in general or the chopped up fender less 40s and 50s trucks?

 

Hot Rod published this in 1963, it speaks for itself.

 

I'm from St.Louis and only remember the late 60's. What I remember was Station wagons were used more then trucks for hauling race cars and the likes. I do remember that El Camemo's and Rancharos were popular but the pick-up was farm boy stuff.

I'm not old enough to remember "The Day". I'm only 56.

But the only thing that matters is how it was done in So Cal.

 

Oh and by the way. Customs and Hot Rods were two different things in my " The Day"

 

shop truck?

 

custom?