Traditionally "bad" ideas...

It's almost impossible to drive an old car and be "traditional". People built hot rods to improve the performance or style of something they could afford. If we had that traditional attitude we would buy Hondas and put performance chips in them. It seems that technology and demand have filled the void that rodders used to have to fill themselves. It's that do it yourself attitude I think people try to emulate. Many miss the mark. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that hoodlum or not you had to be semi smart to build a hot rod in the 50's and this may be why more rodders wore glasses than leather jackets.

 

What I find sad about todays Hotrod movement is this.
Me and some friends were making plans to head up to PA for the Jalopy Showdown. One of the guys said he wasnt bringing his car because it wouldnt get into the infield with the other Traditional only cars. Now, Here's the good part. His car is a 33 Dode Sedan Delivery. Red with white tuck and roll with 55 buick ss trim on the door panels, cheater slicks. I mean this thing is awesome and VERY period correct. BUT he didnt bring it because it had paint.
This type of mentality really make me ill. This whole RAT RAD thing has really warped some good minds. I was glad to see that the RAT ROD population was down this year. A VERY healthy trend for our hobby.
Everyone that I know that was there back in the day, looks at these rust infested rods and just shakes there heads. They always say " no one in their right mind would have driven something like that in the 50-60s." My 2 cents worth. Great thread. Thanks

 

im with this guy

 

aaaaaaahhhhh, the good ole days

 

I got my license in 1956, that is where my contact with cars began.

"Poor" would be rust, emulated today as "traditional" YEP THAT WAS A "RATTY ROD".
"tasteless" would be mudflaps, foxtails, blackwalls on customs.
AMEN, and dorky hanging dice and didn't do it for me either.
"dangerous" would be mechanical brakes, lack of seat belts, emulated today as "traditional". We installed seat belts because we wanted to be safe. AMEN again. Those old suspensions weren't designed for hot rodding.

 

I love this thread good times indeed. Im not old enough to remember myself but thank you all for sharing your memories. I was always told "A hot rodder takes what he's got and builds what he wants" Now Im not brand loyal so Ive never been one to only use the engine that came with that brand. But if I come across a nice body and have a engine that I can fit then there ya go. That to me is traditional
Thanks again for this great thread

 

im way too young and in the wrong place to have an opinion but here it is anyway
to me theyre all hot rods and i love em all
i quite like the rust thing too. its different to todays tradition over here of mega flip flop pearlescent metallic doohickey paint
so give me something along the lines of Rat Rod Roach s model A and i d be happy

after all who the heyy wants to spend a whole sunday washin and polishin when you could be drivin?

thats my story and im stickin to it