What does "Traditional" mean in HAMB terms?

Why is everyone getting so nervous? This isn't painful.

I feel HAMB stuff is everything but modern. There's '40s, '50s, and '60s stuff here that looks cool...It seems things styled prior to the "street rod" revolution of the '70s is what we crave...back when hot rods were hot and no one knew what a street rod was. With regard to customs, they're all cool, but I'd have to say it seems pre-'70 is key...I'd almost say pre-'65, but there's some bad-*** Rivieras newer than that.

Of course it comes down to personal tastes, but these are the impressions I've gotten from my time here.

 

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not this thread again **** how often does this come up

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haha... its like old ladies fighting over the check. friendly, but over emotional...

nads pretty much nailed it for me..

 

Scotch,
I think that was well put.
I think that sums it up pretty well.

Thank you.

 

Traditional would be doing what was done in the era you wish to emulate .. So you could have a traditional hot rod from the 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s what ever the fashion was for that particular era would be traditional .. a traditional 40s stlye hot rod.. etcso in years to come someone will come along with a chunk of ally and an arm full of stainless and build a traditional 90s hot rod.. thats my 2c ... i'll fetch my coat....

 

Stick around redoxide, I feel that your answer was well put, others might not, but who cares. I think that you can have different variations of traditional. If there wasn't a variety, it would be too much like following a script. My 2 cents if anyone cares -Joe

 

Adide from the definition of Traditional...
Traditional = Bluey

What the HAMB is about to me is having the guts to try things you haven't done before and do it yourself or with friends as opposed to 1-800-CreditCard.

 

To me, it means hangin' with the buds, tossin' back a box of beer, building it with what you have, making it to the junkyard or swap meet to pick your own goodies, selling or trading what you don't need to get what you do need, a yard full of parts and a *****y wife, saving **** for years 'cuz "someday I'll use it", using some rusty ol' piece of **** part until you can find one better and not givin' a flyin' **** what anyone else thinks about it, picking a "period" and sticking to it, burn-outs, speeding tickets and getting h***led by the FUZZ, having at least one thing on your car that you made yourself (preferably the whole car), some rust, DRIVING THE ****ER 'cuz it's your car and you love it and it loves you, going 2000 miles (round trip) to the H.A.M.B. drags to meet the ***holes you know from the internet and not worrying if something breaks, beating the **** out of it till it breaks and then fixing it again, always having something left to do on it, memories, cardboard interior (if any at all), helping those that need help, no spare tire, some Doo-Wop on the 8-track and your arm around your best girl.... Know what I mean???

Or maybe it means a time before lesbians kissing on TV was O.K.

My '32 was built, by my dad and I in the early 70's, with the knowledge he acquired in the 50's and 60's. SBC and all. It was destined for the dirt track but he twisted the guy's ***ties enough to get him to sell the body and frame ($400.00) and all our friends had a hand on it at one time or another.

JOE

 

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What is "traditional"

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Read Hop Up...they know.

Neal

 

What a frickin' can of worms you opened! Slippery term because it has a lot of facets, and everybody has their own interpretation of each of those facets.

As a group, hot rodders have traditions. Speedweek, Indy, the Roadster Show, road trips, Paradise Road and its equivalents. All are traditions. But we also have . . .

• Traditional parts (steel roadsters, split wishbones, Stromberg 97s, Radir wheels, 16-inch steelies, F-100 boxes, Desoto grilles)
• Traditional methods (arc welding, lacquer paint, adapted junkyard stuff)
• Traditional style (low; trad colors like Washington blue, black, burgundy; etc, low in front for hot rods, low in back for customs)

And it all varies with the era you're trying to get back to.

I guess the best way to attempt a pin-down is to ask, what have hot rodders traditionally done with this car?

If it's a Deuce roadster, make it an early-style lakes roadster.

If it's a Willys, a G***er is traditional.

If it's a pickup, it should look like a shop truck or push truck to be trad.

If it's a Vega, taking the steering box before the rest disappears in a cloud of iron oxide is tradition.

If it's an early '50s Chevy two-door, chop it, drop it, fill the grille with extra teeth, add Packard taillights, and french everything else.

And if you're Moriarity, Roth's style is traditional.

There is no one definition . . . just gotta go by gut.

Steve.

 

I'll toss in a few thoughts r.e. "Traditional".

1. Build your car for yourself, not based on someone else's (including HAMBers) opinions.

2. Build your car yourself. It's YOUR car to the degree that YOU built it.

3. Having said that, I tend to lump "traditional" into two general "eras". Don't get hung-up on the exact dates;
Pre-1955: This era is typlified best by pre-war Fords powered by Flatheads & 'Bangers. SBCs need not apply.
'55-'64: This era includes SBCs, Y-blocks (yeah, I know they arrived in '53, but humor me for a moment), Nailheads, Hemis ('51 to be exact). Body styles were all over the place, but could be generally be characterized as available and inexpensive (Fords, Chevys etc.).
Traditional hot rods kinda went undercover when muscle cars became popular, generally ~1964.

4. Fibergl*** bodies are not considered traditional, exceptions being 'gl***-bodied fuel altereds and anything built by Ed Roth.

 

BTW VonTingler:
You can park your car next to mine and buy me a BEER anytime! Trad or not, I like it!

 

Traditional to me means an old car that still looks like an old car, no matter how much it has been modified.

It's when a person tries to style a car to span too many decades that things go awry.

 

Mosey on over and check out theodore's Photoshopping post!
You'll see what I was talking about above...
Traditional would be to yank the engine and ****** outa that wagon and put them in a 2 door coupe or roadster after hopping them up!

Like I said, times have changed.
I'd still rather have his wagon than a new Honda tho!

 

Whatevr the **** we think it means.....and like.....

 

I like it when people give their own definitions for things like this... it gives the people who really know what the true definition is, something to laugh at.
Sam.

 

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Whatevr the **** we think it means.....and like.....

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That's not right!
Whatever the **** I think it means.....and like... is what traditional is.....

 

Traditional Hot Rod
An old car* that is built to go faster or look better using methods and aesthetics that ended around...


An old car would have to be one built before the end of traditional era.

 

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An old car would have to be one built before the end of traditional era.

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So you're saying my 70 Chevelle wouldn't be trad if I stuck a Flatty with 39 3-speed ****** and a MorDrop on it? How 'bout with 35 wires and a quickchange banjo?
Shucks, I lose again!
Guess I'll have to stick all that **** on my Model A.
Life just ain't fair...

 

Traditional is back when people didn't discuss Hot Rod Labels on the internet...

They just built and drove em. And talked about how much fun it is.

 

Any car or bike that looks like it is from a certain time period and has all the typical details is traditional. And I don't care if it's a late '30s salt racer or a 70's muscle with skyhigh rake or a '81 VW Rabbit with disco intereur, as long as it's done with attention to the detail.

 

DIY & drive it....

 

Traditional is a bunch of guys standing around with a beer in their hand and saying:
"Well, if it was mine, I woulda..."

 

Its mid 80's slammed mini trucks or VDubs witha beat,mullet hair cuts,....word up...

 

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DIY & drive it....

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Amen.

 

Christmas is traditional

Ok now lets talk about toploaders and banjo rearends, and the best way to shorten a torque tube!!

 

Which one of any these is Traditional ? Are they all? Or just one or two, you decide.



or



or this.



Joel

 

Traditional means 4 wheels,an engine,and possibly a body in whatever configuration you wish to align them.In music it means you can rip it off without fear of being sued for plagiarism.In families it means,"We do it my way or it's the highway".I'll stop now.

 

Looking back before the musclecar for inspiration?