What's the future of rodding?

Got a thought lodged firmly in my melon today, and before you beat me up, think about this fer a second.

Why do I keep stumbling across all the "Ford this" and "Ford that" and most of it idolizes the Model A's and 32s? I know these are some beautiful designs, but than again, you guys out there (gals, too) are a resourceful group, and I doubt ya follow the pack for any good reason. PLus, that 'ol Ford tin is getting to be 'spensive, right?

My question is, what's the most outlandish, grab-you-by-the-*** hotrod you've seen, and in the spirit of 'rodding, where do you see it going? Cheap, junkyard speed, lightweight stuff? Zetec turbo'ed mills for weight savings (ala, Offy-style power), or traditional V8 power from late model Caddies?

What's the road-legal garage-built hotrod pod racer?

 

Anyone? Or are we stuck in the 30's forever?

 

I'm stuck in the '50s bro'.
This is just like the '50s bro', can you dig it?

 

No, I´m stuck in the 50´s.

 

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I'm stuck in the '50s bro'.

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Me too, for a few more years. I know I'll be hot rodding modern stuff someday, I'm just not ready yet.

 

I know, I'm just trying to stir **** up. I work at GM, so it's funny to hear rodders talking about the great cars of the 30s, 60s, whatever. But what they also say is that these "old" cars were cheap then, and they're asking ridiculous prices for them now.

I was just wondering what a cool, homemade set of rails would be like if you hooked up a 220-hp Zetec, a T-10 and a cobbled body and went flat out on the salt. Cheap. Fun. Anyone with me on this?

 

What did it for me was the cover of Car Craft January 1970 Headline:"Mind Blowers for the Street" still have that mag its in my office. It features a blown 37 Chevrolet running a stroked 283.Ahhh, Im stuck in the 60s, now if I could only find my dads DOORS Strange Days record. I see a increase in the younger crowds appeal in the 50s/60s non mainstream rides.Which is cool by me better to build those than the cars from the people that brought us Pearl Harbor.

 

I personally think (and I hate to say this) that a lot depends on how high gas prices get. It's hard to imagine building a big block car if gas hit 5 bucks a gallon. I think we'd probably start seeing a lot of 4 & 6 banger rods if that were the case.

I think that the current fad of hot rods & choppers (thanks to our friends at the discovery channel) will eventually fade back to where it was once people get sick of all the reality / builder shows. I think it will happen practically over night, and you'll have a lot of unhappy guys who spent 80 grand to have a bike built that they can't sell for 20.

I also fear that the "guns drawn at Boyd's" subject of the government looking into our vehicle's to make sure they're taxing us enough is probably something we should all be really concerned about. Trust me, if Arnie's goons are able to recoup a decent amount of money in this little witchhunt out in Cali, the rest of the states will smell blood in the water, and once that happens it's ON!!! They will be sticking their heads up ALL of our ***es to make sure they've ****ed out as much money as they possibly can. The problem is that most of us have some kind of discrepancy in the value of our vehicles, for example, many of us have the car registered as a $300 car, yet insured as a $20,000 car. This is the kind of thing the government will start using against us when WE'RE SITTING ON THE DEFENDANT'S SIDE OF THE COURTROOM. I would advise everyone to "get their papers on order" (komrade!!!).


I'm b******* with optimism today!

 

like tim magraw is saying in his new song"i miss back when.....back when a hoe was ahoe, a coke was a coke,when you were doing crack 'ment you were crackin jokes"

 

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I was just wondering what a cool, homemade set of rails would be like if you hooked up a 220-hp Zetec, a T-10 and a cobbled body and went flat out on the salt. Cheap. Fun. Anyone with me on this?

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What would be the reason? Putting a modern engine in an old body? Why not put a hopped up old engine in a new body? I guess what mean is there is a gap in the engineering, so it's just that more difficult. I have another project that I won't mention here, but it's a little more "modern" and the configuration is all out of whack with the old tin, you know. Like where do I mount my ECU?

Anyway, it might be cool , but it would be so much harder and it would look goofy, and where is the benefit? emission? gas mileage? My opinion.

 

Chet,
Personally, I have no issue with NOT using a current power plant, trans, etc....EXCEPT for the Salvage Yard prices to start with, the "computer" to run it, the "If-it-don't-run-right" how do I fix it- issues.

Generally, we all can figure out basic ignition and carburation, and well....you can make the engine "have-the-look" where as a late FI engine, well....you can see my point.

I like the ECOTEC 4 cyl for example, but what do you use for a rear-drive gear box? ...and how do you approach putting all of the peices of the recipe togather with out a fairly large lown from a "Car-freindly-banker"?

One last thing, when it comes to rear-drive options, there are not many to choose from.

I'll take my shot at a some-what vintage engine/trans/rear set up that can be done on a "fair" budget. And with proper tuning, can put down numbers in excess of 20 MPG.

I too, work for a major automotive engine, gasket, spark plug, oil seal, ch***is and brake company....and we manufacture allot of the items GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc use everyday.

The one thing that I see here on the HAMB is that we don't give a Rat's-*** about what others think about our choice of cars. You gotta admit, for custom body and paint work and upholstery, it is in excess of $20,000.00 of which allot of us do to income, just p*** on.

" May Home Built Rods and Customs Live On Forever".

 

I spent about $200.00 on gasoline last weekend. I think I'm gonna be sick.

 

Yep, I'm stuck in '61 although I was born a few decades late. I think in 50 years, there won't be any 50 year old cars, but there will still be 100 year old cars. New cars don't seem to be built with the same quality, the ability to take abuse and keep going, It's just all plastic **** glued together. Not to mention they make them so complicated with electronics there would be no prayer of ever rewiring one. Even today if the wire harness or computer is shot, the car is trash because it costs more to repair then to replace the car, so I can only imagine in the future when there won't even be people who remember how to wire anything on them.

I'm sure there are quite a few people on this board that could rewire thier model A from scratch with a couple rolls of wire, a terminal ***ortment, and a couple of cold ones.

A modern engine is all perception. A small block ford or chevy is a modern engine in a deuce. Hell, a flathead 8 or olds rocket is modern in an A.

If your worried about gas milage, you've got the wrong hobby. I don't think about it, I just watch the gauge and put gas in when it's empty. It makes life less stressful.

 

I too often think about the future of rodding, but usually just give up and go back to working on what I know how to, which is the early stuff.
Hot rodding has many segments, such as traditional, pro street, high tech, pro touring etc. Some of these are just fads in styling and will dissapear as quickly as they arrived, someday to be brought back again by some kid wanting to be "retro" doing things they way it was done in 2004.
Traditional styling has been a mainstay(minus the trendy terms) since inception, and I really look forward to seeing the "next big thing" in the hot rod world, but as long as I'm involved I will stick with ol faithful..traditional style.

 

i am afraid of the government and the regulations that will accompany the hotrod hobby, just look at the recent busts about the license fees and tax requirement , build and drive em while you can

 

Just my .02 here. I'm fairly young(29) so guess I and others in my age group represent the future of hot rodding. There are 2 camps here those that like old american speed and those that like new import (I'll thow neons and such with these).
I personally prefer older cars because of the style and simplicity that they bring to the table. It's just what turns my crank. I'm working on a '50 chevy Deluxe. I also have a '95 BMW I drive for long business trips. So I'm not an american only guy, I'm car lover and it's a fun car to drive.

I don't mind the import thing as long as the people are making cars that are fast weither they look it or not. I'm all for anything fast. I'm glad to see others people like Carol Shelby support these import speed freaks in interviews. Hell Barris built the cars used in the Fast and the Furious! However, I hate seeing spoilers, stickers, and rims on a stock civic. A poser is a poser.

Just my input. I will also say how glad I am to find a resource like this for young guy like me trying to learn (thank's Ryan and Others).

 

I consider myself young to rodding. I'm 35 years old, I've been around cars all my life. My father, and uncles like and have old cars. My brother restores old vettes. Cars are an American tradition. Rodding will be around for along time. I think the future of Rodding will over come all boundarys. I like the traditional Rods but I also enjoy the Muscle car era.

My kids enjoy cars. My Daughter is 9 and the son is 6. They love riding around in Papas big old 67 Buick Electra Convertible. My sons eyes light up when I give him a early style HOT WHEELS. He has the HOT ROD Heart already.

The Older rodder needs to p*** on the knowledge to the next Generation. Thanks to this Forum and to Rodders, HOT RODDING will be here forever!!!

 

220hp? may as well stay at home!

 

I'm "Lost in the 50's" with James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. Fuzzy dice and poodle skirts forever! Last week I was into the 60's but later, like Thursday, I was into the 80's, but Thursday evening came and it got a little cloudy and I was taken back to 1974. Friday, I was all about the 50's again. When the weekend hit I was really diggin' the late 70's, they rocked! Yesterday started out "50s" and ended up 2000 and 4, but just for a while, until a couple of hours ago and it was the 90's all over again. Know what I mean?

Don't sweat the future, I guarantee it will not be anything like any of us thought it would be.

 

18 years old and stuck in the 50's but I almost hope less people are into it in the future so stuff won't be so damned expensive! I have to say, we people aren't really interested in real expensive rods just for the simple fact that most of us can't afford them(maybe just me?)...I figure if I had money falling out of my ****hole I'd have a shiny trailer queen like Joe Schmo- the california carduster in one hand and a smelly cigar in the other... at least once. They say things go in circles so maybe the next big thing will be 70's cars with crazy paint jobs....or maybe they will skip it and go back to Pro-street?...I don't care really...I'm not going anywhere...I like the gr*** roots of the deal, post war-mid 60's rods. Stuff will go the way of the Restored Model T...the guys who appreciate em will die off and the values will go down....I cannot wait til it starts to happen to 50's and 60's stuff because if they arent outlawed(or even if they are) and are cheap you can bet I will be buying as much as my pocketbook will be able to handle. I have now officialy talked too much...probably killed the thread, anything new?

Greg

 

I won't guess what the future of hot rodding is but I hope it's not too far from where it's always been. This is a traditional board, most of the heavy hitters here like it old school. Z tec is cool in it's own way but I'd never consider it 'hot rod'. But then I'm one of those guys that doesn't consider a '69 Chevelle, a Boss 428 or a Nova with a big block a hot rod either.

 

rodding is going every which way...and maybe that's why we're here messing with old stuff, at least we know where we are.

this caught my eye at Bonneville when we stopped by on the way home from Canada a couple years ago.

 

Hard to say what the future is. But it's going to be a lame ***ed future unless rodders in general get a hell of a lot more open-minded.

There are exceptions, of course. But a lot of rodding is follow the trend, keep within the "rules," and bad mouth the guys with cars that aren't like ours.


Dave

 

I used to think in the early 90s that rodding was heading for extinction, last one leaving turnout the lights. But then along came folks sick of those kind of cars (streetrods) and the traditional cars came back with young guys driving them. Glory! Rodding will not die! I'm stuck in the 50-60s and will be until I go to the big dragstrip in the sky! By the way... I don't care what gas cost just as long as I can get it!

 

A lot of guys (including myself) seem to regress in the hobby.
Start out with the high tech stuff then break their interest down to less slick, less refined, more nut & bolt, focused on mechanics instead of aesthetics.
New guys & gals will continue this tradition. The cyclical nature of the hobby will remain, the modern end will continue to change.
Know what I mean?
WWS

 

I asked this question on here 2 years ago...... (its a good question)

Personally, I got into this "thing" because I have a twisted need for control and stability. I'm a pretty paranoid type of guy. I don't like people controlling too much about my life....so much so that I can't even hold a "normal" job. The system don't compute fer me (and I'm not just saying that).....

A car that I built appeals to me in that it is controlled by me. In a way, it isn't even a car any more. In my head it becomes a collection of minute actions that I perform to attain a certain result. To me it is the actual bending of reality....wrestling with the realness of real.

I take an idea and make it happen. The results are people standing along the road with their mouths gaped open. I just punched a hole in their "reality" and maybe their ****ing SUV ain't so cool anymore.....Maybe they wish they new a little more about how things work..... At its best, this is what "hot rodding" is to me. (sometimes it lets me down though, but we'll not go into that here)

Whats the future of hot rodding? Who gives a ****. I'll set my car on fire and watch the ****er BURN if the government screws things up that much. It ain't about the car for me.....It ain't about being period correct.....

Its about punching a hole in "reality". If I can **** with the world in a bigger way by building a cart to strap behind a billy goat then I damn well will.

Ahhhh but what the hell do I know. I'm probably doing it for all the wrong reasons.

VT

 

sounds to me like you got it all figured out....

good post!

 

i dont really worry about the future of hot rodding..home-built boys dont much care for anything with computers (i'm 21 and i'd rather not,so i know older guys and gals would shy away) and as far as price goes,i'm not too concerned about that either..i mean,as long as you've still got some poor teenager makin minimum wage,he's still gonna be buildin his rod,even if he has to save up more of his nickels for that rebuildable 97 core than his grand pappy did.what's cool is cool, and i dont think anything will change that.even if the guy just built the "primed 32" to be like the old man on the rat rods episode of rides,he still did something he thought was cool,even though it wasnt in style..or it'll be the latest thing for in style.either way,i'd say the future is in good hands.
creepy

 

i'm very into march 1952 and june 1953

 

Whatever you are going to do,do it NOW!!! There's no guarantee that what you want to do will be possible in the future. **** is happening that does not look good for guys like us. Between being regulated out or forced out by cost the future of hot rods might not be so bright. Right now things are not so bad for us so take advantage of it. Build a cool car and drive the hell out of it,whatever it is,NOW!!!!!!