I figure it's about like chopping tops. The average builder just chops a few inches to clean up the profile and give a sleeker look. Just like the average guy only lower a few inches for the same reason. Meanwhile there's guys that chop so much there's no usable windows just to be able to brag about how much it's chopped (no hate.....there's enough people like that that there's actual venues for it). Likewise bagged guys tend to like to brag about being able to lay frame
Seems a good number around here brag about not being low Seen guys brag about never changing their oil. takes all kinds I guess. I’m good with it
I thought I had my 41 figured out with a great static drop, first problem was getting it out of the garage since there was a little blacktop buildup in the driveway, throw some boards down, no problem. Next issue was traversing the dip at the end of the driveway into the street, same boards, then to get it on the lawn so I could just admire my great stance, same boards. Another one I did a rear flip kit and extended shackles, couldn't get the jack out, so up it went and the stock shackles back on. Then there was this 58 pickup I subframed, slid the cherry picker in to drop the motor/trans in, all bolted up but I couldn't get the cherry picker back out from under the truck. 65 Catalina 2 door hardtop, long and low, woke up to a rear flat tire, I had a hell of a time to just get the jack under it, then I couldn't get the damn tire off. This all started when I was a teenager and did a V8 swap in an off topic little foreign truck, hit the cruise night at this plaza with speed bumps, damn headers got stuck on every one of them. You could say I've went to the school of hard knocks and graduated, my stuff isn't undrivable low anymore LOL
My first mini had blocks in the rear. Shackles would get hung up. The next one got drop leafs. Solved that issue. 40/50s gm truck have some extended shackles. I plan to change those on mine and raise their position in the chassis. That will eliminate shackle issues. We built a very low muscle car. To prevent exhaust issues we shortened a set of headers. Then I routed the exhaust thru the trans tunnel. A 2 in 2 out flow master was narrowed to fit the tunnel. Then oval exhaust tubing exited thru very thin nascar exhaust tips. Another I did similar. Oval tubing connected to custom mufflers that tucked in the tunnel. exhaust tucked up real nice and solved clearance issues. custom flat or flush trans crossmembers and carrier bearing hangers solve a lot of issues. When I do a sub frame, I set up the sub frame at ride height to figure out where/how it gets attached before any cuts are made The sub frame can be raised or lowered in the chassis depending on desired ride height. Bumpers often are higher than rockers/running boards. Some can be tucked in and lowered aiding to a low look with no suspension mods.
"You learn how to drive a low car." "They're going to scrape- it's okay." It seems quite possible that the above could make the car and the way it's driven a nuisance to others and a hazard. With on-the-fly adjustable ride height, a car can be really low (preferably when parked for show), and raised for driving.
This truck gets driven all year long in all kinds of weather (even through the winter, with real snow). It logged 9,000 miles through 7 different states just last year, and most important, its MY truck. Please forgive me as I ignore your efforts to modify my truck. The chop will never happen, and the wipers are there to stay. When I die, or get tired of it, and you own it, you are free to do whatever you choose with it. I am a firm believer the owner has a right to do what ever he chooses with his vehicle. I did it my way, regardless of how much you may think I screwed it up.
To me, no matter whether a vehicle is built to be high or low, when finished it should be driveable with little to no damage being incurred during normal driving conditions. As mentioned above by various posters, experience usually causes people to err on the side of caution and build a car that doesn't get hung up or scrape things while driving. We may encounter a particular roadway which produces an issue, but 99.9% of the time, we have no problem. My son and I built a nice trailer and use it quite a lot. My own driveway is about a 15 degree hill. The street in front of my house is also a grade, so I have two intersecting grades which causes the trailer to want to scrape its rearend when entering or leaving. The other 99.9% we have no problem. Other professionally made trailers sometimes do this as well. So............I added some casters to the rear of the trailer at each corner. Works great and not really noticeable. Now I'm not suggesting anyone do this for their car........just saying that I can understand that when someone gets close to the ground,,,,,,,,,I understand that they may use air bags to clear those occasional problem driveways and such. Think its a good idea in fact. But once a vehicle stops and comes to rest, I think it should have an established stance that at least looks like it might be driveable. Exceeding that or sitting the vehicle all the way on the ground just looks phony and instead of noticing how well thought out (or not) a vehicle might be, I just move along. Anyone can build a car that sits flat on the ground, its takes a little more talent to make all the components work together both aesthetically and mechanically at the same time.
I don’t get the lowered “rice-burners” that have the front wheels leaning in at the top. It’s got to handle like crap, and quickly wear out tires…
My low ride only drags a few inches each time I drive it. Probably just a few feet over the span of each trip So I’m way under the 1% mark just like that trailer. sheet metal is just that. I fix that stuff every day.
Low, as long as nothing scrapes with four flat tires, if you like low. I remember when muscle cars were built high as hell when I was in high school (72ish)
Yep. If you dig it, lay it. In the context of I’m not concerned with your build style. In the context of was it traditional, I wasn’t suggesting it was. But the more old hydro cars I see , it appears that several were darn close.
Mid 60's build seems pretty close to me. Many hydraulic suspension were not much higher than this during this time frame.
As far as I know, and believe me, I am still learning, our hobby calls a certain car with stock suspension a highboy, which leads me to believe all others are some version of lowered. Yes I know it has to do with no fenders etc, but the mindset from early on was to lower them for looks, stability and reduce wind resistance, I think. Part of my trouble is that generally I like them all.
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