Wide whites

I'm an old fart who just joined up, and would someone please explain this obcession with wide white walls?? I received my lastest issue of "Old Skool Rods" and the cover car had www's on both sides of the tire!
Wide whites were an East Coast deal,(along with channeling) I worked with a guy who grew up on the West side of Long Beach in the early 50's. He bought his 1st car, a 33' Ford 3 window for 12 bucks when he was 15. He now owns a 33' 2 door sedan with blackwalls, and told me absolutley no SoCal gow job would ever run wide whites(check out early "Hot Rod" and other mags). Kustoms were a differant matter, just for looks.
I realize you build your car to suit yourself, but I've seen some of the guys turn up their noses at a car with an alternator (and isn't the whole idea to make a car more reliable and improve preformance?) as opposed to a generator and voltage regulator, but don't say shit about the over use of wide whites!

 

I am a young fart (28) who just joined up and I absolutely LOVE wide whites on almost ANY late 40's to mid-50's ride. To me, it was a coincidental encounter I had with Bo Huff 3 years ago that got me hooked. I was on my way to the 2003 Moab Jeep Safari when I decided to detour through Sunnyside, Utah. I ended spending 5 hours there as Bo gave me a pesonal tour of his shop and his self-built museum down the street. I instantly loved his style, which included wide whites. That visit has forever influenced my taste in kustoms.

I think that everyone who is into old cars has their own reasons for liking what they like; nostalgia, relative's influence, personal memories, availabilty, attitude, personality, up-bringing, geographic location. Grandpa Johnson drove Buicks. Uncle Dale is a Chevy-man. My dad loves the 50's era Model A rod. Uncle Ralph's passion was the Tin Lizzie (Dad, Uncle Ralph and I are trying to figure out where Uncle Dale went wrong).

To me, the short answer about the obsession over wide whites is that, if used on the right car in the right way, they are absolutely bitchin' and beautiful. And what is "the right car in the right way"? That question has as many answers as there are car guys in the world, and none of them are really wrong- even Uncle Dale. That's probably the koolest part of kar kulture.