Thread: Do you know the differance between a Hot Rod and a Street Rod?

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mooneye, you got to love the anti-hotrodders!! It wont be long before they start driving KIAs into the shows. I have been to one show where there were legit judges actually walking around every car with clipboards.... that was my first show haha Can't count how many shows where your situation has happened. However, still one or two guys at each show that I can talk hotrods with.

Red wrote:

So would the truck that we are building be a hotrod or a streetrod? It is a 51' Ford F1 with a 429, I "think" it has just over 400hp at the shaft. (I think we need to beef it up, a lot, but not my money or truck) leaf springs in back, but has disc brakes in front, is getting power brakes, power steering and probably aircon (Fresno in the summer you know). I always call it a hotrod, am I right?

Technically, Red you are correct. SEMA has messed with the laws in nearly all states to legally declare that a street rod is a pre-49 modified or re-constructed vehicle. So in most states your truck no matter how modified would not be a street rod simply because of the year of manufacture. Of course there are some states that have yet to subscribe to this. A couple of years ago I saw a modified VW with Maryland Street Rod tags. (Kind of made me feel like tossing my cookies.)

Distinquishing between a two pre-49 cars of the same vintage would become a matter of opinion of the owner and the observer as to whether it was a street rod or a hot rod. My 34 has attributes that can put it in both classes. As time goes on, I think I prefer the hot rod class over the street rod class.