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

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I always kind of lumped them together. But, after last week end I really know the difference. Another thing I learned is, my heart is in Hot Rods.
Our car club gets invited to a annual get to gather called the Roadster Round Up. This is the 42 year of this get together and was sponsored by the San Jose Roadsters. It was held in Santa Maria this year, that's about 200 miles north of where I live. I drove my red roadster, it's a hot rod!
Our club members are spread out all over southern California so we usually have two meeting places for our 26 members. Usually about 10 of us meet at this restaurant right off the freeway.
We left last Thursday morning, had breakfast and we were off. There is one of our members who has gone over 300 mph at Bonneville and a hand full that belong to the 200 mph club, so when we travel we sometimes exceed the 70 mph speed limit.
About half way up we all meet for lunch, then caravan together the rest of the way. I don't think there is much cooler thing to do than look in your rear view mirror and see a string of roadsters behind you and a string of them out your windshield.
We all get there and get checked in, get cleaned up and gather for dinner at a pre determined restaurant. Santa Maria this time of year is rather cool in the evening, so I decided to ride with another member since I don't have a top on my car.
I rode in my friends '34 full fenderd roadster. It's really nice car, small block, 700r tranny, stereo, side wing wind deflectors, and real comfortable upholstering. We all had a real nice dinner and get back in the cars to head back to the Hotel, I say good night to every one and head to my room.
The next morning everyone is off to Morro Bay, I decide not to take my car again and ride with some one else. This time I hitch a ride in my friends '32 roadster. Pretty much the same as the '34, very comfortable quit nice riding car. We have lunch and head back.
My wife drove up after my grandson got out of school Friday in time for the clubs (6 of them, 110 roadsters are there) dinner party. We are sitting at this table of 8 people just talking, not me, I'm day dreaming and it hits me. Those two cars are so different than mine, there street rods, I have a hot rod. Mine is loud the 4 link is set up to hook up on the street the best it can, the shocks are firm to help it launch, it's a Richmond 5 speed with 4:11's, with over 600 hp.
This may not be earth shattering to any one else but I honestly never thought of it this way. When ever I thought of a different type of car, street rod , hot rod, rat rod, or a traditional car I really thought of all of them as being Hot Rods, it was just a descriptive difference.
Well what I learned from all this is I don't think I will ever build a Street Rod, my Passion is Hot Rods!
Here are a few photo's, The blown injected Hot Rod Is mine, and yes you can make your Hot Rod do everything a street Rod can do.....almost