Thread: What is your definition of a Hot Rod?

Tweet

used to be hot rod or custom-----

I'm too new to have an opinion... I think the notions and nomenclature of the past have been diluted by publications like Hot Rod magazine... don't see the old definition hot rod in there very often.

Glenn, that was quite eloquent and I like your philosophy.

-Chris

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

used to be hot rod or custom-----

Back in my day (mid 50's) that was the term we used. A hot rod usually had no fenders,although my 32 5/window was full fendered running a 283 chevy. Customs usually were lowered either rear or all around and were usually 49 and up models dechromed,striped,flames,etc. I sold the 32 in 61 to start a family (dummy) the car is still owned by the fellow I sold it to. I called it a hot rod.

I'm only 39, and never have been around fixed up cars alot. They have "cruise night" here every year, and this year it was just last friday night. They let anyone with a fixed up car be in it. any car that participated in the parade went through the local hamburger stand and received a free "dash plaque" and went through the ice cream stand and got a free ice cream or something. All the kids liked the fixed up newer mustangs and hondas just as much as the t-buckets and 57 chevys, and all the little kids had a great time watching them. My personal opinion, and all it is , is an opinion, is that to define the term "hot rod" in any strict way would be to alianate or exclude a bunch of good people, who are just trying to have fun. It would be like the Harley Davison riders that say if you don't have a Harley, then it isnt a real bike, don't speek to us, don't come around here, and you'r not good enough. People work with what they have and have fun doing it.

My nephew's helping me with mine and having fun. we spend more time together, and we're both learning alot. Maybe it will turn out to be a nice car, and maybe everyone will like it. but even if none of the "hot rodders" like it, we had fun, and maybe a little kid will smile if I honk my horn and rev my engine for him.

Sam

It's like what they said about porn.....".I can't define it, but I know it when I see it." Over the years I have changed what I call the cars I like to build. I used to refer to them as Street Rods because I built them to drive on the street. But the more I thought about it that term wasn't strong enough to describe the cars I like. I like them hoodless, fenderless, loud, and with enough edge so that the person sitting next to you at a redlight knows they are looking at something different than they are used to. "Street rod" seemed to tame, I want to be driving a "hot rod."

I also think hot rods have to be from a certain era. I don't think for example a 49 Ford with no hood and 6 carbs peeking out from a fire breathing Olds engine is truly a hot rod. It might be a cool as heck car, and I want one, but it is not a hot rod by my definition. I have also heard someone say "yeah, I have this hot rod 68 Camaro, and......." No, you have a Street Machine or Muscle Car 1968 Camaro, but not a hot rod..........at least by MY definition.

I guess that is the point. Ask 1,000 people and you will get 1,000 different answers.

Don

well think i am hotrodder .or some may say other thingsso my 50 is a hot rod to me i built it i can call it any thing i want

"or cut your hot roddin’ teeth on the family’s ’71 Impala " Dad got a new Impala With a 400, I got to drive the 65 C10 230ci 3 on the tree. Beat the hell out of that truck!
I don't think I could define a Hot Rod ,But I think anything can be Hot Rodded.

my family lives on the end of a dead end road. a couple weeks ago, we had my nephews graduation party. all my dads cousins were out front of the house, trying to see who could make the longest black marks on the road with their ford or gm or dodge cars and trucks...just having fun and acting like idiots.....(NO ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED!!)...and my mom came out and yelled at us and said we were going to make the neighbors call the police on us for "hot rodding up and down the road"

Originally Posted by kitz

From Websters, " : an automobile rebuilt or modified for high speed and fast acceleration "


That sums it up for me ................

Kitz

Let's not complicate things, Kitz nailed it!!!!! If people make it anymore difficult then that, things just get all screwed up with the "we're kewl, you ain't" crap.... and while everybody is arguing about who's a Hot Rodder and who isn't, the do-gooders are going to sneak in and we'll be just another extinct species!!!!!

I think everybody has to agree that IF AIN'T A 32 IT AIN'T A HOT ROD ........ted

Three words..."built for speed"

I've always thought of a hotrod as being something absent of bling or billet and a streetrod as being one that had liberal doses of either.

Of course, that only applies to the pre-49 cars. The post 49 cars could all be called hotrods or customs or street machines, but I wouldn't use the word street rod to describe a post 49 car.

Of course I realize that the a-holes at NSRA have done a lot in the last 60 days to try and change that.

Maybe it was just that it was a little simpler for guys my age and older. What I recall was that in the 60s there was a very distinct cut off based on style…… the modified for speed Pre-war (WWII for the youngsters and although the war ended in1945, the prewar body styles were carried over until new tooling came along for the 48-9 Model year ) cars were Hot Rods, the cars that emphasized major body changes over speed were customs (think Barris) and then there were the Low riders and what eventually became know as street machines (later sub divided into street machines and muscle cars).

To the people who were involved in the car thing the distinctions were definitely there and readily apparent but to the non-car people we were all “those gosh darn hotrodders” and that was OK with us. It seems like by the late 80’s and beyond every category ended up being divided and subdivided to the point where it become very specific as to what category a car “should” fit in….Pro street, Pro touring, Hot Rod, Street rod Custom, mild custom, and on and on.

I guess what it looks like to me is that almost everyone who modifies there car to their own taste is a Hot Rodder, but not every car that is modified is a Hot Rod.

Originally Posted by Mike P

….Pro street, Pro touring, Hot Rod, Street rod Custom, mild custom, and on and on. .

These terms describe a style of car. If you say Pro Street you know its tubbed with huge fatties. Pro Touring means modern drivetrain and OD tranny, and 17+ inch tires.
Muscle car are 64-72 midsize cars.
I grew up reading Hot Rod and Popular Hot Rodding, so I guess Hot Rod is the overall term for modified cars.

For me I've always concidered a Hotrod to be a machine purpose built for speed...a bit more hard core than its close cousin .... the Streetrod but less flashy. And typically the older cars....20's 30's 40's....but wait....I would definitely concider a 55-57 Chevrolet with the gasser look a hot rod...and and and... Oh never mind. I like em all so its hard for me to define!

Dave G