What is your definition of a Hot Rod?

Since some heated discussion started over what exactly should be defined as a street rod and hot rod, I figured we all probably have many different ideas where this term is concerned so I thought I'd throw this out there out of curiosity, not to start an all out war, just to better understand where diferent people are coming from.
So I'll start by saying coming from being born in the early sixties, I grew up when people were mostly hot roding 50's and 60's cars, which were sometimes refered to as muscle cars, but we considered anything zooped up under the hood as a hot rod. I had a friend with a Vega that had a 283 under the hood, and was jacked up in the back, this too we thought of as a hot rod. The classic t's were rare as were the 32's back then, in our neighborhood, but they were the ultimate! Loved the stuff in the old surfer dude 60's movies. The car shows had mixed stuff, including a new green vette with rabbit fur interior made for Farrah Faucet. That was way cool when I was sixteen and also fell under our definition. The low riders of the time weren't included, because they were low, not jacked up in the rear, which is funny now to me, since I would throw them into the hot rod definition of modified increased performance vehicle. Anyway just my thoughts. I am currious what the generation before me and after me think, as well as any products of the sixties!:LOL:

If John Force considers his fuel funny a "hot rod", who am I to argue?

Rusty Wallace calls his race cars hotrods...

Why do we have to define a hot rod, street rod, or, God forbid, a ratrod?

I was born in 67 and grew up learning that any car you worked on with the sole purpose of going faster was a hot rod. There were no restrictions in regards to the year of car. I have been corrected many times by some clubs or individuals about how wrong I am when it comes to the year not mattering. For instance, I believe the technical term for my 80 amc spirit with a 360 would be a street machine. I think my 40 nash with a 304 will be a hot rod and my 38 chevy pickup cab with a 401 will be a rat rod. whatever technical term you want to use, they will all still be hot rods to me. No offense intended.

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


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

Kitz

I'm with kitz...simple and to the point.

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Originally Posted by NTFDAY

If John Force considers his fuel funny a "hot rod", who am I to argue?

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As I was reading stovens post I was thinking the same thing! Then I pulled down to read the next post and you & MikeB took and wrote what I was thinking! ;)

But then again, I'm watching the NHRA Drag racing replay from yesterday right now! Go Ashley!

Pat

anything out of warranty

I am a baby boomer, born in '48, and discovered models and car magazines by '58.

While I have always heard a wide "generalization" of the term "hot rod" to describe a car modified for performance ....I grew up with the magazines and hot rod organizations clearly defining it as a '48 or older model.

Newer cars, like '50s models and up, looked far different, and were consistantly referred to as "street machines". If it had giant rear tires, it was a "pro street", and if it was a bigblock detroit performance car, it was a "muscle car".

I would have backed this opinion up with my magazine collection of 6,000 mags, dating back to the late '40s, but I sold most of them. I am proud to say I read them all cover to cover!

These guidelines were consistant up to about the '90s, when younger guys started using some of the terms more widely, and dropping others.

I guess you could say that each person has their own perception of what the term means. However, when it evolved, and was used one way, from about 1965 to 1995, it rubs me the wrong way when young guys are telling me that they know the "truth" of it.

I guess it is up to the majority of a group how they want to define something, and they can also change it when they want, but I will probably use the old terminology that has been with me so long.

I guess I will have to be tolerant of the younger "peeps" sending "tweets" to each other, discussing the new meanings of car hobby terms. :-)

I grew up with the same idea of what was a true "Hot Rod" & street machines, But I still call them newer cars hot rods some times when just talking about them, but Not meaning for show or facts. ;)

Pat

WOW!!!

Like everything else, the description of a Hot Rod has changed dramatically over the years.

Originally anything pre 48 eas a hot rod, after that you could call astreet machine, muscle car or whatever you wanted, BUT not a hot rod.

Over time the more accepted use of the term hot rod has become that "simplified" version, any car modified for more power and speed.

But, is that a new definition? Isn't that exactly what hot rods were originally?

Cars modified for more power and speed? Now a lot of hot rods are old cars with new engines and updated suspensions. Is that bad?? Of course not!!\\I consider my 76 Seville a hot rod, what the he--, its got 540 HP and 586 FtLbs and it accelerates "briskly".

To me (at 70 years of age) it represents a hot rod as much as any of your projects.

Everyone on this board has, or wants to have, a hot rod.

If we own a vehicle modified to suit are needs, that performs better than when it was new then damn it, it's a HOT ROD!

Whaddaya think?:D

I'm with you Geezer2 and I'm 4 years(66 in August) younger.

To a certain extent, we are all products of our environment. Whether you’re old enough to remember “Stroker McGurk” or cut your hot roddin’ teeth on the family’s ’71 Impala all that really matters is that we share a common love for all things mechanical as they relate to automobiles.

In the ‘50’s we lived in the San Bernardino area and my earliest memories of cars bring to mind old Plymouths and forty something Fords. My father, like many, worked on our cars as much from necessity as anything as we were a blue collar family of five. I remember the kid up the street had an absolutely wicked car (with flames?) that he had fashioned after one seen in a James Dean movie. My father had a “rich” friend and he always had “really neat” cars like a ’53 Ford two door with exhaust cut outs and later on a ’58 Chevy with “lake pipes”.

We always had pretty basic cars – but for whatever reason, dad and I always were drawn to the fast ones and loved to go to the drags at Fontana and Santa Ana but better still, the “Winternationals” came to Pomona in the early 1960s! Ahh, the smell of alcohol and nitro and burning rubber in the air!

It’s something that’s in the blood. Over the years I’ve met a lot of people who get that “deer in the headlights” look when I start talking about T-10 four speeds or high compression heads. Oh some of them have had a car or two that qualifies, but they were never really infected with hot rod fever to a point that they dreamed about a nine second quarter mile or building a killer motor that pulled 500 plus horsepower and gobs of torque. They say things like, “Chevys were 350’s and Mopars were 383’s. I think you got your sizes mixed up!” Whatever – they wouldn’t know a stroker from a doorknob.

If you have it, you just know. It’s being able to tell the difference between 10W-40 and 80 weight by the smell – it’s knowing that 18436573 is not a phone number, rather a precious piece of information intrinsic to all small block Chevy aficionados. It’s allowing the kid next to you at a stop light in a high-revving Honda Civic blowing nitrous out the tail pipe blast away from the line knowing that you could squash him like a bug and not laughing when the local police ticket him three blocks down the road.

I had a T-shirt with a picture of a Harley-Davidson with this simple message, “If I have to explain it - you just wouldn’t understand”

Regards Fellow Hot Rodders - God Bless Us All!
Glenn

well----I can remember that we used to say that real race cars didn't have doors
and we pushstarted them from the big end
then funny cars
then rear engine cars
then I ended up as circuit director for UDRA Pro-Stock---all those guys were silly about rules, weight /cubic inch, big/small block, wheel bases---I put in 2 simple rules--had to have doors and carbs(tho I wasn't really wanting to limit it to carbs--I wanted injection)

Now---front wheel drive, sideways 4 cyl engines-----you got to be kidding -----

i think of a hot rod is pre 60s car with a bigger engine rework for going fast every thing made to fit .60s and up muscle cars like gtos ect off the show room floor hot rods that the maker built with bolt on part s . street rods are more just for the street mild build .not a hot rod were they are more strip/street. i know that is not the way many think but that is the way i see it .like my chevy it is not a street rod .it is a hot rod

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

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Originally Posted by jerry clayton

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

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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." :D

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 things:3dSMILE:so my 50 is a hot rod to me i built it i can call it any thing i want:LOL:

"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"

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Originally Posted by kitz

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


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

Kitz

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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:LOL:

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.:D:D

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.:eek::mad:

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.

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Originally Posted by Mike P

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

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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...:LOL::LOL: Oh never mind. I like em all so its hard for me to define!

Dave G

Real Hot Rods don't have fenders:LOL:

in the song "HOT ROD LINCOLN", it was a plain old Model A ("the model A made it look like a pup") with a lincoln V8, with 4barrels, overdrive, duel exhaust, 411 rear end, and safety tubes. So I guess it looked like a normal Model A from the outside but was secretly made to be faster than expected from looking at it.
Maybe "hot rods" is a general term, with all others being sub-catagories.....just like whether it's free, cheap, your brother buys it for you, or your friend buys it for you, a beer's a beer....and if you make it yourself, it may just be even better!

but also...it was called "hot rod lincoln", refering to the fast engine and drive train....not hot rod ford or anything refering to what it was in. so a car made faster would be a hotrod, whereas putting on low profile tires and fuzzy dice or dingle-berries in the window or making it bounce like a low-rider wouldn't make it a hotrod, unless the drive-train was also modified. I think the key word would be speed or fast. (or the APPEARANCE" of "FAST"). you could have a hotrod motorcycle, car, truck, boat, gocart, motorized skateboard, or Segway, as long as it was FAST!...(or appeared to be)

I can't tell you for sure what is a hot rod, but I will know it when I see it.

Hot rod magazine has covered everything from ledsled customs to rail dragsters, v-drive boats to factory muscle-cars to street-rods to corvairs and 914's with v-8's shoehorned into the back..... They have promoted the stuffing of oversized v-8's into just about every known front engine/rwd vehicle under the sun. They have promoted the modification of trucks, panels, and even embraced the vans of the seventies. In all their photo-shoots, they put a "Hot Rod" plate on the front of the vehicle, so I guess the term hot rod covers a lot of different styles of cars....
To me, any v-8/rwd vehicle wearing more tire on the rear, slightly lowered in the front, and dual exhaust with a healthy sound is qualified to be generically referred to as a "Hot Rod"!!

Call it what you want, as long as you build it yourself.