Thread: "Traditional" ???

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Ohhh,man...NEAT pix..with date on them too..Pure gold...

RC57 those pics would make great posters!! Those are what i would call traditional but im only in my 30s Were the frames Zed back then or did they just channel the bodys? Some of us 30ish guys like to build "traditional rods" as a tribute to the veteran rodders, so any tips,storys or ideas is very helpful.

Originally Posted by coreyvett

RC57 those pics would make great posters!! Those are what i would call traditional but im only in my 30s Were the frames Zed back then or did they just channel the bodys? Some of us 30ish guys like to build "traditional rods" as a tribute to the veteran rodders, so any tips,storys or ideas is very helpful.

It is a known fact,that down here in NZ in the mid to late 50s,some of our older rodders found a kool height for their hotrod bodies...They parked the coupe/roadster on a nice flat,level drive,or workshop floor,cut the floor out of the car,and settled the body on four beer crates,[the old quart bottles]The crates were about 12 inches high...then the floor got welded/bolted/screwed,back into the car,using the existing mounts...If it was still too tall,then the suspension got whacked....

Hi, sorry, we were swapmeetin all weekend. He said his and most cars were channeled since welders were not commonplace like today, and comfort was not so hot. Another thing he said was that he never saw white firewalls like a lot of guys have so that may have been a "coastal" thing.

i dont know what traditional really is..way back in da 60's we built our hot rods outta the junk yards more than magazines...well not much has changed for me..

i think any big engine in a small car is a traditional hot rod..ha ha ha ha ha

Traditional as everyone else has stated is subjective.

I built my t to look traditional (my version of a 50's hot rod) Of course a 1985 mustang roller block and c4 transmission are not from the 50's, but that is what I used. I think tradition is fine and I think hot rodders have traditionally used whatever the best parts they could find or buy. I personally do not feel certain parts we install on our car should exclude us from a show. I understand the year cut off dates at the shows though. My 2 cents. Don Jr.

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

Thanks for the awesome photos Kevin, Tell me, why does the cars not have registration plates and or windscreen stickers to say they are legal? Downunder we are legally obligated to have license plates front and rear and a registration sticker on the windscreen. I absolutely want that 1936 Roadster, that is so lovely. Isn't it refreshing to see fat fender cars becoming popular again.

Licensing, registration and inspection is regulated by the states in the US, not by the Federal Government. Some states require only a rear plate, some require both. Some require inspection, some don't. We essentially have 50 different sets of rules.

In Virginia, we're supposed to run front and rear plates. However, most people with older hot rods only use one on the rear. I've never been stopped for the "missing" front plate. However, I carry it with me, just in case, and hope I can either come up with a story - or beg for a warning. Virginia does require a safety inspection and a small sticker on the front windshield.

Thanks for that Henry, fifty different laws for the states, does that make it hard when travelling from coast to coast or once your car is registed in one state, one can drive it across country without a problem? I am like you, I should have a plate on the front of my car too but don't and so far have managed to get away with it..

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

Thanks for that Henry, fifty different laws for the states, does that make it hard when travelling from coast to coast or once your car is registed in one state, one can drive it across country without a problem? I am like you, I should have a plate on the front of my car too but don't and so far have managed to get away with it..

Most of the time it's no problem. Except when you get to CA.

Originally Posted by lamin8r

It is a known fact,that down here in NZ in the mid to late 50s,some of our older rodders found a kool height for their hotrod bodies...They parked the coupe/roadster on a nice flat,level drive,or workshop floor,cut the floor out of the car,and settled the body on four beer crates,[the old quart bottles]The crates were about 12 inches high...then the floor got welded/bolted/screwed,back into the car,using the existing mounts...If it was still too tall,then the suspension got whacked....

Just think of how different hot rodding could have been down here if the brewerys had those stubby little bottles back then

I have yet to see a traditional hot rod with the original air in the tyres, and I cant figure why hot rodders have morfed into the restorers that hated us a few generations ago.

I was brought up to think that hot rods were about looking cool and hi performance - lightening your car and increasing its power. And doing it your way.

Now it seems that hot rodding at one end of the scale is a 'paint by numbers" exercise where we build 32 hiboys that look much the same as all the rest and have much the same stuff on them, and a cubic dollars one at the other end for those with unlimited budgets.