Thread: More on different!

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That's as opposed to moron different!

Last month we talked a little about the "different" mentality; http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...dare+different

This time my thoughts are on a less "excitable" level.

In observing the activity in the galleries, I've noted a few trends (or maybe just mini-trends). Frankly, I don't have time, or interest, to analyse the entire gallery section, mostly just my own and a couple others that have caught my attention over time (special mention to foorden). The galleries that seem to get the most hits are the ones with lots of car show pictures. That makes sense. Someone stumbles into the site when tracking down some info on the net, sees a picture they like, then spends the next half hour looking at a vast array of neat cars in one person's gallery. Nice entertainment. For some reason, taking pictures at events has never been my thing. Thankfully folks like Larry M. are around to record these images for posterity.

Not only don't I take a ton of pictures at events, but in my earlier years it was a rare car of mine that I shot (with a camera I mean, many were deserved candidates for bullets though!) I've been better at taking pictures over the last 15 years, maybe I'm getting more sentimental. As such, I've chosen to just post the cars I have, or have had, in my gallery. So based on that limited sampling here goes.

The past few weeks I've been scanning (pictures were taken before my enlightenment to digital cameras) pics of some of the cars that I did through the '90's and that have moved on to new, loving owners. And here's where an inkling of different vs appealing comes in. In four days, the picture of the '40 Ford coupe has gotten almost as many hits as the '41 Chev has gotten in 5 weeks. Why are '40 Fords more popular than '41 Chev's? My opinion is, because the Ford is gorgeous, the Chev isn't. People are attracted to better looking cars. The '40 Ford and '32 Ford represent two of the most popular cars for hot rodding of all time for that very reason. Now, I owned the '41 Chev and enjoyed it very much. I believe I took it from an O.K. looking car to a very good looking rod. The day I sold it there were two guys almost fighting over it. Both of them acknowledged the paint color and finish quality as it's most appealing features. The '40 on the other had was done in black suede. Sure, the tire/wheel combination, the stance, the sound, and the interior were common hot rod ques. But the body design.....................it's a masterpiece that can't be improved, only complimented. Both cars had pretty much the same things done to them, albeit in different styles, but the Ford hits more people's hot buttons. The '41 Chev is much more "different" than the '40 Ford and suffers in popularity for it.

As for what stuff interests people, my picture of a crowded two car garage with two '32 Fords is my personal hit champ. More people have been drawn to that one for some reason. You can't really see the cars very well, and there's not much detail of shop equipment, or vast hordes of vintage "junk" visible, but for some reason people are drawn to that picture. Is it because so many can identify with a messy garage? I don't know. But a crowded garage ain't different. Is it? Or is that the appeal? Most people can identify with a stuffed garage.

Then there's the real "different" picture. The one of the dash in the '36 roadster. The pictures on either side of it are of the overall car itself, posted about the same time, and they've garnered almost twice as many views. Apparently not as many people are drawn to detail items as they are to the whole of a car. Personally, I find the true "different" in the details of the rods at an event. Every so often we'll see someone on this site, or hear someone at an event, whining about "there's nothing here but '32 roadsters". Well, yeah, there are probably more '32 roadsters today (both glass and steel) than Henry ever built. That's because they are VERY appealing, not because they are different. But back to the '36 dash. I can be 99.99% sure there's not another dash in a '36 Ford like that one. In the comments of the picture I've invited folks to guess what it's origins are, and in 15 months there hasn't been a single one. Now what that really means is I've made a dog food that the dogs won't eat. Meaning, my little game hasn't appealed to anyone. I'm okay with that. I'll do something like that just to see what happens. But my point is, for all that folks keep touting different as some sort of nirvanah, different only has a limited appeal.

I noticed that in my gallary that any picture with a women gets hit on more than any other. I dunno seems guys like women more then hot rods. Things that make you go Hhhmmmmmm!!

Ya....thats real strange......................

Looking at my Gallery hits the most popular are the ones with comments and stars, with one exception. Most of the shots there are of my '53 Studebaker, the most popular is the first one I posted when I introduced myself at CHR. That makes sense since it was first and attention was drawn to it in a post. The second most popular, by far, is a picture of my Son-in-laws chopped yellow '53 Chevy, it was posted months later and I believe it is actually gaining slowly on my Studebaker! Now '53 Chevys are a little different, certainly not as popular as the Tri-5s. So what attracts people to that picture? It is a great looking car, but so is my Studie. Maybe 'cause there are multiple pics of my car and only one of the other? The next most popular is the picture showing my personal plate, this one also has comments and stars.

I am planning to change the motor in my car from a popular 350/350 SBC to a 500 Cu in Cadillac. (Having a Studebaker is not different enough!) I have had a couple people caution me that it might lower the value of my car, at least to some people. Everyone likes the Chevy's even though they are as common as belly buttons.

So, I guess "different" only has appeal to certain people, if everyone liked it, there would be more and it would no longer be different!

If you can read the printing on my license plate frame in the avatar under my name, it is an old Studebaker logo "different by design". I like different!

Pat

That's Interesting:
I haven't been to my gallery for a month or two, since I haven't done a lot on the "Z" for that long. It was interesting to see an old picture of the chassis on the jig in it's very early stages, has more than double the hits as my second pic. And the ones I find most interesting are toward the bottom of the hit list. I guess I like the pics. of stuff I know took the most time to to build. Once in a while I scroll through the gallery. It's like going to a car show without leaving home.

I have some new pictures to upload, i'll have to check when i get home to see which ones to load in. You tend to forget about your gallary when your enjoying the banter on the threads.

Oh, how soon they forget the days of yesterday, STU COOL, when the Studillac ws considered to be the best machine one could build. To me that 500 caddy in there would raise the value but then again I am an old fart.

Pat, if your thinking a caddy engine, ya have to check this out. I'm sure Bill could get ya headed in the right dirrection real quick.
http://home.houston.rr.com/baker53/

i always take plenty of pictures thats just me though

Thanks Dean, I have already been corresponding with Bill. He is very helpful. Our installations will be the same, only different, (grin) because he has the original Studebaker frame with modified A-Arms and I have a Nova subrame.

OldF100, I agree about the Studillac, that heritage is one of the reasons I like the Caddy motor idea. And I am sure that if I were ever to offer to sell it, someone would come along that would see the value.

Pat

This to me is a very interesting thread, it says alot about our hobby (Life Blood) and how it effects each of use differently.

I agree with Bob about lots of what he said but I am so happy to have so many different things out there that I can still feel that my car is the coolest car and be very happy! No matter what, there will always be cars you don't like.

It is irronic the trends that seem to emerge, I often wonder how many of those cars are built because the owners are truely passionate about their cars or they know it will sell for good money just because it is popular. Not making a statement, just a thought.

Myself, I love the style of the older Pre 50's cars. I think that the automotive designers where unrestrained by government safety regulations, and fuel economy to design works of art every year, the most classic designs from all the world came in that era.

Yep Bob, I think you’re right… different isn't necessarily going to get you noticed, some cars are more popular than others because they’re just better looking cars! Those ’32 Fords are popular for a reason .

When I looked at my own gallery, I noticed that one “close-up” picture of a very nicely detailed flathead hasn’t been viewed many times, while some shots that I wouldn’t have expected to have drawn much attention have been looked at a lot. Here’s a composite of the pictures that have been viewed more than 1,000 times in my gallery. I was surprised by a couple of these shots.

Dan J

Originally posted by Dan J
Yep Bob, I think you’re right… different isn't necessarily going to get you noticed, some cars are more popular than others because they’re just better looking cars! Those ’32 Fords are popular for a reason .

When I looked at my own gallery, I noticed that one “close-up” picture of a very nicely detailed flathead hasn’t been viewed many times, while some shots that I wouldn’t have expected to have drawn much attention have been looked at a lot. Here’s a composite of the pictures that have been viewed more than 1,000 times in my gallery. I was surprised by a couple of these shots.

Dan J

Hey... The blower even wins in the gallery !! He HE

I know when ever i get a little free time i will look through some of the guys gallerys and for me the pics i always click on are the ones that show the car "under constrution" or the "grage scene" type pics.

I guess its becuase i not only can relate to what other guys are doing when building thier cars but i like to see what kinda parts they are puttin on them and what kinda tools/machinery/poster&pics or nostalgia type stuff they have in thier garages.

Oh, Sure, i post a nice oldsmobile, and no one looks at at! Seriously though, those cars are always nice. Something about power to weight with a full frame and steel. Even if every time you roll through town you ALWAYS have a police escort. Then again, I seem to get one too...