For those who HATE "coupsters".

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I frequent another hotrod forum on the internet, where a guy was asking about cutting the top off a steel coupe which had a damaged top, to make a "coupster" from. He was immediately jumped on by one of the "traditional police" from southern California and told that if he wanted to be a real hotrodder, he had to either get an original steel roadster body, or a (Gasp) fiberglass one. Coupes with the top cut off were simply not acceptable!!! The following message is my response to that gentleman------For the guy in southern California who HATES coupsters---Okay, thats your right to hate them. Why don't we all get real roadsters, or fiberglass roadsters??? Well, the unfortunate reality is that the farther north you go from southern California, the fewer roadsters were sold. Us poor jerks that live where there is ice and snow a goodly portion of the year never bought that many roadsters in the twenties and thirties.---We bought steel topped cars with roll up windows and heaters. And now, for anybody wanting to build on a budget, thats what is most readily available and consequently least expensive. Yes, a person could buy a glass roadster body for $3000 to $7000, but hey---If ya can get a real steel coupe with a rotted top for free, or close to it, to build a "coupster" from then that $3000 to $7000 saved can damn near build a running car. (Or at least a good chunk of it). And you're right---its not going to fool anybody into thinking its a REAL roadster.--But---does anybody really care?? The hobby is about building unique, early style cars and enjoying them. "Traditional" has a lot of different faces.----Brian

Well put Brian. But if you are trying to speak directly to the SoCal guy who "hates coupsters", is he a member here as well as on the HAMB?? If not, then he won't hear you nor will your disgust of his attitude reach him.:(

But if you are only voicing your dismay because of his narrow minded attitude, then by all means, carry on. But I don't think you'll find that same attitude here. We love nearly all cars, with the exception of some really ugly ones.:LOL::LOL:

Give me three guesses which site the haters are on & the 1st two don't count.
I guess they all forgot that they built their own cars/truck to impress no one but themsslves, they didn't build them because "WE" told them how & what they should look like. Who gives a rats butt what others think about our rides, when they pay for the parts then & only then can they say how to build them....joe

Mopar---I did respond on "that other" forum. I simply posted it here to spark a little controversy.---Brian

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Originally Posted by mopar34

We love nearly all cars, with the exception of some really ugly ones.:LOL::LOL:

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HEYYYYYY!!!!!!

Those are the best ones to have :whacked::whacked: ..joe

Hey, I think the coupsters are clever! I really appreciate innovative projects. The neatest one I have seen locally is/was a steel '27 Ford coupe made into a roadster with an excellent smooth windshield frame. Not only is the coupster well done but it was mounted on a REVERSED Bronco frame and was running a Mopar 340! Brian you know how low those '27s can be and in the summer local stand-around meets it is really a neat rod. I wish I could have found a metal coupe to cut up but I did not find one so settled for 'glass. I also recall a guy in my neighborhood in suburban Phila. who cut the top off a '30 Model A coupe. He was a guy in his '60s then and it was really neat painted robin egg blue with red wheels. Even so it is hard to beat a real steel restorod built from an actual roadster. Then again there was a soft top sport coupe that only had a canvas stay-up top, that would be an easy conversion IF you can find one!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I read that thread over on the other board. I'm starting to wonder if some of the most vocal traditional police even know what they are talking about. I've seen photos of MANY coupsters from now what is considered to be the period of time from which todays traditional hot rods emulate. Plus I have my dad as a reference and he remembers them too. What some of todays traditional purists seem to forget is that every hot rod on the road back then was NOT a cover car from the magazines.

That thread is a prime example of why I don't ask others opinions about what I should do to MY OWN car.

Absolutely coupesters were very much in prominence back then...........I owned one, a '33 coupe cut down into a roadster. I was all of 14 at the time and never got it running, but it was a fairly done hot rod when I bought it.........for $75.00. :3dSMILE: And if any of the traditional police pick up any of the little books from the early years there were tons and tons of them.

It always amazes me that people who weren't even born or thought of back then can lay claim to what is or isn't "traditional." Tradition was that we were hungry for the next new idea and constantly modifying and changing our rides. And those "traditional" flatheads? We had NO problem jerking them out when the newer and faster OHV engines came out, and yes, even the small block Chevy was one of the engines we all wanted.

Don

The older I get the more I realize it's all about personal happiness. If you want to build a coupster or a roadoupe, or a for that matter wear a toupe..lol I say if it makes you happy, build it..or wear it whatever the case may be. After all, you're driving it, not them.

1st rule of Hot Rodding---The guy paying the bills is the one who decides what direction the build will go.... Opinions are just that, opinions. I'll listen to anyone's opinion--when it's accompanied by a big check!!!!!

Yeah Brian, I know. I read all of the posts including several of yours and agree with you totally. Personally most of the "coupsters" that I saw in that thread looked pretty damn good. I wouldn't be shy about owning or driving one.:D

where can i purchase a rule book :D

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Originally Posted by shine

where can i purchase a rule book :d

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:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:**)**)**)

Shine wrote:

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where can i purchase a rule book

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I believe Fitzwell has them for about a buck two ninety-eight each.:eek::LOL::LOL:

In my area (MN) there were and are more "coupsters" than real roadsters.(quickly being out massed by fiberglass buggies,a whole different subject) Simply because there were more coupes. I agree a cpe w the top cutoff is not exactly stylish. but traditional? absolutely. I have pics of them from back in day and not all were from cold states. Gotta love the under 50 street rodder magazine "Experts"

fitzwell is too busy with the media blasting to peddle books .:D

Post some photos of coupsters!

Brian,

I agree with you on all points except the last "Tradiational has many faces". It not faces, it's the other end that they have many of!!

I remember the VW guys having this discussion back in the day when the convertibles were getting valuable.

I remember an artical in the old and small "Rod And Customs" that was titled.
"After Raving Over Roadsters Its Now Cou, Cou For Coupes"

That artical if I remember correctly was about different Coupes across the country, but a part of the artical covered those guys converting Coupes to Roadsters. Man the small magizines went out a looooong time a go. So
how long ago does traditional have to be to be traditional?

I think we all need to remember that there are a lot of "Computer Hot Rodders" out there. A lot of these so called traditional police Computer expert car builders never owned a Hot Rod of any kind, but they do have opinions. Don't they?

It also never ceases to amaze me just how many folks want to tell "YOU" how to spend your money.

I came from the era were folks--Young Folks were modifying and hot rodding there cars. I don't remember a single guy building a car and intentionally painting it satin or leaving the rust on there, not a one from the day.

A few years ago I was at the Sema show and had a conversation with Art Danchuk owner of Danchuk Manufacturing. This is the worlds largest manufacturer of 1955 thru 1957 Chevy parts. In that conversation I was shocked to hear him say that the biggest selling parts for the tri year Chevys were Emblems. I went on to say that Emblems alone were a "MULTI" million dollar business. I remember those years Chevy's and I also remember the first thing that came off of them were the Emblems. No young guy with a car wanted anyone to know or even think it was a stock car so you changed what you could, decking and filling those holes was just about the first thing you did.

The guys building, a lot of them anyways, are the same guys but much older that had them back then. Funny how today in this "Nostalgia" based hobby those guys are not rebuilding the car from there youth like you would think they are. But in fact they are building there Fathers Car, you remember that one don't you? Your Fathers Car--- The one you didn't want to get caught dead in.

Tradition Huh? I wonder Who's tradition they are rembering?

Roland

I for sure don't have a problem with coupsters - tho I have seen a couple that really needed some TLC to be "right". Not a lot of work, but some. Boyd Coddington had a show 2-3 years ago where he derided a coupe that was made into a roadster and that might be the basis for some of the negative discussions currently going around. With that said, there are some cars, i.e. a '37-'40 Ford coupe that probably could not ever look good as a roadster - but what the heck, if it has a 'bad' top, and there is no available donor car for pieces, it would still be better then the crusher:LOL::LOL:

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

1st rule of Hot Rodding---The guy paying the bills is the one who decides what direction the build will go.... Opinions are just that, opinions. I'll listen to anyone's opinion--when it's accompanied by a big check!!!!!

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I always like to say, "remember the golden rule, the guy with the gold makes the RULES"! :3dSMILE:

I personally don't care for the look if an open A with a closed car windshield. I do have a friend in Canada (whom I met on that "other" board). He is 110% hotrodder and drove an open sport coupe A summer and winter (yeah, Canada winter) for several years. I would never tell him his car wasn't a hotrod.

Sometimes the HAMB is worse than a bunch of restorers. Damn, I hate purists of any kind!