Thread: So That's a Traditional Hot Rod????

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While strolling through Google links to Traditional Hot Rods, I found this definition;

"A traditional hot rod is put together to look like it was built (or could have been built) decades ago, by using as many parts as possible that were made no later than the Fifties or the Sixties at the latest."

I believe most of us would agree that this would probably be an acceptable definition. As with most things gone modern, this definition has been cast aside in favor of what others choose to define as traditional. There are exceptions, a few of the rides in Uncle Bob's stable are IMO truly traditional rods, done by someone who was actually alive and breathing during that era. Congrats, Bob, you got it right!!!!!

Now I'm seeing "traditional" rods with EFI, 4 wheel disc brakes, automatic overdrive transmissions, radial tires, 15 gadzillion watt stereo's, remote entry, digital dash, on and on ad nauseum. The definition has become obscured to say the least, and probably just used as an attention getter when describing the car whether there is anything "traditional" about the car at all!!!!!

Other things I've noticed on a lot of "traditional" cars is that no matter what it has for equipment and accessories, if it's in primer or some of the hi dollar lo luster paint than it's "traditional". What many seem to use the low luster paint for is to try to hide the fact that there body work is lousy!!!!! Nothing fits, sanding scratches everywhere, disproportionate body mods, you name it---under that "tradtional" patina is some really poorly hammered sheetmetal, in in some cases very low quality 'glass work!!!!

I'm afraid that to the discredit of some very fine traditional rods, the word traditional has become a classification cars fall into when the builder didn't have the time, patience, money, skill, or all of the above to complete the car in the way he wanted it to be so he just through it together quick as possible so he could drive it! Heck, those aren't imperfections, poor planning, or rookie mistakes, it's a TRADTITIONAL HOT ROD!!!!!! Just ask the owner, he'll tell ya excatly how things were back then and how they are just like that on his car, even though he's only 25 years old and the only traditional Hot Rod he ever saw was in American Graffiti!!!!

A know of many very fine, pristine, traditional rods, a dozen or so of them are pictured right here in the CHR Galleries. Just don't try to convince me that that poorly planned, ill conceived, ill fitting, out of proportion, flat black painted atrocious looking POS is a Traditional Rod, cuz it ain't!!!!

Soapbox back in the corner, done with my annual rant concerning the State of Hot Rodding.....