Some excellent point from both sides. Are the check writers good for hot rodding?? You bet they are, more involvement in our sport has got to be better. Why else would the so-so rods be bringing 20k, and the top of the line units netting 100k plus?? The trickle down effect kicks in here and all of us can maybe break even at least when we decide to sell today's toy and start on a new one. This does not mean that I have to like the guys in the cookie cutter billet rods, but I do respect the quality and innovation that the builder put into it.

Bob, as always, made some excellent points. Isn't the business of hot rodding subject to the same cycles as everything else. Be it a 7 or 10 year cycle, we've seen the corvette/exotics market do this for years and I would expect the hot rod market to follow the same pattern. "Buy low, sell high" is an influence, as well as the yuppies jumpin on the bandwagon and buying up cars for the sole purpose of following the trend. When these folks move on to some other expression of status, those of us who have been here will still be here and the price of done units will fall like a rock.

Are the TV shows an infomercial and a sell out?? You bet they are. But if somebody offered me that kind of money to "put on a show" I think I would probably cave too. Everyone has their price.

As Kenny said, there are not many of us left who can (or bother) to build our own from concept to completion. I do swap out work with a friend for the upholstery, just never could get the hang of the needle and thread stuff. It is very easy to just pick up the phone, order the parts, and assemble a car. I don't mind taking the big checks from people when I do it. But my own stuff has never been viewed as "trendy" or "cookie cutter". Usually more like "look what the over the hill hippy lookin' dude is buildin now". I am not an artist, so building a car for me is the closest I will ever get too artistic expression. I also have the standard sign in the shop,"I have two speeds, if you don't like this one, you certainly won't like my other one". Too me, the fun of the build is just as good as the cruizin when it's done.

Anyway, that's enough from me. I will get off the soapbox and leave it to someone who has a mind that still functions.