Thread: street rods 1949 and down why ?

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Thank God for America and the freedom to even be having this discussion!!

Growing up, my older cousins had there "HotRod's" and "Lead Sleds" and we had a blast. There where the highboy's and the shoeboxes, the tri-five's, taildraggers and coupes. In the mid '60's the "Big" street performance cars started showing up but they wheren't muscle cars untill later, just new cars that where fast but they wheren't "HotRods"!
Then in the mid-seventy's everything changed and fuel was rare but guys still had thier old "Hotrods".
Now there are tuners cars and supercars, Muscle Cars and Sports cars, SUV's and 4 X 4's, vintage cars and collector cars but there are STILL only the Old Hotrods.

Now IMHO, a street rod is any car that a person put's his heart, soul, pocket book and love into that runs on the street. But to me there will always only be one era that there where "HotRods"!

Originally posted by Streets
In Batavia we have 6 types of cars.. Antique, Classics, StreetRods, Muscle Cars, Street Machines, and daily driver's..
As a member of the NSRA.. My '23 and '33-'34's are Street Rods...
My '16 is an Antique... Indi's Z-28 is considered a Street Machine... and my '93 Buick 4-Door is a Daily Driver.. IF you tell me you have a "streetrod" then it's better be a 1900-'48.. The Lone Wolf Cruisers® is a CAR Club and we have all types of "Hot Rods" in it.. We just don't allow "Ricer's" 2 join (unless you own a real "Hot Rod" 2...)

That's how I always thought it to be???? And rice iz' O.K. wit' Soy Sauce. HE HE HE

Hit the nail on the head Streets!! It's all good if you get great joy from it.

As for rice I'm old school, not in bikes and not in cars........ with a bowl and chop sticks........But with terriyaki sauce!!

Rice is best left where found, in the paddy covered with s**t. Been there, done that

Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
Here we go with the terminology thing again!! For those of you who haven't been around for previous threads on this subject be warned. We have some who try to adhere to the original intent of the terms, and others who say something like "call your car anything you want to, it's yours". Of course over time when you find some subject matter that's near and dear to them, or is related to their profession, all of a sudden they become converts to the proper use of terminology! I guess it comes down to whose ox is gored!

Cousin Al is correct. The term Street Rod didn't exist before the early '70's (my ever more faulty memory wants to think it's '71) when the NSRA was founded. They coined the term and therefore defined it. They made 1948 the cut off year. Not '49. The confusion probably comes from people saying PRE-49, and over time either sloppy usage, or sloppy hearing, leads to misuse. For those interested, NSRA felt that the term Hot Rod still had some negative "street-racer hoodlum" connotations at that time, and wanted to project a more "civilized" image, thus the change to Street Rod. They implemented the cut off at the gate, and over time other show promoters followed suit. As newer than '48 cars grew in popularity the cutoff date moved up, either to meet demand, or to increase the odds of filling the slots. Look at Goodguys (started by Gary Meadors who used to work for NSRA, thought they were doing some things wrong, and started his own deal to compete..........ah the entrpreneurial spirit!!). Different of their shows have varying cutoff dates for vehicle vintage. Most of them draw the line at '72, most often held as the year that Muscle Cars died. Our show here in Puyallup cuts off at '64. Why? Because that's the year the promoter picked!!! It's not a particular landmark. Try explaining to the guy with a '65 Malibu why he's appreciably different than the guy with a '64. Truth be known, they're a bit flexible at the gate, and the '65 guy will get in.

As with Al, I often prefer the term Hot Rod, for use in a more flexible manner. Primarily because NSRA has strictly defined the term Street Rod (though obviously lots of folks misuse it), and to not use it as intended can lead to confusion. We get enough of that thrust on us without creating it unnecessarily. Hot Rod can legitimately be used on just about any car that's modified for performance and appearance. Note that Brent wisely named this site Club HOT ROD, rather than Club Street Rod.

55ranch, I recognize you're using hyperbole for effect when you state that all the cars are '32 Fords but there's a reason that something (as in any other aspect of life) becomes extremely popular. For the guys interested in "square bodied" cars, the '32 Ford is the pinnacle. It was a one year design, and embodied that not often accomplished balance of form, and style, that produce a product that is uniquely appealing. Notice I didn't say universally appealing. There are detractors of the '32 as well. My observation is that half of them are envious, the other half just flat don't see the appeal. Hey, ugly women need dates too!! While I'm a '32 devotee, to me, the '39/40 Ford coupe is the best looking car ever produced. But that's another topic. As for not seeing enough '50's stuff, that must be a localized problem in your area. That's a very active segment of the hobby in most places. Witness the rising prices for those cars of that vintage (an earmark of growing demand), and the increasing number of vendors offering parts to upgrade suspension, steering, brakes, etc.

One last point (oh jeez, does he ever stop?). This on misuse of terminology in general. Personally I don't care if you don't want to learn how to communicate effectively. But the reality of interpersonal relationships is that people do judge you by the words you use. If you use terms incorrectly, those you are trying to communicate with will think you a boob to some degree or other. If they're a friend, or a family member, they may let it slide just thinking that they know what you really meant to say and don't want to embarass you, or make you feel inferior. Well, that's fine. But at the same time, when you go outside your circle of acquaintances, you are better served by using terms accurately. A central part of web sites like this is helping people learn more about their hobby. Think about the times we've seen someone come on here and throw out a question that's loaded with mis-statements. Some people might react by saying "That guy is so clueless I'm not even going to try to teach him anything". Others will jump in and answer what they think the guy's trying to ask, sometimes getting it wrong, sometimes right, afterall, they're guessing. In the end, the posts go back and forth several times before enough info comes out to determine what's really being asked. After that much frustration, our helpful member may think twice before subjecting himself to that again!

well i am only 20 years old i am still learning about rods but thanks for your input

Originally posted by Streets
In Batavia we have 6 types of cars.. Antique, Classics, StreetRods, Muscle Cars, Street Machines, and daily driver's..
As a member of the NSRA.. My '23 and '33-'34's are Street Rods...
My '16 is an Antique... Indi's Z-28 is considered a Street Machine... and my '93 Buick 4-Door is a Daily Driver.. IF you tell me you have a "streetrod" then it's better be a 1900-'48.. The Lone Wolf Cruisers® is a CAR Club and we have all types of "Hot Rods" in it.. We just don't allow "Ricer's" 2 join (unless you own a real "Hot Rod" 2...)

not much of a fan of the ricers