Hot Rod Forum banner

Can a "Four Door" be a "Hot Rod"

27K views 110 replies 35 participants last post by  Northstar T 
#1 ·
I titled this introductory post simply to get an opinion and introduce myself as a "new subscriber". I've always been a "motor head" since my youth, first on the block - in the neighborhood to have a mini bike, go-cart, then a motor bike (whizzer - wish I still had that one), then first to have a car....but I am the "back yard" mechanic type...no major builds, body off restorations, simply the "under the hood" wrenching needed, and I've built - repaired a lot of body components with old license plates and "bondo"...so you see the type of "wrench head" I am....love the "Barrett Jackson" cars, but mine are more "Drive and Enjoy" classics. Now with that said and getting back to the title of my post. I look for, buy, drive, fix and flip the somewhat "Un-conventional" classics...you know: Vans, Wagons, Corvairs, Vegas, VW, Pinto, Maverick.....love the "off - classic" cars....somewhat lean toward the Ford brand. Just to give you a little more background on my likes; When I go to the local "Bike Nights", you know where everyone rides a HD, I ride a Triumph....local "Car Shows", you know where everyone drives a Camaro or Chevell, I drive and show off my Ford Maverick...so that's my intro, my question and current ride: 1975 Ford Maverick (four door), "Police Interceptor" (mock), black beauty, trophy winner....is she a "Hot Rod", I think so and a blast to drive. Hey, can we post pics on this site? Thanks for listening (reading).
 

Attachments

See less See more
5
#2 ·
It sounds like we share some of the same DNA! I love it all! That is why I eventually abandoned my own cars, and started doing all types of custom paint and body work.

Like you, I am biased toward two doors. I am a child of the sixties and seventies, when nobody even LOOKED at a 4-door!

Here is the way I like to think today...

1- At least shave the door handles, and paint the extra roof posts black. That helps keep it from being immediately recognized as a "taxi cab"... :)

2- A four door body could become a 2-door Ranchero/ El Camino style build... or even a topless "roadster pickup"!!!

3- a four door wagon could become a two door panel truck...

How about making that four door into a hardtop? That will eliminate those extra roof posts too! Maybe you could even incorporate the Lincoln-style center opening doors. That would be kinda kool!

4- As a last resort... a flat bed or stake bed truck would be unusual too!

5- Just thought of a new one! How about keeping the front sheetmetal and roof, then building a "woodie" from the windshield area back???

6- Another new one! How about a 4-door "phaeton" convertible???

Of course all of these would require minor to major surgery... so if this is for profit only, (I have moved a lot of cars myself), profitability could go upside down, if it's not "sellable" at the investment you would need to recover.

Your choice! What appeals to you? Just be sure you have fun while you are making those extra bucks!
 
#4 ·
Really!

I'm not sure whether to take your comments as "tongue and cheek" or a shot at the four door. All your suggestions would be better spent in finding another auto. Come on now, this is a 1975 Ford Maverick - FOUR DOOR, Police Interceptor "clone"....how many of these do you see around....ooops, shouldn't have asked that .......I can just guess the reply and reason why you don't see them. But honestly.....I love the car. Part of the fun, enjoyment of owning a "classic", "hot rod" "vintage"..whatever type - model is driving it, having people notice it and commenting on how they like it, or haven't seen one of those in a long time...and simply the quick "flash back" in history you get. I would agree though, I definitely though of shaving the door handles and putting "poppers" on...that would give it a fairly sleek look.
 
#10 ·
There you go......with most of the "Two Door" Hot Rods taken, it appears the Four Door market is expanding, that is there are many available. I recently seen (similar to the one in the pic, but not done) a Four Door Mopar for sale........going to check it out. A lot of negotiating room when it has that extra door. Oh well, love my Four Door Ford Maverick Interceptor - V* 302.
 
#13 ·
What is funny is how the four door is looked upon today compared to 30 or 40 years ago.
There is simply ZERO resemblance today to how we saw a four door 40 years ago, it isn't even close. If in 1977 when I was in high school someone would have told me that I would be driving around in a four door car with a spoiler on the trunk some day I would have laughed in their face, yet from 2007 to a couple of years ago I was doing just that, driving a Ford SHO Taurus. Look at all the factory hotrods today that are four doors, Subaru WXR for example.

40 years ago there wasn't a single 4 door sold from by the manufacturer marketed as a "performance car", not a single one. Since then there have been many, VW GTI as another example, my SHO, how about a Porsche Panamera! A PORSCHE four door? We would have fallen on the floor laughing at the thought of a Porsche four door back in the seventies!

The image of a four door is totally changed and a four door hot rod may even be viewed as more desirable than a two door by many people.

I would say build it and enjoy it.

Brian
 
#14 ·
You are correct....at the shows I get more lookers, likers (is that a word?) and comments from the younger......teens to mid 20s group on the car. They see and were introduced to all the newer "4 Door" Hi-Performance cars, especially some of the Mopar (Chrysler) models.....
 
#15 ·
There's not many four door cars built today I would call a hotrod,, And being a chevy guy,,, I would say this top's the list of todays four door hotrods..This car is one mean looking car... It look's like it will eat you alive...:D


 

Attachments

#16 ·
Agree....just yesterday (Sunday - 5/26/13) at our local Quaker Steak and Lube Car Show there was a Chrysler Fast Five Dodge Charger RT painted "Mat Black" at the show....and yes a "Four Door"...it was mean looking and I'm sure stay with or pass any yester years "Hot Rod"....see if I can paste this pic I copied.

 
#17 ·
#29 ·
I guess its all in the "terminology", you have "Hot Rods", "Rat Rods", "Street Rods" "Cruisers", "Sleepers", "Sleds", "Pro Streets", "Customs", "Tuners", "Classics"....all these can be considered to some as "Hot Rods". I would say the term "Hot Rod" is somewhat "Generic"....that is any car that is "Beefed Up" either from the factory or by someone can be looked at as a "Hot Rod".....I mean they even wrote a song about a "Hot Rod Lincoln".....now who would think a Lincoln would be considered a "Hot Rod".
 
#30 ·
Randy, where does a guy find all those beautiful 58's?

I love to see a 4 door that can smoke the tires. Sleeper? yeah, you betcha! Kind of opens the minds of closed minded folk when they watch the taillights of a four door that just had them for lunch.

Hot rod. IMO, a general statement for a souped up/fixed up/no longer stock automobile or truck. All the names after that, rat rod, sleepers, all the terms Mav said. Mav has the right idea. Heck, John Force calss his funny car a hot rod. I'm not going to argue with him, seems to be the ultimate in hot rodding but I don't believe you will find the car on the street.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top