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What is a 'hotrodder'?

30K views 138 replies 100 participants last post by  jmclefty 
#1 ·
If someone only loves hotrods are they a hotrodder? What about if they build one from scratch in their garage, making every makeable piece or adapting from other cars, are they a hotrodder? What about the guy who gives $150,000 to a builder to have one built for them, are they a hotrodder? Are there 'hot rod' snobs like the purists who would look down on you if you did not have a numbers matching 'whatever'? Should a car club member feel any more of a hotrodder if they bought their car in pieces from a mailorder catalog than the guy who buys a hotrod someone else has built? Maybe if you admit you did not build it everytime someone says 'nice car', would that make you redeem yourself in their eyes?
Just wondering.
 
#77 · (Edited)
am i a hotrodder????

Hi,lets see if im a hotrodder,my 1st car was a 41 lincoln with a ford v8 60,very ugly,ran great. next was a 49 chev 2 dr.i put a 55 chev v8 in it. next was my 29 A 4 dr sedan,nope,only drove it,ran great. next came my 46 ford 2 dr,fixed the steering,great driver,had tunnelled headlights,custom grille,great paint,nope,i didnt do the work.next came my 59 corvette (new) just loved the car,no work needed,then my 60 corvair with a do57 blower off of a t bird,yep,that one i did.Very quick,then while in Okinawa,my buddy Darrel Reed and i built a 23 T from the ground up,complete fg body(built by us) chassis(by us) front end(by us) ran great w/a 289 (built by me) then my 69 chevelle wagon w/a 427 4 speed,4 whl discs (all built and installed,by yours truly)all parts from a wrecked 69 chevelle coupe.now,48 ford coupe,built by another. bought and disasembled by me,new rockers,new floor,tunnelled 59 cad taillights new s/s trim,all new glass and rubber 350 sbc,700r4, b****in dash with autometer guages,,sherrod bucket seats,,has taken over 2 years of everyday work,but going to be nice when finished, almost forgot my 1966 king midget roadster,12 hp Kohler engine,55 mph,65 mpg,s/s floors. ,OH,forgot,today is my 70 th birthday. call me a hotrodder,or call me a streetrodder,i dont care,just call me in time for a cold brew,(or a hot blonde) im Bobby :) :) :) and there is a place for the million dollar rods/cars? built by Troy,Boyd and many others,i JUST DONT BELIEVE they should be in the running for the AMBR. very tough for the little guys to compete with..maybe 2 ambr????????self built,or pro built???? .im Bobby
 
#78 ·
I hope you and I take the time to write down some of the info in our heads in the wiki so the kids that come after can read and use it after they get old enough to figure out they don't know everything.

boatbob2 said:
Hi,lets see if im a hotrodder,my 1st car was a 41 lincoln with a ford v8 60,very ugly,ran great. next was a 49 chev 2 dr.i put a 55 chev v8 in it. next was my 29 A 4 dr sedan,nope,only drove it,ran great. next came my 46 ford 2 dr,fixed the steering,great driver,had tunnelled headlights,custom grille,great paint,nope,i didnt do the work.next came my 59 corvette (new) just loved the car,no work needed,then my 60 corvair with a do57 blower off of a t bird,yep,that one i did.Very quick,then while in Okinawa,my buddy Darrel Reed and i built a 23 T from the ground up,complete fg body(built by us) chassis(by us) front end(by us) ran great w/a 289 (built by me) then my 69 chevelle wagon w/a 427 4 speed,4 whl discs (all built and installed,by yours truly) now,48 ford coupe,built by another. bought and disasembled by me,new rockers,new floor,tunnelled 59 cad taillights new s/s trim,all new glass and rubber 350 sbc,700r4, has taken over 2 years of everyday work,but going to be nice when finished, almost forgot my 1966 king midget roadster,12 hp Kohler engine,55 mph,65 mpg,s/s floors. ,OH,forgot,today is my 70 th birthday. call me a hotrodder,or call me a streetrodder,i dont care,just call me in time for a cold brew,(or a hot blonde) im Bobby :) :) :) and there is a place for the million dollar rods/cars? built by Troy,Boyd and many others,i JUST DONT BELIEVE they should be in the running for the AMBR.
 
#81 ·
I think hotrodding is a personality or as some have said an attitude. When I was younger I had my dad buy me this cheap big wheel trike and a soon as we got it home I had the spray paint and electrical tape out. It wasn't long before in my eyes it looked just like my dads 75 shovel head. It had a motor and everything...of course it didn't run I was only 8. Next was the family computer. To me its not the way I like it until I change it. As soon as I learned to read I discovered a news clipping stapled out in my old garage (barn I call it) about the previous boy who lived there was 14 when he raced his 68 camaro in the local drags. Built it from doing the paper route...Now i'm 14 too and still workin on old bowtie rust out there trying to match it to that one on the wall....
 
#82 ·
Hotrodder?

This is my first post here aside from the welcoming thread.
I believe a hot rodder is anybody who loves motor vehicles that were altered or restored in some way by themselves or even made by someone else, for speed or "The Look" and would actually drive it the way that vehicle was intended to be driven. :cool:
Parking stall Show Queens do not make a person a hot rodder if it is all they possess or had possessed and care about.
 
#83 ·
I have read this entire post today because I asked that same question my whole life, well since I was 10 and was able to work on cars anyway. I found my answer and want to add to this philosophical discussion. Hotrodding is defined by the asker. Meaning changes from person to person. And I would like to add that a hotrodder is someone who is acceptant of those that do not accept him/her. A lot of people do not understand/like us because we think outside the box. But I would advise to be careful if you meet someone who is confrontational, someone else may be listening who is watching your attitude. And if you become someone's hero(knowingly or not), you need to be a good example. I don't believe this has happened to me, but I have seen it at meets and car shows where a 12 yr old is listening intently to two guys talking about this same subject. He gets that gleam in his eyes. What if that kid will never be able to use one of his arms properly, wouldn't be able to build it himself. You just crushed him, and you didn't have to. I believe that to be a hotrodder, you should be as much involved as you can, if you don't know then learn, if you can't do then at least understand. I also believe that we are a very passionate bunch,hence all the different answers, but most of all I agree it is more in the soul that it comes out.

When the only people that really get what drives you are hottrodders, then you are.
 
#84 ·
texas97z said:
I have read this entire post today because I asked that same question my whole life, well since I was 10 and was able to work on cars anyway. I found my answer and want to add to this philosophical discussion. Hotrodding is defined by the asker. Meaning changes from person to person. And I would like to add that a hotrodder is someone who is acceptant of those that do not accept him/her. A lot of people do not understand/like us because we think outside the box. But I would advise to be careful if you meet someone who is confrontational, someone else may be listening who is watching your attitude. And if you become someone's hero(knowingly or not), you need to be a good example. I don't believe this has happened to me, but I have seen it at meets and car shows where a 12 yr old is listening intently to two guys talking about this same subject. He gets that gleam in his eyes. What if that kid will never be able to use one of his arms properly, wouldn't be able to build it himself. You just crushed him, and you didn't have to. I believe that to be a hotrodder, you should be as much involved as you can, if you don't know then learn, if you can't do then at least understand. I also believe that we are a very passionate bunch,hence all the different answers, but most of all I agree it is more in the soul that it comes out.

When the only people that really get what drives you are hottrodders, then you are.

Amen to that. We sure don't want to kill the spirit of any up and coming young rodders as they are getting harder to come by in my area. All most of the youth today wants to do is play video games. JMO.

There isn't much I can add that hasn't already been said. I feel hotrodders have deferent degrees within the world of Hotrodding. None is wrong or better or worse just different. For Me, I live hotrodding everyday and night and on weekends. IT IS MY LIFE... I build,paint etc. all my own stuff. I constantly talk about ,eat ,sleep cars. I always have a new project hatching before I get done with the one before it (somebody once told me i had a sickness). It is a life style that had put food on my table for many many years. It has always been that way will always be that way. Does that make me better than a guy who pays to build a rod? NO, just different versions of hot rodders.We all make up the wonderful and fun world of Hotrodders. We all do our part to keep this wonderful world of hotrodding alive. I guess what I am trying to say is there is room for every one. Tim
 
#86 ·
Its not my fault

life has been good to me and allowed me to go out and buy a fully restored mustang, but my background includes breaking down and rebuilding motors etc, replacing clutches and or gear boxes and even a bit of lite panel work and painting cars.But i freely admit to guys i bought my ride fully restored, i would never take credit for someone elses work.
BUT, i consider myself a hotrodder
as someone else said,grow older, but, dont grow up lol

ps im looking at starting to build a t bucket next summer!
russ :confused:
 
#89 ·
Hotrodder

To me, a Hotrodder is a person that can take something ragged & beat, and turn it into something they really want by all means necessary including, from, begging for parts on street corners, to paying someone to build just what is wanted, without deviation from the Hotrodders head, as is wanted----including mistakes, while still being happy with the results.
 
#90 ·
if you are not great mechanically inclined,but have a lot of cash,just finding the perfect car-send it out to be chopped - have the paint shop paint it just the way you want it-and have the car finished to your
special taste, you are at least on the right track!I would say yes! (at least over a checkbook hotrodder) :thumbup:
 
#91 ·
A Hot Rodder

IMHO a hot rodder is....
someone who doesnt see the car in front of him.... he sees what the car will be when he's finished with it

someone who doesnt hear the beaten and battered motor under the hood.... he hears the roar that rattles the ground and stirs the soul...he hears the powerplant that will send his machine down any given road...anywhere, anytime

someone who can sit in the driver's seat before he even starts the build, and can see every detail of what the car will look like when it's finished.

someone who looks at that ragged ride everyday on the way to work knowing that one day the rest of the world will see exactly what he sees.... a hot rod.

being a hotrodder isnt so much about talent, aptitude, or money as it is a vision of what he wants, a passion to chase it, and a commitment to see it through when it all "hits the fan"....again MHO

-Gearhead
"Drive It like Ya Stole It"
:evil: :evil: :evil:
 
#97 ·
am i a hotrodder? i dont know, what do know is that when i was 12 a friend of mines dad let me start up and ride in his 10 sec 67' camaro, i was HOOKED by the sound and the feel. i went to auto-tech in high school to learn as much as i could, was a mechaninc for a few years till i decided to join the military, i have dreamed about, wished about, read about, cars and motors and chrome etc. i dont have a running hotrodd, but i am in the process of trying to build a 87 camaro z28, with a 385, with way to much power than the stock componets can handle, and so i am trying to either rebuild, buy or modify what needs to be done, i have a better knowlege than 95% of the worlds normal population on cars and motors etc, but by no means am i a master, i deffinatley still have a bunch to learn, but the thing is i love to learn and cant learn enough about these things!!! it some ways im a nervous when i am getting ready to tackle a new project cause i have never done it before, and sometimes really wish i had a "pro" to guide me and watch over my should or show me a better way and maybe some of the things to avoid etc.

so since i haven't built a complete car yet, i guess by a good majority of you im not considered a "hotrodder" :(

i would say that a "hotrodder" is all a state of mind, or adittude :cool:
 
#100 ·
my87Z said:
am i a hotrodder? i dont know, what do know is that when i was 12 a friend of mines dad let me start up and ride in his 10 sec 67' camaro, i was HOOKED by the sound and the feel. i went to auto-tech in high school to learn as much as i could, was a mechaninc for a few years till i decided to join the military, i have dreamed about, wished about, read about, cars and motors and chrome etc. i dont have a running hotrodd, but i am in the process of trying to build a 87 camaro z28, with a 385, with way to much power than the stock componets can handle, and so i am trying to either rebuild, buy or modify what needs to be done, i have a better knowlege than 95% of the worlds normal population on cars and motors etc, but by no means am i a master, i deffinatley still have a bunch to learn, but the thing is i love to learn and cant learn enough about these things!!! it some ways im a nervous when i am getting ready to tackle a new project cause i have never done it before, and sometimes really wish i had a "pro" to guide me and watch over my should or show me a better way and maybe some of the things to avoid etc.

so since i haven't built a complete car yet, i guess by a good majority of you im not considered a "hotrodder" :(

i would say that a "hotrodder" is all a state of mind, or adittude :cool:
Yeah ,you got it real bad too,its in the blood,sounds like me
 
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