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Today's Hot Rodder-a different Culture

5K views 50 replies 18 participants last post by  poncho62 
#1 ·
I can't tell you guys the number of times on here and other forums I read about a guy building something and the words "cheap and budget" creep into the post.I come from a generation where if you building a car,that was the number one priority.That you would skimp and work two jobs and do side work to afford the best out there.Now today's hot rodder tell me things where so much cheaper back them.The is just pure horse hockey.When I was coming up as a hot rodder,what we made for wages was kind of the same relationship to the cost of parts as it is today.The idea of a "budget" never came into the conversion as building a car.In fact it was a joke.


As I try to advise guys(and no I don't accept a game plan of a budget),it almost like I have to be a life's coach.All the frills of cell phones-texting-150 channels of cable TV that they just can't live without certainly makes we wonder about their level of commitment and when you tell them they have to work maybe two jobs,it like your talking a foreign language.When you tell them about the shiny parts ads for bottom of the barrel parts is more ad money then substance in the parts being sold,they reply like it just can't be,because the brand name is being advertized in a car magazine.Yeah those imported cheap junk(not because they are imported,but the quality is really substandard)

I have fought my whole life to keep my mind youthful.After all a 1/3 of it was making money mixing music for heavy metal/rock bands on tour.You had to have that outlook in order to make a living.

But damm it,today's hot rodder is a different culture wanting quick answers and short cuts and cheap,cheap,cheap.Not at all willing to pay the dues to get-er-done.Not at all willing to take on a long term project investing when money is available.Not at all willing to work harder like a second job.For those who have no money at all and not a prospect of getting any anytime soon,they shouldn't be messing with cars in the first place.Survival should be the priority.But for those who I am critical about,my advise is to take up:

BOWLING.IT TAKES A BALL AND SHOES AND YOUR ALL SET.

Sell what ever project you have and parts for it,walk away never to return.This just isn't for you.......................:mad:
 
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#2 ·
Buttttt-for those of you who enjoy setting back looking at that perfect panel you just welded on you project or looking at the fresh engine setting in a engine stand you just got done building,hang on.It's going to be a life's bumpy ride with memories at the end you wouldn't trade for anything.
 
#3 ·
I agree 100%...:thumbup:

Times are changing for sure.. Kids today just don't want to work for ANYTHING... Sad but true... I just don't see the changes for the good..

If your going to do sometime.. Do it right the first time..;)
 
#28 ·
yes
this is a brand new complaint.

QUOTE:
"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on
frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond
words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and
respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise
[disrespectful] and impatient of restraint" (Hesiod, 8th century BC).

UNQUOTE
 
#4 ·
Be prepared for a good blast of opinions.

Hot rodding started with budgets. Guys with a little bit of money wanting to be faster than their neighbors. Cheap came from wrecks in a wrecking yard, late model engines into older cars. Buying the oddball parts and making them work. Something that is more difficult to do in these days with electronics, computers, specialty items.

Generalizing today's kid always bothers me. Sure they have different interests. Look around though, there are plenty of kids hot rodding their cars. Sure, many are doing it on Daddys' dollar. But keep in mind, there are plenty of kids out there making their own way. I wonder sometimes how many of us older guys would have the passion for cars if we would have had computers, video games, cable TV, etc. when we were kids. I was a pinball, pool and Foosball freak when I was a kid, I spent a lot of hard earned change on those games.

Guys with money buying their cars. Good for them. It makes the hobby more affordable for the rest of us, keeps shops open, and they could be spending their money on a new boat, Rolex watch, airplane, you get the idea. Pretenders sometimes, yes. Not too many real rodders are fooled by them, though.

Bottom line for me, passion for the auto is cool to me, no matter who, what or where. I belong to a car club, we share our passion for cars once a month and at our get togethers, shows, and cruise nights. I don't belong to the book of the month club.

I guess you could say there are various degrees of the passion for a car. Sometimes life gets in the way, raising a family, buying a home. Every extra dime I made working 2 jobs as a young man went to pay bills. Go to a car show, look around. The guys with nice cars are generally older guys, the kids have gone away, they have a few bucks extra to spend and an understanding spouse.
 
#8 ·
WOW Dinger, I hear the passion and I love it...There are so many people that want but don't have the knowledge...Are they to be shut out...Passion isn't always about doing it all your self...different people have different skill sets and most often need to farm out part or sometimes all of a project and pay for it. Where do we draw the line? How many people on this site can do everything themselves...I feel I'm a respectable painter and Body man, I can build drive trains, and I am trying to learn to do interiors better than I can now (I'm not that good compared to a lot of people I know). So what do I do, I try and learn more about what I don't know and try to get better at what I do know.

I try not to criticise the people that don't have the skills and have big wallets to build their Dream Ride, as long as they have the passion for the hobby and give the proper credit where credit is due. That's how I try and eek out a meager living. I do however get irritated when somebody lays out a pile of cash and tells everybody, "look at what I built". They didn't build a damn thing and those are the guys that should Buy shoes, a ball, and fork out another $25 for a gaudy bowling shirt.

The hobby is about passion for the automobile and making what's out there a little different to their own liking. First time I saw a rat rod I thought what a waste, but then I said to myself, it's not for me and as long as the people who own it enjoy and are passionate, all the more power to them.

Ray
 
#5 ·
Not good to condemn a whole generation on the actions of a few......It seems to happen in every generation. In my generation of the late 60s, it was the long haired hippy drug culture thing.....I too had long hair, but never touched drugs in my life. The ones that did gave the rest of us a bad rep. Same today. On some of these forums you see a young guy saying how he has to drive some pile, yet he has hundreds if not thousands of dollars of tattoos all over him......Priorities, I guess.....the "culture" or the "scene" is more important. Gives the hard working kids a bad rep and that's all we see
 
#6 ·
Both of you made some good point's.. I guess I should have worded it different.. I see the kids different today. then When I was younger.. And I do have to agree a lot of it is because they have so much in front of them.. I didn't mean to make them look bad.. I guess I posted it with the wrong words.. (I do that sometimes).. :D
 
#9 ·
I think one of the biggest differences between today and years past is we now have an option, we can spend boat loads of money building something out of catalogs or we can build it as cars were built decades ago using passion and ingenuity. It's hard to compare today's car builder from one 40 or 50 years ago when today EVERYTHING is available from so many sources it isn't even funny. You don't have to make ANYTHING, you could open up a catalog or hop on the net and find just about anything you would ever need for your build, be it a fan shroud to a chopped top 32 Ford body.

Years ago a car was built from what ever you could find, and your passion and ingenuity. But there wasn't a choice, you did that or you played a guitar or grew roses, there wasn't a choice. So it's awful hard to compare the two eras.

Brian
 
#16 ·
I think one of the biggest differences between today and years past is we now have an option, we can spend boat loads of money building something out of catalogs or we can build it as cars were built decades ago using passion and ingenuity. It's hard to compare today's car builder from one 40 or 50 years ago when today EVERYTHING is available from so many sources it isn't even funny. You don't have to make ANYTHING, you could open up a catalog or hop on the net and find just about anything you would ever need for your build, be it a fan shroud to a chopped top 32 Ford body.

Years ago a car was built from what ever you could find, and your passion and ingenuity. But there wasn't a choice, you did that or you played a guitar or grew roses, there wasn't a choice. So it's awful hard to compare the two eras.

Brian

but by the same token, back then the raw materials where EVERYWHERE..
you didn't need a catolog for a 9",, you found many in the j/y.. and brought a tapemeasure and found one that would work..
now try to find one in a yard is not all that easy.. for some that are spoiled in the dry climates.. you still might be able to.. but work north and . good luck
and the dry climate junk yards.. know what they got.. getting a 50.oo or 200.oo car from a yard is a thing of the past..
 
#10 ·
Sorry Guys, I disagree. There is nothing wrong with having to do it on a budget. I have been building cars since the late 60's and always had to do it on the cheap. My first responsibility was to my family. Providing my children with a good home and education is far more important than my car. This is why I have a home made English wheel and Taiwan tools. I can buy a 600 dollar '57 olds hard top and make something out of it. I am 67 years old and love to see the young guys building the low dollar traditional cars. They are a whole lot closer to what we had in the old days than the high dollar street rods being built by the baby boomers that have arrived at financial independence. I have a good deal of money in my roadster and certainly do enjoy it but God bless all the young guys who are doing the best they can with what they have to do with. Good Lord willing someday they, like me, will be able to spend a little more but until then I will be glad to see a little primer.

John L
 
#12 ·
I don't think you disagree at all John, that is what we are saying, there is a budget built car and there isn't at the same time. There are PLENTY of budget built cars out there, mine are that is for sure. I have to sell old stuff or tuck 20 bucks in my wallet every week to save up for stuff. There are just two different mindsets when it comes to this, but there are PLENTY of low budget builds and always will be.


Brian
 
#14 ·
come on.. the ole days.. people where cheap also.. people didn't open a catolog they looked around for parts on the cheap in the junkyard..
or someones backyard..
todays hotrodder has many bills that in the good ole days.. you didn't have..
todays rodders has a different mindset.. and to sum it up.. I'll quote D/F
"don't let perfect get in the way of done"

some have selective memories.. they forget that a junkyard big block was cheap.. hell 50 bucks would get you the whole car...
so they had more money to spend on goodies..
today that same 454 will be 800+ for a good solid running core..
a th400 rebuilt was like 400.oo in 1991 when I bought one..
today a 700r4 rebuild is 900-2500+
yes todays rodder is different.. most instead of a car that sits for 10 years in a garage, they build it and drive the wheels off it..
we've gone from fairground trailor queens to crosscountry runners..
I'll take todays rodder over the older type that's more than happy to have a big block with a blower and and drive it like a new mother that has the newborn in the car... and then sit in a yawn chair.. or.. are afraid to drive it because it might get a rock chip or hit..
back in the good ole days.. if you where a hard core rodder with a family.. you had some of the same issues with money for car and family needs.. the difference today is.. kids sports are a big cost.. that most towns used to fund , today you want your kid on a hockey team.. some area it's big money.. my neib. it's 700.oo a year+ equipment, then football is another 600.oo
times have changed.. wifes will not put up with a gearhead spending every last dime on a car..
today. people are lucky to have one job nevermind a 2nd for their toy..
allot of people have two jobs just to get by..

times have changed.. for the better.. todays rodder/gearhead are not afraid to use their junk..
 
#19 ·
I don't think this is a get off my lawn thread, I think maybe a little bit of generalizing like a lot of older adults did when I was younger with long hair (God got me back, don't have much now)...It's to bad that some people don't appreciate the good, honest, hard working and genuine good nature'd youth as much as they like to rag on the ones that aren't in that category, same thing when I was younger.

As far as the average age of the membership here, I agree that it would skew high on the bell curve. Thank God. There's a lot everybody, no matter what age, can learn from the experience people have on this site.

Ray
 
#18 ·
I hope I don't sound like that! My point is, there is a difference and that is all there is too it, these parts are available now, SOOOOOOO things are different. It isn't anyone's fault, nor is it that much of a bad thing, it's just different.

Brian
 
#21 ·
Actually, we just did the age survey on my forum....The older guys won hands down

Which Age Group Dominates OnRod [45 vote(s)]

15 to 20
2.2%
20 to 30
4.4%
30 to 40
6.7%
40 to 50
24.4%
50 to 60
35.6%
60 to70
22.2%
Ancient
4.4%

Not sure if its all that accurate though....just seems to me that the older guys have more time and tend to post more....and the older guys like the polls/surveys more....younger guys cant be bothered
 
#25 ·
Not very surprising. I have an older friend (I'm 46 and he's pushing 60) and whenever we go to car shows together it's primarily his age bracket who are attending. Hopefully when our generation takes over we'll drop the 50's car show music! But that's another thread entirely. ;)
 
#23 ·
I don't want to get too far into this but.... I have 2 kids and a wife to think of FIRST the Hot Rod comes second. If it comes down to a decent pair of shoes for the kids or a new set of plugs guess who wins.

The thing that really strikes me is this. A couple months ago I got a whole stack of Rod & Custom magazines from 64-72 and almost every issue has some form of budget concious information, weather it be someone braging about how cheaply they made their rod or articles on scrounging parts and talking down farmers for vintage tin. Budget has always been a primary concern for Hot Rodders. This explains why not everyone has Blown 426 Hemi's in their rods.
 
#26 ·
unless you are a billionaire
anything in your life has a budget.
x set aside for the mortage
y for utilities
etc.
i built my car on a $10 hourly wage
damn straight i know what a budget is.
maybe if i lived in my moms basement and used daddys allowance money
no
i would STILL have a budget.
 
#27 ·
dig it out cheap or i cant play. some horse tradin maby.the kids are gettin lazy cause we crammed all them gadgets in their faces to keep busy so we could be 2 income families. and now 2 incomes aint enough. hahaha. i dont see a fix either.theres not enough time spent with um. no real guidance.thats kinda behind the school violence in a way.some of them kids are just lost.emagin tryin to be kid today.
 
#29 ·
I'm a young guy (26 in two weeks) and I'm building what you could call a hotrod on my time, on my dime, with no help monetarily from anyone and supporting my family. I have two kids and yes they come first. My daily driver is a beat up old pick up with a lot of miles, I work blue collar and between me and my wife working full time we make probably less combined than your average college graduate.

My priority is to live in a nice safe neighborhood with a good school, so my rent on my home is about 20% of my annual combined income. Basically I'm not well off. My hotrod is a 1965 chevy pick up that cost less than $1000. It started as an undesirable long bed that needs a lot of paint and bodywork. It came with a mostly stock 1970s 4 bolt 350 and an sm420 transmission. It had no interior to speak of. When I first got it, I knew the basics and I've slowly made improvements to it as I learned more and had the time. It now has a 455 cubic inch Oldsmobile V8 and a 1962 jimmy long bed fleetside. It has a bench seat from a 68-72 truck and the interior chrome from a 63 medium duty truck. I'm working on getting rid of the sm420 and getting my hands on a st10 or muncie.

Everything I couldn't afford, I traded for. I wanted big cubes and found an option. I wanted a stepside and made it work. I wanted something fast and different and now I have it. It's still a work in progress and I'm learning everyday as I go.

My project has not been popular at all among any person I've shared it with, but it's for me so... so be it.

- Cameron
 
#30 ·
Believe me Valkyrie, You will have a lot more fun and pride in your truck than the guy who spends 100,000 on a rod and goes to a show hoping to win a trophy only to get beat by some fellow that spent 150,000.
The other aspect of this is the comradery you have with the friends you make who share your interests ........both young and old :thumbup:

John L
 
#32 ·
On a budget, you cannot do it any other way. $2k should make a fine engine that lasts and makes more than enough power. If you need to build a 10k monster maybe you need to prioritize.

Some poeple are ill from high society, their means out shines the status quo. Fine go be king. You will not have my freindship.

Dont convice somebody they have to spend more to get it right.
 
#33 ·
Guys-a MRI was done on people while on a cell phone.Yes cell phones is on of my pet peeves.The results was activity the same as when of a illegal additive drug.All too many kids can't be separated from their cell or I-Pod.
Given my background of never making a living conventionally in the music business and then in performance parts,there is no way I would rag on the youth just because they are different.When I was young I did things to make a living so far from normal I never hear the end of you can't make money that way.But I did.

One of the most respectful,honest,delicate young people I have had the pleasure of meeting and being around are kids that came from a family the blended drag racing as apart of their family.The whole family was involved in the racing efforts.Everyone came to the track.Mom was supportive of it too.Mom and Dad met at the track.Winning was important,but win or lose the time spent together was more important at the end of the day.The kids grew up with it around them their whole lives.Everyone contributed not needing what other families had or trying to keep up with the Jone's so to speak.
It's those electronic dependent with sky high costs and then wanting to be involved in building a car too that I am talking about.It's those guys who believe they can't live without the excessive's and then come on for god's sake a car forum crying broke.Sorry for being blunt,but it's that guy who chose the wrong mate in a wife telling us his wife won't let him spend more than X that thinks involvement in cars will be the families down fall.And it's those youth that thinks a muffler,radio/huge amp and some plastic decorations makes a hot rod.
Is hot rodding something I do OR is who I am??. Well like bikers,it is who I am.Never thought I could acquire the tools and equipment that I have currently,but somehow I figured a way.Money forcing me to do parts of a build that I don't like,but I learn how because of that.A skill set??. For me that isn't a limitation.Short of physical limitations,I think like for me a skill set is a open door without limits as long as your willing to learn.

I'll give you a example of a car in my past in the early days.It was a 57 D/MP.Did we go to the junkyard for the 327 and four speed??. We sure did.But when it came to filling the 327 with TRW pistons,M/T aluminum rods,Isky roller cam,Lakewood bellhousing,Tunnel ram, Headman headers,I busted my butt to get the money to pay for that and more.Somehow I figured a way................

Oh yeah-I'm tell the poster the wages back then where a bad joke.The parts costs are and where relevant to the wage scale.Back then and now as well.Go ahead and build a 5.3.The wealth of them is about the same as the 327's in pick and pulls.Core charges relevancy is about the same and the aftermarket parts are about the same to today's pay scale.Believe it or not.
 
#36 ·
Well 1Gary, you vented, and you know what I think is a PITA....Debit cards...yes debit cards...they are slower than cash, now with the "chip" there even slower, then you get the person who can't remember their pin number, or they try 3 or 4 cards until they find one that has enough cash in the account...I go to the store, put my cash down and I'm done...I don't need a pin number for cash or 4 different cards to get to my cash...I do it the old fashion way, I go to the bank and get it, just like the old days when if people needed money for the weekend they went to the bank on Friday...I know everybody has a credit card and or a debit card, you need one...I don't know but, can you even get a bank account any more with out getting some kind of card?

We are so reliant on electronic technology today that the personal part of our lives has hit the ditch...I used to get P.O.ed at my daughter for being on the phone for hours...at least then they talked...now it's worse, they don't talk anymore, it's all texting.

1Gary, I bet you feel better, I know I do.

Ray
 
#38 ·
I learned most of what I know about cars by having to fix whatever broke myself because I couldn't afford to have someone else do it. I wanted a hot rod all my life. About 4 years ago I figured I could finally afford one so I started building my sedan. I say I built it. I bought a rolling chassis from Pete and Jakes, and a fiberglass body from *******. It cost more that way, but it didn't take me an extra year (or more) to end up with a chassis and suspension I could trust, and a straight body. I'm not good at cutting, forming and welding sheet metal, but I can build anything out of fiberglass. I bought lots of parts from catalogs - and each and every one of them had to be modified or adapted to my car. I say I built it. I went to the junk yards and the pick-n-pulls and I guess you other guys beat me to the good stuff, because I found nothing I needed. I worked on my sedan for 4 years getting it together and everything working as it should (with lots of help from forums like this one). I had someone else paint it (after I prepped it) because I'm not set up to paint here and couldn't find a booth to rent. I still say I built it. I am in the process of having someone finish my interior too. I sew, but not well enough. My car wasn't cheap, but it was built on a budget. A big part of why it took 4 years to build this car was waiting until I could afford the next step or part. I drove it for the last year with towels for seat covers while I saved for upholstery. The 'traditional' guys probably don't like my car. I don't care, I didn't build it for them.
 
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