Hot Rod Forum banner

What do you Consider a Hot Rod?

3K views 44 replies 22 participants last post by  adantessr 
#1 ·
As Hot Rodders all of us love our hot rods and we live, breath, sleep, and sometimes eat out hot rods. Now here is the toughest question for any Hot Rodder; What is a Hot Rod?

For me I am young, I have only been in to Hot Rods since I was little in the late 90s and all through late elementry school, middle school and high school in the 2000s the internet and Hot Rod/ Car Craft have always shown several cars that are Hot Rods.
So my idea of a Hot Rod is any American Made car, powered by a V8 that is modified mainly for performance but looks can be modified as well. To many anything from a 65 and older car, to a Street and Strip Muscle Car, to a Rat Rod, to a Pro Mod Car, or even an alterd can be a Hot Rod!

I have been told by some that this is a wrong definition and others agree.

What is your guys definition of a Hot Rod?
 
#4 ·
Its a topic that has been discussed more times than I can count. I can remember a very long thread on the topic from way back in the infancy of hotrodders.com

The dictionary definition is any car that has been modified to go faster.

Anything more specific than that will cause someone somewhere to get offended that their beloved rod isn't included in the list. I actually prefer the dictionary definition, because I think the culture is more about the love of cars, and enjoyment of driving them.
 
#5 ·
In the fifties, when I was a teen, any car that was "souped up" was a hot rod. "Souped up" was any car, any age, that was modified to go faster then what it was originally capable of. BTW, I consider my '54 truck to be a hot rod since it has a 350, a 700R4 tranny and a 373-12 bolt rear end.
 
#6 ·
sweet willy said:
In the fifties, when I was a teen, any car that was "souped up" was a hot rod. "Souped up" was any car, any age, that was modified to go faster then what it was originally capable of. BTW, I consider my '54 truck to be a hot rod since it has a 350, a 700R4 tranny and a 373-12 bolt rear end.
I agree,your truck is a Hot Rod.I like the older cars best,but as stated the true definition of a Hot Rod is any vehicle that has been performance enhanced.This does not mean just mag wheels and a stereo that can shake the windows.It means made faster.JMHO. :thumbup:
 
#8 ·
sweet willy said:
In the fifties, when I was a teen, any car that was "souped up" was a hot rod. "Souped up" was any car, any age, that was modified to go faster then what it was originally capable of. BTW, I consider my '54 truck to be a hot rod since it has a 350, a 700R4 tranny and a 373-12 bolt rear end.
Your truck is definitly a Hot Rod.
 
#10 ·
The way I see it, build what you like and enjoy. Don't worry what somebody else says is "the car".

I have come to the point where there aren't too many opinions I care about from other people. If I like it or at least think I can do it I am going to do it to my car. Now I do like compliments, but that is not the main reason I build my car. As a song once said "You can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself."
 
#11 ·
i have no idea anymore. i "thought" a hot rod was any modified car 1949 and before, a "street machine" is anything souped up 1950 and newer????

i like willy's definition---anything souped up.



2)If you think a hot rod must be american and if you think an altered is a hotrod, then what if it is a fiat? Remind that fiat is Italian. (although seemingly not for long---the chrysler/fiat "marriage".....)
 
#13 ·
What ever has gas in it and the tires are aired up and I am driving it ( except the wife's )!!
 
#16 ·
sqzbox said:
So what's your Prius turning in the quarter now?
No Prius for her, she lets me drive her Jag once in awhile, if I let her drive the 53 Pick Up!!
 
#18 ·
PRO 48 fleetline said:
1948 and back!
49 to 63 street machines
64 to 72 muscle cars
Anything else whos cares lol
I'm with you! In the fifties and sixties, I heard many folks who were not into rods and customs, make this sort of observation, when referring to aggressive driving, or when they more-or-less COMPARED something to a true hot rod. It was really a very general term that the outsiders thought of as what a hot rod was.

The magazines back then discussed it endlessly, as the muscle cars, street machines, pro streeters, and all of the others came along. The mags and enthusiasts pretty much resolved it as '48 and older only. Anyone who read the magazines or was directly involved knew the difference.

The problem is that today, a lot of terms are being redefined by people who were not a part of the hobby in earlier days.

That is okay though. They have a right to believe what they choose. Old timers will not agree... but the hobby was changing in the late fifties, when I got obsessed by it... and 50 years from now... the guys who are redefining it now will be told that they are wrong too. :)

Just don't expect hardcore enthusiasts from the '60s to know what the hell you are describing.

To them it like saying a "coupe" is anything with a hardtop... or convertible top... or no top.. that has seating for two people, four people, or six people... and has two doors, four doors, or maybe a tailgate. ...We just won't get it!
 
#20 ·
sqzbox said:
Oh you be a caring when that blue haired geezer blows your doors off of the 48,street machine, and muscle car, with his 556hp 2012 ctv-8 caddy sedan! :D
LOL Well theres one tinyyyy lil thing you over looked when you brought up a CTS-V!
First thing is any one with a check book can go and get one today,
You have to build a HOT ROD!

Park a "48 Fleetline" or a Traditional built sweet **** 32 Ford hot rod next to one and park in any parking lot on the country and see witch one gets the most attention.

As for power thats easy my best freind has a CTS-V tuned with a few nice mods great car and is relatively quick and other friend just bought a G8 GXP amazingly fast.
Both have been over when i fired up my hot rod just standing next to it hearing it run both said they want no part of this crazy *** build! lol

Lil sample of what a lil ole 48 hot rod can sound and run like!
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee87/Fleetline48/?action=view&current=030-1.mp4

And i love there cars and best part is people are putting these running gears in old hot rods and makes for killer lil rides!

But you dont buy HOT RODS you build them!
 
#21 ·
Hot rod

Well it started out 48 and older were Hot Rods/Street Rods.
49 up to 59 were a mix of customs AKA 49/51 Mercs, Fords And althe way up to 59 but some were street machines, big engines putting big tires on a few had tubes but not many.
60 up to about 72 or 73, Street machines/Muscle cars, which were factory Street Machines.
That is how it started out, now Everyone wants their car to be a Hot Rod, if it is Gone over in the engine department.

Like Jay said, 50 years from now, they might be called something else or a memory. :rolleyes: :mwink: :thumbup:

Bob
 
#24 ·
sqzbox said:
Pretty close. 49 and earlier is considered a street rod. :D
Used to be. Now anything (including rice burners) up to 1983 is officially a street rod to NSRA.

As mentioned, this topic has been done to death on this site. Do a search.

My quick definitions

Street Rod - pre '49, looks like a hot rod but built for luxury and not horsepower. Can't break tires loose on any surface.

Hot Rod - must be owner built, have some ragged edges, luxury is incidental, centered around the engine. Pre '49 preferred but great examples in all years. MUST be American made.

Rat Rod - subculture machine, built around rust, engine and car are incidental. Must look like it can't go but goes fine.

Muscle car - '60 -'72 passenger car w/ too big an engine, luxury is optional, big engine mandatory.

Don't expect anyone to agree, that is just how my skull mounted computer racks up cars I see around.
 
#25 ·
willys36@aol.com said:
Used to be. Now anything (including rice burners) up to 1983 is officially a street rod to NSRA.

As mentioned, this topic has been done to death on this site. Do a search.

My quick definitions

Street Rod - pre '49, looks like a hot rod but built for luxury and not horsepower. Can't break tires loose on any surface.

Hot Rod - must be owner built, have some ragged edges, luxury is incidental, centered around the engine. Pre '49 preferred but great examples in all years. MUST be American made.

Rat Rod - subculture machine, built around rust, engine and car are incidental. Must look like it can't go but goes fine.

Muscle car - '60 -'72 passenger car w/ too big an engine, luxury is optional, big engine mandatory.

Don't expect anyone to agree, that is just how my skull mounted computer racks up cars I see around.
You have nailed it! Well, except for the American made caviot. My heart says YES but I have seen Henry J's, Anglias, VW Micro buses, V-8 powered 240 Z's, etc. with Hot rodded American power plants that make this "American Made" spec. null and void.

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hdrp_0603_1962_vw_bus/

Are you saying Shelby's Ford AC Cobras weren't Hot Rods?
 
#26 ·
Hot Rod

lakeroadster said:
You have nailed it! Well, except for the American made caviot. My heart says YES but I have seen Henry J's, Anglias, VW Micro buses, V-8 powered 240 Z's, etc. with Hot rodded American power plants that make this "American Made" spec. null and void.

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hdrp_0603_1962_vw_bus/

Are you saying Shelby's Ford AC Cobras weren't Hot Rods?
It would be pretty hard for me to swallow a VW Micro-Bus, with any kind of a engine in it , as a Hot Rod, and as far as the 240 Z that's a sports car to me.

Then I don't even look at cars newer than 57 anyway like 30's cars the best, but then I'm old.

Bob
 
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