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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.
 
#2 ·
the only true rodder in my eyes is someone that takes a car that is nothing and turns it in to exactly what they want, with there own two hands. and does most if not all of the work themselves.

i hate these yuppy rich wantabee rodders that just pay for a car to be built, and then claim all the glory and hard work that actually went into building it.
you want to know what a true rodder is? hang around here a while. about 90% of the people here are true rodders.
 
#3 ·
Very early in my show going career at the St. Ignace, Michigan show there was a guy pointing to "HIS" pro street S-10 and saying how much he paid...and this and that...he tried to play the game but didn't know squat about putting a machine together...
made himself look very dumb to the real car guys...
My buddies dad looks at me and goes "Checkbook hotrodder"!
That day I understood we aren't all alike...
I still think if you do at least 20% of the car you could call your self a rodder. Maybe you don't know much, but your heart is really in it....
How many of us started out as Hotrodder wannabies?
 
#4 ·
Hey BillyJoe,
Great questions! And the answers are Yes, Yes, No, Yes, Yes and, Maybe.
Somehow I get the idea that you knew all the correct answers though.:thumbup:
It doesn't mean that you shouldn't be proud to drive up in a Boyd's creation or a Jessy James Bike. It shows that you have a love for the sport. Without the big buck guys the sport suffers.Everyone contributes something, some just more than others. Welcome to the board.
Vern
PS. Are John Force and Earnhardt Jr hotrodders?
 
#6 ·
Personally, I think they are all hotrodders. Just different ways of going about it. I've built several hotrods, some I've finished, some I haven't. It takes me years. In between I would drive a rod someone else had put together. Would I have Boyd or Trepanier build me a rod if I had $150,000? Hell yes!! My brother loves hotrods to death and owns a beautiful 54 Chev but wouldn't have a clue where to start building one, I still consider him a 'hotrodder'.
 
#7 ·
Personally I think that being a hotrodder is more of an attitude than anything else. Some guys have the passion for the sport but do not have the talent to build there own car therefore the save the money and have a car built for them. I know a couple of guys that can not change there own oil if they had to but are very passionate about their love of the sport. Are they hotrodders, yes. Then there is the guy who can build a car from the ground up but does not care if it is a 34 Ford or a 2004 Porsche, does he have the passion, no, is he a hotrodder, more than likely not. I do build my own cars but if I had the money, I would have Brizo, Troy, et al, build me a high dollar car. went beyond my 2 cent all the way up to a nickle.:thumbup:
 
#8 ·
Wow - am I a hotrodder? I love cars, muscle cars, hot rods, porsches, vipers, but I can't do much more than change oil filters and spark plugs. I don't currently own a hot rod but I still love them. I've owned a few muscle cars and always had guys around to work on them (or in lieu of that, a trusted mechanic who has wrenched on my rigs for 10 yrs).
So I have the love of the sport, and the desire, but not the money to really invest into it. Am I a hotrodder wannabe? Most likely! I just love 'em! Nothing like the gut-rattling sound a fine engine makes! Just give me the rags and polish and let me detail it out! I can't wrench but I can detail!
 
#9 ·
This is one of the most interesting questions I have read on here. I think EBlack hit it. I have built a few cars from ground up. The one I own now I bought as a finished car but needed some TLC. I just didn't feel like building another from ground up at this time. Am I a Hotrodder? Hell yes I am. Or in my case, more accurately a Street rodder.
 
#10 ·
To me...a Hotrodder is a car enthusiast who likes to roll up his own shirt sleeves, raise the hood, do his own work or the majority of it, get some grease under his/her fingernails, fire up the engine, sit back and just look at it with a gleam in his/her eye and have an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction, shut it down, close the hood, walk to the fridge and grab a cold one, and say LIFE IS GOOD TODAY!!!!!

Kevin
 
#12 ·
I do not currently own a hotrod(just sold the 69' nova).Does this mean I am not a hotrodder? I don't think so.Just like EBlack said I think it is an attitude as well as a few more things.I build all my own engines,trannys,diffs,etc.....Gearhead?Definately!
If I could afford to buy a kickass ride again at this time ,I would.
Then comes the tweaking of the engine and the performance mods to make this ride the way you want it.This is what hotrodding is to me.
Building them from the ground up is also very honorable.I have done a few of these projects and have no problem with doing another.What some people forget is that there are alot of people out there that can not do all these things but still live and breathe
hotrods.So I guess to each their own.I don't think there is the ultimate answer,just everyones opinion.This was a great question though!

Drive it like ya stole it!
 
#14 · (Edited)
Verrrrrrrryyy interesting.

Like , what is a hotrod? Or what is a street rod?

To me a hotrodder is any one who loves cars, be it a hotrod,street rod, classic, race car,4 wheeler,sports,antique, etc. etc.

There is lots of different levels of hotrodding, who`s to say which one each of use is on?

If everyone built there own cars I would be out of business.

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.

Troy-Curt
 
#15 ·
In my opinion, a Hotrodder is one who enjoys to work on a modified car, be it to 'go fast'- 'look fast' or just plain handle better. A painter paints- a plumber plumbs, etc. If I collect paintings or hire a plumber it does not make me a painter or plumber. That's my take on it. You can enjoy a hobby and be a part of a community that discusses and informs, but until you actually perform part of the work yourself- it becomes hazy to me as to what you actually are considered. I think you can be welcome on a forum and ask questions to better your knowledge, but as you do the work and are able to help others accomplish their goals with the knowledge you can provide you become.... a HOTRODDER.... (IMHO only- by no means should this be taken as a definitive answer worthy of the Knowledge Base!!!)
 
#16 ·
I guess I'm that "hot rod snob" mentioned earlier. Boyd wouldn't know a hot rod if it ran over him. Those aren't hot rods, street rods maybe but NOT hotrods. You may have a hot rod but if you didn't build it yourself you are not a hotrodder. If I had $150,000 to blow would I buy on of those hot rod wannabes. NO!! I could build The cars that I want and be proud of what I had done. And don't give me the crap that you don't know how to do anything. If I can learn to do it anybody can. If you want to own a hot rod, OK. buy one. If you want to be a hotrodder, take the time and learn.
Jack
 
#17 ·
Jack, your last line was right on.

I have always thought like others that it was more attitude than aptitude. I also associate hotrodder as someone more into the cars or trucks for the street, in stead of racing. Gearhead encompasses us all. Maybe we get into sub divisions after that. Drag racers, roundy round racers, purists, restorers, low riders are all sects of the Brotherhood of the Wheel.

I do have a hard time with mail order hotrodders. It isn't really jelousy, but more of a respect thing. I can twist myself up by asking if someone was wheel chair bound and couldn't really build one, but could buy one, is she or he a rodder?

Once again, it goes back to attitude. I built models as a kid. The Alakart, the Coffin, Gassers and the Untouchable series. I painted GT racing strips on my dad's wheelbarrow.

I think I am one.
 
#18 ·
When i was 13 years old. I was a chevy guy. Nothing else. Just chevies. Then my perspective started to change somewhat, i started to like Fords. Then i started to like the old Cuda...and Challengers. They were cool.

I've worked on a lot of different cars. From rusted out impala wagon with a souped up 350ci in it ( that was a fun car:D ) To show quality cars. I love em all. Now i consider myself a car guy. Not a chevy guy, not a ford guy, not a hotrodder. So when i work on a muscle car, i guess you can call me a muscle car guy? When i work on a rod, can i be called a hotrodder?

I like old engines, simple to work with. A pack of matches and you can set up the distributor points.....I also like technology...where you can actually recurve your fuel map with a computer.

So call me what you want, but i like to consider myself a hot rodder.

By the NHRA specs, i beleive a hot rod is a pre 50 car, or a 55,56 or 57 chevy.

Dont tell me a Roth creation isn't a hot rod? I guess, everyone in here has a different definition for a hot rodder...but it doesn't mean they are all bad ones.
:thumbup:
 
#19 ·
Don't know if this relates, but anyway. I saw a 1970 odd escort the other day, you know the old RS2000 shape, it had had a major body modification and seeing as I had never seen it in town before I went to chat to the guy, he said it had a V8 in, I asked if it was a 302 and he said no, a 351, then he proudly opened the hood and showed me the engine, beautiful, fitted in like a glove, had a supercharger that must have cost a small fortune. I was duly impressed, he said it could get about 700hp, I was more impressed, until he added that that was what the guy he got it from had told him. When he started it up to go I heard the familiar uneven beat of an engine with a non std cam in, so I asked him what cam he had fitted, he gave me a blank look and said he would have to check what all was in the car, as he guessed that other people would also ask him those sort of questions. Interesting:D
 
#20 ·
What is a HotRodder?

Take a look in the mirror guys and gals. Thats why we are here, we want to drive Rods. The people are great and the experience of cruising and building is what I live for. Whether you built it from the ground up or modified yours for more power, does it really matter?? We gather here to bench race and exchange knowledge and BS and generally have fun in and automotive atmosphere. Help others when you can, don't BS about what you know because somebody WILL call you on it. Play nice together and Jon won't have to call you down for being a Troll. God I really Love this Hobby!




Todd




RAt Rods Rule!
 
#21 ·
Car enthusist- someone who enjoys cars. They may know very little about the inner workings of their car but they do love cars.

Gearhead- Someone that takes a car and bulids it themself however use more or less standard parts ex(dropping a 396 into a sbc Chevelle or mounting a disk brake kit on a drum car) The parts are already made to fit for the most part.

Hotrodder- Same as gearhead except willing to do custom work ex(drop a 454 in a 240Z) You have to make the parts fit and in a lot of case make the parts yourself.
 
#22 ·
I think a hotrodder is someone who loves cars and does the most that they are capable of.If you have your chassis built and your motor built and installed and paint done,but you install your own wiring and wheels say,you are a hotrodder.
If you farm the whole project right down to the first waxing to Boyd you are prolly not a hotrodder.If you farm it to Boyd then tell the cruise in guys you built it in your garage you are a POSER!!
My Volvo has allot of things done to it from the previous owner,as much as I'd like to polish my fingernails against my shirt and take the credit for some of the things done to the car,I don't because Id be a fake.I don't claim to have set the car up for a smallblock,but I did build and am installing the one thats on the garage floor now.I won't evan attempt(well maybe)to paint it but I'll give credit were its due.I don't claim to have made the interior parts but I did install them and cut the carpeting(and gotta make door panels...D@mn!!!)
I do as much as I can and the only given for farming out work is paint/body.I do all my own motor assembly,instalation and tuneing,tranny gear instalation and most other small crap.I think I'm a hotrodder.But I hand out the work that I am incapable of doning correctly,like paint and body,I'd be a moron if I didn't(hey I have pics).
 
#23 ·
Try this for an explanation, If you see an old car or truck that's modified and the trunk or bed has tools and/or spare parts in it you've probably found a hotrodder, if the truck or bed has wax, lawn chairs and a duster in it you've found a streetrodder. I believe a hotrodder will buy or build something to enjoy and the streetrodder will buy or build something to impress others.:pimp:
 
#24 ·
Hotrodder seems to be a relative term. Everybody who loves cars wants to own a 'hotrod', but the fact that time, money, etc. doesn't allow everyone to doesn't mean they aren't 'hotrodders'.

If you don't own a hotrod, but you have put two-stages of nitrous on your lawnmower you are a certified hotrodder! :pimp:
 
#25 ·
my all time favorite is the 66 chevelle and many other mucle cars and trucks! but if i were rich and i bought 1 of these cars already to ride i would probaly just beat the **** out of it. only because i would had the money to buy it done!! but im far from being rich ,so if i could honestly build this car of my dreams,a rain drop would never hit it, the tires would never see a bumpy road,and i would let no 1 touch it ever. i just think if u could do it yourself, theres just more appreciation. plus working on these pain in the ***** is fun!!!!!!!!
 
#26 ·
Being a hotrodder implies to me that you get most of your pleasure from dreaming up modifications to your car, figuring out how to do them, then doing them. Sometimes you buy parts, sometimes you fab parts, sometimes you have someone make you a part, and sometimes you spend a few hours in the wrecking yard scrounging up something you can modify. But you're always the person figuring out how to solve the problems and what to do next. You're not a restorer because you're building a better machine than the factory did and you're not a shade-tree mechanic because you're going beyond mere keep-it-running repairs.

Someone who loves the look and style of a rod and has the bucks to buy a pro job is still part of the hobby, but I don't think he would be properly termed a hotrodder. A hotrod enthusiast, perhaps, or a rod cruiser. If he knows even an iota about mechanics, you might call him a gearhead. But that's not to look down on those folks; if they didn't pay the Trepaniers and other talented and imaginative builders, a lot of spectacular cars (from which we might get some of our own ideas) would probably go unbuilt.

It's a big hobby; there's room for a lot of different ways to enjoy it. But I think to take the title of hotrodder, you have to be deeply involved in dreaming up and building your own ride.

Great discussion.

LarryJ
 
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