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.

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.

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?

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.
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?

hmm.. good ?.. i got one too.. am i considered a hotrodder to u guys?..

Nos

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'.

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.

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!

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.

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

Exactly What Kevin said. (This man is a genius I also think a rodder is something that does his own work, because he loves it. They like the feeling of the acomplishment when its done.

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!

I have a 84 Z28 that i built, i would not call that car a hotrod, BUT many people on this site consider me a rodder, just because of my attitude.

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

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!!!)