So What is A Hotrod

5898 Views 63 Replies 32 Participants Last post by low budget rodder, Oct 5, 2006

Ratchet

Discussion Starter · Dec 30, 2004

I have joined the board because it seems like a great place to get tech information and share the joy and frustration of working on a project car with other like minded people.

But I am wondering if I belong. Is a Hotrod defined by the year of the vehicle i.e. any vehicle earlier than 1960 or does a 1987 camaro that is being totally rebuilt and modified also qualify.

What is your definition of a hotrod?

Ric

1 - 20 of 64 Posts

bowtiebabe72

· #2 · Dec 30, 2004

holy cow this has been asked a lot. Try the search function Ratchet...

Kevin45

· #3 · Dec 30, 2004

Welcome Ratchet. When it comes to the definition of a "hotrod" I think you can ask 10 people and get 10 different answers. I don't think an '87 Camaro would fall into the "hotrod" category but would most likely fall into the "street machine" category. To me "hotrods" are '50's and before, and "street machines" are '60's and later, with "muscle cars" falling into the '60 and later category. But then you have 9 others to ask now. LOL!!

Kevin

IROC100

· #4 · Dec 30, 2004

hotrod?

Rusty Wallace calls his racecar [ha ha] a hotrod.

Ratchet

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 30, 2004

My lip is dragging on the ground. I was sure I was building a Hotrod.

As for the do a Search Comment. I did the only thread that came up was fairly short and the second reply to it was something like OMG not this question again. If it is such a common question why isn't it a sticky at the top of this forum? And where are all the strings? Maybe I am just not that good at using the search feature.

pappy 32

· #6 · Dec 30, 2004

Hey Ratchet,

Welcome to the board. I've asked some questions and got the "mother-in-law" look or the "Oh my God 360" with the eyes. If they ain't feedin' ya it will be alright.

I would say what you have would be a "street machine" like Kevin said. I call my cars a number of things depending on the day. It's what you think it is. I think that most cars that are modified are a "hot rod" of sorts. For the ease of discussion I would have to agree with Kevin statement.

No matter, you are welcome to be here. Glad you signed on.

Pappy

killerformula

· #7 · Dec 30, 2004

yup, it ends up gettin asked a lot. THe replies are usually pretty interesting, though.

K

k2mooch

· #8 · Dec 30, 2004

bowtiebabe72 said:
holy cow this has been asked a lot. Try the search function Ratchet...

Hey woman, be nice to our guest :spank: . Do you WANT a spanking?!?!?!

Don't answer that.

imp:

Anyway, Ratchet . . . welcome to the board partner. Like Kev said, there's always a difference of opinion. I think the jist of hotrodding is just the urge to take something and make it better, with good taste of course. To take it one step further than a simple 'love of cars' is to separate a "Hotrodder" from a "Ricer". Here are a few examples as some food for thought, and you can give us YOUR opinion as to what YOU think. :thumbup:

Ricer:
Fast and Furious
20" rims
Body kits
'Black & Decker' exhaust

Hotrodder:
Thrunder Road
15" rims with slicks
Chopped top, frenched lights, shaved handles
'Thunderstorm in a pipe' exhaust

But like I said, it's mostly opinion. Everybody's got one.

Welcome.

MoocH

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spinn

· #9 · Dec 30, 2004

killerformula said:
yup, it ends up gettin asked a lot. THe replies are usually pretty interesting, though.

K

yes it does. killer i own you a apology.

a hotrod is what a hotrod is. maybe it starts as a dream? and ends up pounding pavement!

[email protected]

· #10 · Dec 30, 2004

I am amazed that I couldn't find anything when I did a search either. I guess the definition is just interspersed so often in so many threads that it seem it has been dealt with directly. Anyway, to make a short story long,my personal definition is that hot rodding is a state of mind, not a type of car. I would not call 90% of the people driving around in '32 roadsters hot rodders; conversely, there are many folks cruising in ricers who are true to the core hot rodders. If you have a passion to take a vehicle and make changes to go faster and/or look better and you would rather die than not do the work yourself, you are a likely a hot rodder. Working with junk yard parts and rejecting the ready-made kits moves you way up the scale. And if in that quest you push the envelope and do stuff other people frown on or say can't be done, then for sure you are one.

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IROC100

· #11 · Dec 30, 2004

AMEN, Willys36

You the man, couldn't have said better!!!! you're my hero.

[email protected]

· #12 · Dec 30, 2004

Don't send praise, just send money!!

RCastle

· #13 · Dec 30, 2004

I have a 79.I consider my car a Street Beast,more than a Street Machine.. Street Machine sounds like a Camaro or a Mustang with a new muffler.Everyone has their own opinions though.

Ratchet

Discussion Starter · #14 · Dec 30, 2004

Well maybe there is still hope of being called a hotrodder.

Here is a little project I tackled because I didn't like the off the shelf available frame connectors. They either didn't actually connect the front and rear subframes or they hung down an extra 2 to 3 inches below the lowest point of the car eliminating ground clearance.

Here are some pics of the subframe connectors I made and installed in the project.

Cost 15$ cdn. for the 1 and1/2 inch square tubing to make them plus about 6 hours to fab and install.

The first pic shows the drivers side installation This one was pretty easy because it was just a straight run. Note rear attachment point is where the rear subframe is welded to the floor pan.

The second pic shows the front attacment point of the drivers side connector

The third pic shows passemger side installation. Note the offset in this connector due to the different height of the floor pan on passenger side

The final pic shows the attachment point of the passenger side connector

connectors are welded to front and rear subframes not the rocker panels
also welded to seat frame and all around floor where they pass through.

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4

[email protected]

· #15 · Dec 30, 2004

Thats 100% hot rod work! Why haven't you started a journal and show us this stuff?

trees

· #16 · Dec 30, 2004

Another opinion. In my Avatar, you see a 36 Ford Coupe and a 36 Ford Pickup. I consider the Coupe a Street Rod. It has been modified in many areas (by me), but retains a near stock look. It is great to cruise the streets or Interstates with ease and comfort. The pickup is all of that, but it could be at home on the drag strip if I wanted to DRIVE it there, thus I call it my Hot Rod. These could just as easily be 46, 56, 66, 76, or 86 models as far as I'm concerned. If your 87 Camero will run and drive with the best of it's brothers, sisters and cousins, I would say you have built a Hot Rod, Rodder.

Trees

Cruiseomatic

· #17 · Dec 31, 2004

This is gonna sound dumb,but what if you have an old ford truck and dream it to be a hotrod but to broke for it to become one? But I do the repairs on it myself. Does this count?

RCastle

· #18 · Dec 31, 2004

Ahhh,Cruise has a "Fixer-Upper"j/k

38 special

· #19 · Dec 31, 2004

Hey Ratchet, Kev is probably more politically correct on the subject but I call my old 38 a street rod and here I am on the hotrodder board. From what I've seen your work your a hotrodder. There are a lot of people on here with newer cars. A ROSE by any other name is still a hotrod.:thumbup:

killerformula

· #20 · Dec 31, 2004

spinn said:
yes it does. killer i own you a apology.

a hotrod is what a hotrod is. maybe it starts as a dream? and ends up pounding pavement!

nahh, you don't man. My response was ill-written, and I see how you could interpret it the way you did-

K

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