Pictures of decently Modified cars [Vol. 2]
Discussion
Well the first three are all '32 Fords, so you'd kind of expect them to be similar at a glance 
The last is a '38 Ford.
Sticking with '32s the interest is in the detail really, there is a wide variety of styles to build in and the details don't really cross over, for example this is what we'd call a traditional car, it is (for the most part) how the car might have been built in the 50s, stripped of its fenders and the windshield chopped (less wind resistance). Removal of the fenders meant the headlight bar had to go, so the headlights are mounted off the chassis legs now.
So lets pretend this is a genuine 50s car (it isn't and there are a couple of big giveaways as to why) and we'll do an imaginary build..
The front suspension is probably rolling on a newer I beam axle - possibly a stock Ford item from a later car. Alternatively the stock axle might have been "dropped" which involves heating it up and bending it so that the kingin mounts are further away from the bottom of the axle, thus allowing the car to sit lower.
The wishbones have been split to allow the car to sit lower, the transverse spring has been de-arched or replaced. As the car is so low its not possible to use the stock steering, so the steering box has been replaced with one that exits through the side of the cowl.
Okay we're done with the front, the back ? well we can see an axle, which means the fuel tank has been moved, the chassis rails it was bolted to have been cut back.
We can still see a buggy spring, so that is original, maybe de-arched or replaced with a lighter spring.
That axle isn't stock - it has been replaced with a quickchange to let you change the rear axle gearing easily. rear bumper has gone the way of the fenders, so a small bar has been added to mount the tail lights from.
The brakes have been converted to hydraulic, fronts are probably 50s buick drums and the rears later stock Ford.
Engine ? probably still a flathead, but its probably "hopped up", maybe a later engine that had more displacement, its probably bored out to even bigger and runs to aftermarket heads, narravo, weiland, offenhauser etc. Probably runs a triple carb setup. If the owner had a few dollars he might have purchased an ardun OHV conversion. Serious bucks. If the car was later 50s the engine would be out of a 50s car, maybe a small block chevy or even one of those powerful early chryslers.
Ok, so fast forwards a decade.
Still have split wishbones and a distinct lack of fenders, the body has been channelled so that it sits over the chassis rails rather than on top. We've got a funky metallic paintjob and by now the original running gear is in the bin, an OHV engine of some sort (this car runs a studebaker engine with a chevy transmission). The rear axle had to go because of the extra power, so its rolling on a mid 50s chevy axle - possibly this was narrowed for a better fit. Quite a bit of chrome int he engine bay - a bit of show for the go.
So two very different cars that at first glance would appear the same.
I won't prattle on forever, but just in front suspension alone we could run a 4 bar or hairpins. If we stay with an I beam we could go with anything from a 2" to 5" drop. Or we could go with a tube axle? or independant front end - from another car ? made from scratch ? pretty much any engine to like, then the rear axle - we could go with an independent rear (jag maybe ? run a quickchange ? or just a good old 9" ford ?
Do we want an original windshield ? or a duval type ? how much do we lean it back ? should we weld up the cowl vent ? how about having smooth engine covers, instead of the vented ones ? what about changing the rear lights for something different ? '50 pontiac lights below the decklid ? maybe '48 chevy ?
What about inside ? how about a '40 Ford steering wheel ? we could cut in the dash from the same '40 too ? or even a '55 chevy one ? bench seat ? buckets ?
Loads of stuff to pick from, to the casual observer I guess you're right the cars will look similar at a glance.
Here is the opposite end of the spectrum from the 50s style car. Front and rear independent suspension in this car, disc brakes, rack & pinion steering, body is partially channelled and a cap added to cover the rest, rear wheel wells "tubbed" to accommodate the wide radial tyres, door shapes totally re-made from scratch, grille insert is reshaped. The cowl section of the body has been removed and recessed, new engine covers go right up to the door, doors are hinged from the rear with "hidden" hinges. Motivation comes from a 429 Boss Ford engine - proper big engine that.
Chassis during build
Its limitless really. Part of a hot rod is figuring out how you want it to look, that narrows down choice of components, from there on its about execution - get the bodywork straight as possible, the panels aligned, the door gaps even, the upholstery stitching straight and symmetrical etc. You can have a great idea for the look and all the right parts, but it'll suck if you just throw it together.
ETA: Stock car looks like:
and the back (bit tatty this example)
You can just see the gas tank cap behind the licence plate mount.
The last is a '38 Ford.
Sticking with '32s the interest is in the detail really, there is a wide variety of styles to build in and the details don't really cross over, for example this is what we'd call a traditional car, it is (for the most part) how the car might have been built in the 50s, stripped of its fenders and the windshield chopped (less wind resistance). Removal of the fenders meant the headlight bar had to go, so the headlights are mounted off the chassis legs now.
So lets pretend this is a genuine 50s car (it isn't and there are a couple of big giveaways as to why) and we'll do an imaginary build..
The front suspension is probably rolling on a newer I beam axle - possibly a stock Ford item from a later car. Alternatively the stock axle might have been "dropped" which involves heating it up and bending it so that the kingin mounts are further away from the bottom of the axle, thus allowing the car to sit lower.
The wishbones have been split to allow the car to sit lower, the transverse spring has been de-arched or replaced. As the car is so low its not possible to use the stock steering, so the steering box has been replaced with one that exits through the side of the cowl.
Okay we're done with the front, the back ? well we can see an axle, which means the fuel tank has been moved, the chassis rails it was bolted to have been cut back.
We can still see a buggy spring, so that is original, maybe de-arched or replaced with a lighter spring.
That axle isn't stock - it has been replaced with a quickchange to let you change the rear axle gearing easily. rear bumper has gone the way of the fenders, so a small bar has been added to mount the tail lights from.
The brakes have been converted to hydraulic, fronts are probably 50s buick drums and the rears later stock Ford.
Engine ? probably still a flathead, but its probably "hopped up", maybe a later engine that had more displacement, its probably bored out to even bigger and runs to aftermarket heads, narravo, weiland, offenhauser etc. Probably runs a triple carb setup. If the owner had a few dollars he might have purchased an ardun OHV conversion. Serious bucks. If the car was later 50s the engine would be out of a 50s car, maybe a small block chevy or even one of those powerful early chryslers.
Ok, so fast forwards a decade.
Still have split wishbones and a distinct lack of fenders, the body has been channelled so that it sits over the chassis rails rather than on top. We've got a funky metallic paintjob and by now the original running gear is in the bin, an OHV engine of some sort (this car runs a studebaker engine with a chevy transmission). The rear axle had to go because of the extra power, so its rolling on a mid 50s chevy axle - possibly this was narrowed for a better fit. Quite a bit of chrome int he engine bay - a bit of show for the go.
So two very different cars that at first glance would appear the same.
I won't prattle on forever, but just in front suspension alone we could run a 4 bar or hairpins. If we stay with an I beam we could go with anything from a 2" to 5" drop. Or we could go with a tube axle? or independant front end - from another car ? made from scratch ? pretty much any engine to like, then the rear axle - we could go with an independent rear (jag maybe ? run a quickchange ? or just a good old 9" ford ?
Do we want an original windshield ? or a duval type ? how much do we lean it back ? should we weld up the cowl vent ? how about having smooth engine covers, instead of the vented ones ? what about changing the rear lights for something different ? '50 pontiac lights below the decklid ? maybe '48 chevy ?
What about inside ? how about a '40 Ford steering wheel ? we could cut in the dash from the same '40 too ? or even a '55 chevy one ? bench seat ? buckets ?
Loads of stuff to pick from, to the casual observer I guess you're right the cars will look similar at a glance.
Here is the opposite end of the spectrum from the 50s style car. Front and rear independent suspension in this car, disc brakes, rack & pinion steering, body is partially channelled and a cap added to cover the rest, rear wheel wells "tubbed" to accommodate the wide radial tyres, door shapes totally re-made from scratch, grille insert is reshaped. The cowl section of the body has been removed and recessed, new engine covers go right up to the door, doors are hinged from the rear with "hidden" hinges. Motivation comes from a 429 Boss Ford engine - proper big engine that.
Chassis during build
Its limitless really. Part of a hot rod is figuring out how you want it to look, that narrows down choice of components, from there on its about execution - get the bodywork straight as possible, the panels aligned, the door gaps even, the upholstery stitching straight and symmetrical etc. You can have a great idea for the look and all the right parts, but it'll suck if you just throw it together.
ETA: Stock car looks like:
and the back (bit tatty this example)
You can just see the gas tank cap behind the licence plate mount.
Edited by Crafty_ on Monday 16th June 20:49
DannyScene said:
stephen300o said:
Wow! Some beautiful metal there.
Shame it was used to make such awful cars, that quality metal could've been used for something decentDannyScene said:
for all the old trad rods and Graffiti kustoms. They're the ginchiest modified cars to ever have been produced. Let's have another one!
1932 Ford Model B 'Deuce' coupe hot rod by Zack S. Classic Cars, on FlickrA very un-trad one:
1929 Ford Model A pro street delivery van by Zack S. Classic Cars, on FlickrFinally, a damn cool Zeph convertible, complete but for the leopard print seats
1953 Ford Zephyr Six custom convertible by Zack S. Classic Cars, on FlickrEdited by ClassicMotorNut on Monday 16th June 21:36
kambites said:
Maybe it's just because I know nothing about them, but put me in a field with 5 hot rods and I'd spend an hour poking around them then go to the pub; put me in a field with 500 hot rods and I'd still spend an hour poking around them then go to the pub.
You should go to a hot rod show, you'll be in good company at the pub 
Not everyone wanders round in an anorak getting on their hands and knees to figure out the build of each car just some of themSeek said:
At the risk of blasphemy... that last hotrod has such clean lines that it almost looks like a much more modern Prowler.
Some would take exception to that car being called a hotrod, its what is termed a "street rod". I can promise you some in the hot rod world would rather be kicked in the b
ks about a million times than drive that car, it just isn't their thing.Its probably the last of what I call the "extreme" cars from the 2000s (the car was finished a couple of years ago). During that time it was the style to smooth things out, almost to excess. I've seen cars where if you got underneath it you didn't see a bolt head or a nut, everything was hidden - utterly amazing attention to detail. There was even a car maybe 10 years ago that had hidden wheel bolts - the wheels were bolted on from the back of the hub. Crazy stuff.
All this got going in the late 80s early 90s when Boyd Coddington (yeah off the tele) and another guy called John Buttera started to machine parts from aluminium. Wheels, steering wheels, suspension hubs, axle casings and so on. Remember ZZ Top and the red Eliminator Coupe ? that car was the absolute bees knees back then with its polished aluminium bits and decluttered body. So the street rod thing started off and progressed.
Not too long after a whole bunch of disaffected people who were priced out of building a street rod started building properly put together "low buck" cars. Instead of throwing all the components in the bin they modified them, re-used them or sourced factory parts from a different car.
Low buck guys hated street rodders because the street rods went to shows in trailers for the first year or two of their lives. They didn't like the way they were used as a display of wealth. This escalated, the street rods got more extreme and more perfect, the low buck stuff descended in to rat rods that were often not well built and (to my eye at least) ugly - the uglier the better. Typically the street rodders were the older guys who had some cash to spend. Low buck guys were the younger generation.
Somewhere in the middle were the traditional guys who didn't like the poor build of rat rods but also didn't like street rods - too modern they said. These guys would (and do) build cars in the 50s-60s era styles and would proclaim themselves "proper" hot rodders. My outlook on that is they aren't - hot rodders back then used the newest, best stuff they could get their hands on - OHV engines, superchargers, juice brakes, aftermarket "speed equipment" (mooneyes, edelbrock, so-cal to name but a few suppliers). 50 years on and these "real" hot rodders are using the same stuff ? The guys from the 50s wouldn't be doing that - they'd be pulling those fuel injection engines and IRS's out of 2 year old cars and using those (much like street rodders). The trad guys are building re-creations of 50s/60s hot rods - thats cool, no shame in that.
Anyway, right now everything has met in the middle a bit - the rat rod guys have grown up a bit, the street rods are much less extreme. What we're seeing now is cars with near stock bodies, modifications are very subtle - you have to know the cars well to spot them. Underneath is more on the street rod side - modern engines, air conditioning, independant suspension and so on. Hot rodding goes through phases and thats the one we're in right now. I always liked stock body/subtle mods so its all good with me, the fact that the modern underpinnings are there is bang on for the hot rod ethos (imho) and means a rod can drive well. It also means there is ever more attention to execution - straightness, shut lines, just the "look" of being right.
My mates (now sold) '36 Nash drove so nicely on the road you could travel thousands of miles in it quite comfortably and he built it in his garage, literally from the wheels up, his next one is on the way and I'm (slowly) seeing progress on mine - need to hurry up before the oil runs out
Funny you mention the Prowler. There is a guy called Chip Foose - yeah the bloke on that Overhaulin' tv show. He is some sort of genius, I promise you. Anyway, when he was at design school he penned a concept, almost like a hot wheels car as part of a Chrysler sponsored school project. Chrysler loved this design, one of the head honchos at Chrysler was a keen hot rodder.. the design was actually to become the inspiration behind the Prowler. I think they even employed Chip as a consultant for a while (he's worked for other manufacturers too)
Chip's model, from design school, 1990
Just under 10 years ago Chip signed a deal to make a die cast of his design, part of the deal was money to build a real one.. so they did, it became known as the hemisfear.. they did a very limited production run - so someone out there owns these things! I think there was 6 in total or something like that. Not a hot rod, not a super car, somewhere in between. I reckon his inspiration was the whacky show cars of the 60s and the hot wheels die casts he played with as a kid.
If I haven't bored everyone to death yet I'll write up some more stuff.
Crafty_ said:
- Lots of interesting stuff
The red car above has a Boyd Coddington look to it. That's not particularly my sort of thing, but some of his 50's/60's Coupe's are outrageous pieces of design.
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