Hot Rodding is Dead, again, but not really?

[Gateclyve Photographic]

Really? You seriously want folks to believe they can get a functioning 6-71 set-up for $150?

Retail on a BBC blower intake is nearly $900 all by itself. And the number of $150 blower intakes I've seen for sale on my local Craigslist in the past few years is ZERO. Same for salvage yard and swap meet supplies.

No one begrudges that you have a lot of stuff just laying around (and way more time than the average Joe to make it work). But to infer that anybody could achieve the same results for a way below-market price isn't very accurate. Many who may want to copy the "traditional" style just don't have a 50-year parts stash to raid.

I'm also wild guessing that the agreed value insurance coverage on the car is more than $20K . . . .

"Period correct" cheaters and pie-crust slicks cost a lot more than $150 (look it up in the Coker catalog).

Nobody is going to clone any of the "period correct" "iconic" rods (see e.g. http://www.hotrod.com/articles/53-ic...eatest-alltime ) for blue collar spare money anymore . . . . So let's stop pretending it's possible.

[squirrel]

I bought the blower intake for the 427 on ebay for $150. You said old intakes cost $3000. I guess you should have bought it, and resold it for $3k. Last year, I bought the cherry old Weiand blower intake for the 426 for about $800.

I only carry liability insurance on the car, it's not very expensive, since no one drives 62 Chevys very much, so they seldom cause claims. I can afford to have the car "go away". And if I did have agreed value on it, it would be for quite a bit more than 20k.

I don't use pie crust/cheater slicks, I use slicks that work...they are M&H "vintage" slicks, about $250 a piece, like most other sticky tires for drag racing.

I sure didn't clone any old cars when I built my Chevy. And it has a fundamental flaw that makes it not "period correct"--it's a street/strip car, that tries to look like a mid 60s AWB match racer, but fails miserably, because it has front brakes, a big gas tank, all the window glass and lights, a pass seat, carbs on a blower, etc. Sure fooled you, eh?

[Gateclyve Photographic]

Come on. I didn't say ALL old intakes cost $3,000. But you've HAMB'd around enough to know exactly what type of "period correct" show-off intakes I'm writing about. Example: http://www.ebay.com/i/172242894206?chn=ps See also the link below.

BTW, your admissions seem to partially prove my point about rigid period correctness (not that I ever said the Plan II car was completely era-accurate, so I was not "fooled" in any way . . . . )

[squirrel]

you're the one who seems to be stuck up on "period correct", dissing the HAMB, etc. I just like to point out that you can build neat old looking stuff, with parts you can get for reasonable prices, today. Even though you continue to claim it's impossible.

maybe it's just impossible for you?

[RockJustRock]

You can't judge vintage part prices by what you see on E-Bay or top prices on Craigslist. There are tons of "American Pickers" style part hoards out there. It is just too much fun piling that crap up and too much hard work getting top dollar for it. Offer cash. When the seller's price is sky high don't even make a counter. When he asks your top say he'd be insulted. When he insists offer the price you're willing to pay or less.

And I'll say it again, IMHO new speed parts are ALL overpriced.

Gotta go do it in a thread….

[SuperBuickGuy]

You can't judge vintage part prices by what you see on E-Bay or top prices on Craigslist. There are tons of "American Pickers" style part hoards out there. It is just too much fun piling that crap up and too much hard work getting top dollar for it. Offer cash. When the seller's price is sky high don't even make a counter. When he asks your top say he'd be insulted. When he insists offer the price you're willing to pay or less.

And I'll say it again, IMHO new speed parts are ALL overpriced.

Gotta go do it in a thread….

I see lots of those hoards - and every time think "wow, look at all those parts that dead guy had"....

[squirrel]

if the part is still for sale, the price is too high

[oletrux4evr]

if the part is still for sale, the price is too high

Signature material right there......

[Matt Cramer]

One random thought from last year's Drag Week: I have to wonder if I'll live to see a point where Fairmonts with LS motors swapped in start to command real money due to a nostalgia factor.

[cobra]

McGann commented about Lucky's C10 pickup in his editorial this month, then went on to explain how he loves his truck and it's 568 ci BBC that is getting 14 mpg (I'll believe 4). Lucky's truck started as a box of parts, now has a GM crate motor/trans; QA1 suspension; Wilwood brakes; Vintage A/C box. McGann's truck is someone else's motor, someone else's suspension, but it does have old rusty parts on the outside.

It brings up the question - is hot rodding dead? to me hot rodding is taking dissimilar stuff and putting it on another vehicle for better performance, attitude, or looks. The question these days (after his extensive list of the bolt ons he and Lucky used) is why bother? If you're inept, you spend 92k to buy a 800 hp widget. If you want people to think you're cool, you bolt on those same things on some old wreck and proclaim your skillz (yes, with a z).

Is that hot rodding? I'd say yes, but listening to the same magazines bemoan that there are no trade schools, that shop isn't taught in high school, and that electric is coming.... seems a bit hypocritical. Who is preaching "built not bought" anymore? certainly not the publications. Most certainly not SEMA - if my numbers are correct, there was one car there that was done in a home garage (a very cool VW Bug with a Buick motor), everything else was done by shops who are doing great things at improving custom cars but squeezing out the very kids they want to pick up the trade.

I admire the Kindig stuff, but anyone watching the show has to think "well, why would I spend a couple years building something when whatever I build will not compete with their plasma cut, metal formed, 3d printed creations?"

Even innovation, I guarantee that whatever you blog as a great idea will be a Chinese knockoff before you ever finish with your first prototype. While this is a great time if you want a fast, unique car - the dark side is it will be the last because why bother? Where's the point to coming up with a new idea or new way of doing things if there is no, real payoff?

Magazines, in their defense, print what sells - and what sells is a custom-shop build.... I love building stuff for the building of stuff, but despite a well-equipped shop there is no hope my cars will ever 'grace' the pages of a magazine because honestly I can't compete. Despite the common sentiment, I do have a day job that comes first.

So the question to answer - do I print out the numbers of the frame I constructed for my Corvette? I've even had the dubious honor of a shop telling me they will scan it for me - with the condition that they can use those dimensions in their own builds....

do you build for the love of building or to get into magazines? i build because i enjoy it and don't care about a trophy or a magazine cover. my 50' ford is put together with parts from everywhere and painted with outdoor house paint i had lying around and a paint roller. actually doesn't look that bad and it's what a consider a true hot rod. i'm always playing with it, trying to make it better. most of my friends are the same way. hot rodding will always be around. there are those few rich people that can afford to pay someone $200,000 to build them a car, but how many out there on this forum pay to get all the work done on their cars?

[squirrel]

the odds of getting your car on the cover of Hot Rod are about like those of winning a big lottery. As in, none

But the odds of you being able to build a fun hot rod today, are about one in one.

Enjoy!