Hot rodders and gearheads are a particular bunch. We all have our likes and dislikes, whether they are rooted in certain eras of cars, styles of cars, or even specific performance elements, we all have an opinion. There are guys out there that would never understand the appeal of a straight axle equipped Nova or Falcon at the drags. There’s another element that would never get the reasons someone would take all the time and effort to modify a 1969 Camaro to burn corners.
Somewhere in the middle lives guys like Chad and I who think that there is no good reason a hot rod you are building should not be evil, mean, loud, and gnarly. Buford, our Caprice is being constructed to be good on the strip but to also be capable of tearing the hearts our of autocrossers who were swalloed whole by the big Chevy!
The rat rod guys hate paint and the average street rod owner paid a bundle to have his soaked in color. All this being said, it certainly begs that a BangShifty question would be asked:
What’s the one element your personal hot rod has to have? Fast, Low, Massive Horsepower, or something else?
Ladies and gentlemen, start your arguments. To make a hotrod a hotrod you need all the above. You can have all the paint, power, cornering, straight line speed you want, but if you don’t wrap it in something cool looking…well what’s the point!
For me…just make it fun to drive fast!
BS good luck with this one.
I look around at my stuff, and apparently it has to be older than me. That means, from the 50s. And it also seems to need a big block. Huh.
I’d like to have one of each if I had a big enough budget and a big enough garage!
If I had just one hot rod and one mandatory requirement, it would be FUNCTIONAL. Something you can just freaking get out and DRIVE. Trailered race or show cars have their place, but you can’t enjoy them any day of the week you please.
that stupid captcha comment top secret secuity gadget left me typing for nothing. Kinda like making a 20 gauge fender. One element I have to have is a thing called steel. Very rare exotic precious metal. Where oh where to find it on this rock made of it 99%.
To me, the whole thing about ‘hot rodding’ is to IMPROVE a car over what it was originally. Make it faster, make it more comfortable, make it more reliable, make it handle better, make it stop better, make it more beautiful, all fall into the catagory of improvements.
To make any aspect of the car WORSE than what it was originally is just messing around.
It has to have a real CAM. If it don’t lope, I don’t want it.
Character. LOTS of character.
It has to have a manual transmission. No matter how well it achieves greatness
in the other catagories, all that will be cancelled out by an automatic.
X2, absolutely has to have a clutch.
rear view mirror,a sound engine (strong)and tire chirpin tranny
To quote Jeremy Clarkson . . . POWER!
Paint, stance, transmission type, body style, year, camshaft lope, tire width, body material, functionality . . . we’ll never agree on all that stuff.
But a rod’s not a rod without above-average POWER!
clutch , power , and most important not be a bellybutton car
A barf-bag for my passenger.
BUAHHAHAHHAHA. Awesome.
Jesus bars.
It absolutely, positively has to be fun to drive.
Peer recognition – I want people to stare at it then give me the thumbs up gesture . . . and not just stare at it thinking WTF
Who cares what anyone else thinks about it. Getting a thumbs-up from a somebody in another belly-button Camaro or “catalog car” NSRA street rod does nothing for me.
One element: I like it. Otherwise why would we sit on “project” cars for years with the better half threatening to send it to the junker. It’s the love of the ride for whatever reason that makes it special, damn what anyone else thinks. I just hope you have good taste…
Function. It must function for what it’s designed for, so this means its a different thing for different vehicles. I drive, daily, a 1980 Plymouth Arrow pickup. It’s my driver. It’s got a 360 (408 soon) with a 904 behind it and an 83/4 behind that with discs and a 2:76 LSD in it. It’s designed to take me places, and it cruises at 2,450 RPM @ 80 MPH, which is what I was looking for.
My ’86 londgbed Dodge handles. It’s purpose in life is to haul stuff, yet still be able to give a corvette a run for it’s money on a twisty road.
One my vehicles have proven themselves mechanically sound and reliable, I look to apearence. Being a Mopar guy, I like them kind of plain and factory looking. I’ll let the GM guys go for the flashy colors and decals, it’s really what gave them a performance image to begin with. I could care less what any other people think of my rides, and I’d suggest to do so makes you more of a poser than a true enthusiast.
Low.
…….FUN(.)_(.)
All of these things are important however i believe “Stance” and wheel choice are two of the most important things. Think about it….usually doesnt matter what motor,color,make or model it is if it has the right wheels and stance it can usually pass.
It has to idle along with that sound of authority and sound like it can do 200mph while it’s doing it!
Sound mechanicals.
Has to different. Not abouit belly button mustangs or the like.
Also has to be SAFE and comfortable… drive it everywhere