okay this might be a little off topic but just a little. im wondering what in your opionion make a traditional hotrod. im looking for the base vehicles built from what motors what body mods what kind of paint and all that stuff. when i say traditional i geuss i mean built in the 50s or 60s style. im just kinda wondering as i was born about 40 years too late to have been around in the 50s so just looking for some opionion and drawings, pictures if you have them.

 

When I think of traditional hotrods, trucks don't come to mind!

'23 to about '36 CAR - no fenders, no hood, flathead V8 with multi carbs, top optional, etc

Hotrodding trucks is a modern phenom - back in the 50's they were still utility vehicles.

......opinions may vary

 

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. With the exception of the roadster pick-up, nothing was done with the trucks until much later. Trucks were too big and heavy to hotrod. My dad tells me that they used to drain their radiators to drag race. It'd save 'em a few pounds. He also laughs and says "thats why guys were so thin back in the day"! Apparently fat guys didnt win too many drag races! LMAO

 

ditto what Tim and Todd said. When I think of a "traditional" hot rod, I think of a 32-34 Ford roadster, no fenders, no hood, flathead, three deuces, straight pipes, tuck-n-roll seat.

Apparently, so does Boyd Coddington, since he has made a fortune off of making his "Boydsters".

 

My '59 is being built as a "traditional" ride. If you want pics, advice, or just some ideas, go to h.a.m.b.com (can be found through jalopyjournal.com). It's a site devoted solely to traditional hotrods and customs. Suggest you browse the site a while to get familiar with it. I did a search for "seeking pix" and got a ton of responses. Try entering that in the search window. Your truck might not be considered "hot rod" material, but some of the shop trucks and push trucks I saw at the drag strip back in the '50s and '60s looked pretty hot. Keep us posted.

 

Flathead Jack put it well when he said that when you look in the trunk of a StreetRod, you see polishing rags and a can of wax. When you look in a HotRod's trunk you see tools and a quart of oil.

The traditional rod is anything you want it to be. Mostly, it was built by you and not your checkbook and a cataalog.


Just say NO to hangar queens.

 

You might be able to conjure up a "If they had built Hotrod Trucks in the 50's this is what it may have looked like", but you will never be able to build a true "Traditional Hotrod Truck" because they just weren't.
As for the HAMB, I'm a Member, go there every day, way too many wannabe's, poser's and 14yr olds spouting the religion of Traditional.
But given all my pontification, it's your truck, do whatever floats your boat.

 

I remember as a kid seeing some trucks hot rodded. They were mostly a necessary evil for most of the shops in town as cool parts runners and advertising. Mods were minimal, loud exhausts and pin striping etc. Todays "restro rods" were kind of like what they had back then.

 

well im not really planning to build one soon i was just wondering what everybodys favorite pick for a traditional hot rod would be. i know model ts and 32 roadsters are probally the top along with 3 and 5 window fords. personally i imagine a 37 ford 4door sedan with the suicide rear doors and either a flattie 8 or hopped up 312. ill have to check out the hamb been there a couple of times but never really poked around that much.

 

Among my projects at the moment are a 27 Roadster and a 37 Roadster ute.

I am trying to build the 27 as a "circa 1950 California Roadster Association" roundy roundy car.

27 Roadster bod (STILL looking for a steel rear half, may end up going glass) on an A chassis, 39 Merc flatty with an offset ground crank and 39 Ford rods, sharp heads and 3 carb manifold, 36 tailshaft headers, 36 rear end and radius rods, undropped 36 axle and split bones, WWII SW guages, 1950 Crager sprint car wheel.........only compromise is liable to be the gearbox, I have helped built too many blownup toploaders.....and floor space is limited....so an auto may be going in.

My 37 Roadster ute is a TOTAL basket case, but they only built 28 and only built them here. Needs a full floor inside and in the bed + patch panels 10" up the sides + new door skins.

Will be Slammed on the ground, with a 4" axle, reverse spring, raised crossmember, split bones, 36 rear and radius rods, 48 brakes. Another flatty would be cool but it will probably get a 350/350 since I have them and also have Cal Custom covers, three two and/or dual quad manifolds etc etc.

I would call both of them "traditional"......along with the chopped and channeled A coupe I have planned in my head but haven't found a body for yet.

Both projects are on hold while I build the F-1 "shop Truck" and then finish my 51 Victoria....chopped and channeled, BBC, air suspension, Pontiac grill in merc shell, frenched lights, tunneled tailights etc etc....the usual Kustom stuff.

Then there is another F-1 + a 55 F-100.......but they don't count as they are cash projects to raise money for the other ones.
.......I wonder why they call me halfdone

 

I also remember seeing some rodded trucks but mostly in the 60s and 70s. I remember some 53-56 Fords running Cadillac hubcaps and whitewalls on wide rims. Most were cruisers more than performance rods though.

 

halfdone sounds like you have a stable full of really sweet projects. i wish i had the body of a 37 sedan but the only one i know of is smahed into a river bank but it still has the motor in it.

 

How about the Spencer Murray / Rod and Custom dream truck (54 Chevy), George Barris Kopper Kart (55 Chevy) also the Wild Kat 53/55 Ford F100 that burned in his shop fire and many others that are featured in the small books they were all built in the 50s.

Chuck

 

They were Customs, built for shows.

 

Did George Barris EVER build anything that was 'traditional'? I recall his stuff was all cutting edge custom work.