Are you a Purist or a Realist?

i like my old Ford all original, i hate to hear of some dummy taking a nice old car and making a street rod out of it. also i like traditional hot rod Fords so i guess that i am a purest. Brendan


 
I believe that I am a purist with my 1934 Ford Pickup. I have all '34 parts for it and many spare parts to back me up for years. So, I am a purist; if Henry didn't build it his was then I don't want it.
George Maher
Fargo, ND
 
Functionalist i guess , i love the functionality of the pieces. If i can make it more functional i will.
There is a point not to go over i guess. Dont like the cars with easter egg paint colors , mustang II etc.
 
I try to be a purist. It needs to be the original flathead, ******, 6V, stock colors and interior, as stock as I can make it and have it be a regular driver. That's more appealing to me than a street rod or one with a late model engine/****** stuffed into an old car, air conditioning, etc. Yeah, I'm a pain that way. I like original.
 
Iguess you could say I am part purist-realist I dont have a flathead now but have had many over the years.I have 2 A,s with modified columbias & 1 with a ,33 B engine w-a 5.9 cyl head Ted,s Floaters etc & they will both cruise at 60 all day long & are totally reliable & have original 6V systems.With 1 weekends work,Icould change it back to stock as I didnt so much as drill one hole to make the changes.As for SBC,s etc,its their car and another segment of the hobby.
 
Safety is a very important issue here. Driving a 70 year old car in todays trafic is gross stupidy. If your going to keep them original then they become useless as transportation in the reality of today. Even the addition of "Juice" brakes isn't enough. I'm in the process of up grading a 47Int PU for my grandson, and the thought of putting this on the road gives me the shivers.
 
The realist/purist/rodder/customizer/whatever have been living side by side since the first person found a rounder rock to roll - Keep it as much original equipment/manufacture as you can while maintaining a safe drivable vehicle
 
I agree with Paul. I will spend a lot to get it original, but not the bank. But at the same time how do we make anything pure with China building our parts. It kills me to put China made parts on an American made auto. Not much choice. i try hard to walk the line the best I can.
 
Ol' Ron said:
Safety is a very important issue here. Driving a 70 year old car in todays trafic is gross stupidy. If your going to keep them original then they become useless as transportation in the reality of today. Even the addition of "Juice" brakes isn't enough. I'm in the process of up grading a 47Int PU for my grandson, and the thought of putting this on the road gives me the shivers.
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Excellent opinion.....in my opinion.
 
Over the years, I've installed a 12v system,turn signals,seat belts,power disc brakes,gearbox upgraded in the 70's. I run 15 inch tires and now have all safety glass and LED rear lights in my 41. I have been considering a C4 trans,and a 9"Ford rear end with newer leaf springs,and rear disc brakes. I try to keep it upgraded enough to keep it safe. I would like to keep it original but times change. The way people drive these days,they act like getting behind the wheel is a video game. So I guess that makes me a Realist.
 
I partially agree with Ford1,but would never put a sbc into anything but a chevy.So we have 3 arguments.I'm a realist I guess,but would only put a ford into a ford whether it be a flathead souped up,or a later model ford engine.The argument of how cheap a sbc versus a 302 is BS.It might a been a true 20 years ago but isn't relevant today.
 
I like 1940 fords to appear original with flathead and stock transmissions...i even like the design of the sand colored broadcloth apholstery....but most people aren't going to crawl under the car if you are just running up to reno to have some fun....getting there and being able to stop after running down a hill at 85mph are the important things to me...ive had a couple close calls cause i still hot rod around!!
 
My garage holds both: stock and modified. Reality makes me keep off the interstate with the stocker('24 tudor). My modified (30 V8 Hiboy Cpe) is going together with vintage Ford parts. It came to me suffering, from a torch happy dirt tracker. Again, though V8 powered (59AB), I will plan every trip on surface roads for motoring pleasure.
 
How about a 40 Sedan with IFS, rack and pinion, disk brakes, Ardun/C4 and safety belts. Looks like it just rolled out of the factory, other than the fact that it's painted yellow.
 
Purist at heart, like to keep my cars as close to orginal as possible, but don't do them for show. But a realist in the sense that after a few original replacement temp guages, still couldn't be sure if the ol flathead was overheating or not, guage always said yes yet thermo in radiator said 180 which is right on? So, on good advice and the cost of an engine I anquished over the decision of drilling holes etc. and installed mechanical guages, and now that I have what a relief, I know exactlly what each side is doing and I can drive around care free.
 
I appreciate both, although I am definitely a hot rodder. But at my house, it's a pretty gray line. I would rather look at bone stock pre-48 Fords all day long over some of the street rods that have been built with change for the sake of change and no appreciation of the period design. I would say my coupe is a street rod but only in the drivetrain and chassis. Other than the steering column and wheel, the interior is completely stock right down to the gauges. But then again it would be hard to put it into the same category as one that is salmon pink with aluminum wheels, bucket seats and a billet dash insert.

Realistically, even our flathead powered cars (except the fordoor) are not completely stock, but they will have more in common with the completely original cars than the big wheeled street rods of today.
 
Makes me laugh all this people that put originality over there own and others safety.'it's not 1936 anymore if you haven't noticed. Our whole environment has dramatically changed. You need to compromise between functionality and originality.I can't add to irresponsible automobile ownership
 
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