another one bites the dust

texas webb said:
Damn streetrodder
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You can bash street rodders all you want, but you have to remember they make a lot of original parts available at reasonable prices to guys building stockers. So here's a nice clean running chassis that is now available to somebody with just a body. price might bea little high , but he'll come down when reality sets in.
 
a chassis with no usable numbers. you can bet he will keep the title. funny steves resto couldn't sell enough new bodys at 35k, what do you think this body cost?
 
Me to. Bash street rodders/hot rodders, but I've turned some cars that many restorers walked by as not good enough to restore into fairly high dollar hot rods in the past 50 years. In the running gear pricing, I recently sold a unrestored 32 running gear with a non running motor but with grille shell, radiator, firewall and gas tank, ended up getting almost 10K for it.
 
Take a look at hotrods for sale and you will see that an all, or even partial, steel "henry" body is always listed as a selling point. Never mind the SBC, the TH400, the mustang II front end or the 8-9" rear-end. People building them and buying them apparently feel that having some portion of the original bodywork imputes upon the vehicle a "factory" pedigree that is somehow more valuable/ desirable than a reproduction steel or fiberglass body. A moment's reflection puts the lie to this inference, but it happens all the time.
 
To each his own, right ? It's a sin to Hot Rod a Survivor but it seems traditional style Hot Rods are more in demand and also bring better money than an original car. Recently I advertised a very nice original 39 Coupe Convertible and had very little interest. Soon it will get a 59L with an italmeccanica supercharger, lowered suspension with tube shocks, 40 Ford wheels up front and 40 Lincoln on the rear. In this configuration it will turn lots of heads and traditional Hot Rod guys will step up. I know many won't like to hear this but I think I'm right on.
 
I think that eventually reality will set in. I look at most of the owners of our early Fords & they have very gray hair. That tells me that even younger people don't desire cars of that early vintage anymore. They all want newer cars, 50's, 60's 70's & 80's. The later years being much more affordable. They also desire all the newest technology. That's why I hear some guys say they won't pay more than $1000 for a chassis since they will be so plentiful. Just my thoughts.
 
woodie, i agree except when it comes to 32-34 fords. they have always been in demand, and always will be. even the young folks know that. they will only be cheap when the gvmt puts us in electric self driving wheeled computers!
 
To each his own, I agree, but I wince every time I hear of one of these desecrations. While a drop in the bucket, I have the satisfaction of having converted a couple of hot rods back into restored original cars.
 
I don't like cutting up nice old stockers one bit but we have to face the reality...we are getting older and these cars in this form do not appeal to the majority of youngsters. They would rather play with "rice burners" or if the coolness of an old coupe or whatever appeals to them it is not generally in the stock form, its the big wheels , shaved look, perhaps a top chop and a stonking great donk under the hood and better handling they want. I once saw a be-flamed 32 rod here in NZ many years ago and signed on the spare at the back was "restoring is boring". I think that sums it up for the next generation and future "caretakers" of our cars. The cars we own are "lucky" as they have already "out lived" most of their peers. The ones that get handed down to appreciative family will be luckier still.

GB
 
Butchers, garbage truck engines and Easter egg colors, unsafe at any speed, yearly trend designed. What a waste but then, makes our cars worth more.
 
If he puts the body on a modern chassis with original looking wheels and tires but makes no mods to the body or interior is the result a "street rod" ?

That would greatly enhance the driveability and be the best of both worlds to many owners or potential buyers.

If it is a "restored" car and not an original survivor, I don't see much difference since both approaches are kinda like cosmetic surgery. Easter egg paint and big shiny wheels should only be allowed on fiberglass recreations though.
 
I always find it funny that the usual "hot rodders" weezzz is "Make it safer, more street able," like they are gonna drive them as an everyday driver, yet when it comes down to it, they don't drive their cars any more or different than "most" stocker owners do.....cruise in's and car shows!!! That's it. Then when it comes time to sell them....they are built to the individual taste, I've never stood next to a hot rod that someone didn't say "I would have done this or that different!" I have a friend here in town that had built a 39 standard two door, got over $15,000 in the motor that he can't really drive under 45 miles an hour, his name or initials painted all over the car and when and if he wants to sell it, there is no one who will want this car with his and his wife's name all over the car and can't hardly idle!!!! AND after he got it running the power steering built too much pressure and exploded under the hood, the power window units don't work like they are supposed to and we are told that "Original Cars are too much work and expensive"!!!
 
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Would be interesting how many on this forum can look in the mirror and actually say that they never ever ruin or change a car from its original condition!! (I can't)Pete
 
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