Hot rod

A 1923 Ford T-bucket in the traditional style with lake headers, dog dish hubcaps, dropped "I" beam axle, narrow rubber, and single 4-barrel, but non-traditional disc brakes.
T-bucket with early hemi, but aluminum radiator (rather than brass), rectangular headlights, and five-spokes (rather than motorcycle wheels) mark this as a later incarnation.
3-window lowboy Deuce coupé with a traditional chop, dropped front axle, sidepipes, bugcatcher scoop (with Mooneyes cover) over dual quads on a tunnel ram, as well as less-traditional shaved door handles and disc brakes.
1932 3-window with a classic-style[1] flame job and Moon tank, reminiscent of Chapouris' California Kid.

Hot rods are typically old, classic American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. For example, some claim that the term "hot" refers to the vehicle being stolen. Other origins include replacing the engine's camshaft or "rod" with a higher performance version.

The term has broadened to apply to other items that are modified for a particular purpose, such as "hot-rodded amplifier".

Background

Some automotive historians say that the term originated with stolen vehicles being refitted with another engine and repainted. In the early days of automobile manufacturing there was no identical matching transmission, body frame, and engine numbers. It was possible to change engines and repaint the car or truck and in effect turn it into a different vehicle and thus it became near impossible to prove that the vehicle was stolen. The term "hot" was equivalent to being stolen. The term "rod" was equivalent to any motorized vehicle. Even today, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in its vehicle emissions regulations, refers to a "hotrod" as any motorized vehicle that has a replacement engine differing from the factory original.[2] Another possible origin includes replacement of the camshaft with a new ("hotter") version, sometimes known as a hot stick or hot rod. Roadsters were the cars of choice because they were light, easy to modify, and inexpensive. The term became commonplace in the 1930s or 1940s as the name of a car that had been "hopped up" by modifying the engine for higher performance. A term common in the early days was "gow job". This has fallen into disuse except with historians.

The gow job morphed into the hot rod in the early to middle 1950s.[3]

History

Late 1930s–1950s

The term seems first to have appeared in the late 1930s in southern California, where people raced modified cars on dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles under the rules of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), among other groups. The activity increased in popularity after World War II, particularly in California, because many returning soldiers received technical training in the service. Many cars were prepared by bootleggers in response to Prohibition to enable them to avoid revenue agents ("Revenooers"); some police vehicles were also modified in response.[4]

The first hot rods were old cars (most often Fords, typically Model Ts, 1928–31 Model As, or 1932-34 Model Bs), modified to reduce weight. Typical modifications were removal of convertible tops, hoods, bumpers, windshields, and/or fenders; channeling the body; and modifying the engine by tuning and/or replacing with a more powerful type. Speedster was a common name for the modified car. Wheels and tires were changed for improved traction and handling. "Hot rod" was sometimes a term used in the 1950s as a derogatory term for any car that did not fit into the mainstream. Hot rodders' modifications were considered to improve the appearance as well, leading to show cars in the 1960s replicating these same modifications along with a distinctive paint job.

Typical of builds from before World War Two were '35 Ford wire-spoke wheels.[5]

Immediately postwar, most rods would change from mechanical to hydraulic ("juice") brakes and from bulb to sealed-beam headlights.[6]

Engine swaps often involved fitting the Ford flathead V8 engine, or "flatty", in a different chassis; the "60 horse" in a Jeep was a popular choice in the '40s. After the appearance of the 255 cu in (4.2 l) V8, because of interchangeability, installing the longer-stroke Mercury crank in the 239 was a popular upgrade among hot rodders, much as the 400 cu in (6.6 l) crank in small-blocks would later become. In the 1950s, the flathead block was often fitted with crankshafts of up to 4.125 in (104.8 mm) stroke, sometimes more.[7] In addition, rodders in the 1950s routinely bored them out by 0.1875 in (4.76 mm) (to 3.375 in (85.7 mm));[7] due to the tendency of blocks to crack as a result of overheating, a perennial problem, this is no longer recommended.[8] In the '50s and '60s, the flatty was supplanted by the early hemi. By the 1970s, the small-block Chevy was the most common option, and since the '80s, the 350 cu in (5.7 l) Chevy has been almost ubiquitous.[9]

Post WWII origins of organized rodding

Hot-rodded prewar British Rover 10

After World War II there were many small military airports throughout the country that were either abandoned or rarely used that allowed hot rodders across the country to race on marked courses. Originally drag racing had tracks as long as one mile (1.6 km) or more, and included up to four lanes of racing simultaneously. As hot rodding became more popular in the 1950s, magazines and associations catering to hot rodders were started. These were led by Honk! (which shortly became Hot Rod) and Car Craft. As some hot rodders also raced on the street, a need arose for an organization to promote safety, and to provide venues for safe racing. Hot rodders including Wally Parks created the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to bring racing off the streets and onto the tracks. They created rules based on safety and entertainment, and allowed Hot Rodders of any caliber the ability to race. The annual California Hot Rod Reunion and National Hot Rod Reunion are held to honor pioneers in the sport. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum houses the roots of hot rodding.

The mid-1950s and early 1960s custom Deuce was typically fenderless and steeply chopped, and almost all Ford (or Mercury, with the 239 cu in (3,920 cc) flatty, introduced in 1939[10]); a Halibrand quick-change rearend was also typical, and an Edelbrock intake manifold or Harman and Collins magneto would not be uncommon.[11] Reproduction spindles, brake drums, and backing based on the 1937s remain available today.[12] Aftermarket flatty heads were available from Barney Navarro,[13] Vic Edelbrock, and Offenhauser. The first intake manifold Edelbrock sold was a "slingshot" design for the flatty.[14] Front suspension hairpins were adapted from sprint cars, such as the Kurtis Krafts.[15] The first Jimmy supercharger on a V8 may have been by Navarro in 1950.[16]

Brookville Roadster was one of the first companies to reproduce car bodies in steel..[17]

1960s rise of the street rod

As automobiles offered by the major automakers began increasing performance, the lure of hot rods began to wane. It was no longer necessary to put a Cadillac engine in a Ford roadster to be fast. It was now possible to buy a muscle car that outperformed nearly any hot rod, with more passenger room, and without having to expend the effort of building and tuning the car oneself. After the 1973 Oil Crisis, the public called on automakers to offer safety and fuel efficiency over performance. The resulting decrease in an average car's performance led to a resurgence of hot rodding, although the focus was on driving hot rods over racing so the term 'street rod' was coined to denote a vehicle manufactured prior to 1949, often with a more reliable late model drive train. Street rodding as it was now known was a different phenomenon than hot rodding, as street rodding was mainly family-oriented. National events were hosted by the National Street Rod Association (NSRA), which also stressed safety as the NHRA did 20 years before. Each NSRA event has a 'Safety Inspection Team' that performs a 23-point inspection process beyond normal State Safety Inspections.

In the mid-1980s, as stock engine sizes diminished, rodders discovered the all-aluminum 215 (Buick or Olds) could be stretched to as much as 305 cu in (5 l), using: the Buick 300 crank, new cylinder sleeves, and an assortment of non-GM parts, including VW & Mopar lifters and Carter carb.[18] It could also be fitted with high-compression cylinder heads from the Morgan +8. Using the 5-liter Rover block and crank, a maximum displacement of 317.8 cu in (5,208 cc) is theoretically possible.[19]

Modern rodding

1936 Chevrolet street rod

There is still a vibrant hot rod culture worldwide, especially in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Sweden. The hot rod community has now been subdivided into two main groups: street rodders and hot rodders.

In modern culture

Lifestyle

There is a contemporary movement of traditional hot rod builders, car clubs and artists who have returned to the roots of hot rodding as a lifestyle. This includes a new breed of traditional hot rod builders, artists, and styles, as well as classic style car clubs. Events like GreaseOrama feature traditional hot rods and the greaser lifestyle. Magazines like Ol' Skool Rodz, Gears and Gals, and Rat-Rods and Rust Queens cover events and people.

In the media

Author Tom Wolfe was one of the first to recognize the importance of hot rodding in popular culture and brought it to mainstream attention in his book The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby.

There are magazines that feature traditional hot rods, including Hot Rod, Car Craft, Rod and Custom, and Popular Hot Rodding. There are also television shows such as My Classic Car, Horsepower TV, American Hot Rod, and Chop Cut Rebuild.

In Sweden and Finland

Swedish hot rodders with 1960s American car at Power Big Meet

Locals in these countries, influenced by American culture, have created a local hot rod culture which is vibrant in Sweden and Finland where enthusiasts gather at meetings such as Power Big Meet and clubs like Wheels and Wings in Varberg, Sweden have established themselves in Hot Rod culture. Since there is very little "vintage tin" the hot rods in Sweden are generally made with a home made chassis (usually a Model T or A replica), with a Jaguar (or Volvo 240) rear axle, a small block V8, and fiberglass tub, but some have been built using for instance a Volvo Duett chassis. Because the Swedish regulations required a crash test even for custom-built passenger cars between 1969 and 1982, the Duett option was preferred, since it was considered a rebodied Duett rather than a new vehicle.

Some 1950s and 1960s cars are also hot rodded, like Morris Minor, Ford Anglia, Volvo Amazon, Ford Cortina, '57 Chevy, to name but a few. These are known as custom cars (sometimes spelled Kustom).

Language

Certain linguistic conventions are followed among rodders and customizers:

Common terms

Hang (or pull) the laundry — to deploy a braking parachute[50]

Some terms have an additional, different meaning among customizers than among rodders: NOS, for instance, is a reference to new old stock, rather than nitrous oxide.

See also

References

  1. Fortier, Rob (August 1999). "25th Salt Lake City Autorama". Street Rodder: 51.
  2. "Environmental Protection Act - Loi sur la protection de l’environnement". Ontario Regulation 361/98. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  3. Shelton, Chris. "Then, Now, and Forever" in Hot Rod, March 2017, p.16.
  4. "Hot Rod". svagoo.it.
  5. Shelton, Chris. "Then, Now, and Forever" in Hot Rod, March 2017, p.18.
  6. Shelton, Chris. "Then, Now, and Forever" in Hot Rod, March 2017, pp.18 and 20.
  7. 1 2 Street Rodder, 1/85, p. 72.
  8. Street Rodder, 1/85, p.72.
  9. See any issue of Street Rodder, for instance.
  10. Shelton, p.20.
  11. Shelton, pp.17-18.
  12. Shelton, p.20.
  13. Shelton, p.20 caption.
  14. Shelton, p.20 caption.
  15. Shelton, p.24 and p.26 caption.
  16. Shelton, p.26 caption.
  17. Shelton, p.28.
  18. Davis, Marlan. "Affordable Aluminum V8's [sic]", in Hot Rod Magazine, March 1985, pp.84-9 & 121.
  19. Davis, p.87.
  20. For instance, Street Rodder, 8/99, passim; Rod Action, 2/78, passim.
  21. American Rodder, 6/94, pp.45 & 93.
  22. Geisert, Eric. "Tom's Fun Run", in Street Rodder, 8/99, p.149cap.
  23. Street Rod Builder, 7/03, p.126.
  24. PHR, 7/06, pp.22-3.
  25. Fortier, p.53cap.
  26. Fortier, p.54cap.
  27. Fetherston, David, "Track Terror", in Rod & Custom, 7/95, p.35; Emmons, Don, "Long-term Hybrid", in Rod & Custom, 7/95, p.52; & Baskerville, Gray, "Tom Brown's '60s Sweetheart", in Rod & Custom, 9/00, p.162.
  28. Bianco, Johnny, "Leadfest" in Rod & Custom, 9/00, p.86.
  29. "Latest Ford Anglia and Site News". anglia-models.co.uk.
  30. McClurg, Bob. Diggers, Funnies, Gassers and Altereds: Drag Racing's Golden Age (North Branch, MN: CarTech Inc, 2013), p.44.
  31. Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp. 30–43 passim.
  32. Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp. 30–43 passim.
  33. Hot Rod, 12/86, p.85 caption.
  34. Scale Auto, 6/06, p.15 sidebar.
  35. http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=6787
  36. Burgess, Phil, NHRA National Dragster Editor. "More Things That Aren't Here Anymore", written 11 July 2014, at NHRA.com (retrieved 10 June 2017)
  37. Ganahl, Pat, "Swap 'til you Drop", in Rod & Custom, 7/95, pp.68 & 70.
  38. Geisert, Eric. "The California Spyder", in Street Rodder, 8/99, p.34; Mayall, Joe. "Driving Impression: Reproduction Deuce Hiboy", in Rod Action, 2/78, p.26; letters, Rod & Custom, 7/95, p.10.
  39. Fortier, Rob. ""A Little Pinch Here, A Little Tuck There", in Street Rodder, 8/99, p.136.
  40. McClurg, Bob. Diggers, Funnies, Gassers and Altereds: Drag Racing's Golden Age (North Branch, MN: CarTech Inc, 2013), p.70.
  41. Hot Rod, 12/86, p.52 caption.
  42. http://www.oldtinrods.com
  43. Burhnam, Bill. "In Bill's Eye", Custom Rodder 1/97, p.17; reprinted from Goodguys Gazette.
  44. "Mr. 32", in Street Rodder, 2/78, p.40.
  45. Fortier, p.51cap; Bianco, p.82.
  46. Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp. 30–43 passim.
  47. Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp. 30–43 passim.
  48. Ganahl, p.70 & "Coupla Cool Coupes", p.74.
  49. Mayall, Joe. "Joe Mayall's Driving Impression: Reproduction Deuce Hiboy", in Rod Action, 2/78, pp.28 & 29; Hot Rod Magazine, 11/84, p.6.
  50. McClurg, Bob. Diggers, Funnies, Gassers and Altereds: Drag Racing's Golden Age (North Branch, MN: CarTech Inc, 2013), p.64 caption.
  51. Hot Rod Magazine's Street Machines and Bracket Racing #3 (Los Angeles: Petersen Publishing, 1979), p.65.
  52. Shelton, Chris. "Then, Now, and Forever" in Hot Rod, March 2017, pp.18 and 20.
  53. McClurg, Bob. Diggers, Funnies, Gassers and Altereds: Drag Racing's Golden Age (North Branch, MN: CarTech Inc, 2013), p.64 caption.
  54. Hot Rod, 2/87, p.43.
  55. According to IHRA Executive VP Ted Jones, in Car Craft, 1/91, p.16.
  56. Popular Cars, 12/85, p.51.
  57. Hot Rod Magazine, 11/84, pp.46 & 50.
  58. Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp. 30–43 passim.
  59. Hot Rod Magazine, 11/84, p.7.
  60. Hot Rod Magazine's Street Machines and Bracket Racing #3 (Los Angeles: Petersen Publishing, 1979), p.33.
  61. Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp. 30–43 passim.
  62. Rod & Custom, 7/95, p.143cap.
  63. Yunick, Henry. Best Damn Garage in Town: The World According to Smokey.
  64. Street Rodder, 12/98, p.292.
  65. Toploader history
  66. Rod & Custom, 7/95, pp.26-7 & 33.
  67. Street Rodder, 2/78, p.43.
  68. Taylor, Thom. "Beauty Beyond the Twilight Zone" in Hot Rod, April 2017, pp. 30–43 passim.
  69. Chevrolet Chassis Service Manual, 1963 edition, ec 0-4
  70. Street Rodder, 7/94, p.145.
  71. Hot Rod, 2/87, p.47, & 12/86, p.33 caption.
  72. owner of the car
  73. Street Rodder, 12/98, p.47; Rod & Custom, 7/95, p.29.
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