Hot Rod or HCV?

Ok, i think i resemble some of these remarks

I'm in NSW, I have a 46 mapleleaf, going on to a C30 chev chassis, and yet undecided on either a 454BBC with NV4500 or Cummins 6BTA and Allison.

The aim is to build a vehicle that has the lines and curves of yesteryear, but if the engineers and car company of the time had the technology that was available to us today. I aim to have the body and interior as stock looking as possible, the only exception being that i can't yet figure out a way to get 20" 1946 jelly bean rims on an 8 lug truck.

To me it's all about saving old tin and making it continue working, instead of plumping for plastastic truck/car that we have today. The chassis on my 46 was cactus and there's no way i'd expect the old 46 axles to be able to carry a race truck across the country reliably at 100km/h. I fall in both camps, i like historic and rare old trucks, and i'm also an avid hotrodder.

I'd also like to point out that as a hotrodder i've seen some real abortions when it comes to metalworking and coverups by the "restorationist" crowd. It seems to me that they're happy to just slap stuff together with bog and tech screws if it gets it on the road, whereas rodders are doing all sorts of new metal jobs and reshaping and doing it properly since it has to be inspected by engineers to get it on the road.

As for the historic reg thing, why should it matter? Yes it's heavily modified, yes it's a new chassis, yes it's a hot rod. But yes it retains the character of the original vehicle and i'd like to remind you that "hotrods" ARE historic vehicles. It IS a historic cultural pursuit that started in the 50's. If we stated that only true restorations could get historic reg then there would be a LOT of vehicles that would go to the crushers since they're too far gone to be a true restoration. Mine would have fallen in to this category.

You might like to note that heavy vehicles are not welcome to be registered under the rules and auspices of ASRF (the hotrodding body of australia), and if they're not welcome to be registered under concessional registration then that only leaves full registration. If that's the case, then again, a LOT of old tin is going to sit in paddocks until they're unsalvagable.

People shouldn't let their own idea of what is "nice" colour their view and become arrogance that only their desires are what should be tolerated. Remember, they're only cars/trucks and to the outsider there's a LOT more important things in life to worry about than what's a "hotrod" and what's a "resto"

I'd also like to point out that as a hotrodder i've seen some real abortions when it comes to metalworking and coverups by the "restorationist" crowd. It seems to me that they're happy to just slap stuff together with bog and tech screws if it gets it on the road, whereas rodders are doing all sorts of new metal jobs and reshaping and doing it properly since it has to be inspected by engineers to get it on the road.

As an avid hotrodder, and having been a part of the rebuild of countless vehicles while I was in business over the first 10 years of my career, I've seen far more cover ups and bodgeyness in some of the rod builds than any of the resto's that I've been involved in. Everyone will do what they can within their budget and also, some guys idea of 'nice' far surpasses the others. Probably the big concern with rods is that they're built to go, and a lot of them hard, and most have had a backyard build where the depths of talent vary.

I can and do appreciate everything and as much as I get your reasoning, and trust me, I do, this site is for restored vehicles not heavily modernised/modified ones.

The site for that is The HAMB (which I'm also a member of ). The historic rego thing is always touchy but at the end of it, we need to abide by the rules that are in place and NSW's are pretty strict.

Before you think I'm having a shot at you rockcrawler ( I ain't ) one of the coolest things I saw last year in Noosa was a Commer, same cab as mine, on a C30 chassis with a mid mounted big block, turbo 700 trans and on airbags with billet rims. The owner appologised when he saw pics of my restored truck but as I told him, I'd have his in my shed any day. BTW, you can get 8 lug Alcoa's for the wheels

Before you think I'm having a shot at you rockcrawler ( I ain't ) one of the coolest things I saw last year in Noosa was a Commer, same cab as mine, on a C30 chassis with a mid mounted big block, turbo 700 trans and on airbags with billet rims. The owner appologised when he saw pics of my restored truck but as I told him, I'd have his in my shed any day. BTW, you can get 8 lug Alcoa's for the wheels

It's cool, i know you're not having a shot. And alcoas on a 1940's cab? Urrrghghhh!! The C30 has steelies but they're a 16" rim and far too much offset to accomodate a single spare that will do both front and back. I'm talking to a wheel manufacturer in the states to get 19" steel rims for it.

That'd be cool

Isn't the idea of have a part of Australian history being able to drive them when you feel like it and sharing your classic or vintage vehicle enthusiasm with others not just having it sit in a dark and dingy shed where no one can see them or only yourself and a select few.

I would have thought it wouldnt matter were it sat or if someone showed it off or just kept it to them selves or are historic vehical movement now say you must show your toy. Problem being once rules are enforced to exclude or include some one or something it can become a very slippery slope just a thought not having a go
Paul

i'd like to remind you that "hotrods" ARE historic vehicles. It IS a historic cultural pursuit that started in the 50's.

I thought hot rods came out in the mid to late 30's but I could be wrong wouldnt be the first time at least thats in the US
Paul

I thought hot rods came out in the mid to late 30's but I could be wrong wouldnt be the first time at least thats in the US
Paul

Guys were hotting up cars in the 20's and 30's as part of running liquor to beat prohibition, which is the origins of Nascar.

But hotrodding per se was young fellers in the 50's and 60's taking what were then 20 and 30 year old bangers and dungers to race on the street and the salt flats. The new cars of the time were too expensive to be purchased by a lot of young fellers especially if you were going to race and potentially stack it. So you took an old dunger, put some serious horsepower in it, lightened it then razzed it down the salt. Voila "hot" rods.

I wanted a stock looking 1954 model AR130 that drives like a more modern one. On the outside it is pretty stock..

I saw this on Silverwater Road last saturday Daniel, it looks great. A good mate has a 2 tone blue one you may have seen, they've owned it since new. Well done mate.

A bloke just sent me this link..
Said you jokers might want to read it

editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=435974


chocs

Iam just new here, but i have been staking for a long time i think you have it spot on chops