hot rod or street rod whats the differance

, here we go....


The argument Street Rod vs. Hot Rod is a long debated issue that is usually avoided by most rodders on the net due to the "can't we all get along" syndrome that plagues our ranks. I shouldn't use the word "plagues" that's a little harsh, insert: prevents us from having a good debate/ discussion.


Anyway, most of us know one when we see one, and in a sea of 12,000 they stand out like a dogs gonads. They are well known by most, driven by few and down right challenging to build. What we're talking about here blokes is the great American legend known as the HOT ROD.


Hot Rods were born long before the term "hot rod" came about and decades before it was o.k. to use the term around your mother. In short, Hot Rods were birthed out of some greasy haired youngsters' need for speed.


HOT ROD Magazine would define a Hot Rod as "any production vehicle modified for improved performance" or something like that. So installing a K&N air filter in my Chevy truck makes it a Hot Rod? No. (As a side note guys, beware of people who self appoint names to themselves.) A Hot Rod is much more complicated than that. Hot Rods are created not bought. Take Bruce Meyer for instance. That guy owns more famous Hot Rods than anyone on the planet but not one (of the famous cars that is) is know as "the Bruce Meyer '32" or '34 or whatever. Even Pete Chapouris who lays claim to restoring these beuties can't even call one of them his own. The cars are known as "the Doane Spencer highboy" or "the Pierson Brothers Coupe" and the list goes on and on.


Hot Rods have an attitude that reeks of speed, but they don't necessarily have to be fast by today

My thoughts, an keep it short.

Hotrod.
Keep it traditional, mod as much as you want, need to but stick with stuff that was available fro the era or worked to make it work.
34 steel bodied coupe, hi boy or fendered, copped and channeled if that's where you wanted to go, with a flathead and tri carb, 4 speed manual box and 9" type of thing.

Streetrod.
Keep the traditional look, but use what ever works best that could be bought out of a crate or as a bolt on product.
34 coupe in glass body, IFS front and 4 rod rear to a prefab 9", fuel injected motor and alloy radiator and 5 speed auto.

More what I'd call a retro car than a classic if you know what I mean.

Just my opinion.

ok here's my take - and I am prepared to be howled down

Hot Rods have (or had) running boards and guards in their original design. THe main thing is the donor vehicle had a seperate chassis and are normally built to drive.

Street Rods (or Street machines) are similarly modified vehicles from a later era (eg an Ek or EH Holden or XP or XW Falcon would be Steet Rod) and are normally built for dhoe or burnouts

A Ricer is one of those modern things with the exhaust bigger than the motor, the sound system more powerful than the vehicle and the loudest noise from them is either 'doof - doof' or an external speaker making a turbo blow off valve noise, (I hate those things)

That is as someone who was at school right through the 1970's when shaggin wagons and vans ruled but wasn't old enough to drive until the early 80's by which time they had passed

adam im not going to get draw into this to far because you no what your mum said about argueing in public!!!! a real hotrodder can spot a hotrod a mile away an can tell a hotrodder from a s/rodder or rat rodder in 30 seconds

streetrodders think ak miller is a rap artist!

ratrodders want to look an act like hotrodders of the 50-60,s and try an tell you what it was like back then but none of us old blokes dressed like that or built sh$tboxes like those things


in short to be a real hotrodder you have to have lived that era an built cars then. if this sounds like im a cranky old pr#$k thats protective of his passed than your dead on the money bloke cos nothin p!sses me of more than being called a streetrodder

Adam..thanks for the post...
if you turn to page 47 of kirky's will..it says there...hes leavin every street rod hes got to you...it's written down from where he leaves me the payment book for the rolla!

chocs

chocs you an adam might have a bit of a wait im not planing on gettin the "toys" award just yet

I'll take the 34 pickup hotrod Kirky

Adam,

Thanks for the comprehensive post. I suppose working for the Council will give you plenty of time to write it up.

Cheers

Lol, what can i say

if ya could still park out front for lunch Ad, ya could build a street rod ay!
chocs