Darkside Dave Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:58 am
I'm just shy of age 65 and I have lived through the early age of hot rodding. Having lived through the 50's and the 60's, and at the same time being a motorhead, I am often amused by the concepts and perceptions people have about those times. I've had a chance to see this first hand in my son who just turned 40. Every generation forms their own perception of what was in a time they did not experience. Even though my son who is also a motorhead had the benefit of getting the the real story about those time straight from me, his perception and concept of the times and what we did back then are not as it was. That is not because he consciously tried to distort things. It's just human nature. The best that the current generations of car builders can do is look at old pictures and films. They see the images but they have no idea exactly what the intentions and motivations were. In my teen years of the 60's things were very much different than now. back then, if you had a car it was either because you had rich parents, it was a hand me down that had long since served it purpose to a previous generation, or you busted your ass working to get enough money to get some kind of car. Usually it was old and needed lots of TLC. We first fixed what needed fixed and then if we had a way and/or the money, we made modifications. We went to old mom and pop junkyards and bought enough stuff to put something together that would run. It was our way of getting in the game. A lot of us, myself included, were the product of parents that had struggled through the depression and had done things no one could conceive in this day and age to survive. That tends to rub off on you as a child. I didn't have a poor childhood but we weren't rich either. I was an only child and my father spent lots of time with me in the shop and garage. We never took a car to a mechanic for anything, we fixed it ourselves. Most of the cars we had were rebuilt wrecks. I think I can safely say that I am a true product of old car culture.
Now I look at what the present day perception of those times were and I really have to laugh. Beyond the pictures and films, they ain't got a clue. Those times are gone and they ain't commin' back. So, I find this constant argument about what is what to be absurd and amusing. For example, a lot of guys are opting to retro fit cars with solid front axles under cars that had later suspension designs for no more reason than what they saw in pictures of the old gassers. They are not doing it because it will handle better. Most people who are doing this stuff now don't have a clue as to what it will be like until they drive it. what they get is essentially a straight line racer that really sucks on the curves. But what the hell... it looks cool. Nowadays the rat rod culture runs the gambit from unique to ridiculous with all the principals constantly arguing among themselves about what is right or wrong. The simple truth is that it is a constantly evolving microcosm of the automotive world. It is constantly mutating. I think in a country like ours where freedom of expression is prized, there is room for all types of automotive creations. I just think arguing about this shit is a pointless waste of time. A lot of what we hear comes from the mouths of people who have never really done much beyond opening their wallet and throwing catalog parts at a project. In my opinion the most unique thing about the rat rod thing is the ingenuity of people who want to build something using unique ideas of their own and doing is as cheap as possible.
My advice would be to stop arguing about this shit and enjoy this while we can. It won't be long before the SEMA folks figure a way to capitalize on this and start making rat rod stuff. I don't have to tell you that it will be another case of a good thing gone to hell. Here again, we are back to the whole purpose of this board. I started this board to encourage and foster the culture of doing things differently. This extends well beyond rat rods. It can and should apply to areas of automotive interests in building and fabricating. That is why I have tried to encourage people to start build threads. It is one great way to pass along ideas and inspire others to do what they might not attempt otherwise. We would all be better off to direct out outrage at those who sit on their collective asses and criticize those who do something as opposed to arguing among ourselves.
Later Folks...
