A post in which I rant about hot rods

"Bandit" (2bandit) 01/06/2014 at 13:21 • Filed to: rant

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You see these cars at every car show, cruise, and auction. Hot rods that are absolutely beautiful on the exterior but have interiors that contain modern seats, steering wheels, center consoles, etc. This kind of stuff makes me angry.

Why on earth would you put seats out of a minivan/escalade/beige-era impala into your hot rod? It doesn't make sense! They don't go with the style of car at all. Same goes for gaudy chrome steering wheels. Old steering wheels are in general so beautiful, why do you need to add something that looks like it came out of a JC Whitney catalog?

I love to take pictures of cars at shows but if a hot rod or classic is sporting this crap I probably won't take a picture of it.

Now for a quesion. Why are the majority of hot rods automatics? It seems all the custom hotrods I see at shows are autos. Also, why does it seem most cars use 70s GM steering columns?

As an example of a well done hot rod interior check out this Volvo.

Let me clarify on one thing, I am totally fine with modern seats and steering wheels if they are for performance applications. Why? Because pro-touring racecar.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Bandit 01/06/2014 at 13:27

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Why are the majority of hot rods automatics? It seems all the custom hotrods I see at shows are autos. Also, why does it seem most cars use 70s GM steering columns?

L.A.Z.I.N.E.S.S.

Seriously. Most of the people trying to build show queens are not enormously mechanically adept, are risk-averse, and subbing out the interior/other parts takes time, so they shave on the front end by putting in the most purely idiot-proof solution they can get. GM parts-based PS swap, SBC+TH. They have neither the time, inclination, mechanical resourcefulness, or imagination to come up with anything non-cookie cutter, and I hate them for it.

Bandit > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/06/2014 at 13:29

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Hmm, that's so obvious that I am ashamed I didn't think of it.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Bandit 01/06/2014 at 13:37

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Automatics because they are old fat guys who can no longer shift.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Bandit 01/06/2014 at 13:41

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Finding a different location for a mechanical shifter takes time. Making a car's existing manual, if any, pedal setup work with a new clutch/etc. takes time. Linkages for all of the above take time. Getting it ergonomically correct takes time. All this, when an "appropriately classic" shifter is available off the shelf, and needs very little to be set up anywhere with a TH400? The "easy" solution is transparent, and many of these people are in it for the look and the kind of exhibition driving that a stick is more a hindrance than a help to. It doesn't help matters that due to ease and ready availability of autos, the third wave or so of hot rods even back in the 60s/70s were plagued with auto+SBC/whatever swaps, due to ease and the fact it's a tested combo that'll handle hp pretty well and leave only the rear end swap to complete the picture.

As to the PS swaps? That's part of the picture. A lot of the "looks, not feel" lazy class of resto-modders are catering to the oldster crowd. Easy driving in shift, tractability of acceleration, and smooth turn of the wheel - they're effectively trying to make any and all old cars that come across their shop floor a really noisy bumpy Cadillac. This is, in a word, idiotic, but it sells, and the old most typically have the money to buy such a thing.

Edit to add: this is also the ethos responsible for the modern seats. Gramps wants his buttocks in something tried and true and easy to find (lazy) - i.e. like in his Lumina.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/06/2014 at 13:43

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Much more concise than what I said, and sums up a lot of it.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Bandit 01/06/2014 at 13:48

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If it's a show car, as well finished as the ones that you've posted pictures if, I'm sure the owners never planned on putting so much money into it to go out and hoon it. So the cars are more likely just for shows/showing, and things like parades, which are unfortunately much more suited to automatics.
And as far as more modern interiors, I'm sure they're more focused on being comfortable while driving, and you can call it custom and make an interior you're happy about.
The GM steering columns are probably an easy to find, easy to work with, compact and affordable solution. Like Mustang II steering racks and such.

oldirtybootz > Bandit 01/06/2014 at 14:27

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I gotta say, hot rods, with some exceptions, have never done anything for me, especially lazy, cookie cutter, SBC powered 32 Fords.

camaroboy68ss > Bandit 01/06/2014 at 14:33

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I understand where your coming from due to being into traditional hot rods and customs. But there are some good reasons for the use. The steering column issue mainly has to do with the aftermarket. Most companies have used the column as a standard for most tilt columns. Ididit, flaming river, etc use the gm column design. The steering wheel is something that has to go with the theme of car. If its a high tech billet car then the wheel needs to match. Most people like buckets and modern ones are dirt cheap than trying find a old set that are even useable. It all depends on the theme of the car. Take the car I'm helping restore as an example. The car is a real deal early 60s custom. Most of its life it had stock bench seats with tuck and roll like a old custom should have. With the factory column and a 69 corvette steering wheel. Than in the 90s a guy got the bright idea of ditching the bench seats for 4 buckets out of a late 80s t bird. Did not match the car. Now we had to scrap all that and decided to use 60 t bird since it still is front buckets but look period correct in a old custom.

awe46m3zcp > Bandit 01/06/2014 at 15:02

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Because they want to be comfortable when they drive them. You know from the garage onto the trailer, and from the trailer to the parking spot.

Dsscats > Bandit 01/07/2014 at 10:57

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In this topic, I am so sick of Bel Airs. There are always a miiiiillllion at every show nfc and none of them are speciAl in any way. I'm much more interested in the ratty Volvo wagon with an sbc than the same big cruiser as everyone else. On that note, ssupercar Sunday ftw