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[<< Prev][Next >>] Post: March 29th 2011
Smokin’ Hot Rods

We are in the parking lot! Your Car Care REPs have cleaned the injectors, cleared the air filters, and are ready to give your ponies the extra horsepower they need to get you ahead. I always keep things personal with my readers so today is no different. I want to share a story that dates back to my childhood. When I was 8 years old I was able to have my own room. No more sharing a room with my siblings, wow! When I moved into my new room it felt great, but also felt empty and hollow. The only thing in there was a bed, a dresser and four walls of fresh green paint. My sister had posters plastered all over her walls of movies and bands that she liked at the time. The movies TAPS, and Flashdance, and groups like New Edition, The Police and Duran Duran were all over her walls. That wasn’t my style though. What was I going to put on my walls? I’ve always loved cars since I was a young child. I only had one magazine at the time, Hot Rod Magazine. I must have read that single issue hundreds of time. That issue was filled with pictures of Hot Rods from all over the country. So one Saturday afternoon I decided to cut out all the pictures I loved and pasted them on my walls. It took me 12 hours but when I was done it felt like I created a masterpiece. Moving forward to 2011, I was thumbing through a recent issue of Hot Rod Magazine. It brought back all the memories from my first childhood love, Hot Rods. So today we’ll discuss the history of Rods and see why they’re still Smokin’ Hot!

There was a time in American automotive history when guys wanted to get more power than what the standard Ford Model T car could give them. These guys started to put Cadillac engines inside Fords and also started upgrading the exterior to lighten the vehicle’s weight. These pioneers are the founders of the Hot Rod Movement. Hot Roding roots started out in southern California back in the 1930’s. Roadsters were the cars of choice to modify because they were light. This is where the term Hot Rod comes from. Originally, “souped up” roadsters were called Hot Roadsters. It was later shortened to Hot Rod. It’s important to note that the term “Hot Rod” was used as a derogatory term in the 1950’s for any car that did not fit into the mainstream vehicle types. Hot Rods have come a long way from their early humble beginnings and are respected by all true automotive enthusiasts. Essentially, Hot Rods are the granddaddy of tuners and mods.

Original Hot Rods were old Ford Model T’s and Ford Model A’s. People modified these vehicles by removing bumpers, windshields and fenders (to name a few of the items) to reduce the overall weight of the car. Engine swaps were essential in Hot Roding. Some Hot Rods were outfitted with Cadillac engines, others with Chevy engines. Even crankshafts were replaced – most commonly with that from a Mercury car model. Hot Rods were designed and built to have fast linear speed but did not handle nimbly in turns.

The Hot Rod movement developed quickly in the 50’s and 60’s. Guys not only “souped up” their engines, they also wanted to have a unique paint job for their custom cars. Riders started to get radical color schemes on their rides. For example, you would be able to spot a Hot Rod easily by the red & yellow painted flames on its side panels; or grey & white skull and cross-bones on its hood. This differentiated this growing trend from the, then, status quo vehicles that were being built-in Detroit’s motor city.These cars became one of the icons for the teenage rebellion of the late 50’s. During this time teenage adolescents were into the growing musical revolution called “Rock & Roll”. Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Fats Domino could be heard coming out of jukeboxes from burger and shake joints around the country. Also during this time, teenage high school students began to form gangs. These early gangs revolved around competition and not violence. A gang would be more popular if they had the best looking and fastest Hot Rods in their school. These cars brought about the ritual of Drag/ Strip racing. A movie that depicts this well is “Grease” starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. (Love John Travolta in Grease)


The lure of Hot Rods started to fall in the 1970’s when muscle cars were introduced. It was no longer necessary to soup up a Ford to gain the street power you wanted. Auto manufactures were making their vehicles more powerful with much more seating room. Though the mainstream turned its back on the Hot Rod, an organization called the National Street Rod Association was created to keep the culture alive. The NSRA host many events nationwide where you can view many of these vintage cars.

Today it’s rare to see a Hot Rod on the streets, if you happen to see one it’s probably in transit to or from a car show. Luckily, Hot Rod Magazine has kept this tradition alive. Looking at a recent issue, they haven’t changed much since I was making clippings for my 1st bedroom walls. They have kept to the essence & soul of the Hot Rod movement. They include detailed articles about the car and its owners from all over the country. And of course they have tons of photos for you to enjoy. Without this magazine kids today might never get to experience these wonderful unique vehicles as I did years ago. My hat goes off to Hot Rod Magazine for running an A+ publication for all these years. Keep up the good work.

Though I am a lover of many distinct types of autos: muscle cars, exotic cars, sports cars to name a few. Hot Rods have got to be my 1st love. I have a prediction to make. I believe that what comes around goes around and we’re going to see a resurgence in the Hot Rod styled cars. We got a taste of this with the creation of the Dodge Prowler (of which I’m a huge fan). One of my personal goals is to build a custom Hot Rod. I’ll keep you updated with the progress. Your Car Care REPs are ready to stamp out and peel off. Stay tuned for our next edition.




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