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Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for straight-line speed. The term “hot rod” is a contraction of “hot roadster,” meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Open roadsters were the cars of choice to modify because they were light.
Author Tom Wolfe was one of the first to recognize the importance of hot rodding in popular culture and brought it to mainstream attention in his book The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby.
The term seems first to have appeared when kids from southern California would race their modified cars on the vast, empty dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles under the rules of the Southern California Timing Association. The activity increased in popularity after World War II, particularly in California, due to returning soldiers, many of whom had been given technical training in the service. The original hot rods were old cars - most often Fords, typically Model Ts, Model As, or 1932 to 1934 Model Bs or V-8s that had been modified to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. Typical modifications were removal of convertible tops, hood, bumpers, windshields, and fenders; lowering the chassis; and modifying the engine by tuning and/or replacing with a more powerful type. Wheels and tires were changed for improved traction and handling. “Hot Rod” was sometimes a term used in the 1950s as a derogatory term for any car that did not fit into the mainstream. Hot rodder’s modifications were considered to improve the appearance as well, leading to show cars in the 1960s replicating these same modifications along with a distinctive paint job.
After World War II there were many small military airports throughout the country that were either abandoned or vary rarely used that allowed Hot Rodders across the country to race on marked courses. Originally Drag Racing had tracks that may have been as long as 1 mile or more, and included up to 4 lanes of racing at the same time. As hot rodding became more popular in the 1950s, magazines and associations catering to Hot Rodders were started. As Hot Rodders began to race on the street in addition to drag strips, a need arose for an organization to promote the images of Hot Rodders. Hot rodders including Wally Parks created the National Hot Rod Association NHRA to bring racing off the streets and onto the tracks. They created rules based on safety and entertainment. They allowed Hot Rodders of any caliber the opportunity to race. The annual California Hot Rod Reunion and National Hot Rod Reunion are held to honor pioneers in the sport. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum houses the roots of hot rodding.
The original Hot Rod era extended from 1930 to the beginning of the muscle car era (about 1965), reaching its height in about 1955. During this time, there was an adequate supply of what hot rodders called “vintage tin”: junk cars manufactured prior to 1942 that could be bought cheaply. Many of these had sound bodies and frames, and had been junked for mechanical reasons, since the running gear of early cars was not durable. The typical hot rod was heavily modified, particularly by replacing the engine and transmission, and possibly other components, including brakes and steering. Certain engines, such as the flathead Ford V8, and the small block Chevy V8 were particularly popular as replacements because of their compact size, availability, customization and power. The early Hemi was popular in applications that required more power, such as drag racing. More recently, more unusual engines have become popular to use in hot rods, notably the Cadillac 500 and the Buick “NailHead”.
Construction of a hot rod requires skills in mechanics, welding, and automotive paint and body work.
The “classic era” of hot rod construction ended around 1965, partially because the supply of vintage tin became scarce, but it was mostly due to the new american cars were equipped for greater speed and power from the factory with little or no modification required. Good-bye Hot Rods, hello Muscle Cars!
Today, there are still a large number of hot-rodders and street-rodders. The Street Rod Nationals serves as a showplace for the majority of the hot-rodding and street-rodding world to display their cars and to find nearly any part needed to complete them.
The United States and Sweden have the largest number of avid Hot Rod fans and builders.
The popularity of the Hot Rod culture shows up in the number of television shows on the topic: Boyd Coddington’s American Hot Rod, Monster Garage, and Overhaulin’.
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