Hotrod
History shows Muscle Cars and drag racing influenced the building of these custom
high-performance cars.
  
A lot has been written about the origins of the
hot rod and the development of the culture that gave rise to those craving more then a
ride to the grocery store from the automobile. At the end of WWII, a legion of young men
returned to America with cash in their pockets and a sense of freedom and excitement bred
by their experiences in the war. With a period of peace and the steadily increasing
prosperity of the country as a backdrop, these young men had a "can-do" attitude
and a desire to express themselves in ways that their time in the military had stifled.
And, all of a sudden, there were a lot of inexpensive used cars available.
For years Detroit had basically been in the
business of supplying the military and now all that production capacity was turned to
creating a stream of new cars to satisfy the pent-up demand of a civilian population that
had scrimped and saved throughout the Great Depression of the 1930s and the sacrifices of
the war years. Men who'd stayed behind to work in America's offices and factories had a
lot of savings and they were ready to ditch their aging cars from the 1920s and 1930s for
gleaming new models offered by the Big Three. Their cheap trade-ins became the starting
point of the hot rodders, and came to define the way they were rebuilt, how they looked,
and above all ...how they performed.
These factors dictated the classic American hot
rod. It was the later Model Ts and the plentiful early-30s Fords and Chevys that became
the raw material for the young men, who created hot rod souped up engines and hot rodding
culture. The basic performance and engineering elements of the hotrod came together in
these cars: More power, less weight and a look derived from these things leading to
chopped tops, channeled bodies, pinched frames, dropped axles and, eventually wide slick
tires, huge block Musclecar engines, blowers and fuzzy dice dangling from rearview mirrors
.
Southern California became the seed-bed for so
much cultural change in the second half of the twentieth century. Part of it was
Hollywood, part simply that the western part of the country had reached a critical mass of
prosperity and population sufficient to establish itself as a new center of culture
distinct from the old center in the northeast. But a few factors made southern California
the right place for the birth of hot rodding. One was the climate: with year-round perfect
temperature and little rainfall, young men of little means could work outside on cars that
had few creature comforts themselves. More important, Los Angeles was the first city truly
shaped from its beginnings by the automobile: There were more roads, and new ones there.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, was "the lakes," the dry lake beds just
east of L.A. that became a magnet for the chopped and stripped-down speed machines. Here
the hot rodders found miles and miles of hard, glass-flat surface upon which to run their
machines.
  
Click image to  enlarge photos
Today the Hotrod culture lives on with Dads, Grand-Days passing on
their custom rods to a new generation all seeking the annual Classic car cruises. Click here to view a complete nationwide calendar of Hotrod and
Muscle Car cruises and show events.
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Taking many rodders by surprise is the street rod potential which
all early model Buicks have for the chopshop set. The 1937 and 1938 Buicks are high on the
list of many collectors. In addition, Buicks rightfully possessed the reputation for being
the fastest cars on the road during the 1940's. The overlooked Buicks are also credited
with being among the first to introduce the pillarless hardtop in 1949. This of course is
the most sought-after body style for the street machine set of custom Hotrodders.
1937 and 1938 were to Buick what 1932 was to Ford. These
two years are often considered Buick's best by restorers and rodders alike. Clamshell
fenders had more to them at the rear of the wheels, as they sloped down, gracefully
rounding off and dropping to the running boards. Headlights nestled between the fenders
and hood while the grille angle and curve to the bars gave Buick a high priced look.
Chrome vents ran down the hood side and bumpers have a rib in their center, running
horizontally. All convertible tops folded down into the package tray, eliminating the
cluttery look which soft tops had been noted for. Despite this, open cars were meeting
their demise as three and five window coupes were increasing in popularity. Front and rear
stabilizer bars were incorporated into the 1937 suspension system, but that's not all. The
following year coils replaced the leafs in the rear as styling became even sharper. The
1938 Buick does resemble the previous year's styling. The change was in the reduction of
the number of grille bars, therefore they are spaced farther apart. Dynaflash Eights
supplied the go for the amazingly fast Buicks, the most powerful of which was the 248
cubic inch block, cranking out 141 horses at 3,600 rpms. This high output engine was
available in the Century, Roadmaster, and Limited models. The Special had to make do with
a 107 bhp version of the 248 engine. 168,689 Buicks were produced in 1938, carrying tags
anywhere from $1,200 to $2,400.
1953 Buick Skylark convertible
The man of the 50's sought some extra speed in his life outside
those prim and proper home. The second car became a buick roadster for these folks. Even
with their watermelon appearance they are surprisingly fast haulers. They became even
faster when Buick celebrated their 50th year in 1953 with the new overhead valve V-8s, in
two versions no less! These engines were capable of producing 188 horsepower at 3,000 rpms
from a 322 cubic inch block, fed by four barrel carburation. These engines also had the
highest compression in all of Detroit with an 8.5:1 ratio. Style remained the same, with
the exception of cluttered headlight shrouds and new taillight configuration. To really
celebrate their golden anniversary Buick introduced America's first family-sized sporty
car, the Skylark. Built in convertible form only, they had a short run of 1,690 for 1953,
selling at a flat $5000. The Skylarks resembled the other Buicks of the same vintage, yet
their soft tops, wire wheels and fully radiused rear wheel wells were all that was needed
to set them apart. In 1962 there was Buick's new 198 cubic inch V-6 and the following year
there was the luxurious sporty Riviera. 1965 saw the debut of the Skylark Gran Sport,
Buick's muscle car, and the rest is the legacy Buick gave to the auto industry.
Click image to enlarge photos
   
FAQ #1 What is the WDC? The Woodward Dream Cruise
(WDC) is the grass roots phenomenon that has grown into the world's largest one-day
automotive event. On the third Saturday in August, it attracts more than 1.5 million
people and 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest
vehicles. The cars cruise a legendary 16-mile strip called Woodward Avenue in one
glorious, celebratory, homage to America's love affair with the automobile. Spectators
line the streets and many family-oriented amusements and attractions provide entertainment
and excitement. This year marks the 10th anniversary of this event. It takes places in the
nine cities that line Woodward Avenue in suburban Detroit, Michigan. ....click for more info Hot
rod were first build by young men seeking more from their used car purchases then just
transportation. In S. California a hot rod car culture started after WWII where chopping,
big engines,wide slicks and horsepower transformed the old cars into a young mans
expression of automotive art.
Welcome to Motown Muscle Cars discussion forum dedicated
to vintage Detroit Muscle cars owners. Our group caters to classic car collectors seeking
to buy or sell their high performance vehicles via classified photo Ads or auction sites
like eBay Motors or Cars.com. Post your photos or car club events here and send e-mail
offers on cars for sale to the group Motown_Musclecars@yahoogroups.com
We are seeking car tips, hard to find parts, buying/selling information and your
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