Doesn't anybody want to build shiny rods anymore !

Brett.C · Post by **Brett.C** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 3:59 pm

choco wrote:I was at Del Rio a couple of years ago, and a really neat 34 Chev roadster rolled in. It cruised, it parked, it looked great and lots of people came over to give it the once over. After a couple of hours, someone asked what the chassis was. The owner said it was a Hilux. A few of the "old timers" shook their heads in disgust and walked away.

I reckon the rod youíre talkin about was also at The Tug In The Park and it got a similar response from a lot of guys there. Fell in love with it until they found out what the underpinnings were. I sometimes get a similar response with my car. They like the look of it until they see what's under the bonnet and then then it's as if they've just seen a dog turd

This used to piss me off at first, but now I just feel sorry for those poor narrow minded bastards.

I inquired with Rodworx about their Willyís coupes regards registration. The only way I could see that youíd get full rego was by using something like a Jap chassis. They sent me a letter stating that they currently have one going through engineering approval which sits on a Hilux chassis. This body costs around $10k and if theyíre set up for the Hilux this would make them a pretty good option.
I just Lurrrrrve 40 Willyís Coupes

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 5:03 pm

Regarding your enquiry to Rod Worx, Just curious thats all. If they are getting a Hilux Chassis engineered for the Willys, What would it be registered as Hillys, Willux, Hiwilly, or what. I am serious now.

Snooze :peelout:

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 6:13 pm

Choco, I'm with you.

Brootal, the point of the court case was the cars were unmodified except for a change of badge. Thus cars built and purchased for less money than a Lexus were being misrepresented as Lexus and sold for Lexus money. The ACCC says that's misleading and decptive practice and therefore a criminal act.

A Hilux chassis (why couldn't he have used a Nissan?) with a model A or Willys body is not misleading anybody since it's a hot rod, pure and simple! By our own admissions and the very definitions we've all agreed right here over many debates and arguments, a vehicle of pre 1948 origin or appearance having the body separate from the chassis IS a Hot Rod! There's nothing been said up to now that the chassis has to be from any particular vehicle or of any particular year of construction.

The anti Hilux chassis debate suggests one more time we are more like bloody restorers than real hot rodders.

Hot rodders chuck away the junk parts and build their cars with whatever good stuff they can find or afford.

And if all the anti chassis swap turkeys want to get that pedantic then I'll be arguing that to be a truly fair dinkum Hot rod their cars should be built like mine, on the original chassis that came with the body AND the body should retain it's original structure like mine does. That is, it's about 50% wood! Like c'mon guys it's OK to steel out an old body and it's OK to use a copy of the original chassis, albeit with none of the original crossmembers etc in place, because we replaced all that with round tubing at about the time we filled the body with 1/2" square tubing. Someone should tell the guys who own such 'real' hot rods that ya can't have your cake and eat it too.

The same law that says a car built as a Toyota and rebadged as a Lexus also says that if it's an assemblage of mismatched or fabricated parts and looks like a Hot Rod, then it is a Hot Rod.

Personally I'd never use a Mitsu L300 front end, but only because they look like shyte and have the wrong geometry for a two or three box car since they are designed for a one box forward control van. But I guess that's aother issue.

Carps ....at the airport again.

tru34 · Post by **tru34** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 6:20 pm

I logged on today, to also put my 2 bobs worth in on this subject. There is nothing nicer than seeing a line of hotrods coming down the road, whether they be shiny, flat, suede, yellow, black, green, ford, chev, dodge, chopped, stock, big wheels, little wheels, full guards, fenderless, coupes, buckets, sedans or pickups, flames, scallops,

If we all liked the same thing how boring would it be. Image seeing a line of 32 3 window coupes, all painted black, or a line of 28 roadster all red. This hobby is about individuality and doing what pleases the most important person 'YOU', the one who has paid for the car in both $$ and hours.

When we were building ours the only thing it had to have was - "shiny paint". I didn't give two rats about drop axles or 4 bars, 302 or 9 inches, I just wanted shiny paint. We got shiny paint, now i want it shinier!
Hubby would have driven it undercoat, just because after 2 years in the shed (yes, a home built rod) he didn't care what damn colour it was, just get the thing going!!! I won.

It still amazes me of the gaul of some people who will come straight up to your face and bag your car out - we get a bit of controversy about our yellow wheels - we tell 'em when we are told "don't like your yellow wheels" well buddy you don't have to!!

If we see a car that isn't our cup of tea, no way I would tell the owner, it's obviously their pride and joy and as was said in a thread earlier - horses for courses!

Message to Brian. Thank you for you kind words about our car. Not as many people go for the 'stock' look these days. No worries what so ever with hubby chopping it, I quite like the look of chopped rods, but I couldn't convince him. If it was fibreglass, he would have no problem, but he couldn't bring himself to chop a perfectly good steel body - and that's our choice for those who think we are crazy.

Do what you want, what suits you, because the rest of us enjoy the variety.

Brett.C · Post by **Brett.C** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 6:24 pm

snooze wrote:Regarding your enquiry to Rod Worx, Just curious thats all. If they are getting a Hilux Chassis engineered for the Willys, What would it be registered as Hillys, Willux, Hiwilly, or what. I am serious now.

Snooze

Mate I wouldn't care if the

RTA

wanted to call it a Fuxlux, just so long as I've got a rego label so I can enjoy driving it.

Besides why should anyone care what the rego label on a rod says

We're not restorers are we

Ain't all rods members of the same genus

Hotroddis Delicti
(Delicious Hotrod)

Brootal · Post by **Brootal** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 8:34 pm

C'mon Carps, don't let the facts get in the way of (my) good story.

Once again, you're right and there's no reason that a Hot Rod built on a whatever chassis isn't a Hot Rod, but as you well know, my clock stopped somewhere in the late 50's, so that's the style I want to represent to the best of my (little) ability. That's what I'm into and I wouldn't want it any other way.

bcal - Well you know what I think of your car. It even gets a spot (maybe two) on my website. I reckon your car's great, cleverly built and looks good to boot. All you need now are some real Moon discs, like "The Rumbler"(TM).

Brett.C · Post by **Brett.C** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 9:40 pm

Brootal the hot rod hussy wrote:bcal - Well you know what I think of your car. It even gets a spot (maybe two) on my website. I reckon your car's great, cleverly built and looks good to boot.

Awe....... shucks Brootal, ya embarrassing me now

You just want a ride in it don't ya, you...you.... hussy you

Carps · Post by **Carps** » Sat Jul 05, 2003 10:54 am

Brootal wrote:C'mon Carps, don't let the facts get in the way of (my) good story.

OOOPS! Sorry sir, won't happen again!

Once again, you're right and there's no reason that a Hot Rod built on a whatever chassis isn't a Hot Rod, but as you well know, my clock stopped somewhere in the late 50's, so that's the style I want to represent to the best of my (little) ability. That's what I'm into and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Yup, just as you've seen my stuf, well some of it, and you understand I have a much wider perspective and know there's life beyond hot rods and kustoms and that it's possible to have lotsa fun with any kind of automotive pursuit. The good news is, I'd never give you serious grief about your personal tatse even if it is a bit on the questionable side. However, may I ask, if you're so stuck in the fifties, how come you drive a stock looking sixties sub compact econobox (yup, that's how your little Rumbler was officially tagged in it's day by it's maker) instead of a serious real, traditional primered and flathead powered roadster?:lol: And where did that pooncey pastel coloured paint come from? pure eighties if I recall the trends correctly.

Mr Cool · Post by **Mr Cool** » Sat Jul 05, 2003 3:58 pm

Semms like this hilux chassis thing is stirrin up a few people eh?

Personally the way i see it, if someone builds a car with a glass body then isnt that using late repro stuff? same as using a hilux chassis?
Which means the rodders who shyte-can the person for using a hilux chassis are more than likely using a glass body themselves, so is that hypocrytical or what?
My A tudor is original chassis, steel bodied with late EFI engine etc, so does that fall into the same category as well? By some i suspect it will, but to others its still an A body and chassis and they simply cant see past their "traditonal" beliefs (nothing wrong with wanting a car like brootals requirements either)
Build what you want, and if narrow minded @#$% dont like it then who really cares? Rodding is all about individuality, and i'd like to check out that rod with the jap chassis, just to see how its done, maybe we can all actually learn something from it too.........

Thats my

worth.

Malcolmsp · Post by **Malcolmsp** » Sat Jul 05, 2003 6:27 pm

Damn these rules are hard to keep up with!

If I wanted to use the hilux mini nine inch diff..thats cool
and a hilux ifs, well cant be any worse than L300..thats cool
Seats or bench...sure why not
steering column...yep thats ok
some people would cringe...but I can drop that little 4 banger in there

however....

YOU WANT TO USE THE CHASSIS!!!! WHAT ARE YOU MAD!!!!

cya
Mal

Brootal · Post by **Brootal** » Sat Jul 05, 2003 10:19 pm

Carps wrote: ... However, may I ask, if you're so stuck in the fifties, how come you drive a stock looking sixties sub compact econobox (yup, that's how your little Rumbler was officially tagged in it's day by it's maker) instead of a serious real, traditional primered and flathead powered roadster?:lol: And where did that pooncey pastel coloured paint come from? pure eighties if I recall the trends correctly.

Oh No!!! Sprung... and I thought I hid the fact so well.

I thought it was obvious why I drove the Rambler... It used to be owned by my Grandfather (Ooooh... isn't that nice... how sweet...) I GOT IT FOR FREE ya big galoot! Why the hell else do you think I'd drive a Rambler!!!

Of course, it's also better equipped and had a bigger engine than the GM and Ford offerings of the day and of course, you don't see another one at every other set of lights like you would if you were in a XR or HK.

You're right about the colour. Holden Coral off a VK Crumpledoore, but I think it fits the 60's style very well. Looks a shitload better on the Rambler than it does on any bloody Commodore, that's for sure!

Primered flathead roadster??? Nah mate, a nice shiny Cadillac powered one is more my style.

Carps · Post by **Carps** » Sun Jul 06, 2003 10:25 am

OK so now we have that sorted out. You're a cheapskate who stole his grandad's car because of some misguided belief it had a bigger engine than the offerings from GM and Ford. It may have had a bigger engine than the Aussie built offerings, but it didn't quite have the style which goes a long way to explaining the relative rarity. Nobody bought them because they were plain and ugly!

The comparatively big engine was the result of the Rumbler being a tad overweight needing the bigger engine to make it move at something almost near the same rate as the much lighter Holden and Falcons with their better power to weight ratios.

Now for my next question....

Brootal wrote:...but as you well know, my clock stopped somewhere in the late 50's,

How is it that your clock stopped so long before you were born?

Pep · Post by **Pep** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 10:35 am

Anonymous wrote:Personally I'd never use a Mitsu L300 front end, but only because they look like shyte and have the wrong geometry for a two or three box car since they are designed for a one box forward control van. But I guess that's aother issue.
.

...Look like shyte?...any worse than the HT/HQ IFS?....Can you tell me what's wrong with the geometry of the L300 s...I can't understand what you're saying above.

choco · Post by **choco** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 1:30 pm

Snooze wrote:Regarding the John Barbara Roadster, did you know that it was registered as an Austin A40, cos of the Chassis.
Snooze

Yes, that's why I brought it up. And I pose the same question that was put forward earlier, for you two dinosaurs (Bill and Boris):
What EXACTLY is it about a later model chassis (like the Hilux) that you object to? If you have a 36 Coupe on a Hilux Chassis, and it looks like a Hot Rod, what the hell does it matter if it's registered as a Hilux? When you go on a rod run, and you are checking out cars, do you ask to see the rego papers for a car you might think worthy of your admiration? Or does the objection exist only in your mind? If the latter, then you are sadly narrow minded, because a Hot Rod is a modified old car. Modified as in MOD(ern)-ified.
If someone discovered a late model chassis that fits a popular pre-war body, I'd be going for it! Making a Hot Rod chassis (independent front, semi elliptic rear, juice brakes, etc) from an original is just plain torture - I know you like it, Bill, but for me, it's just plain hard work that takes years to accomplish. If a chassis exists where I could just swap bodies, it would save me years of work and heaps of heartache at rego time, not to mention the savings in dollar terms!

Brootal · Post by **Brootal** » Mon Jul 07, 2003 2:28 pm

You're right Choco, there's no real good reason why. It's just the old "what I like" argument. I wouldn't shitcan anyone for doing it, but I just wouldn't do it myself.

Besides, what do you want an old car to drive like a new car for? I've got a new car that I can go for a drive in any time I want. It's quiet, rides and handles nice and no one takes a second look at it.

I just like the whole experience of driving an old car. The SIX turns lock to lock, the noise, the vibrations, the way you've got to hang on the door when you turn right.

It's FUN!

But then, that's just me.