PERIOD HOT-ROD REFERENCE 1930-1949

[Ace-Garageguy]

For the few of you who try to get the period details right on your older hot-rod models, this is an excellent online resource.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/evolution-of-the-hot-rod-1930-1949.925033/

 

[Bernard Kron]

Fantastic! The H.A.MB. is just too huge and sprawling to purposely search across it for such treasures, so thanks so much for posting this. In particular starting Page 2 there's an incredible discussion of the earliest sightings of the use of the term "Hot Rod" and of it's origins. I have always fealt that it was a pre-WWII term since it pops up fully formed in 1945, already well entrenched in the language. That it had a negative connotation was also already clear. Here's picture from this thread that is extraordinary, not only because the reference to "American Hot Rod Racing Club" at the bottom of the ad is pre-war but that its East Coast at that!: The reference to "slab bang racing" and figure-8 racing would imply some sort of jalopy style cars.

Further along in the thread there are these perceptive thoughts about the term, as well:

"...racers didn't like the term "jalopy" (for obvious reasons) and it's been pretty well documented that they resisted the term "hot rod" too. At some point in the past, were the terms synonymous (meaning junked out, shoddy, unreliable or unsafe)? I've seen references to the problems of hot connecting/piston rods in both marine and railway literature - typically indicative of shoddy maintenance or worn out components. An engine with a 'hot rod' was quite literally on the verge of self-destruction.

The fact that a "slam bang" racing event is being sanctioned by a club with 'hot rod' in the name leads me to believe there may be a connection here...

According to the article the preferred terms were "gow job," "hop-up," or "soup-job". It's interesting to note that these terms come from horse racing, where 'gow' 'hop' and 'soup' represent the "doping" of animals to increase performance. Similarly, in the southwest, a hot iron (now an electric shocker called a 'hot shot') is used to move horses or cattle along with great speed. "hot rod" could have been derived from "hot iron", although it leaves room to question why racers rejected the former and embraced the latter..."

What's so interesting about the pre-war period is that virtually all the stylistic features of the postwar Hot Rod have been worked out to some degree, and with de-mobilization pay returning GI's would take the hop-up world by storm and fuel the explosion of Hot Rodding as we have come to know it. This thread provides an excellent image of the prototypic pre-war era. Thanks!

 

Edited July 6, 2016 by Bernard Kron

[RAT-T]

THE LINK WON'T WORK FOR ME, KEEP GETTING AN ERROR PAGE

[Jantrix]

THE LINK WON'T WORK FOR ME, KEEP GETTING AN ERROR PAGE

Ditto. But it could be because of my work PC. I'll try at home tonight.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Jantrix

[Bernard Kron]

I just tried it again. It seems  to work for me. Here's the resultant link in Internet Explorer 11: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/evolution-of-the-hot-rod-1930-1949.925033/ 

Here's the Google search page. The H.A.M.B. thread is the first one on the page. : https://www.google.com/search?q=Evolution+of+the+Hot+Rod%3B+1930-1949&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=&oe=

The search was for: Evolution of the Hot Rod; 1930-1949

It's well worth the trouble to find it.

 

Edited July 6, 2016 by Bernard Kron

[Jantrix]

I'm either case, I get.

THE H.A.M.B. - ERROR

You do not have permission to view this page or perform this action.

[RAT-T]

THANKS BERNARD, BUT I'M STILL GETTING THE PAGE ROB POSTED

THAT SITE HASN'T WORKED THAT GREAT FOR ME SINCE THEY UPDATED IT A FEW YEARS BACK

[unclescott58]

No problems for me with the above link. If the link does work for you, its well worth going to. Wow! Great bits of history.

[RAT-T]

IS THIS THREAD IN THE GENERAL DISCUSSION UNDER TRADITIONAL HOT RODS? IF IT IS, WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT PAGE?

THANKS,  TOM

[Bernard Kron]

It's under: Home Forums> Social Forums> Hot Rods> Period-correct Hot Rods of the 30's & 40's  started by gwhite, May 23, 2014 .

[RAT-T]

THANKS BERNARD, STILL CAN'T GET TO THAT THREAD

I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY ACCOUNT, I GET EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS FOR THREADS I HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR YEARS, BUT WHEN I CLICK MY BOOKMARK FOR THE SITE, I GET THAT ERROR PAGE. I HAVEN'T UPDATED TO WINDOW 10 YET, COULD THAT BE AN ISSUE?

[Ace-Garageguy]

. I HAVEN'T UPDATED TO WINDOW 10 YET, COULD THAT BE AN ISSUE?

No. I'm running Win7.

What browser are you using?

[Jantrix]

If I click on the link and I'm NOT logged into the HAMB forums, I can see the content. If I AM logged in, I get the error message. That's some weird stuff.

[Ace-Garageguy]

If I click on the link and I'm NOT logged into the HAMB forums, I can see the content. If I AM logged in, I get the error message. That's some weird stuff.

So, MCM isn't the only forum with the occasional glitch. 

[oldcarfan]

I love this site, but have to limit my access. I once spent 8 hours reading the 489 pages of one of their threads on vintage Bonneville. Granted, I had insomnia that night anyway, but still. Also, the guy that runs that site also has one called Garage Journal and its forum has some of the most amazing home garages you could imagine. Some good ideas in there for dioramas, I would think. Again, it is a rabbit hole that you can fall in and lose track of time.

[restoman]

Excellent timing!

I was wanting to build a T bucket from the early to late forties and was wondering where to look for period info.

Thanks!

 

I'm a H.A.M.B. member but the site is soooo big, finding something specific is time consuming.

 

[Richard Bartrop]

I logged out and the link worked.

 

Thanks a lot for the link.  The Jalopy Journal is a gold mine of ingfo, and this looks to be an especially rich vein.

[stillnotpc]

What? No billet.

 

[Dave Ambrose]

What an interesting thread. Thanks for posting it!