Is it me????

[ratty 46]

PLEASE do not take this as bashing......or complaining........it is what it is .... an observation:

I was over at the other forum.....you know which one......"traditionals ONLY" and a newer member asked the question that always brings out the worst in most of those people.

He happened to have a 50's ford pick up that he'd been working on & has "bagged" the suspension.

Now remember - he opened the door to "what do you think" but be real....isn't this hobby, sport or what ever you'd like to call it really all about bringing old cars back to life & enjoying them??

I've seen others use bags on 30's, 40's & 50's vehicles so it's really not new. As a matter of fact didn't lincoln use bags back in the 40's as factory equipment. Also I've seen a ton of "traditional" vehicles with radial tires & later powerplants - not developed at the time that their traditional vehicle was running in it "hot rod" state.

I just wish that we'd all just be a bit more "liberal" in the bashing of anothers car/truck that they obviously busted their ass on to get running.

Now I will get down off my soap box. Thanks for listening.

Ratty 46

 

[donsrods]

I understand where you are coming from Paul, in the past I have had some of the same thoughts you mention in your post. But I think I am beginning to understand the HAMB a little more than I once did. They want their forum to remain fairly "pure" in the sense that they only want the focus and discussions to be about cars that fit a certain profile. Nothing later than 1964, no foreign cars, no modern touches like a/c, billet, or airbags on non fendered cars. If someone comes on there and asks how to channel his 1980 whatever, the hardcore members take it as someone being in the wrong place and the flaming usually starts.

Don't take me wrong, I lurk there because I do sort of gravitate toward old timey cars and there is a lot of very good knowledge there, but I still get very PO'd sometimes when I see someone who is just trying to learn and the pack comes down hard on him. While 99 percent of the members there are great people, the 1 percent ( like DeSoto ) never have a good thing to say about anything and seem to love to pounce on someone for anything they see as a screwup. Some of the members we have are because I sent them a PM and told them RRR was a forum where they would be welcomed and not beat up on.

As for the airbagging, it sure is traditional. I have a 1957 car magazine that has an article on how to install bags on your car. It always seems that the members who jump on people the most are youngsters who weren't even around when we were doing this stuff back then, so they have no idea what traditional really is. The truth is, we were hungry for any new advancement that came out and couldn't wait to swap out our flatheads for the newer OHV V8 engines, and also to toss out our ineffective generators for much better alternators. Cars were constantly evolving and being changed by putting on the latest and greatest newfangled product we could save up for. Every time we got the latest issue of some rod magazine we were ready to try out whatever new idea we found in the pages of that book.

There is also a difference between trying to give someone constructive criticism and flaming. There have been times even on RRR where I have felt obligated to say something negative to someone about something they were incorporating in their build, simply because I didn't want them to get hurt or to have some other newby see it and think it was ok to do those things. I never liked doing it, but we all have an obligation to do each other to say not only the nice things, but also the things we need to hear sometimes. All of us have made every mistake in the book, and if we can keep someone else from making the same mistake there is nothing wrong with that.

Ok, I'm down off of my soapbox too.


Don

 

[gassersgarage]

I know what you mean, but with a little prior lurking, you learn what not to post over there. I figure if I have something good to say, I will post. If not, I move to the next thread. It's not worth the aggrevation.

 

[Todd]

I don't give a rip what a guy does with his ride. As long as its done SAFE. I may not like the result, but always try to respect the effort/work.

 

[ratty 46]

Well.......I'll (again) have to agree with Don. Although I'm an Alliance member & the knowlege is overflowing (there) it's not really necessary to bash anyone.

The safety thing......I'll agree. I've done the same. Some of you have seen some of my welding work (here on RRR, HAMB & Club Chopper ... along with some TV time on the Biker Build Offs & almost every "in" motorcycle mag) so I tend to gravitate towards those mistakes. But I think I tend NOT to bash but to advise.

As for the lurking.......thank goodness for RRR..... it lets folks run right onto the forum& stuble a bit. Without the drama.

I guess I'm looking for that utopic hot rod place where we all get along and gas is back at less than a buck a gallon......for super!!

Ratty 46

 

[Willowbilly3]

Well, I like more traditional, if there is such a thing. Where do you draw the line? If you let the advancements of the sport from every year since day one then there would be no special interest, you have to draw some lines I think.
I was on another large board for several years and it was anything goes as far as the cars. It got so watered down and uninteresting because every one who ever saw a hotrod was on there and Russian kids were pretending to have 70 GSXs, stuff like that. I for one got tired of some kid with a 74 camero wanting to know how to put 'NOSS" on it, when he didn't even have lunch money, let alone a camero. If a lippy 14 year old needs some "perspective" then I don't see any problem with it being done, not nasty but firm is ok, these little snotty nosed keyboard jockeys are crapping up a lot of good forums with wannabe jibberish imo. I'm glad I can go to a forum that flat doesn't allow it, even if some people do go over the line a little once in a while.

 

[ratty 46]

I smell what your stepping in Willowbilly3, my point is OBVIOUSLY the guy had a vehicle.....he posted some pix....and he wanted opinions....just the bashing portion isn't needed (IMO).

I'm a bit of a traditionist with the flair for safety & upgrades. I like to keep the outside wrapper original & upgrade the underpinnings & powerplants. Actually my 46 is going thru a transformation with updated suspension, updated engine, trans & rearend. I'm also adding a intercooler & turbo (the newer stuff!!).

I too get miffed at the stupid questions, that come from fakes, but I skipp them over & move on. My taste is 30's, 40's, 50's, early 60's & an occasional 1970-2 vehicle.

Being a "rodder" since my high school days in the mid 70's I think I can read a "story" when I see one. I'm just not into the bashing thing at this time.

Ratty 46

 

[Willowbilly3]

I wasn't dissin your post 46, just making a general observation about policing or not. I don't like bad manners either.

 

[ratty 46]

.....and I didn't take that way.......I concur on the disliking of poor manners......we all have a common thread......the love of hot rods & hot rodding.....

R46

 

[Tripper]

Psychobilly?!

He happened to have a 50's ford pick up that he'd been working on & has "bagged" the suspension.

Did he mention anything about liking Psychobilly?! I understand that's *very* traditional!!!

 

[ratty 46]

No....... but it was sporting some red steelies........would that be enough??

R46

 

[Tripper]

Red steelies?!?!

No....... but it was sporting some red steelies........would that be enough??

Red steelies... who would be stupid enough to put those on a car? Er... nevermind!!!

 

[Willowbilly3]

red steelys, my truck circa 1990. It was the only one around with them then. Look what I started ;-).

 

[Ike]

Same But Different

Traditional to me is build what you want with what YOU choose. As long as it is safe and will not harm others. Era correct is another subject altogether. I believe the two terms are confused in their use. Building an era correct uses parts from that time period. Much much more involved time and study of parts correctness. Traditional is the same as what was done in early rod building. Using old CHEAP body and frame with go fast and stop qiuck parts. If you want to stop the confusion have owner of the forum post his definition. When the BS starts post READ THE DEFINITION. That would ruin some people's day. They would have nothing to jump on someone for not being TRADITIONAL. Like others have posted before we have the same love for old tin. That should be encourged not put down for not doing it YOUR way. I do it my way you do it your way and we both smile when it's done. Enjoy what you build and help others when you can. Looks at old hot photos and see the smiles on their faces. You want TRADITIONAL that smile is traditional. Let's pass it on to the next generation. Now quit reading this and go turn some wrenches.

 

[bob w]

Some guy is looking for ideas on how to build a '24 Dodge Coupe over on the H--B site. I threw a pic of Big Dodge on just to give the folks something to chew on. So far there's been no negative comments aimed directly at it, or me.
If "Traditional" was defined as tightly as some of the members over there would like, 39,000 folks would have to leave the site.