Aluminum Monsters

A short drive around my neighborhood revealed something to me: my neighbors must like road trips. Three vintage-style trailers are within a mike of my home, including two of the ever-so-iconic Airstreams.

The Supernationals: the Hot Rods

Always one of my favorite and most under-represented kind of car is the hot rod. These pre-1940 cars were lightweight and cheap after the war, and in the late forties and fifties many returning soldiers looking for excitement got themselves an old Ford, Chevy, Dodge (or Other) coupe, took out all the unnecessary junk, tuned the engine for performance and went racing. Early hot rodders were considered a menace (the term 'hot rod' was a pejorative originally, referring to the high performance crankshafts being installed), due to their dangerous street racing, eventually many of them were forced to start early dragstrips and retreat to the salt flats to meet their racing needs. In the 1960s, following the rise of high chrome and fancy paint schemes from the factories, hot rodding moved towards the 'show car' mentality, hot rods were painted wild colors, given gobs of chrome (chroming the frame of the car even became standard eventually) and some were built with themes, Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth was one of the most influential and prevalent members of this time period. The hot rod culture has swung back and forth ever since, frequently depending on the economy to dictate which style is in fashion.

The 1932 Ford roadster is considered by many to be the epitome of hot rods, it was the first factory V8 available and sold in such great numbers that they were affordable all the way into the 60s. They are such an icon of motoring that numerous songs have been written about this one car, and they are still being produced as fiberglass replicas.

Commonly called 't- buckets' these cars were built with the body of a Ford Model T, which was essentially a steel tub with seats in it. These are good examples of the stripped down but still high dollar show cars that became popular in the sixties.

Here is an example of an excellent Ford Model A coupe, with a modern Chevrolet V8 powerplant in front.

Classic post-war influence.

A newer trend in hot rodding is the so-called 'volksrod.' As with the early trend setters, Volkswagens are affordable and easy to work on. This one has a chopped roof, suicide doors and the fenders have been removed. The moon covers on the wheels are a classic salt flat racing accessory.

Dig the upholstery.

This wild car is a perfect example of the excesses that come with purpose-built show cars. Every surface is either chrome or deep black. The 'body,' which resembles a t-bucket, is actually steel bars forming a cage, which is also fully chromed, a theme that carries over to the grill. The engine is another modern Chevy small-block, with a huge chrome supercharger and twin chrome carburetors.

Notice the mirror under the car, so you can see the various chromed and painted under-surfaces.

Outside the show we saw this cool themed hot rod, inspired by a hearse. The body is most likely fiberglass, the suspension is all chrome, the interior has a pleasant style to it, and there are many fun details such as the taillights to discover on your own. It's also for sale!

Middle Aged Men and their Middle Aged Cars

There appear to be some perks to being middle age. Movie tickets cost $3 less, you can lecture people about what life was like when you were their age, you can blend all your foods into a fine paste and no-one will think less of you for it. But by far the greatest part of the sunset years must be the fact that by that point in life you've made enough money that you can graduate from owning a car that just gets you around to one that just makes you happy. I was recently invited to be a guest at a meeting of the Santa Fe Vintage Car Club, and athough the meeting itself went on a little too long while members waxed-analytical about fuel-octane levels, some of the cars they brought with them made the whole thing worthwhile. Some of the highlights include:

 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix. 

Those cracks in the pavement are from the car's weight. (probably)

1930 Ford Five Window Coupe. 

The guy that owns it said that it's essentially his daily driver.

Factory-fresh 240Z that i snapped as it was leaving.

A 1942 GMC, according to its vanity plate, that was incredibly well restored.

A '46 Hudson next to a '49 Scott.

1948 Ford F1 with hardwood floors.

This is (believe-it-or-not) a 2013 Morgan 3 Wheeler with what is called a "stroked X-Wedge V-Twin" which apparently produces 150bhp in a car that only weighs 1,500 pounds. It's driven by a dentist in a helmet that I can only assume is to make sure his head is recognizable after the rest of him is incinerated in the massive fireball that will be this car after he drives it through a lamp-post at a hundred miles an hour.