Ever thought about what makes your car a street rod? Or are you driving a hotrod that you think is a street rod? Is there a difference? I believe in full fenders, large cubic inches, very lumpy cams, three pedals, hurst shifters, multiple carbs, the ability to smoke fat rear tires at will, not going faster than 80 mph and a car that is at least 60 years old. Pretty paint is nice, chrome wheels are a must, and I didn't build this thing with fuel mileage in mind. So tell me, are you drivin a hot rod or a street rod?
Dave

To me everything that is rodded and tweaked to suit the owner and driven, is a hot rod. My '31 Chevies are hotrods and so is my '57 Ford. All those other labels (street rod, muscle car, kustom, street machine, whatever)just draw lines and most of us have a little too much rebel in us conform to categories and someone elses idea of what we should call our cars. I've had a lot of cars in most every category and they were all hotrods to me and I was proud of every one of them.

This kind of question usually creates a few disagreements but in my opinion, we're all car nuts and we all need to stick together no matter what we call our cars.

I, agree,,, who's to say::'' (Purchasing agents)..Mabe?

Keep the sport alive!!!
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Sedanman

Even though my coupe would be called a streetrod by many, I feel it is really a hotrod. To me, any car from the thirties that is fenderless, has a four speed, big & little tires and enough engine to propel the car into the 12's, is a hotrod. Although it may sound sexist (sorry Denise), a hotrod is gonna be a man's car, a woman just flat-out ain't gonna want to drive it. My wife would sooner slap a sleeping Rottwieller than get behind the wheel of my coupe.
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Fred aka ZZFord or 33Highboy

i have always called the 31 coupe i am building a HOTROD, IT DOES HAVE THREE PEDALS,A LUMPY SMALLBLOCK,TWO FOURS,4-SPEED,AND IT SHAKE-RATTLES AND ROLLS.it does not have fenders(except front cycle type),a hood,or billet aluminum.
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dalecarbuff

Guys and Gals,
I gotta put in my two cents worth.
Seems to me that my T-Bucket (and any HOT car) might be called a hotrod.
Aren't the kids cars today (the ones with the neon underglow, low slung, trick paint) also street rods?
After all, they were built for the street, they are not HOT in that they aren't quick, but they could be 'rods'.
Perhaps the younger folks of today are the equivalent of us and the hotrods we remember/build from our youth (I'm 54). They don't have the memory or the mechanical knowledge needed (in some cases) to build the kind of cars we do.
Just a thought.
Jim
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Time is natures way of keeping everything from happening at once.

I thought I'd throw in a link to a December thread that was pretty similar:
http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Roundtable/View_Archived_Thread.php?folder=200101&file=67#1

Some folks weren't around back then, so it's definitely worth reading.

Jason

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Jason Long
Streetrod Stuff Webmaster

How about if we go by Vic Edlebrock's definition?

"A street rod has a chevy under the hood and a can of wax in the trunk. A hot rod has a flathead under the hood and a tool box in the trunk"

Hi Erbssr, I really like your definition. But back in the 60's Hot Rodders really got a bad rap! Thanks to Hollywood, every one thought Hot Rodders were some kind of wild criminals. If you told your insurance agent you had a hot rod your rates would go thru the roof. So the kinder name for hot cars became Street rod. But all of us knew that we still were driving Hot Rods,but we kept it quiet so we could afford to drive. Today who cares!!!so i drive a Hot Rod!
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"VEO DINDICE"

I have a 29 Ford Sedan, most call it a street rod, as for me , I call it my hot rod, it just sounds better. Street rods to me are cars that are trailered and not driven except to get off there trailers and go to there parking spot, and then loaded again. Hot Rodders pray for a safe and trouble free run. You know what they say opinions vary.

YEAH, THEN ALONG CAME THE RAT ROD........ INSULT ?? YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN IN A HOT ROD WHEN YOUR BACK ACHES WHEN YOU ARRIVE AND YOU SIT AT THE STOPLIGHTS WHEN THEY ARE ON GREEN COZ YOU CAN'T SEE THEM, YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN STREET ROD COZ WHEN YOU ARRIVE YOU HAVE TWEED RASH AND EAR ACHE FROM THE LAST 10 CD'S YOU LISTENED TO, AND IT IS WARMER OUTSIDE THAN INSIDE THE CAR...............LOL
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gary mc

HI ALL; Is the cup half full or half empty ? Who cares anyway, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Nuf said. R P