HISTORY OF HOT RODS

 

The fundamental nature of hot-rodding has always been a reworking of old parts into something newer and faster. Hot-rodding as a philosophy of building vehicles has existed since before World War I.

The earliest efforts of the pioneers who created the automobile strongly resemble hot-rodding, but because they weren't working from used, mass-produced parts, they don't quite  t the mold.

Only when the moving assembly line permitted Ford to crank out Model T's in previously unheard-of numbers and at prices so low it brought motoring to the masses, did the major ingredient of hot-rodding come to be. Once those affordable new Fords became cheap used cars, the stage was set for the first era of hot-rodding.

The Speedster Era Speedsters likely first emerged in the Midwest, where racing on old horse tracks had become a popular pastime. The line between the earliest speedsters and a stripped-down race car would simply have been a matter of lights and license plates.

Drivers of Fast Fords, as they were typically called in this era, didn't want to look like they were riding around on junk, though, so various bodies began appearing atop the Model T chassis. At their simplest, those "bodies" consisted of a pair of bucket seats, a fuel tank, and a toolbox— shades of the expensive Stutz Bearcat and Mercer Raceabout sports cars of the World War I era.

As the Twenties roared on, speedsters got more sophisticated. Race-bred hardware like overhead valve conversions from RAJO, Laurel/Roof, and Frontenac became popular on the street. Wood wheels, practical and durable at low speeds, were either covered to resemble disc wheels or replaced with disc or wire wheels. Wires, like those from Houk/Buffalo or Dayton, were particularly coveted due to their light weight, good ride, and improved handling.

Of course, even at this early date, hot-rodding wasn't confined to the Tin Lizzie. The Chevrolet 490 and Superior series, along with Dodge Brothers' cars were all worthy candidates for speedsterization.

While Model T mechanicals remained a popular basis for hot rods through the 1940s, the arrival of the all-new Ford Model A in late 1927 signaled that a new era was approaching.