I am looking forward to following this thread to see where it leads to!
Some how I thought that Hot Rods, Customs and Choppers would not be of interest to you all. Boy was I wrong!
In my high school days, Rods & Customs were the "In Thing" and growing up 18 miles from Windsor Ontario with Ford and Chryslers Canadian plants there and just across the river from "Motown" Detroit, the automotive capital of the world. we ate slept and talked about cars, new, old and most of all Hot Rods. Lots of stories to tell.
My fathers very first car was a 1950 Morris Minor Convertible. He wanted to buy a Morgan 2+2 but with three kids he differed to the Minor. It was the car that my brother and I learned to drive in and got our licenses at the age of 15. When dad got a big dodge sedan it became "our car". Originally in a dark green, Dad let us customize it with a black paint job and Fords Tropical Rose as an accent around the front grill, painted the top white, dropped the rear end, put full rear fender skirts on, painted on white walls, milled the head and put a high performance Thrush exhaust system on. When going out on a date we would remove the air cleaner so the engine had a deeper sound. We have some jolly good times in that car.
My other hot rod of note was a 1954 Studebaker coupe that had a big block Chevy V8, Hersh 4 on the floor shift and a 1/4 mile drag strip rear end. The top speed wasn't so hot... BUT getting there was a real RUSH!! It was painted a light metallic blue with a rust racing strip down the middle.
I find some of the terminology here in India a little different from North America, ie Maintained verses Restored. Hot Rods were traditionally 20s & 30s cars and then from the 50s onward the craze focused on Customizing any thing that moved. More recently we have the Chopper bikes.
If this thread develops as I think it will, then separate threads could be made for "Customs" & "Choppers".
I've seen a few custom cars in Calcutta and at last years Statesman a very impressive Enfield 500 that had been transformed into a Harley.
Now that our Fiat 1100 Deluxe is nicely restored I am becoming concerned that, being our only daly driver here in Calcutta, I should find another car and have been seriously considering picking up a Padmini and making a custom out of it. Black, tinted windows, mag wheels, french the head & tail lights and put a flame paint job on the front, a nice custom interior and hot up the engine. Haven't discussed this with my wife yet but will cross that bridge when we return this November. The costs here are about 75% less than back home. With the great workshops and a little imagination and a few rupees wondrous things can happen here.
I have with me a Hot Rod calendar that I have photographed some fine examples for your viewing pleasure.
Lots more to share later! |