Hot Rod Imagery? What are its origins... Educate me

[msuguydon]

I have a question for all you ...errrr...... experienced people..... nice way of saying OLD!  

Hot Rodding has a lot or imagery (for lack of a better term), things that are general accepted as COOL, or items that you would find on or near a car to make it a Hot Rod... what are the origins of these things....

For example... hood louvers are cool....... I get this one... it helps release heat from the motor... practical... now seen as cool.

Fuzzy Dice  :?:

Red Wheels  :?:

Wide White Walls  :?:

Dice  :?:  Assuming this is a Shooting dice, bad boy activity  :?:

The number 13  :?:

Eight Balls  :?:  Flying Eight Balls  :?:

Tiki Stuff  :?:

No Fenders... to fit bigger tires  :?:    Yes or no  :?:

Naked Woman... I get this one...    

Car Slammed down low  :?:

Fender Skirts  :?:

Cars jacked up :?:  Assuming tire issues...

Pin Striping  :?:

Cars that are rusty and/or in primer.... wait.. don't go there        

[Charlie Chops 1940]

No fenders was an outgrowth of SoCal rodders racing on the dry lakes in the 30's, removing weight.

Pin striping was around in horse and buggy days - guess it just hung on.

Fender skirts - streamlined look - a styling exercise.

Cars jacked up in the front was late 50's - early 60's deal with weight transfer at the drags.

Low cars is an attempt at aerodynamic cleanliness.

Not sure where the rest came from...and I never got the Tiki connection at all.

Charlie

[unklian]

Some of your list relates to hot rods,others relate to Customs.

Fuzzy Dice  -- no idea

Red Wheels -- probably looked good the first time,not the 94,000th time.

Wide White Walls -- gangster/pimpmoblile influence

Dice -- gambling was usually frowned on

The number 13 -- associated with bad luck

Eight Balls -- playing pool was usually frowned on

Tiki Stuff -- 50's-60's Kitch

No Fenders -- save weight and improve aerodynamics on prewar race cars

Naked Woman -- shock value  

Car Slammed down low -- modification to set a car apart from the stockers.

Fender Skirts --  strictly visual modification,see above

Cars jacked up -- the only way to get wider tires,for improved traction,
was to run taller truck tires,which raised the back of the car

Pin Striping --- creates visual interest,frequently after stock emblems
were removed.Also used to disguise defects in paint and bodywork.

[enjenjo]

Mosr of the stuff you mention were fads that came and went over a period of about 30 years. most of it wasn't dome at the same time, for instance raising the car, and lowering the car were fads from different eras. Tikis were not really car related, but more artist related, such as Roth, Roach, Mouse and others. Dice, lady luck, the number 13, and other symbols came from aircraft nose art in WWII.

I became interested in cars in 1958-59. At the time new cars were coming with 2" whitewalls, and just removing the hub caps with black wheels was the fad. by 62 when I started driving, 1" white walls were the standard, still with black wheels. My dad's car had red wheels in the 50's, you would not find them on mine! By 65 black wall tires were standard. If you had any type of white walls with Chrome or Mag wheels, it was either a full out show car, or you were a nerd.

There are lots of fads that are ignored today, dual slanted rear mount antennas for one, scavenger pipes for another. But there were may more, remember the center mount running lights?

I had a much beloved uncle who was into G**k Wagons, which had mud flaps, curb feelers, fancy wheel discs, chrome accents all over the car, lighted hood ornaments, Fulton visors, and Venetian blinds as just some of the stuff they did. I put up with him because he introduced me to Jack Florence

[donsrods]

As for fuzzy dice............................



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Fuzzy dice, known in the British Isles as furry dice or fluffy dice, are an automotive decoration consisting of two oversized plush dice which hang from the rear-view mirror. The classic style of fuzzy dice is white dice with black dots, roughly 3 inches on a side, although a wide variety of colors and sizes are now available in automotive supply and novelty stores. Fuzzy dice became popular in the United States for a brief period in the 1950s. Thereafter, they went through a number of cycles of popularity, but have not remained popular since the 1970s. Today, many people consider them tacky or camp.

Fuzzy dice are the precursor to a number of other mirror-hanging automotive accessories. The modern automobile owner is likely familiar with dangling pine tree air fresheners (Little Trees), as well as less common hanging disco balls, 8 balls, skeletons, and a bride's garter. An interesting variation is the hanging dice air freshener; such an item is generally not fuzzy but otherwise resembles fuzzy dice

Also, alot of fad things were regional.  East Coast was different than West Coast on many things, like channelling.

Don

[msuguydon]

There are lots of fads that are ignored today, dual slanted rear mount antennas for one, scavenger pipes for another. But there were may more, remember the center mount running lights?

I have one slant mounted antenna and have considered adding a second dummy on the other side.  What are scavenger pipes?  Center mount running lights?  

SOOOOOO neon under lighting which is kinda a fad now, might fall into this category years later.   :?:

Your comments about your uncles wagon, it got bleeped so I am not sure what a G***K Wagon is but , it reminded me of a car of my youth.  I used to have a paper route back in the day.  Remember when a kid on a bicycle, with a basket attached, delivered your paper, and then he came back once a week to collect money, of course you do, you guys are all old   Well that was me, I was that kid.

One part of my paper route included some pretty dicey apartments  there was a guy that had a Cadillac Eldo, 2-dr... Vinyl top that was about 6" thick, back window was the Ace of spades with the vinyl top all around the glass, fake TV Antenna. Luggage rake on the trunk. curb feelers... fake gold exterior Radiator, continental kit. Heavy shag interior.. fake spoke wheels... MAN he was pimping.... Actually (looking back with some life experience under my belt) I think he was a pimp, or a drug dealer... he was one hard guy to catch at home to pay his bill, but when I did, I always got a nice tip.


Kinda along these lines

[Dave]

That does it im headed to the garage this morning and put some of them side mounts in the roadster.. Thems sweeeeeeeeeeeet
Dave      

[Dave]

Hey what about blue dots  :?:  :?:  :?:  :?:  :?:  :?:  :?:

Dave  

[msuguydon]

Pin Striping --- creates visual interest,frequently after stock emblems
were removed.Also used to disguise defects in paint and bodywork.

AHHHH, I never did understand pin striping... that makes sense, still not a huge fan, but I get it now!  Thanks!

[msuguydon]

Head light shades... from WWII black out shades.

[GPster]

Fuzzy dice, known in the British Isles as furry dice or fluffy dice, are an automotive decoration consisting of two oversized plush dice which hang from the rear-view mirror. The classic style of fuzzy dice is white dice with black dots, roughly 3 inches on a side, although a wide variety of colors and sizes are now available in automotive supply and novelty stores. Fuzzy dice became popular in the United States for a brief period in the 1950s. Thereafter, they went through a number of cycles of popularity, but have not remained popular since the 1970s. Today, many people consider them tacky or camp.Fuzzy dice are the precursor to a number of other mirror-hanging automotive accessories. The modern automobile owner is likely familiar with dangling pine tree air fresheners (Little Trees), as well as less common hanging disco balls, 8 balls, skeletons, and a bride's garter. An interesting variation is the hanging dice air freshener; such an item is generally not fuzzy but otherwise resembles fuzzy dice
Also, alot of fad things were regional.  East Coast was different than West Coast on many things, like channelling.Don[/quote]                                 I read an explanation for "Fuzzy Dice" one time in a car magazine (probably written by Pat Gunalh) that stated that the "Fuzzy Dice" trend florished in the "fifties" in high school home economics classes. When the girls were in sewing classes they were asked to come up with some little project to show their dexterity with a needle and thread and they produced them. They then gave them to their boyfriends as presents with the alterior motive that the boys would hang them on the rear view mirror of their cars. This was supposed to be a marker for "hands-off, he's mine" and the color, size and style was supposed to be recognized by the rest of the girls in that school that had taken that class.  GPster

[Uncle Bob]

Scavenger pipes were a bell mouthed slip on pipe, typically 2-3 feet long, chromed, hung down under the axle, stopping somewhere just past the axle housing.  It was also a short lived fad about the same time to paint the rear axle housing white (that one probably died because of the need for constant cleaning )

Another couple from about the same era, rolled and pleated package tray cover, and a set of bongo drums in the back window.  About that time it was also popular to make dash knobs/shifter knobs of laminated plexiglas, usually in a tear drop shape, alternating color/white/color/white, or substitute clear for the white.  Bongos and tear drops were common shop class projects in '60-61.  Oh, and almost forgot, the shrunken head hangin' from the mirror.

[C9]

Are you sure you're in the right hobby if you have to ask these questions?  

I have a question for all you ...errrr...... experienced people..... nice way of saying OLD!  

Hot Rodding has a lot or imagery (for lack of a better term), things that are general accepted as COOL, or items that you would find on or near a car to make it a Hot Rod... what are the origins of these things....

For example... hood louvers are cool....... I get this one... it helps release heat from the motor... practical... now seen as cool.

Fuzzy Dice  :?:

Red Wheels  :?:

Wide White Walls  :?:

Dice  :?:  Assuming this is a Shooting dice, bad boy activity  :?:

The number 13  :?:

Eight Balls  :?:  Flying Eight Balls  :?:

Tiki Stuff  :?:

No Fenders... to fit bigger tires  :?:    Yes or no  :?:

Naked Woman... I get this one...    

Car Slammed down low  :?:

Fender Skirts  :?:

Cars jacked up :?:  Assuming tire issues...

Pin Striping  :?:

Cars that are rusty and/or in primer.... wait.. don't go there        

The meek may inherit the earth, but if they wait too long they may not like it when they get it.


Denise asked for a story a while back.
I'll post one separately that will answer the dice question....

[UGLY OLDS]

Gee Don...I'd really like to add something here, however I don't think I'm "experienced" enough..  When I was young, I always built cars that looked just like my Dad's...With REALLY BIG engines...Growing up in Chicago this served three purposes:
A...It would not be stolen as readily as the "Hot Cars" ....
B..The insurance guy never caught on.. :?  :?
C...If you were into street racing ...Well uh.. Hmmm...Ahhh... Picture a '63 Ford Country Sedan station wagon with wood paneling & a roof rack....And a 427/425 horse engine...Who would suspect that???...A GUARENTEED $$$$$$ maker... Heh--Heh--Heh....  

[Crosley.In.AZ]

oh , come on...... some of you geezers need to turn loose of the info for the guy.




:T)