Horsing Around

[Snake45]

That car makes about as much sense to me as this one...

Uh, no. We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Harry.

[Ace-Garageguy]

There have been a fair number of cars built on the general idea of narrowing a production car body over a set of frame rails during the past several years.

It's not like you can go to the junkyard and get a decent '30s car body to build a real hot-rod anymore...most places...so why not recycle something that probably has no real collector value because of far-advanced rust or collision damage?

As long as the function and workmanship are good...well, it's not my thing, but it's just another way to build a rod out of junk. Sounds good to me.

A lot more sophisticated, but simply a development of the basic idea. I like this a LOT.

 

 

Edited March 22, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Harry P.]

There have been a fair number of cars built on the general idea of narrowing a production car body over a set of frame rails during the past several years.

But that doesn't make it right.

The whole idea behind a traditional "hot rod" was to remove whatever wasn't needed and didn't make the car faster. Hence, the hood... gone! The fenders... gone! But the body itself wasn't narrowed, it was stock. This idea of taking relatively late-model car bodies and narrowing them to fit between the wheels is silly and completely disingenuous to the concept of what a "hot rod" is (or is supposed to be). I dunno... maybe this stuff looks good to some of you guys, but to me it looks just plain goofy.

[martinfan5]

I also want to hate it. And I do.

Looks like something  from a carnival bumper car ride.

 

Edited March 22, 2016 by martinfan5

[ChrisBcritter]

"Although it's been said many times, many ways..."

[Foxer]

 

But that doesn't make it right.

The whole idea behind a traditional "hot rod" was to remove whatever wasn't needed and didn't make the car faster. Hence, the hood... gone! The fenders... gone! But the body itself wasn't narrowed, it was stock. This idea of taking relatively late-model car bodies and narrowing them to fit between the wheels is silly and completely disingenuous to the concept of what a "hot rod" is (or is supposed to be). I dunno... maybe this stuff looks good to some of you guys, but to me it looks just plain goofy.

replace "hot rod" with "custom". They got to be interchangeable back in the day. We weren't so much into defined labels either. There was no such thing as a "traditional hot rod" back then either. I don't know why that definition is needed now either.

they can still look goofy! 

[Ace-Garageguy]

The whole idea behind a traditional "hot rod" was to remove whatever wasn't needed and didn't make the car faster. Hence, the hood... gone! The fenders... gone! But the body itself wasn't narrowed, it was stock. 

I don't have any need to argue the point about whether these things look good or not. Most of them miss any possible "good design" definition I may have by miles.

That said, the old car bodies didn't HAVE to be narrowed because they were ALREADY narrow enough to expose the wheels / tires when the fenders were removed.

And for a little historical perspective, it was quite common to narrow production car bodies on lakes-racers for certain classes.

 

 

 

[CometMan]

Looks to me like some people have WAY too much time on their hands!!

[Lunajammer]

I like it. I like the idea of it. Unfortunately, it's the boxiness of the Mustang itself that's handicapping it.

[Snake45]

I like it. I like the idea of it. Unfortunately, it's the boxiness of the Mustang itself that's handicapping it.

I don't think the boxiness hurts it. Look at how many cool fenderless A roadster pickups have been built, and there's nothing boxier than that.

It's almost certainly easier to shorten a Mustang body than, say, a first-gen Camaro, with all its curves and whatnot.

The more I look at this thing, the more I like it. As someone says, it needs more engine--either 2x4s under a Shelby-type air cleaner, or better yet, Webers would go great on this. It also needs final paint--you don't need primer here to make your "statement." And a raked windshield would work much better.

I'm getting in the mood to build a model. IIRC, I have a couple of Monogram '66 GT350 bodies with crushed roofs that would make good donors. Now where in the Snakepit did I put them.....?