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A rat rod is big block Chevy motor in a pre WWII car until I started watching TV
A rat rod is big block Chevy motor in a pre WWII car until I started watching TV
You're right, that's how it STARTED,
but that hasn't been the definition of a rat rod for a few years now.
You know how it is with the definitions of certain types of classic vehicles, time alters things.
I remember when the definition of a muscle car was;
2 door, rear wheel drive, v8 (must be performance v8 from the factory, for example a base model grandmas 69 coronet 2dr 318 grocery getter would NOT be a muscle car), and from 1964-1971 ONLY (nothing BEFORE 64 (when the phrase was coined) and nothing after 71 (gas crisis low compression motors), PERIOD, NO exceptions, (there's still some die-hard old timers that hold hard and fast to that definition lol) but,
Now people call any year, body style, 6cyl, low perf small blocks, wagons etc classic vehicle a "muscle car", heck, now we even have a new class, modern muscle cars for example. They even accept the modern FOUR door charger as a modern muscle car.
Yes and hence the downgrade of American society. 318 in a 4 door Coronet a muscle car? Give me a f@cking break. Perfect example of the millenial limp dick society our US has become. These day's this country couldn't get it up if Scarlett Johansson was licking our balls.
What?
I didn't catch anything besides Scarlett Johansson...lol
Seriously though,
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a fan of the 4 door classic cars, I see them as parts cars, (there are exceptions) BUT,
Here's the catch,
Not every mopar fan can find/afford their dream mopar, for example;
If a guy with a middle level income, married, house payment car payments, kids, normal bills, ètc, his dream car is a 69 road runner and he searches for years for a good one, without luck but he comes across a clean, orig, complete, 69 Satellite 4dr survivor, so he buys it then creates his version of a what-if 4dr road runner complete with 440 6 pack/4 spd and cruises around in it and enjoys it with his family.
Who are you (or anyone for that matter) to tell the guy his car is a piece of crap and the downfall of society??? Sheesh
The simple fact is this;
Our hobby thrives and continues to grow because of involvement NOT in spite of it, the more people that get into our hobby the better it is for all of us (within reason, there are exceptions of course) there's only just sô many 70 cudas out there and they're not making anymore.
A good example of this is the Tri-five market, you cant find 4drs hardly anymore but the 2drs are harder than heck to find now.
The BIG point is;
A LOT of guy's cars, even on this site, would not fall into the orig muscle car definition,
68-70 charger 318's, even w/hemi swap wouldn't
70 gran coupe 318 barracuda even w/340 4spd swap wouldn't
71 challenger 318 even w/440 swap wouldn't
68-70 coronet 2dr 318 even w/383 swap wouldn't
72 demon 340 4spd wouldn't (it was built after 71, so nope)
And on and on and on....
By modifying that orig definition it includes many, many, many more vehicles, that are just accepted as obvious muscle cars now, ie, increase of numbers into the hobby stimulating more corporate involvement supporting said hobby, more reproduction parts, assistance (such as this forum), etc, etc, etc.
Is that REALLY such a bad thing?
Not in my book my friend.
Mold it to fit your own defininition however you want. 4 Door Sattys with a small block were used as demolition derby cars where I came from and good at it. It's a shame, I admit looking back now, many o' good parts hammered to hell. But a muscle car? Sorry, no.
You're preaching to the choir my friend, but missing my point,
For 1sec take a step back from the 4door debate and think about how many TWO door cars that were NOT musclecars under the original definition, but are now considered standard muscle cars.
The list is endless;
1972 ANYTHING 2 door, big block or HiPo small block doesn't matter, NOT muscle cars.
66-71 coronets/satellites/belvederes TWO door, base model small block cars NOT muscle cars.
66-71 chargers TWO DOOR base small block cars NOT muscle cars.
70-71 challenger TWO door base sb car NOT muscle cars
67-71 barracudas TWO door base SB cars NOT muscle cars
And on and on and on and on....
Shall I continue?
Point is;
You can look at the glass half empty all you want, BUT by tweaking the original definition we now have many more TWO door musclecars and involvement in the hobby,
Do I personally look at my 69 coronet 500 TWO door as a musclecar? Nope, not yet, will I eventually? once the motor/trans swap is done, yes.
Now as far as the whole 4dr debate goes, been there done that and not going there again lol but I think we're in agreement on it...with that said, I can certainly respect some of the work and creativity that I've seen on some 4dr cars , even like done of them.