Exotic Hot Rods

Hot rods, the typical American cars with large engines modified for linear speed are a compelling blend of vintage cars and today’s high performance engines. Car owners modify their production car in the attempt to increase acceleration and top end speed. For most Americans restoring their vintage cars as hot rods is more of a national sport.

The vintage cars of the 40’s to 60’s still have the potential to turn heads and that’s why there’s so much craze for hot rods. The traditional hot rodding concept was based on reusing original, old parts from the junkyard and remanufacturing cars that were popular from the 1940s through the 1960s. But the street rodding concept is based on building or getting cars built with new parts.

Hot rods have an abundance of chrome parts, they fatten up the tires for extra traction, engine is modified and some body panels are removed. Most hot rods are typically painted with a design of flames behind the front wheels. A typical hot rod is heavily modified by replacing the engine and transmission, a few other components, including brakes and steering. Building a hot rod requires skills in mechanics, welding, automotive paint and body work.

While modifying a vintage car to a hot rod – one of the things is to reduce the weight of the vehicle by removing certain parts. That’s why hot rods have minimalistic chassis with no roof, hood, bumpers, seats, windscreens or fenders. Sometimes the original engines are replaced by high speed ones. Hot rodding is an art work that replenishes the golden past with the present day high speed performance.

Hot rods catered to the rebellion and attention seeking needs of American teenagers. The modifications of hot rods are a vent to the frustrations of conventional styling. Hot rods are a display of American pride.

Hot rod drag racing is a legitimate competitive sport. Apart from racing events, hot rodders can exhibit their re-done cars at hot rod car shows.