Hop in FROM THE EDITOR
H
ot rods. I dig ’em, but I have never owned one. If you’ve been
reading this column long enough, you know I am a stock guy at
heart. But while growing up, I didn’t just subscribe to Old Cars
and Cars & Parts, I also regularly read Rod & Custom maga-
zine, to which I sometimes subscribed. I also pick up Rodder’s Journal when
the latest issue has features that catch my eye. So while most of my knowl-
edge is in stockers, I can talk the hot rod talk, and I dream about one day
walking the walk with an old hot rod or custom of my own. But I am picky.
For my money, the best rods and customs are usually those built before
the mid 1960s and slightly modifi ed to improve the looks of the original car
or truck without being too over the top and gaudy. And the earlier, the better.
Think “1934 Ford roadster modifi ed to look like a more upscale, coachbuilt
1930s car.” Or a 1949-’51 Mercury given later-1950s styling cues, such as
a hardtop roof or trim from a 1953 Buick or 1955 Plymouth. However, I
think out-of-this-world hot rods such as the “Orbitron” can stay in another
galaxy and you will rarely see them on these pages. My taste for “traditional”
hot rods and customs is pretty typical and common, and that’s refl ected in
their interest and values. Original, traditionally built hot rods and customs
regularly fetch six fi gures, especially those built in-period and that received
magazine coverage. These rods and customs are so timeless, people are still
building cars just as they were done when the cars were considered “used.”
People young and old — especially young. Take David Wacker, Jr., whose
1932 Ford coupe is featured in this issue.
Wacker is like many of the “younger” people in this hobby who are into
prewar cars. Most of these under-40 whipper snappers who appreciate pre-
war cars are into fl athead Fords, like many of their elders, and they are modi-
fying them as they would have been hopped up in the 1950s or earlier. Wack-
er’s 1932 Ford coupe is a prime example: a few mechanical improvements
(hydraulic brakes, a slightly later drivetrain, etc.) and very few changes to
the body that was so beautifully executed at the beginning. Parts for these
cars are getting harder and more expensive to fi nd, and it shows
truededicationto the hobby for a young person to build a pre-
warcarthatis that correct to an era. Whether these young
buildersknow it or not, they are paying great homage to
thepeoplewho created the hot rod and even restoration
hobbies.These young hobbyists are also learning skills
andgaining knowledge that will benefi t the old car hobby
overallbykeeping it running into the 21st Century and
hopefullybeyond.
Cheers to Wacker and all those other young people
whobuild the old car of their dreams. Not only are
you building great cars, you are building the hob-
by for the future.Angelo Van Bogart, Editor
They do build them
like they used to
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