Ford T-Bucket - The Time Warp Trio - 3 Pack

Most of us can agree that within any subculture lies the tendency to spawn trends. Since the first Model T was hopped up and stripped down to race on the streets or dry lakes, hot rodding has been no exception. Ask yourself where the big 'n' little tire combo came from. Or lakes headers. Or track noses. Or nerf bars. The list goes on and on. The point is, certain things influence how or why we build cars the way we do, and the influence of what's trendy at the time is no exception.

If we go back to the early days of hot rodding, where guys were stripping off fenders and running boards and other nonessential items to run on the dry lakes, it wasn't but a few years later when guys were building fenderless highboys that were built strictly for the street. Fast-forward a few more years when dragsters of the '50s and '60s gave rise to cars like the Kookie T and Tommy Ivo's T-bucket, with the exaggerated tire combo, stance, and motor combinations. An explosion of aftermarket T-bucket kits and products then fueled the next generation of hot rod trends.

As the aftermarket T-bucket kits were really generating a buzz in the hot rodding community, there was also a large contingent of guys keeping the old steel relatively stock, but changing things such as the drivetrain com-ponents, wheels, and tires, and thereby creating what is known today as the resto rod movement. These two styles or trends were the most predominant through the late '70s, until guys like Lil' John Buttera, Boyd Coddington, Andy Brizio, Dick "Magoo" Megugorac, and others turned the hot rodding community on its head once again.

Leaning away from the resto rod look with all the bolt-on gadgets one could find, the early '80s brought with it a different approach to rod building. Hinges and door handles were being deleted, doors lengthened, windshields leaned back and contoured to match the cowl, and a new process called CNC (computer numerically controlled) machining was coming to the forefront of aftermarket product manufacturing. Where stamped, forged, or cast parts were once the only options available, now very precise and intricate parts could be manufactured easily with a CNC milling machine. The wheel industry would never be the same.

But we're getting away from the point. Where most hot rods consisted of 80-percent original manufacture parts during the previous 40 years, the '80s saw cars being built with literally no original parts. Sure, there were still guys building original steel cars, but the trend of the time was leaning toward the "smoothster" look. Bodies were fiberglass, frames were one-off and fabricated, wheels were machined from huge chunks of aluminum, and the days of building a $10,000 T-bucket were soon becoming a thing of the past. But the new millennium was going to change all that.

During the mid-'90s, a bourgeoning scene was starting to development all over the country. Guys were digging out original bodies from barns, farms, and swap meets and building cars out of original parts again. At first, these rough, often unpainted and rusted hulks were scoffed at and belittled to the point of being deemed as nothing but unsafe rat rods. But those "in the know" knew better. It wasn't about whose wheels you had or how big they were or whether the motor was out of a new Corvette or not. It was about nostalgia and breathing new life into something that had been long-since dead. For the same reason people collect and restore antique furniture, it's the old adage: One man's junk is another man's treasure. And perhaps most importantly, it was about doing it yourself and having fun.

It took a few years to catch on, but with the Goodguys' recent addition of the Homebuilt Heaven, Garage Grown, and Retro Rods and Kool Kustoms categories at most of their shows, along with the growing coverage in numerous automotive publications, including SRM, it seems that this stepchild mentality toward traditional cars is finally changing. Being a purist myself, I knew it was just a matter of time before the hot rod community jumped on board and saw those rat rods for what they are-the result of the blood, sweat, and tears of enthusiasts who are probably the most loyal and dedicated of any hobby.

Here's a quick peek at a couple traditional-styled cars that we shot this year at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals. We hope they inspire those of you thinking of building your own car to go for it and remember; street rodding is all about fun! Enjoy!