About Hot Rods

There are many different kinds of hot rods--they can be older cars from the '40s, '60s or '70s. Some people even like to call modern cars hot rods, but a true hot rod is a hopped-up antique.

Significance

Hot rods have always made a big impact on society. So much so that some people have taken everyday cars and made them into something special, making hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. A good example is the Roush Mustang. Jack Roush, a former Ford engineer, started a company called Roush Performance in 1988. By 2001, he had is own line of hot-rod mustangs.

Function

Hot rods such as "daily drivers" are hopped-up sports cars driven to work daily. Many hot rods have high-performance engines and are often seen at the drag strip or street racing on a Saturday night.

Types

Any car can be turned into a hot rod, but the most popular cars seen today are Chevrolet Camaros and Novas and Ford Mustangs. Cars from the '40s and '50s are also considered hot rods, but they usually do not have a hopped-up engine--these cars are kept as close to original as possible because of their value.

Features

Hot rods can have a stoked engine, an upgraded exterior, upgraded suspension and brakes, or all three. Chances are, if you are looking at a muscle car from the '60s and early '70s, at least the engine is stoked. Hot rods are rather expensive to build, but when comparing one make against another, Chevrolets the the cheapest to build. Parts are readily available, either through the dealer or the many after-market companies.

Size

Hot rods can be any shape or size. You can go from a six-cylinder mustang to a 460 big-block, gas-guzzling, tire-burning speedster. In older cars you have to do some cutting on the body. Other cars, such as the Chevrolet Nova, Camaro or Chevelle, have space enough for a big-block engine and are a bit less expensive to build up, since the body does not have to be changed.