| erms “hot rod” and “street | | | | and removing the muffler. By the mid 1930’s the |
| rod” are used interchangeably by many people, | | | | Great Depression was in full swing, and through mid |
| but there are some technical differences between the | | | | 1945 World War II was happening, and the hot rod |
| terms. As the words suggest, street rods are generally | | | | scene was basically dormant. |
| street legal and do not race in sanctioned races. | | | | Things would completely change after World War II as |
| The street rod was born during the 1950’s as | | | | the hot rod scene ignited all over America, not just |
| engine and racing technology took some major leaps | | | | California. Soldiers were returning home from war with |
| forward in a small amount of time, and many hot rods | | | | new-found mechanical skills, extra money, and the |
| were now too dangerous to be street legal. The hot | | | | craving for adrenaline. California was also a staging |
| rod actually split into a multitude of categories in the | | | | ground for the Pacific war and millions of men would |
| 1950’s, so knowing some of the history of the | | | | be stationed or trained there, and hot rod stories and |
| hot rod will help explain the difference between these | | | | pictures were shared by many California men to |
| two terms. | | | | others from around the country. By the early |
| Hot rodding started in the 1920’s in California, | | | | 1950’s hot rods were starting to be a serious |
| where millions of cars had been sold by the middle of | | | | issue in cities, with racing happening everywhere. |
| the decade. Young men could buy a cheap used car, | | | | The NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) was |
| and parts were cheap and plentiful to turn these into | | | | founded in 1951 to discourage street racing. By the mid |
| racing machines. Groups would meet up in the salt | | | | 1950’s there were sanctioned races around the |
| flats in central California for evening racing. Most of | | | | country, and the popularity exploded. Advances in |
| these cars were Model T’s powered by their | | | | engine technology now made a race car so fast that |
| tiny 20 horsepower engines. To increase speed and | | | | they could not be driven on the streets. Soon there |
| acceleration, the cars were stripped down to the bare | | | | would be “funny cars” and other types |
| minimums. This included removing any extra panels, | | | | of race cars that did not resemble the earlier hot rod. |
| running boards, ornaments, headlights, etc. This was the | | | | Racing in these leagues was also very expensive, so |
| beginning of the hot rod look as we know it today, with | | | | many still held onto the street rod as these were now |
| exposed engine bays. These first cars were not called | | | | called. Looks and style started to match the |
| hot rods at the time. They were nicknamed | | | | importance of performance, and a new type of car |
| “gow jobs”. | | | | would branch off the street rod. It was the |
| By the 1930’s, engine technology was rapidly | | | | “custom” car, which basically took a |
| changing and the fun racing was now turning serious | | | | stock car of any model and heavily customized it to |
| and sometimes deadly, with speeds of over 100 mph | | | | be a one of a kind. |
| being achieved thanks to Ford’s newest engine, | | | | So there are the technical differences between a hot |
| the flathead V8. This engine produced 80 horsepower | | | | rod and street rod, but you can interchange these |
| from the previous 20, but hot rodders quickly learned | | | | terms as many people do. A street rod is always a |
| how to tweak the engine to produce around 160 | | | | street legal hot rod, but not all hot rods are street legal. |
| horsepower. This was achieved by adding multiple | | | | Some hot rods can only race on racetracks due to |
| carburetors, straightening and shortening the exhaust, | | | | their heavy modifications. |