On the Basics Of Getting Into The Automotive Hobby Part II, today we are going to talk about Classic Cars and High End Street Rods in this segment; and, just to keep things extra spicy we’ll even throw in a little Pro Street and Pro Touring. Enjoy!
Classic cars can fall into several categories, many usually range in years from the mid 30’s to the 60’s, the most common is the Resto Rod.
Resto Rods are cars that have virtually no body modifications, but updated drivetrains and interiors. These cars are very fun to drive and can be used as daily drivers and for vacations.
A lot of the cars you’ll see at your local car shows will fall under the Resto Rod category, these cars can usually be built very easily in your home garage.
This amazing 1933 Ford Victoria “Vicky” is a product from the Iconic Street Rod Shop
of Roy Brizio Street Rods in San Francisco, California.
Resto-Mods are another category of Classic Cars, they are very similar to the Resto Rods but are built with extremely modern drivetrains, electronics, and interiors usually with very luxurious fabrics.
These cars are usually built with all the latest bells and whistles as well as an emphasis on high performance, handling, braking, and luxurious comfort.
These cars are very enjoyable to drive on long trips and even cross country, the updated drivetrains, electronics and interiors will often make you feel like you’re driving a brand new car.
Original Classics are cars that are mostly original that have been well kept, and usually driven on a regular basis, but haven’t been restored. These cars are fun to own and drive but are usually driven short to moderate distances due to their age and sometimes limited parts availability on the road.
Restored Classics are cars that have been taken apart and everything cleaned, refurbished, or replaced by a like new, or sometimes even better than new condition.
Restorations are usually regulated by time and the depth of your finances. Frame On Restorations is where the body and frame are not separated, and the restoration consists of a thorough cleaning and painting, and sometimes depending on the condition of the car, overhauling the drivetrain.
This type of restoration with the exception of painting can usually be done in your own garage and is the type of restoration that you’ll see on the typical TV car shows.
These cars are usually driven to shows, but sometimes trailered to the show and then unloaded and driven a short distance to the show.
Frame Off Restorations are where the car is completely disassembled, all parts are cataloged, depending on the type of car, parts availability and the value of the car, the car may be restored with aftermarket, or the original parts may have to be rebuilt or completely fabricated from scratch.
This can be the most expensive and time-consuming type of restoration and is usually left to professional shops.
Depending on parts availability and the condition of the car, labor hours can be from several hundred to even several thousand to complete the restoration.
These cars are almost always transported in enclosed trailers and hardly driven at all. Many of these end up in museums and private collections and kept as an investment or sentimental value.
Pro Street cars are built to resemble their dragstrip counterparts, many have large cubic inch engines, an emphasis on straight line acceleration, minimal comfort, and are basically Street Legal Drag Cars.
Pro Touring cars are built for high performance in all areas, with extra emphasis on handling, and braking. Most have the widest tires and wheels that can be installed within the body lines, and road race inspired suspensions. Interiors are usually a performance style upgrade from stock and are extremely enjoyable to drive on long curvy roads.
HIGH END STREET RODS
High End Street Rods are usually at the top of the food chain, many of these are driven very little annually and are trailered to events. These cars are equipped with the latest technology, have top notch paint jobs and lots of Chrome or Billet Aluminum parts.
Many of these cars can easily run in excess of $100,000 and usually built by the best Rod Shops for some of the most prestigious shows in the world. The construction for these cars is only limited by how much money you want to spend.
We’ll see you on the next segment of the Basics Of Getting Into The Automotive Hobby, in the meantime check out the awesome rides in our gallery below.
