The Evolution of Street Rodding - Page 2

The Cavalry Cometh: Enter the NSRA

The National Street Rod Association was formed in 1970 with the goal of burying the unsavory image and lurid past of hot rodding. The overall objective of the fledgling organization was to create a positive public attitude towards rodders by encouraging them to get their act together. Members of car clubs and "lone wolf" rodders alike were encouraged to show respect to law enforcement and to extend courtesy to fellow motorists.

NSRA members were also encouraged to assist stranded motorists and to get involved positively in their communities. Many local car clubs gave their members "courtesy cards" to identify themselves as members when they provided roadside help. And the newly-coined term "street rod" also provided some additional distance and dissociation from the negative connotations that "hot rod" bore.

The NSRA deserves a lot of credit, since it was the organizing body that made the hobby/sport what it is today. Without a doubt, the NSRA is the reason the growth of street rodding has continued at a steady pace since its inception, and the organization provides "leadership, guidance and fun events for enthusiasts who favor driving their specialty cars wherever and whenever they want to."

Currently boasting more than 60,000 members from all over the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and Sweden, the NSRA also elaborates on the definition of what a street rod is: "An automobile of 1948 or earlier manufacture which has undergone some type of modernization, to include any of the following: engine, transmission, interior refinements and any other modifications the builder desires. A street rod is to be driven to events under its own power and is to be used as a safe, non-racing vehicle for total family enjoyment."

Additionally, according to the NSRA, a street rod is a means of self expression for its creator. The builder of a street rod isn't confined to guidelines set down by someone else; he can be his own man and the street rod can be whatever he wants it to be, as long as the basic vehicle was manufactured prior to 1949. The street rod builder has the options of adding a late model engine and drive train from any make of car, he can modify the suspension to give better ride and handling characteristics, and he can incorporate whatever creature comforts he wants. Air conditioning, cruise control, AM/FM stereo radios and CD players, power steering, power brakes, power windows and automatic transmissions are common. The end result is an automobile tailored to the owner's wants that still retains the looks and charm of a vehicle 50, 60 or even 70 years old.

A street rod builder can also use as mild or as wild a paint theme as he desires and he can modify the lines of the body to suit his own tastes. The sky is the limit, and he can do whatever he wants without worrying about standards set down by someone else.

The Rush Is In The Ride

There's no question that some folks enjoy building a street rod and, after it's finished, sell the vehicle so they can start another street rod building project. That's fine and I say more power to them. Not everyone can build a street rod, and it's folks like these who can build them who supply the street rods for those who can't.

However, I and many other street rod enthusiasts find that one of the best parts of owning a street rod is not in the creating of a unique vehicle, but rather in its enjoyment after it is completed. With the modernization comes the ability to enjoy the vehicle in ways other resurrected old cars can not be. The vehicle can be driven for long distances in comfort, with safety to the passengers and others on the highway. In addition to making the car more comfortable, improvements in steering, lighting and brakes are nearly always included in the building of a street rod.

A street rod is a nostalgia trip and, while it retains most of the appeal of an old car, it is still a venue for self expression by allowing the creator to incorporate his own ideas in paint, body work and the mechanics that make it go. In this era of special interest automobiles, the street rod is one of the truest forms of personalized vehicles, and many street rods are forms of kinetic modern art.

Rolling Sculpture

Many street rods can rightly be called rolling sculpture. They are automotive art forms that showcase the talent, imagination, craftsmanship and creativity of the owner and/or builder. The great thing about street rods, however, is that they can be driven and enjoyed, rather than just admired as with a sculpture on display in some museum.

Street rodding is enjoying unprecedented growth, particularly among baby boomers. Now, with more disposable income and leisure time available than in years past, these folks can afford to build safer and better looking street rods replete with just about every conceivable creature comfort. This has most certainly improved the visual image of the sport/hobby and made it more acceptable in the public eye.

Although many fine street rods have been built for far less, the average street rod costs somewhere in the $30,000-$50,000 range to build, and some professionally built rods are in the half-million-plus range.

It's really not a money thing, however. You can go out and buy a street rod, but that doesn't make you a street rodder. Street rodding is a state of mind - it's more of a Zen thing. A street rodder forms an intimate alliance with his vehicle - he and the rod become one enraptured entity. And that's what makes owning and driving a street rod so different from mundane, "normal" cars.