Hot rodding is an art form that involves modifying a motor vehicle to give it more power and speed. It's not just about increasing performance, but also achieving a refined look. The best part about hot rodding is that, once you're done, you can take your creation out and meet other people who share the same passion. One explanation for the term is that it's a contraction of 'hot roadster', which means a roadster that was modified for speed.
For example, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in its vehicle emissions regulations defines a hot rod as any motor vehicle that has a replacement engine other than the factory original. To create a successful hot rod, you need to get the proportions and posture right, as well as use consistent materials throughout the construction. Hot rods have been used as the theme of roller coasters, such as Lightning Rod at Dollywood. The term can also be applied to other elements that are modified for a particular purpose, such as the hot rod amplifier.
Many hot rods upgrade their brakes from mechanical to hydraulic (juice) and headlights from bulb to sealed beam. Hot rods have their roots in the modified cars used by smugglers during Prohibition to evade law enforcement. Hot rods first appeared in the late 1930s in Southern California, where people competed with modified cars on dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles under the rules of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA). At first glance, a hot rod is an early car without a fender, lowered at the front, with great posture and a high-performance engine with three carbs lined up.
This includes a new generation of builders, artists and traditional hot rod styles, as well as classic-style car clubs. Hot rod music was largely a product of several surf music groups that shifted their lyrical approach to hot rods. There are magazines dedicated to traditional hot rods, such as Hot Rod, Car Craft, Rod and Custom, and Popular Hot Rodding. A real hot rod is unmistakable when you're a kid and you like cars - no matter if you grew up in the 50s, 60s, 70s or now.
