What did late 60's hot rods look like?

[hollywood east customs]

I am doing a build based on a retro 60's muscle car theme using modern suspension & drivetrain. I am wondering if anyone has pics or ideas on what was happening in the late 1960's as for as modifying muscle cars. In my case it is a 69 firebird. Any feedback or better, pictures are appreciated as there is not much research material specialized from this era.

So far I have these parts/thoughts:
-18" Boss 338 staggered grey center rims (look like torque thrusts)
w/ Nitto rubber, Baer 13" front & rear discs - Track 1 kit
suspension mods (tall ball joints, QA1 coilovers & spc upper arms)
- Engine is 383 Vortec SBC V8 w/ big hydralic cam & fast burn heads, coated headers, 700R4 w/ 2800 stall, 9" cougar rear w/ tracklock, old school finned valve covers & oval finned air cleaner
yellow 8mm wire set & wire seperators, black engine bay w/ pontiac blue engine paint & various chrome pcs, speedtech oval exhaust.
- Exterior is silver w/ dark gray GTO side stripes & rear tailight pan
Custom "shelby" screw on racing gas cap/tube in taillight area
1968 camaro rear bumper stretched to fit rear of firebird & 427 Vette style hood scoop or TA ram air hood, standard rear spoiler w/ custom front valance with splitters
- Interior is coverted to 2 seater w/ spare tire mount in back seat area, old sun "swept" tach & stock gauges with hidden shift light
6 point roll bar, modified center console & 4-speed look auto shifter

[srh3trinity]

Redline tires and hood mounted tach come to mind.

[jerhofer]

Cragar Wheels, dual exhaust, white letter tires, vinyl roof if it didn't already have one, tach on the column, dice or tassels hanging from mirror

[mc84_zz4]

Some things off the top of my head:
- Coated headers? --> in White
- Lakewood slapper bars in back.
- 5 slot mags, brushed finish, sticking out a bit
- Chrome sidepipes (Vette style)
- nose down rake
- 8 ball shifter knob

I'd remember more, but I already got headache from those last few...lol

[Twentyover]

Garter on the mirror or on the column mounted tach

[Jim Nilsen]

Rear shackle extenders and slicks.

[Tom Welch]

chrome, chrome, and chrome, yellow plug wires, dual point distributor, (got a piss shiver on that one) Mickey Thompson tires and valve covers.

[EFI69Cam]

Garter on the mirror or on the column mounted tach


That's more of an early 80's thing?

[Tom Welch]

Wynn's decals, Rat Fink decals, sitting too high in the air, skinny front tires.

[twosaturns]

That's more of an early 80's thing?
all this stuff depends on where you're at; garter on the tach was around in the early-mid '70's, but hell, in some areas of the country guys are STILL doing it!
best reference point I'd say is car mags from the era, since they have always viewed themselves as 'cutting edge'.

[joe5.8]

heres a good way to start research

http://www.hotrod.com/whereitbegan/hrdp_0803w_1960_hot_rod_covers/index.html

[Chicken Coupe]

Hmmm. At 1st glance, you're all over the place; roll bar, corvette hood, current style wheels, FORD gas cap, and all on a Pontiac.

No harmony is what I see. No period either. Yellow wires do not make it "period".

In it's era (I was there) Pontiacs we're pretty much left stock. I remember more of them driven my Mom's and girls. If you wanted performance, you bought at the Chevy dealer as they'd pee all over a Trans Am for less cash. The 69 Trans Am had 345 HP, Formula 400 335 HP.

But....

Pontiac also built cars for the Trans Am series, with a 303 CI motor. (Unfortunately they did not do well.
In the final 1968 Trans-Am race at Kent, the big news was that Jerry Titus had left Ford. Terry Godsall, a young Canadian businessman, offered Jerry a chance to run a team of his own Pontiac Firebirds.In going with Pontiac, Titus found that he was handicapped by the need of a great deal of developmental work, especially on the engine. Early on, Godsall pulled out of the Trans Am series, saying that the SCCA was inconsistent in its rule enforcement policies. Jerry then carried on the administrative responsibilities as well as driving for his team. In 1970, Jerry Titus decided to stop building Firebirds for customers and concentrate on his own race cars.)


http://www.trans-amseries.com/makes/firebird.htm

I'm thinking that if you centered your build around a trans-am series car, a lot of what you want to do starts to make sense as they had small block motors, roll cages, no rear seats, trans am gas caps, etc.

I'd stay away from the trendy street chit and focus on what racers would use for under the hood.

These cars were lower than stock, disc brakes, and had big tires at all corners too.

Wheels were more like this
http://www.vintagewheelworks.com/products/images/V48-17x9.5.jpg


Maybe consider a set of valve covers like this in a "raw alum" powdercoat and keep that finish the theme under the hood.

http://www.yourcovers.com/valve_covers_10534.php

I'd also lean towards Mallory wires instead of the "yeller" ones.

Here's an underhood photo of my 71 Nova. That was in 1974 (I think) Maybe some inspiration, maybe not.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

I'd also recommend instrumentation that is period correct. 2 5/8" gauges hung under the dash and a tach that you could see while looking out the windshield. That's where the Pontiac hood mtd tach would be pretty cool.

As far as the hood goes, I'd dump the vette hood idea. What might be kinda neat would be to combine the Firebird 400 hood scoops with a rise similar to a 70 Chevelle at the scoops.

Anyway, that's some of my thoughts. Good luck with whatever you do, but whatever you do focus on a single theme and build off of it.

[novaderrik]

i think that back then, a "Hot Rod" was generally something that was built before WW2.. the 50's and 60's cars were probably either "muscle cars" or "disposable late models"..

[jfaria78]

I would look at HotRod and PHR for inspiration. Muscle Cars were not all that popular yet though. Most if not all the articles you will find from 65-70 will be about 28-32 Fords and 55-57 Chev's and 40 Fords.

James

[Chicken Coupe]

It still means the same thing. Hot rods, as you refer to them, are today either Rat Rods or Street Rods.

You might have also noticed that all of the covers from Hot Rod magazine show customs, race cars or street rods.

Muscle cars of the day were "new" cars, not racers, street machines, etc. with rare exception.

The exceptions were the cars modified for drag racing that many of us "squeeked" past officials to get plates on them.

Ironically SEMA refers to all types of stock or modified vehicles pre '73 as Hot Rods.

[Chicken Coupe]

So...

What's Up?

[hollywood east customs]

Chicken Coupe, I think you have it nailed. The Trans Am series look is what I am after, you just collected my ideas and smacked me over the head with them.

Thanks for the eye opener, I think I was just having a mental block with the "race" part of it. Let me get some ideas on paper and I'll run them by everyone to get some opinions.

[wendell]

If thats' what you're going for, this should get you there; http://www.historictransam.com/home.htm

[Josh69]

I would drop the idea of the vette hood, I've seen it done and it's alright, but looks 'off'. I would either keep the flat stocker hood, or do a T/A replica hood, along with the front fender heat extractors, and the rear wing. Or flat hood and no wing. Whatever you do, don't put a damn Camaro wing on it. I would do Minilite style wheels, not Torq Thrusts, if you're going for Trans Am look. Torq Thrusts tended to be drag wheels, not road race wheels, though they have similar look if that's what you like. Pontiac never used the hood tach on the T/A, and it would look goofy, they had the tach in the dash. The 350HO's had it on the hood when optioned with it, without scoops so there is precedent for it if you go with the flat hood. I've seen guys use the flat hood and cut a hole for a '70's Shaker, that looks kinda cool and is Pontiac specific.

My car looks kinda funny with a '400' hood and the TA side scoops and rear spoiler, but I felt the hood closely matched the side scoops. In hindsight I'd do the T/A hood. I also felt my car looked better WITHOUT the rear spoiler...and regretted drilling the holes almost immediately. The Camaro's look terrible without the ducktail, IMHO, but the Firebird has a nicer ass end with the bigger bumper and slotted lights...it looks more finished so it can get away without one.

Here's some pics of my car if it helps you visualize your project, and the engine with the finned covers. It's a pseudo T/A style, and has a clear retro theme with the TTII's and the disco vinyl. I'm about to add some Auto Meter American Muscle gauges and a Covan's dash. The next change will be to a set of Driver's Inc minilite style wheels.

[dipren443]

I would do Minilite style wheels, not Torq Thrusts, if you're going for Trans Am look. Torq Thrusts tended to be drag wheels, not road race wheels, though they have similar look if that's what you like.

The cross over from Torq Thrusts to Minilite for the Trans Am series was 69. Torq thrusts are correct for anything 68 and older that would have competed in Trans Am. 69 and on, Minilite wheels were utilized.

68
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/1967_Sunoco_Camaro_Z28-1.jpg

69
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/sucp_0908_15_z1969_chevrolet_camaropensk-1.jpg

[John Wright]

Just a few of the mental images that get conjured up when I think about hotrods from the 60's....I was born in 65 so these images were from my early childhood...LOL



https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/BoPPoFBGkKGrHgoOKiEjlLmEVb8BLmt1u8R_12JP-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif


50 Mercs with the Lake pipes uncapped....
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/HotrodpinupMasuimiMax4-1.jpg


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/hrdp_0907_01_z1965_plymouth_belvederefro-1.jpg

[Josh69]

The cross over from Torq Thrusts to Minilite for the Trans Am series was 69. Torq thrusts are correct for anything 68 and older that would have competed in Trans Am. 69 and on, Minilite wheels were utilized.

68

I stand corrected. His car is a '69 though, I've mostly seen minilites on '69's so I suggest the minilites if that's the look you want. Best of luck with whatever you choose!

[Chicken Coupe]

There ya go! Keep dreamin' before you do a thing. Let the whole idea sink in a while.

Trust me, you will NOT be sorry.

And pay attention to all the stuff others have added.

Details will make the project stand out from the crowd. Those ideas do NOT come easily, but you sure do look like you are on your way.

So keep us up to date.:cool: