Can A Buggy Be A Hot Rod?

DIESELDOOG · Post by **DIESELDOOG** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:42 am

The question came up during a photo shoot at Hot Rod Magazine on November 14, 2012.

Here is a link to a blog on the Hot Rod website.

http://blogs.hotrod.com/hot-rod-or-not-rod-the-meyers-manx-41583.html#axzz2CiMGj2xX

So, what do you think? can a buggy be a hot rod? Let's let Elena know.

Ed-Chenal · Post by **Ed-Chenal** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 3:06 pm

Obviously, a buggy can be a Hot Rod. It's just a matter of time and money.
For me, it's more of a Fun Rod.

rzeller · Post by **rzeller** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 4:38 pm

It's interesting that a staffer from Hot Rod even asked this question. Going back to Hot Rod's Feb 2009 Edition the inclusion of "Old Red" in Hot Rod's own "Top 100 Hot Rods That Changed The World" see: http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0801_top_100_hot_rods/viewall.html (selection #12) it is crystal clear it IS! This question has been near and dear to me for a personal reason (much like Bruce states in the blog article about "hot rodders" being upset by the dune buggy). Back just before the Feb 2009 edition came out a friend of mine and I wanted to join a car club (there weren't any air cooled or dune buggy clubs in our area at the time) and our only option was a "custom/hot rod club". We attended an interview dinner with their BOD and I drove my dune buggy to the event. We discussed our vehicles over dinner and then the BOD wanted to see mine. We went to the parking lot and a couple of them walked around my buggy (very quickly) with a look on their face like they smelled dog poo. Two days later we got a call from the club's treasurer stating that the "founding members" would not allow us to join their club because they didn't recognize our buggies as "cars" let alone Hot Rods. Since that day we've been in a few car shows with this group of snot heads and take great pleasure when crowds walk right past their high dollar cars only to stop, smile, and talk about our dune buggies.

I don't collect many magazines, but I keep this issue of Hot Rod in my buggy for the opportunity to rub it in the face of one of these "founding members"!!! Spiteful? Me? Never

ManxManiac · Post by **ManxManiac** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 8:20 pm

Any vehicle can be a hot rod! I refer to our Meyers Manx "Xena" as my Hot Rod! John Force refers to his Funny Car as a hot rod, a friend refers to his WW2 P51 Mustang fighter plane as a hot rod too! A factory stock automobile can be a hot rod, though many folks think a hot rod should have some modifications to make it faster or handle better! When I was a little kid in the 50s, I had a pedal car that was my first hot rod! The body was lowered on the chassis & it was painted black with 3 color flames, wish I still had it!

A number of years ago, I use to attend a Friday night cruise in Xena at the local Foster's Freeze, usually with my long board strapped down to the roof rack! Everyone greatly enjoyed checking her out & of course I got a million questions! One Friday I arrived a bit earlier than normal & this guy that owned one of the dozens of "Tri-5 Chevys" that always attended, walks over & tells me that Xena doesn't belong there & I better leave! I just smiled which seemed to really tick him off! I wandered over to the group of Tri-5 Chevy guys & asked how many of them didn't want me there? All of them responded "You're buggy is a hot rod, so why would we want you to leave?" I explained the actions of their friend & they said ignore him, they would straighten him out! I related the story to the owner of Foster's & he immediately went & asked the guy "why" he didn't want me there? After a brief conversation, the guy crawled into his 55 Chevy & left & never went back again!

I was with a group of "older" hot rod guys many years ago & one of them said to a fellow that asked what a hot rod was... He pointed to his head & then his heart & told the guy, "If you don't already feel it in your mind or heart, then there isn't any explanation that I can give you that you would understand, you either get it or you don't!"

I believe on the cover of "Hot Rod" magazine sometime in the 70s, it had, "Are Dune Buggies The Roadsters Of The 70s?"
So, Hot Rod magazine has answered its own question several times before... YES, the Meyers Manx & f/g buggies are or can be real Hot rods!

Ed-Chenal · Post by **Ed-Chenal** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 8:35 pm

Well stated Michael.

DIESELDOOG · Post by **DIESELDOOG** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 9:00 pm

Very good - Michael