Its funny you pick this thread to make that opinion known. I actually am having a shop build this for me (which I've made clear) so I guess that would make me a "cheque book hot rodder" as you put it. I've built 5 cars myself and now my situation in life has changed. I'm now fortunate, or unfortunate, enough (depending on how you look at it) to have more money than time but I still love the hobby and have no problem supporting a hard working shop. And for most guys paying to have their cars built its the same way.
I'd love to know what I should do instead of being a "cheque book hot rodder"? Get out of hot rodding since I'm not "man enough" to do it myself any more? Quit my job I've been working hard at for the last decade to find a more hot rod friendly schedule? Take away what little free time I do have to spend with my new fiance and devote that to building a car I want?
I have nothing but respect for most of the guys over on those forums and they push the limits of what can and will be done with their unlimited budget builds and fortunately alot of the one off parts they make filter down to the regular guys. And I'm not sure how many of these guys you've had dealings with for the "elitist attitudes" but I've talked to many of them over the years from Chip Foose, the ring brothers, to mary ponzi at sema and always was greeted with a genuine excitement about their cars and a willingness to talk to anyone. Hell when I met the ring brothers I was in a hyundai shirt walking buy "razor" and ended up talking to them for an hour about a car I could never dream of making with not even a hint of annoyance.
Were all hot rodders, from the misguided kid that puts a $10.99 autozone "fart can" on his honda to the guy that builds a 500k show car.
/end rant
Now THAT is a great reply regarding this topic. For the record, In my personal experience, most of the "elitists" who think they are so much better than everyone else are the ones who claim to build their own and spout the "built, not bought" bull$hit.
Me personally, I don't have the ability to do what professionals do. I wasn't fortunate enough to have the time to learn. However, the finished product is based on my directive which is dictated by the designs I have in my head for the car. Sure, I paid someone else to do the actual work. But all he went by was what I told him I wanted it to look like and used the parts I brought him. And at the end of the day, I ended up with a vehicle that is fairly unique and that is also most definitely known as mine. I have never once heard "Oh.... that's the car built by 'insert guy(s) who actually did the work here'".
Sure, there are a few people out there detached from a build. They just take a blank check, go to a shop and say "build me a 'whatever'". But to say the owner of the car in this thread is detached.... Ummmm... No. He researched all the parts. Obviously he is at the shop a hell of a lot to get the pictures. And he is all over the build. Pretty much the way all of my builds have gone, except this one is a build of much more grand scale than mine have been thus far.
Another thing I wonder about the guys in this thread (and elsewhere in the world) who state that building your own is the only way to truly be a car guy... Do you do EVERYTHING to your cars? By that I mean, if it needs an engine build, a trans build, a rear end build, the powder coating of a frame and other things, bodywork, a paint job, upholstering of seats and other interior work, etc..... ANYTHING the car needs, you MUST do all of this yourself, right? Because if you don't (and I would bet that you don't do everything), then you, too, would be yet another "built it, didn't buy it" guy who is dripping in hypocrisy because your convictions only apply to the things you actually know how to do, and you get someone else to take care of the things you don't.
Anyhoo, yea, the haters are gonna hate. My rant is probably pointless in that aspect. But alas, I typed all of this crap up anyway.
Either way, this is one seriously BAD ASS BUILD and I am definitely subscribing to the thread.
Carry on. :biggrin:
