Are you a real hot rodder, or just a poser? Here are my 5 tips for living the hot rodding life. In the world of hot rodding, there's a lot of talk about practicing what you preach, but in reality, there's very little of that going on. Just think how many times you've seen some magazine cover or car feature touting the words "Daily Driver" or "Street Driven," and see what I mean. We tend to throw those words around pretty cavalierly in the magazine business, and I tend to think these words have lost some of their luster. What good is having the muscle car of your dreams if it just sits in the garage all the time? I know there are realities that hamper driving something like a Hemi 'Cuda to work every day, such as the price of gas, the value of the car, and all the non-routine maintenance that comes with something like that, but there are ways to get around that, and still live (rather than pretend) the hot rodding life. 1. Drive a beater hot rod. My daily commuter is a '94 6-speed Corvette. It cost me $10K, it pulls down 24 mpg, and runs low 13s on 91 octane. The ‘vette has 115,000 miles on it, and I beat the snot out of it every day. Road rash and door dings are no problem, and if I ever tried to sell it, I could pretty much get back what I paid for it. 2. Drive your pride and joy as often as you can. I make a point of driving my '68 Chevelle and my '76 Camaro several times a week. Yeah, they're really nice, and I risk getting both of them damaged, but I really get a kick out of driving them to the grocery store, going to the gym, or cruising with my family. Those dents and dings you do get will all come with fond memories free of charge. People notice it too, and when they do, it will make your day--and theirs. 3. Take it to the track. Call it personal prejudice on my part, but a hot rod just isn't a hot rod until it's been christened at the track. Be forewarned: if you come up to me and ask me to get your car featured in PHR, one of the first things I'm going to ask you is, "how fast is it?" or "have you raced it?" Not racing your hot rod is kind of like building a lowrider and never hopping it, buying a Jeep and never taking it off-road, or installing a stereo, and never cranking up the volume. 4. Don't be afraid to break your hot rod once in a while. Hot rods represent the independent spirit in all of us. It's the idea that as hot rodders, we're never stranded, never waylayed. When I break my junk, it provides the opportunity to learn more about my car, and to find out who my true friends are. John Lennon is often quoted as having said, "life is what happens to you while you're making other plans." 5. Or, don’t drive it if you prefer. At the end of the day, I realize that sometimes the fun comes in the simple pride of ownership, the nostalgic memories, and staring at it in the garage over a good cigar and a shot of 15-year-old scotch! Photo caption:
This photo from the XV Motorsports Open Track event at Pocono says it all: There’s no point in owning it if you’re not going to use it. Flogging your musclecar on the track—and even breaking it—can be a liberating experience.
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