, typically to increase acceleration in a car already designed for speed. This catch-all breaks down into various subheadings, with street rod, traditional, rat rod, high tech, and custom among them.

None of the cars featured on hot rod sites look like they’d be out of place in a Fourth of July parade, with a nice local official perched on top of the back seat and waving to the crowds.

The flowering of different hot rod categories had a bit to do with the changing of the automotive guard through the years, but some of it was a language game. MotorTrend notes that the phrase “street rod,” for example, was used to define those who worked on their custom builds for the purposes of regular street driving. They were not intended for racing. Racing was associated with hot rods, and these were for “hoodlums and juvenile delinquents” in 1950s America.

A slice of H.A.M.B.

Clearly this characterization struck a chord. Fast forward 70-odd years, and the H.A.M.B. virtual meeting spot has a tongue-in-cheek mission statement: its users are “spreading the gospel of traditional hot rods and customs to hoodlums world wide.” They do this by breaking their obsession down into helpful categories, with dedicated threads for technical, projects, features, and history.

On the main page, the administrator also provides a series of photos of old automobiles to indicate to users what kinds of cars are welcome for discussion on the site—but no definitions. Perhaps this is proof that, even for the experts, hot rods can be filed under “you know it when you see it.”

Click around a bit and the enthusiasm of the community becomes obvious right away. One recent post, filed under “event coverage,” features photos of hot rods from the LA Roadster Show 2022. Dozens of comments underneath the photos thank the poster for sharing the pictures, and there are many wistful expressions of desire to be there in person. The vast majority of the discussion comes from members with hot rods as their profile photos.

This serene corner of the H.A.M.B. is an anachronistic internet experience, and not just because the cars are old: everyone is cordial and focused on the matter at hand. Perhaps we could all learn from the hot rod gospel.

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A sweet build

The site itself isn’t anything fancy, but this lack of fanfare belies a robust audience and community: as of this writing, over nine million posts have been made in the H.A.M.B., and that’s only on the general discussion board. Under “projects,” one user from Oklahoma takes us beat by beat through the building of his “1930s style race car.”

We see the tools he used, the gradual shaping of the car, and the finished product. The comments underneath are supportive and enthusiastic. Many clamor for more information about the story of the car, and the builder responds to a few questions and shares a few more points within the thread. The whole mood is upbeat and warm, and it really makes you wonder—should I quit my day job and start posting on the H.A.M.B.?

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