The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Why do they do that??

For us here in Germany it is always a bit strange when we look over US old car galleries or classifides, the first thing (most) americans seems to do when they buy an old car/truck is, to bolt in

1. a drop column,
2. a tiny "Mickey Mouse" steering wheel
3. bucket seats.

I mean, this seems to be so common that it became sort of a running gag over here.

I know there are many beautyfull trucks out there with original equipment and Mustang clips, power steering and all are a comon modification over here to, but no one would come to the idea to do this drop column thing. Not to mention one of this "sport" sterring wheels.

And there is nothing like a big bench seat.
Cruising along a country road, sweet Bob Wills from the radio and your girl in your arm.

Try this with bucket seats. Her "rear end" half way down on the floor. I bet it`s not getting that romantic. :rolleyes:

Why do they do that?? :confused:

Frank

I am going to agree with you BIG TIME there StoveBold. I think there is nothing wrong with power steering, power brakes, "radio" , you know the occasional creature comforts. But I think a BOLT should drive/feel like a Bolt.

I like my bench seat, and I like my big ol steering wheel..it makes My old 59 feel like .....
a 59.

Cliff59

Stovebold you hit it on the head. Nothing better than a bench seat. I'm not in a F16 cockpit so I don't need to be boxed in. There's nothing like throwing your arm up on the back of a bench seat and cruising. I like the look of a stock steering wheel too.

Ditto, I may have power steering one day but the original steering wheel and bench seat(w/new padd-n) will stay, just like my drop axle.
Have a great day! bowties

Stovebold - a lot of us over here in the US don't get it either...

after I got my truck a pal of mine said something about my big steering wheel, I told him I liked my big steering wheel and to leave it alone.

http://woogeroo.home.mindspring.com/Matraca/img09142003/35.html


bench seats are fun also.

-W

Great truck Woogeroo, exactly the type and model I´m looking for as a daily driver.

Frank

Cruising along a country road, sweet Bob Wills from the radio and your girl in your arm.


Not too sure about the Bob Wills, but the other two are nice.

boy, if you remember Bob Wills then you are ok,, you do know that in Tx, Bob wills is still the king..

I suspose the reason folks do what they do are because we all like different things,,mine is basic stock and I like it that way, but then I like others too... I like my bench seat and my big stock steering wheel..Fred

Drop you column, and grab your socks.. oops wrong location. The column drop I believe is a natural mounting thing for replacement columns in the Hot Rod Bolts. IMHO, I think people use bucket seats because they are usually cheap, and easy to obtain. As for the steering wheels who knows why people do what the do. Matter of taste?

I do like a medium sized wheel, and ohhh I just love the bench seat.

-Randy
*

@Joker

Well, actualy I´m a big Bob Wills fan. I even play in a Western Swing Band (belive it or not - here in Bavaria).

Ida Red and the Mountain Melody Stompers

If you click on the "Photos" button, I´m the one at the Steelguitar

Frank

and I thought you guys just poka,,, Frank, I hit the photo buttton, cant see you, give me more directions,the steel is one instrument that I wish we could hear more, like in some of carl smiths records..you have a good looking group,,Bob wills had a car like that

Yeah, I also had a culture shock when I was on the "Wurstfest" in New Braunfels/Texas

here you go joker: Frank at the steel

The car is all fake as the whole picture.

The band was photographed in front of a fence, the background was in Italy where we had a gig, I made the "Western Radio Station" in a 3D Program and the "Band Wagon" is my 41 Sedan with a little Photoshop work

Thanks , the 41 brings back a lot of memories, my fatherin law passed away in 86,, had one that he had in the family all its life, I passed on buying it, nice pix of you and the steel,, bet you know the steel guitar rag and can do it in your sleep, huh,, thanks for the response and your site,,real neat, even you ever get a chance check out our chat room, sometimes we are there in the mornings and such,,regards..Fred

Einige Amerikaner haben mehr Geld als Gehirne.

Well when I bought my 57 it was already modified(engine trans long gone). So yes I did put a drop column in it and an aftermarket ididit column. The column in there when I bought it was out of a 80s caddy and was tilt and telescopic. Which meant that you had to use the original steering wheel and it was butt ugly. I put in a wood wheel from the Grant Co. with three spokes. It looks classy and everything is updated now for my resto outside but modern underpinnings. It already had power disk brakes and steering. Now as far as big steering wheels their neat looking and are needed if you are running it stock. Nothing wrong with stock. Each has its place. If fact my next old truck will be a stocker to compliment my modified.

To some people they want it all. They want the cool look of the older trucks but don't want to work on them or work driving them. Oh well, you can look cool when your rodded truck breaks down and you don't have a clue but you will look cool calling for a tow.

I myself have never been one to worry about how I looked to other people( With the exception of my Kids) I don't do things just cause "they" say this or that. I like my old truck. I like to work on my old truck. When something goes wrong with my old truck I think that is just her way of saying, "you are not paying me enough attention". Here is the big difference, I am not afraid to WORK my truck. That is what it is for!

Don't get me wrong there are some modified trucks out there that are an absolute work of art. However, that is the exception and not the rule in my opinion. Those trucks are built by true craftsmen that know they will never recoupe the total dollors invested.

I think alot of people need to drive some old iron for a change. Go slower enjoy the ride and copany, instead of rushing to where ever and what ever it is they are rushing too.

without my big steering wheel i am pretty sure that my truck would be impossible to drive safely. as for the bech seat, i like being able to sit next to some, i also like to put my arm up on it and cruise. i am not sure what a drop column is, but i am pretty sure that i do not have one. i like to keep mine origional, right down to the small things that irritate me. because if nothing irritated me then life would be boring. germany rocks by the way, i have a few friends over there, one is in the army and one is a real for real german guy. he was an exchange student in high school, cool guy, anyway good post, and what is a drop column??

If we all liked the same things everyone would be chasing my wife around.

Those stupid little steering wheels have caused a lotta wrecks over the years... I got a rude awakening one sunday morning about 20 years ago when this ol girl spun out on a wet road and came crashing thru my front porch in a 73 chevy. The porch was a massive concrete thing and the car lost badly. thankfully no one was hurt, but when I checked out the car it had one of those 6-8" welded chain steering wheels... no wonder she lost control... By the way My 79 yr old mom (Born and raised in central Texas) is a true Bob Wills fan even has his autograph....Me personally I'm more into Willie and Jerry Jeff......

bwahaahahaahahaa ... well said sir!

I need the big steering wheel, because my power steering is in the arms. Those little steering wheels look rather silly to me. :p

I also love the bench seat in my truck. It is perfect for drive-in movies.

Once again I stand by what I said earlier. I have a truck that was already modified and Im doing the work on it not some high paid craftsman. I wanted to build a modified truck this time. My last truck was an all original 65 elcamino . I like it both ways. I would never buy a stock complete truck or car and modify it. I think we need to preserve whats left so people can see how it really was back then. As far as being cool a person doesnt have to act cool to be cool which isnt why I chose to build old rigs. Im not in high school anymore and dont give a rats butt about what someone thinks about what I drive. People get to hung up on how someone builds their truck car or whatever. Be glad they are doing something constructive and keeping these old trucks alive and running.

I'm buying a 64 c-10 that will become a swb modified hot rod but there are somethings that Will Not Be Changed!!! The BIG WHEEL cause I like it even though the 72 frame i'm using has powersteering, taking the ORIGINAL bench seat & having it made into a 60/40 bench with an arm rest/cupholder just for comfort, & the Original stereo is being re-installed with a hidden amplified mp3 player. The steering column is staying ORIGINAL cause like some of the fellow bolters posted here "i dunno what a drop column is" but it'll be my truck & my choice Anyways IMO for every modified truck there's someone somewhere putting an all original bolt together

quote:
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Originally posted by Richie Z:
If we all liked the same things everyone would be chasing my wife around.

might not wanna let her read that richie

I always figured anyone who had to do such a thing was because they did not fit behind the wheel of a stock truck due to their big stomach.

BEER GUTS!!! lol

I never understood the whole dinky steering wheel thing.

I can understand air conditioning, and if you had a big honker steering wheel and a big gut, the tilt wheel would make it easier to get in and out if you could tilt it out of the way.

Lowering, specifically 'slamming'.. just looks like a vehicle with busted springs, to me.

To each their own.. I never understood why folks wore their pants backwards, or hanging around their crack, either.

Unfortunately, the majority of aftermarket steering wheels are pretty small, the biggest still under 15" in diameter. (Or for those outside the US, under 38 cm). I haven't seen aftermarket steering wheels for trucks anywhere.

My truck steering wheel is in pretty bad shape, actually, and should be replaced. I just don't know what to replace it with at the moment.

But I understand what you're saying. The trend in hotrodding trucks is to slam it to the ground. This probably originates from the hispanic low-rider tastes, which I've always thought was funny looking. Tiny wire wheels on a huge land yacht. Except with trucks it's usually practically scraping the ground with a Spanish family name in Olde English script across the rear window.
...And I really think it's rubbing off. It seems to be the first thing I see on hotrodded trucks at every car show. Slammed to the ground.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not making fun of any culture, I just think it's funny-looking.

HRD I can help you out with a steering wheel even though it might not be original equip/new just maybe in better shape 'cause i have a 58 & (2) 59's for parts. If interested? drop me a line

Indeed, some Americans have more money than sense!!! Still remember some German from my days over there about 14 years ago!!!

"Why do they do that?? [Confused]"

They like it.

I've heard those little bitty steering wheels called "felon" wheels.

They are small so you can still have both hands on the wheel, even while handcuffed.

Do you have anyone who can sing like Tommy Duncan?

Good pictures on that website. Reminded me of when I was a small kid.

Small steering wheels have their place. I can still fit behind the big wheel on my 52, but my 69 has power, air, a small wheel, and a late model bench seat.

ilike the looks of stock collums and steering wheels. I also dont like bucket seats and ugly head rests
wide whites and steelies with a slight drop is what i like

ya, ya... as do you fine bunch of people...

well, i don't understand why anyone would want a vw, either.

WHOA LAY OFF VW's especially Bugs/Beetles cause tha old ones are still cool . My dad owns a 68 VW Beetle/Bug & it's pretty darn fast since it has been tweaked from a 1600cc 1-barrel to a 2100cc 4-bbl with the 4speed trans . Bet'cha it'd show most of these trucks here nothing but taillights :p Even though it's german designed, i'm a chevrolet & sometimes the ocassional ford but I'd like to own a VW/Karmann Ghia myself someday because they're headturners like our old trucks are .... especially modified ones.

i dunno what a drop column is either, but i know mine ain't got one. everythings as near stock as i can get it right now, right down to the yellow pine bed i just put on a couple weeks ago. yeah, it smells, and it rides like a truck (used to ride), and it take some pressure to stop and turn and it goes about 50 on a really good stretch and its a pain to start when its hot if you don't get it on the first try, but ain't found nothin better.
tony

Say Stovebold(Frank) have you heard of "Two Tons of Steel" from San Antonio, Texas? My son, Dennis Fallon, is lead guitar. They played in Europe last year and I was amazed at how popular Western Swing and Rock-a-billy music is. Dennis and the group are going back in March. Let me know where you perform. Maybe the two of you can get together and compare notes.

German engineering is really something.. in fact, it seems like most stuff is OVER engineered.. and some stuff, well it's so intuitively designed you find yourself lost.

A perfect example would be the BMW I owned a few years back.. the power windows just quit one day.. so I figured it must have been a fuse.

Man, I looked all over that car trying to find a fuse to replace.. and I replaced a bunch of 'em 'just to see'.. darn windows still wouldnt work.

Finally I called the dealership and asked 'em.. a guy said, ahh.. look just right of the steering wheel on the dash.. you see a little 'bump' thing there? Looks kinda like a blank plate for an accessory?

Yea. I say.

Push it, he says.

I push it.. it goes 'click'.

Try your windows now.

I'll be damned if they didnt put a circuit breaker right in the dash for the power windows.. but didn't bother to mark it in any way, shape, or form.

That little four banger engine would really scoot too.. and the car handled like it was riding on a steel rail around corners.

My father in law has two little VW Rabit cars that run on diesel.. man they run like swiss watches, and sip fuel.. but the door handles are junk.

tilt columns are neccessary to clear beer bellies, I know that's why my bro put tilt in his 69. brian