What things did they change on a car to make it a hot rod?
Meyer: Hot-rodding is generally done by taking things off a car, by lowering the roof line, taking the chrome off, taking the door handles off. It’s a rather insignificant way of lightening the car for performance, but it gives it a look. Fundamentally, when you hot-rod a car, you start with the stance, the wheels, and the way the car sits on the ground—that can add the attitude to the car. And then working on the engine, of course, is really important to add power and performance. Q: Were there women hot-rodders? Meyer: The role of women in the hot-rod culture was rather limited. Bob Peterson, in his early books, used pin-up girls to stand by the cars; I think that for the most part, that’s about where the woman fit into the lives of these young hot-rodders. There were very few women hot-rodders. Vida Orr was one, but you could count these women on one hand. The guys that came out to the dry lakes slept under their cars or in their cars, and they had it all spread out on the dirt. It
