Full Body Reproduction Or Original Steel? We Weigh In On The Debate!

In the world of hot rod building, there are two major categories-full body reproductions and original steel. But which one is the best way to go? Well, it all depends on who you ask.

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While this is a reproduction of the ’33 Ford produced by Factory Five Racing, it’s still an iconic hot rod to the majority of those in the industry.  Image: Factory Five Racing

With demand for some of the most iconic hot rods ever built reaching extreme heights, the number of original steel cars available just won’t cut it. After all, only so many ’32 Ford roadsters, Deuce coupes, AC Cobras and Willys gassers were produced and plenty more people want them than the original factory numbers can support. For this reason, people have turned to alternatives like full body reproductions.

These sorts of builds have become popular among individuals who find it either too hard, or too expensive to get their hands on an original steel car. The result is many more iconic hot rods on the roads than the factories ever produced.

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This is a reproduction, built by United Pacific, it’s actually the best of both worlds with an all-steel configuration and a license from Ford.

The upside to this is that more people can enjoy an industry that is full of passion, innovation, and comradery behind the wheel of one of America’s favorite classics, even if it is a reproduction. The downfall is that while reproductions make owning a classic ride easier and cheaper in a lot of cases, which is an appealing way to go if you’re looking to own a hot rod on a budget, it also works against the whole idea of owning a vehicle that is unique and different. There’s also the fact that many of the reproductions aren’t official licensed products from a particular manufacturer like Ford or Chevy.

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Building your dream hot rod from an original steel body car can be quite the project depending on how good of condition it’s in, but the process is definitely worth it to save an increasingly rare original car model. Image: Mike Peltier

While plenty of people will buy a popular modern car off a car lot, just as many people shy away from doing so in order to not own something that “everyone and their mother” drives.

It’s the same way with hot rods.

Hot rodding has long been about personal expression rather than building a cookie-cutter car, and many people find that reproducing popular vehicles so everyone who wants one can own one is a bad way to keep the hot rod scene rolling.

I mean, how special would your hot rod be if everyone in your neighborhood had the exact same model?

There are plenty of good arguments on both ends of the spectrum, which begs the question which side’s benefits outweigh the others’.

Those who support full body reproductions argue that if you can make the hot rod industry a bit more budget-friendly and easier to get into for the average guy by offering reproduction models of a vehicle, which there is a demand for, why not do it? After all, isn’t the hot rod industry about sharing in a similar passion? So shouldn’t it be the more the merrier?

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This beautiful ’30 Ford coupe is Mike Peltier’s finished old-school, all-steel ride!

A good concept, but those on the other side of the fence tend to have other thoughts. They argue that reproductions can make it too easy for anyone to obtain a highly sought after vehicle model, making the group of individuals who do own certain iconic hot rods less than an exclusive club. Also, the more a certain model is out there, the less valuable they become, leaving those who have gotten into the hot rod hobby for the investment scrambling to make their time and efforts in building or restoring cars worth it.

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Fewer and fewer of the original steel body hot rods are out there, but they do still exist, like this “barn find” we found on eBay.

There will always be arguments on both sides of the debate, but if you ask me, reproductions, whether they’re fiberglass or steel, certainly have a place in this industry and they serve a much-needed purpose.

Go to any car show and you’ll find that a good chunk of those individuals with cool rides wouldn’t be able to own what they do without full body reproductions being offered.

Not only would this cut into the hot rod community quite a bit as far as number of peers goes, it would also limit people’s exposure to certain types of vehicles.

On the business side of things, if you cut out the reproduction companies and the business these companies drum up for aftermarket and even OEM component manufacturers, stores and shops, you would be eliminating a large number of businesses that are currently able to thrive in the industry.

factory_or_reproduction_7So what does this mean for the folks that own true original steel body cars? Well, while your neighbor might also own a ’32 Ford or an AC Cobra, there are only so many people out there that can say they own an original steel-bodied car. And that in itself makes the factory steel car owners part of an exclusive club all their own!

What are your thoughts on the full-body reproduction vs. original steel body debate? Let us know in the comments below!

About the author

Lindsey Fisher

Lindsey is a freelance writer and lover of anything with a rumble. Hot rods, muscle cars, motorcycles - she's owned and driven it all. When she's not busy writing about them, she's out in her garage wrenching away. Who doesn't love a tech-savy gal that knows her way around a garage?
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