Hot Rods are the "no rules" type of cars.  There are no two cars alike when it comes to hot rods.  There are categories in the types of modifications you make, it is just that no two builders do things the same way.  There are many different variations of modifications with chopping, different engines, and suspension.

        Chopping is when you literally "chop" the roof line of a car.  Channeling falls into this same category.  Channeling is when you cut a section out of the cars body, making it lower to the ground.  Chopping and channeling are often used together and give the car a very stylish, custom look.

        It is pretty hard to find a hot rod with its  "factory" or original engine.  Many people swap out the older engines that might not have as much horsepower for a new performance engine.  Many people like the styling of older vehicles but want more power and the engine swaps fix this problem.  The most common engines are either factory engines from  sportier vehicles or just crate engines ordered from a specialty store or company.  The nice thing about engine swaps is that you can change a car from around 50 horsepower up to 500 horsepower or more.

        Suspension is one of the most popular things to change on hot rods because it adjusts the vehicle's overall stance.  not only can you use the same hydraulics or airbags mentioned in the trucks section but you can also get performance frames.  This changes the setup causing adjustability.  You can find certain frames for certain purposes.  There are racing frames and even  frames that make an average car look like show car quality.

        These are just a few of the most popular modifications.  There are many more dealing with shaving of handles, frenching of headlights and taillights, and even more extreme things like paint.