BOSWELL891 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) My Dad brother and me build rat rods, we have got a handmade 1930 ford model a truck traditional rod (not rusty, and not low budget either, so technical not really a rat rod, cleanly built but still has a rat style to it), my brothers got a 39 chevy truck in progress, custom frame and chopped cab, and I have got a 49 ford truck in the works so far we just chopped the top 5 inches. Heres a link to our facebook page, check it out http://www.facebook....207774239298886 this one looks alot different from when my brother bought it^ and here's mine^ Edited February 17, 2012 by BOSWELL891 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmagiclives Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 My Dad brother and me build rat rods, we have got a handmade 1930 ford model a truck traditional rod (not rusty), my brothers got a 39 chevy truck in progress, custom frame and chopped cab, and I have got a 49 ford truck in the works so far we just chopped the top 5 inches. Heres a link to our facebook page, check it out http://www.facebook....207774239298886 This looks like something to be very proud of, to own and have said that you built it..as does your project... The two frontendless.. ( is that even a word) cars on the first page of this thread are junk !! period. That 47 would have had SOOOOO much more class had it had the front and rear fenders on it..beat up, rusted or not, MONEY or not. It has nothing to do with a love of automibles, its a fashion statment, plain and simple. The definition that was given to these cars has too many contradictions to make sence. They are not safe, there is nothing traditional about them. So far, My 64 falcon solid axle car is sporting a ecnoline front axle, 429 and C6 from a LTD, the interior is done in red marine grade vinal, its not complete, painted or road "worthy" yet ( and it wont move untill it is) aside from the couple hundred bucks in bushings and hardware, I dont have anything into it more then horse trading with friends.. I dont understand how someone can go though all the troubles to build something and not finish the welds, or PAINT it. Its one thing to leave something untouched and patina, but to cut,grind and weld then not finish it..Kinda cray man. I wish someone would define the low buck home grown rods, from the rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmagiclives Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) http://www.streetmachineclub.com/portals/0/uploadedimages/Features/Featured_Cars/Burning_Desire_-_Hellrod/IMG_4190.jpg I remember when this car was just flat black..It was the first "rat rod" that I had ever seen. The original owner was some kind of jewler I belive, he had every thing held down and coverd with hand carved and cast skulls EVERYWHERE !!! there was something about lookingthrough the very chopped top and staring down the line of lightning rods on the lenco. It was really something else...When I seen this car in a wheels and deals type magazine all shiny and painted my heart sunk 6 feet, its still a mean looking car, but nothing like it was. I was only about 12 or so, but I wish I still had the pictures from Rod Powlles show that summer...that was onr hell of a rat rod !!!! Edited February 17, 2012 by moparmagiclives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drock Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Here's an AMT '32 coupe I built and my 1:1 Studebaker pickup I drive daily. Stude sits on an S-10 frame with a 250 straight six. Spray-bombed in my driveway with Rustoleum Colonial Red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 All vintage parts are gone??? I doubt that very much. Now that I have an older rod I attend all the swap meets I can find and they are replete with tons of vintage parts including one guy with a trailer and 4 vintage engines for sale that RUN! (The best one was a straight Pontiac 8 and it sounded soooooo sweet!) No, there are plenty of vintage parts out there and that '47 could have been built with a straight 6 or at the very least, they could have put vintage Corvette valve covers on the V8. Speaking of valve covers. I put a vintage set of Cal Custom rocker covers on my wagon Tuesday. Much better than the "Powered by Ford" ###### that was there before. Not only do they NOT leak, but they look more vintage and stuff like this is easy to find. Jairus, I meant parts for the early Fords, 29, 30-38, etc . . . those parts are hard to find. I know it takes some search and if you find them what I meant was that they'd be pretty expensive. It took me half a year to track down the hood to my 55 Chevy and when it arrived it needed considerable work, and you don't want to know what I paid for it. In retrospect, I'm glad I found an original part instead of going with an after market hood, which back in the 1990s they were still not being made. It was one of the few parts that could not be had in the aftermarket/replica production. You are lucky you can find parts for that sweet ride of yours. And clearly, you are taking your time nursing this one back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.R.C. Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Cant see how the Bieber girl is even remotely close to Rats. I think if he showed up to perform at a RatRod show he`d get beat up. Beiber is better suited to one of those Bozozuki Japanese flying cars like in the other thread. I love a well built rat. Some that are out there are total abominations, just like in any other genre, but there seems to be more in the Rat culture,I think because you can get away with it. Any model I do a custom build on is built exactly how I would build that car in 1:1 if I could. The Vicky in my Avatar is one I call Dirty Vicky. Of all the customs models I have built and dreamed about building for real, she is the one I would want in my driveway the most. My neighbors would hate it and I`d make sure they would hate it every day  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.R.C. Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 BTW Doc. Thanks for the links at the start of the thread. That first link had waaaay to many cool rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) This photo is from the 2011 Lone Star Roundup. It's a tudor sedan, radically lowered. No room for the fuel tank in its original position, so it was moved. It's now directly behind the driver's head. Not only is there a constant threat of tetanus, but passengers could get doused in gasoline in a wreck. Useless. Edited February 17, 2012 by LDO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) Rat Rod, in their truest form WERE built from what was available and what one could afford. Today's so called rat rods are nothing more than purpose built show cars. What I mean by that is that I have seen some people put just as much money into their "rat rod" as someone who builds a Hot Rod. To me, that makes absolutely no sense. Why would someone spend that much time, effort, and money into something that looks like a group of kindergarten students put together is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, I love traditional rat rods. I admire the technical prowess that is involved in getting things that should have never gone together to fit like they were meant that way. But today's trendy rat rods should not be even remotely classified in with traditional. Hot Rodding is supposed to evolve and perpetuate the "sport" of car modifications. As was stated earlier in this thread, most of them look like they can barely move. And if they did try to move, how many parts would fall off? X2 Traditional hot rodding primarily serves the purpose to improve the performance and/or handling of a car. I don't see this spirit carried into most of the VISA card rat rods I see today. I like hot rods that are unfinished in the paint and appearance departments. But for the life of me, I cannot warm up to this rat rod thing as a fashion gag. To me, most of today's rat rodders are nothing but a bunch of posers who think they are soooo different, but in reality just subscribe to yet another zeitgeisty trend. It's a shame really, because they withdraw material from the real hot rod community. And no, Cole, your's isn't a rat rod in my eye, it's a real hot rod. OK, so much for the real rat rods. Now on to the models, which I find is a totally different story. Building a rat rod model must be a very challenging task involving great skills in the weathering department. It perhaps requires more skills and creativity, than building a model of a shiny hot rod. More $$$ too, considering how many kits have to be bashed to build one. Edited February 17, 2012 by Junkman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool Hand Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) I reckon this is cool. Edited February 17, 2012 by Cool Hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I reckon this is cool. Yeah, until it's luffing on top of the first speed hump. Then it's ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool Hand Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Yeah, until it's luffing on top of the first speed hump. Then it's ridiculous. Airbags maybe ?? Even then if it dont rise much,I wouldnt go anywhere near a speed hump with a ride slammed that much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Airbags maybe ?? Even then if it dont rise much,I wouldnt go anywhere near a speed hump with a ride slammed that much So there you go. Why build such useless rubbish in the first place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy8 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Cool Hand, that is very cool. You know after reading all of this last night I got to thinking again, I do that a lot. Anyway, I was thinking maybe instead of building just a rust bucketed Rat Rod, which Im still going to do, maybe I need to build one that is beautified but still has that over all Rat Rod look some of us love so much. I have some great ideas and may have to consult the pros on how to pull of a flawless black paint job. Cant wait to see what I come up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmagiclives Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I reckon this is cool. It might not be very usefull but it looks to be pretty well built and someone has taken some time and pride in that project.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmagiclives Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I bet all those old timers that were telling us kids " lose that mini truck and get yourself a real hot rod" are kicking them selves now...lol, they are just as extreme as each other now..I'm still waiting to see a functional hot tub in the back of a chopped up , channeled, 37 ford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) All this hating on a trend? I don't understand it. A trend is just a trend be it clothing styles or building hand made cars. If you don't like it, you don't have to take part. But to spout hate about someone else's interest is just plain mean. Be the same thing if I started spouting against Baseball as stupid waste of time, or took a verbal stand against Democrats! We all have different viewpoints. No need to hate on someone else's viewpoint. In any trend there are those who either don't understand the parameters or simply want to stretch the envelope. The Rat Rod trend started as a statement against the big-buck and out-of-reach chrome/billet/candyapple trailer queens that were in the winners circle at every car show. A Rat Rod doesn't have to look totally like it was just pulled out of a farmers field with weeds in the suspension. Nor does it have to look like the well built Jeep above. But that is the look the owners were going for. Not my cup of tea but I can see some beauty in them and appreciate them for what they are: Someone's pride and joy and the efforts of their labors however misguided. To me a Rat Rod thats well built should look like an unfinished Hot Rod! Like perpetually a grand away from a nice paint job state of mind! Or it can look like a survivor of another era pulled out of a barn after 50 years of storage. Tastefully done but needs work. Skulls, toys, silly stuff need not apply in my opinion. But... if they are there then the theme should be held tight. Such as this machine I called an "ART CAR". The theme is true all the way around. It's silly and I would never have done it, but I can appreciate it for what it is. In conclusion, I really don't understand or like the Pro-Street trend. But I pretty much kept my mouth shut about others who "tubbed classic cars with aplomb". I liked the Van craze and would have had one myself if I could have afforded one. But today I see how silly it was... but when Scott Stevens (Editor of Traditional Rod & Culture mag) brought a 73 Econoline recently. I complimented him and wish him luck pimping it up with murals and portholes. There is no reason to mock and be hateful, okay? Okay! Edited February 17, 2012 by Jairus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Good points, J. Regardless of how we feel about any style, whether we like it or not, the reason for this conversation is just--for those interested in these type of builds--to keep the fires and inspiration burning. I know I will not stop building these types of models long after the fad or style wear down. I feel the same way about lowriders. Many people said it was just a passing phase, and geez fifty years later (or more) they are still around and they still get lots of attention. Of course it helps that HIP HOP revitalized the whole spirit of building, driving, and owning one. I think rockabilly music is doing the same thing for these vehicles. But regardless, the spirit of this thread is just to have a place where we can keep discussing the beauty (or wildness) of these builds. Hey, J, what was the story behind your rat rod when you took it to the GSL? If you don't want to talk about it, I can respect that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychographic Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Be the same thing if I started spouting against Baseball What if you took the game of baseball, removed the pitcher with a machine that fires the ball at 300 MPH somewhat innacurately at a batter who now has to be blindfolded, with his ankles tied together. Then make the players wear womens lingerie and clown masks? Is it still a sport anyone would want to watch or participate in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmagiclives Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 What if you took the game of baseball, removed the pitcher with a machine that fires the ball at 300 MPH somewhat innacurately at a batter who now has to be blindfolded, with his ankles tied together. Then make the players wear womens lingerie and clown masks? Is it still a sport anyone would want to watch or participate in? One could only hope to have a really loud, hard to understand rockabilly band play at half time..or would it be 2nd peroid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 LOL, David, that image just cracked me up. Well, except for the womens' lingerie, I actually think people would still want to watch it. Maybe not too many in the USA, but I know the Japanese would probably go crazy over it. It would probably be a smash hit here if instead of guys it would be women, then you can bring the lingerie back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmagiclives Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I understand what your saying Jairus, and I hope you didnt take my comment on the 47 chevy as hate for this trend, but rather just a distaste for that particular vehicle as you had...it reall shows a lack of pride. The green roadster that Cranky poseted, would you guys say thats a "ratrod" ?, I think that is a pretty cool custom, with once again, some pride put into the craftsmanship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Shane, I thought the rat grill ornament would give it away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmagiclives Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I have to admit I'm a sucker for the visuals and the temptation. I just get all riled up about wanting to build these . . . you look at stuff like this all day and where are you going to go, but run to the bench? I'm sorry, I meant this one..hahaa Your model I would say "rats" ..lol, but Its still a "good" build. I guess what gets me is the lack of seperation from one form to the other...Some of these I would never call a ratrod, but some I could never take seriosly as streetrods either.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 We can categorize everything and name each rod if you want to. I guess that is the folly of man, I.E.: to have the inbred desire to cubbyhole each part of his environment. I was not singling any one person out... just warning those who dislike the trend to hold their tongue on a thread I would be very disappointed to see get locked. I simply see all cars as part of a greater Automotive Hobby whether we like them or not. I am just happy to see that it is a thriving hobby and so far not killed even a little bit by the radical environmental lobby, who would have each owners club shut down and all the gas guzzlers crushed to make public transportation vehicles if they had their way! Not to mention force us into boring bubble top electric cars that go no faster than walking speed for safety sake. Anyway... on to more pleasant subjects... The Rat Rod build V, was part of a challenge between James Warkinten and myself more than 5 years ago. Maybe longer. Here is an early photo of the two mocked up. My rods usually go through a fluid process of design. Changing as progress is made. The earliest version was powered by a Duesenberg straight 8 sans supercharger. But the engine was way too tall... however notice that the cut down Deusy radiator grill remains, while the engine of choice is now a standard Flathead Ford V8. James pretty much stayed true to his original design all the way through and the car is remarkable low don't you think? James is one of the unsung heros of this hobby. Quiet and unassuming, but possessing a wonderful sense of style and building quality. I remain amazed he has not won more awards for his work, and proud to call him my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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