Belugawrx Posted February 20, 2014 Posted February 20, 2014 Rat Rods usually are old but then rust are clean Wednesdays sing on Thursdays without a choir have your anchovies stopped playing the piano without a generator it must be Tuesday, I've brought my tomato sauce and a surly duck where is the telephone that I am," sat does he the does? one down at I came of that does under think mass of terrified jelly on the ground in a small mud floored chamber an ape about driving trials is something a buzzing a very long honey is he was,....just my opinion Best reply ever
DrKerry Posted February 20, 2014 Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) I don't beleive in the term "Rat Rod" and even so people have blown it way out of anything it was "supposed" to mean. I've seen people take a 1989 Chrysler New Yorker, paint it flat black and paint the wheels red and say I got me a rat rod......... Please!!!!!!! It gives the true hot rodders a black eye!!! Edited February 20, 2014 by DrKerry
jbwelda Posted February 21, 2014 Posted February 21, 2014 Who are the "true hot rodders"? Certainly not those oldsters driving their billet-laden candy tangerine flake baby on Sundays. So who does that leave? jb
Casey Posted February 21, 2014 Posted February 21, 2014 Who are the "true hot rodders"? I always liked HOT ROD Magazine's definition of a hot rod: a vehicle modified for improved looks and/or performance. That leaves plenty of leeway for personal taste and choices, while excluding very few.
Funkster Posted February 21, 2014 Posted February 21, 2014 A rat rod is some that you put together from parts(old junk yard bodies from the 30's that are not painted). Built on a say Speedway chassie and an good or rebuilt motor. Chassie and motor should be top notch. That is what I've been seeing at that car shows around here(like Symco Shakedown here in WI.).
Craig Irwin Posted February 22, 2014 Posted February 22, 2014 That can't be a Rat Rod! It has floor boards!
Skip Posted February 22, 2014 Posted February 22, 2014 rat rod, how about a junk yard on wheels. I wouldn't put their owners / drivers in with Hot Rodders, they are more like wanna be's without the patience to save a few bucks to get into something that could be assembled with time, talent, patience and know how into a nice starter Hot Rod. I have seen some pretty nice safe starter Hot Rods owned and built by some young guys and gals. For the most part all one has to do is befriend one or two of those Old Farts and actually listen to some of their knowledge gained for the most part by doing it. Lots of the Old Guys are really happy to teach a Young Guy how to do things right, a lot of them have learned by their own failures how to do it right. I would also bunch all of those who drive and enjoy their Hopped Up Old Cars whether they be a shiny billet laden jewel or a a sweet traditional Hot Rod as Hot Rodders. They are all joined by the love and appreciation of their old cars, lots of the Old Guys with the high dollar cars appreciate the Traditional Hot Rods...
cartpix Posted February 23, 2014 Posted February 23, 2014 I had heard one rodder say, a rat rod is unfinished. I'm OK with that. What I'm not OK with is parts that look like they came from a swap meet & just bolted on, without even cleaning the dirt & dust off them. I had a 69 Nova, in primer, as long as I owned it, but I washed it, on a regular basis. Open the hood & the engine was painted, the chrome was polished, the plug wires were clean, etc. The interior wasn't finished, but it was clean. I took pride in it. A lot of rat rods look like the owners, just don't care. They look nasty, just for the sake of looking nasty. I like some rat rods, the rest look like they just dragged them out of a swamp. Just my opinion.
om617 Posted February 23, 2014 Posted February 23, 2014 A rod that arent finished but still road legal and can be driven. Not finished as in maby missing paint,only primer,parts of interior not mounted,parts supposed to be chromed are still steel etc.
Greg Myers Posted February 24, 2014 Posted February 24, 2014 (edited) A few thoughts if I may. Back in the day there were "Beaters" These were cars / Hot Rods that weren't kept up with,I.E. dirty usually unpainted/primer. Basically, just not up to par with other cars, almost a "Daily Driver" usually less. I know there was once a man got kicked out of a show for drivin one. another famous racer got the boot when he showed up with this to protest the continual changing rules they plied on him. Another thing that comes to mind is the car () that was a fiberglass fat fender Ford Hot Rod Show car. Then the "patina" thing hit and the owner decided to have it "weathered" making it appear to be a long lost "Barn Find" Next up is the atrocious engineering, or total lack of engineering that goes into rat rods. Can't be too much fun always worrying if yer gonna get high centered on a curb.Put some high Dollar par$t on it and it ain't no rat rod. yep. Worst thing is using perfectly good old iron for these monstrositys. Edited February 24, 2014 by Greg Myers
Teddy J. Tannehill Posted March 15, 2014 Posted March 15, 2014 From the pics they look like art work....I guess I am glad they exist, I have had this idea of building one from all the "Good Junk" parts from the "Bone Yard"...I like the idea of using old license plate decals for a door panel....Still trying to develop a concept...Maybe a pick up truck...
Erik Smith Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 I would say not a rat rod. That's an actual hot rod.
jbwelda Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 I think revamping the nose could improve its looks 100%...but I like it from the nose back. jb
bobthehobbyguy Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Definitely a low buck hot rod and not a rat rod. There was an effort to finish it - no rust. The only change would be the nose.
Psychographic Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) Put a sectioned grille to match the body, pull the headlights back some, lose those ridiculously tall zoomies and you've got something. Edited March 25, 2014 by Psychographic
John Goschke Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Maybe rat rods aren't so bad, but that thing sure is.
Modelmartin Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) I think they are pretty creative. I have seen some that are quite cool. I don't mind them as long as they aren't a bunch of scrap wired together like a few I have seen. They need to built safely and not look like a car crusher regurgitated it. Edited March 25, 2014 by Modelmartin
RatRod Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) I hate what rat rods have become. When I picked my user name many years ago, people started building traditional hot rods using vintage speed parts, that had rust. They were sound, safe, and the start of bringing back TRADITIONAL hot rods. Now they have evolved in to Horatius pieces of junk!!! Edited March 25, 2014 by RatRod
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now