The Original Rat Rod

[James2]

With all the hype, chatter and BS surrounding the Rat Rod kraze. Thought I might remind everyone who the "FIRST" Rat was.

Nothing old, crusty, rusty or beat about it! What we see today does not come close. Making a new Rod look old is fake, making an old Rod look new, well, that's doing something. http://www.ratfink.com/ed-roth-outlaw.php

Long live the R.F.

[bpletcher55]

I LOVE ED ROTHS STUFF BUT , AND I GET THE RAT FINK ,BUT HIS CARS WERE SHOW RODS , AND THE RAT RODS WE KNOW TODAY ARE NOT MENT TO BE SHOW RODS .ALL THOUGH SOME IF DONE RIGHT CAN BE,

[Harry P.]

I don't think any of Roth's cars can be considered rat rods.

[DrKerry]

I wouldn't consider a Roth car a rat rod, I've hated that term ever since I heard of it........

[Daddyfink]

Not a rat rod

[Casey]

I LOVE ED ROTHS STUFF BUT , AND I GET THE RAT FINK ,BUT HIS CARS WERE SHOW RODS

His construction methods were ratty, but his vehicles were show rods with tons of chrome and fancily painted bodies.

[James2]

I believe my point has been mistaken. Today's version of what the term "Rat Rod", to me any way means, is just building a "Junk Rod."

Ed Roth being the true creator of the "Rat" rod and custom culture. He built some of the best customs ever produced and also many daily drivers rolled out of his shop as well.

Personally I hate the term!

[Funkster]

I don't think that, that is a rat rod. More of a custom

[Daddyfink]

He built show rods. He may have used junk yard parts to create them, but, they where true show rods.

Just because he came up with Mickey Mouse's dead beat brother, does not mean he built "Rat" cars.

[Skip]

I don't see Ed Roth's original Show Cars as rat rods as there was very little connection to Rat Fink.

If there were any connection to the term rat rod and Ed Roth; Ed's widow who believes she is entitled to a dollar for everything he ever touched would have already tried to collect on that too! She wasn't even around for 99.9% of anything Ed did with his major custom cars, T shirts, monsters and Rat Fink, yet she holds the rights to them. She's even taken Ed's sons (who were around and even helped their Dad work on some of the cars) to court to cease and desist from using their own Dad's name in promoting their own products and or show cars.

Sad situation, doubtful Ed would be too happy about it as it pretty much represents the kind of greed he denounced early in his life.

[zenrat]

I get the connection you were making James, even if no-one else did.

[lordairgtar]

The term RAT in vehicle arenas first referred to the guy who had a sad looking motorcycle that looked like it was cobbled together with parts from different machines. Or was just an unkempt bike, because the rider was more concerned with the engine running right and could care less about the looks of it. Rat rods are an off shoot of the traditional rodder culture which itself goes back to the simple stripped down machines built in the beginnings of rodding or a custom rod like Roth built as opposed to the modern street rod gold chainer crowd (as those on the H.A.M.B call it). Rats are an offshoot of the trad scene that combine old rusty looks with outrageous build style with exposed drive shafts going through the cockpit, mismatched body styles, and exhaust headers made from square tubing or other outlandish things. Some traditional rod clubs who do events won't allow a rat rod in the show as some are unsafely built. They could not even pass a simple NSRA safety inspection. I am a member of the Wisconsin Street Rod Association and have a bit of knowledge on this.

Edited November 25, 2013 by lordairgtar

[slusher]

Very cool car...

[FASTBACK340]

I don't think any of Roth's cars can be considered rat rods.

I see this getting locked in a few posts.

I agree with Harry. This just goes to show how nobody has a clue as to what a Rat Rod is, but yet everyone will defend it by changing the rules. How about we start calling primered muscle cars High School Hot Rods. After all, that was MY memories. Maybe I should go scrape all the shiny paint off my car and hit it with Krylon rattle can primer just like we did "back in the day" years ago? That's the nostalgia we all crave, right? Is THAT the next "Big Trend" ?

Edited November 25, 2013 by FASTBACK340

[James2]

I get the connection you were making James, even if no-one else did.

Thanks Fred, but I believe it is to late. There is little hope for mankind!

We'll just have to keep arguing over what to call Ebay...

Edited November 25, 2013 by James2

[FASTBACK340]

Thanks Fred, but I believe it is to late. There is little hope for mankind!

We'll just have to keep arguing over what to call Ebay...

Now THAT'S funny!