rat or not to rat

-
Dart_Doctor

Dart_Doctor

Asa style
Joined
Jun 19, 2010
Messages
11,949
Reaction score
1,959
Location
Don't matter
hay i think this how this works if i put this in the roung spot im sorry sould i rat rod my 65 wagon or let it set and rust some more tell i can make a nice show car out of it
 
I consider a "rat rod" a work in progess - something that you can cruz with pride (as soon as it rolls) while you are being more ambissious with your long term "vision." No trim, primer, beat down interior, it's all good!
 
redrag64 said:
I consider a "rat rod" a work in progess - something that you can cruz with pride (as soon as it rolls) while you are being more ambissious with your long term "vision." No trim, primer, beat down interior, it's all good!
Click to expand...
that what i was thinking here a link to my 64 tell i find out how to put them up on here http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2923907 and this is the link to the wagon as it set treee and all
 
I think of rat rods usually being pre 60s cars. But I would drive it anyway I could, rat or not.
 
A rat rod is an unsafe pile of spare parts that some one through together to have a car. It generally a twist on the 30's theme.
 
the rat rod thing was cool before it became the new fad. now its just stupid and over done... and the whole lets make my car look like crap is what i don't understand. tyhe rat rod look in my opinion isn't the look the guys back in the day were going for. it was a point in the build. they built stuff from all kinds of things as time and money allowed. they didn't set out to build a half finished car. that was just a point in the build process in my opinion.
 
abodyjoe said:
the rat rod thing was cool before it became the new fad. now its just stupid and over done... and the whole lets make my car look like crap is what i don't understand. tyhe rat rod look in my opinion isn't the look the guys back in the day were going for. it was a point in the build. they built stuff from all kinds of things as time and money allowed. they didn't set out to build a half finished car. that was just a point in the build process in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I hate to agree but I am seeing all kinds of crap that has rust or primer on it and is thrown together using modern parts and old junk.....that is not what a rat rod is. A rat rod is really a derogatory term for a good old fashioned jalopy.

Kids save your money and don't ruin a perfectly good pile of crap by trying to emulate what our grandfathers were doing to the old 30's cars.

If your gonna do it...do it right and find an old body 20's to 30's style to work with...use period correct parts and pieces and it will work.

Don't slam it on an s-10 frame just cause it makes it easier and gives you disc brakes..etc.....build your own frame or modify what was there already. I see these new rat versions popping up all over and have to agree....they look like crap and are ruining what was a cool twist on the good old days.

I don't have anything against what people want to build or do...just don't expect anyone else to understand why.

That being said....there is no right way to build a rat.....just a lot of wrong ways.

Mop

100_1330w.jpg
 
PS....it's got bags......yes even I broke the cardinal rule and used new suspension technology.

My bad.

Mop
 
you should see the ones in this area that some of my friends built. holy crap. i want to slap them for even trying to drive them on the same road that my family does. i don't care if ya want to build something just make sure its safe. one guy burnt his car to yher ground because of a hung up brake that he never checked when he put the car on the road. the car had been sitting for years. hell thats the first thing you should check is the entire brake system, another guy almost killed a girlfriend of his. same thing brake system. always pulled to one side when he would hit the brake. never did anything about it. normal cruising he knew it was coming and could compensate for it, one day someone pulled out in front of him. slammed the brakes on and the damn wheel was ripped right out of his hand it pulled so hard when he really had to hit the barkes. ended up in a pole, the girl was in the middle of the street thrown from the car. lucky she just got scraped up. the horn ring tore up his are pretty good and the car was totaled. its fun building stuff but make sure its safe. the guys in my area give that scene a bad wrap thats for sure.
 
Same thing around here.....there are plenty of well built rods....but more and more poorly built ones....luckily most of the rat rod crowd around here are true to the build and do it right....most of the guys that build them are 30+ years old and have families and care about living.

I see a lot of the younger guys trying to emulate what their peers are doing but they have no patience for the build and take every short cut they can just to get on the road in their toad....scary for sure.

I thought my car was scary when I first started driving it....it has good brakes and steers well (Now that I have smaller front tires on it that is).
I have lap and shoulder belts and a complete floor so nothing comes up from the road and rips my feet off....it's loud and hot and cramped in the cockpit but at least I feel safe and I am confident enough with the safety features to haul my kids around in it.

I see guys with open floors and drive shafts that run through the cockpit OPEN so you can see them spinning as they turn....so cool.....so stupid.
I know it's supposed to be a macho thing but loosing an arm or leg is so not macho.....ask any woman.....ask any man for that matter.

I guess everybody is entitled to making their own art........just don't drive it near me please!:stop:

Guys if your gonna build one...build it to last and build it safe!

Mop

100_1303.jpg
 
abodyjoe said:
the rat rod thing was cool before it became the new fad. now its just stupid and over done... and the whole lets make my car look like crap is what i don't understand. tyhe rat rod look in my opinion isn't the look the guys back in the day were going for. it was a point in the build. they built stuff from all kinds of things as time and money allowed. they didn't set out to build a half finished car. that was just a point in the build process in my opinion.
Click to expand...

X-2!

I just spent a few weeks with my Dad and I have never really talked to him much about his past and we talked alot about cars recently.
He told me that the big thing when he was younger was to dechrome the cars and get rid of all the flash pieces in addition to either keeping it bone stock or modifying it for drag racing, but most guys raced on the street and wanted their cars to look nice, just not flashy.

I too don't understand the new fad with all the dangerously and hideously put together rat rods but they seem to attract the "Hey everyone, look at my new lip and tongue piecrcing" crowd.
Years back we called them instant bikers where the kid would get a harley tattoo, then a helmet, then daddy would buy him a bike and all of the sudden was a member of the hells angels in his own mind, same seems to go with the rat rod crowd, but to each their own I guess, but I wish they would at least shower before attending a crowded show because nothing is worse than actually looking and smelling as bad as your rat rod.
 
People have different ideas what a rat-rod is or should be, I don't think the valiant would be considered a rat-rod, mild custom maybe.. If the paint job sux I'd Prime it black, find you some cool ole' school wheels and drive it...
 
It's kind of like unpainted fiberglass body parts. Guy had the money for the fiberglass fenders but not for the paint. So he put them on there any way with a plan to paint them when he had the money. Other people see him driving around and for some reason think it is cool to look to broke to paint your car so they do it on purpose.
 
And all the hating aside.....you gotta admit.

When they are done right....they are pretty cool cars.

Takes a lot of imagination to build something out of crap that actually looks good.

Takes no imagination to make something that looks good look like crap.

Mop:idea1:
 
I'm on the fence on these. I've seen some that are well executed and safe. Others, are simply rot rods.

Grant
 
I feel the need to point out a distinction between a "traditional" rod and a "rat" rod. A traditional rod is a well-put-together machine using period correct or vintage parts, no matter what the lineage. It might have rust or patina but is true to a period-correct build. A rat rod is usually an over-the-top piece of junk built to garner attention to the driver. They are usually under-engineered for safety and overcompensate with crazy looks. Air bags do not belong on a traditional car, IMO. I love real patina but appreciate the work and attention to detail that goes into a shiny car much more. Anyone with half a brain about cars should be able to tell a properly built hot rod from a pile of crap.
 
i know this is slightly off topic but not really so much, i love how the whole primer fad even wore off onto the ricers... a 2005 honda civic with primer all over it? really? farting down the road, cutting the stock springs so it looks like a smooshed matchbox car, seen better lookin cars in the junkyard, i think they purposly let the maintainance go for 2 reasons: 1 )so they can have more money to spend on cans of primer and stickers, and2) so more yellow lights show up on the dash cuz lights and rice rockets go hand in hand.. those kids are the dangerous ones and there my own damn age if not older, its a good thing half of those cars are 85 hp, or there would be alot more kids dead, at least they can PRETEND thier going fast..
 
Personally I think the Rat rod phase is a fad also. And also am actually sick of hearing rat rod this rat rod that. Is it just an excuse to drive a pile of junk?:sleepy2:
 
Optik said:
I feel the need to point out a distinction between a "traditional" rod and a "rat" rod. A traditional rod is a well-put-together machine using period correct or vintage parts, no matter what the lineage. It might have rust or patina but is true to a period-correct build. A rat rod is usually an over-the-top piece of junk built to garner attention to the driver. They are usually under-engineered for safety and overcompensate with crazy looks. Air bags do not belong on a traditional car, IMO. I love real patina but appreciate the work and attention to detail that goes into a shiny car much more. Anyone with half a brain about cars should be able to tell a properly built hot rod from a pile of crap.
Click to expand...

I would take is a step further, there is a distintion between a traditional rod, and Modified and a Rat. 8)
A modified is what people call rat rods. Something unique like the Rudy's Truck or Astro Punk.
 
momoparman said:
And all the hating aside.....you gotta admit.

When they are done right....they are pretty cool cars.

Takes a lot of imagination to build something out of crap that actually looks good.

Takes no imagination to make something that looks good look like crap.

Mop:idea1:
Click to expand...

I agree... I built a 63 chevy truck from parts I had lying around, quad apachie headlights, grille and hood, wood bed, looks like an old era correct shop truck.. It gets more attension rumbling thru then a 2010 camaro.. And it's SAFE, People that build an unsafe rat-rod needs *****-slapped...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top