is it a RAT ROD? is it not a RAT ROD?

is this Kevan cat up North in Canada? that's dan collins' suede '60 olds just-as he sold it and tha new owner's buddy PM'd me a few days before the owner took delivery for some older pix, etc... just wondering if this Kevan cat is tha new owner of dan's Olds??

that cad powered roadster is fucking bad.

 

Good article, my favorite quote:

"Most are built by newcomers to the hot rod scene who don’t yet have a clue.”

“People are building cars to purposely look like a piece of crap. The rustier the better, with skulls everywhere. That’s not what our group had in mind, but that’s what they think we’re doing.”

 

Tearing someone else down to build yourself up is not what the article was about.

 

Now the streetrodder guys don't like the skulls, and other cheezy stuff to attract attention to thier cars right? They want the money to speak for it's self...

 

Eight legs? An arachnorodent?

 

Call me sick, but I kind of like it in a perverse little way.

per·verse /pərˈvɜrs/
–adjective

1. willfully determined or disposed to go counter to what is expected or desired; contrary.

2.characterized by or proceeding from such a determination or disposition: a perverse mood.

3.wayward or cantankerous.

4.persistent or obstinate in what is wrong.

5.turned away from or rejecting what is right, good, or proper; wicked or corrupt.

 

I want people that don't know any better to call my car a Rat Rod.

 

Some of the older guys will remember in the 70's and the new NSRA a lot of the clubs played down the term "HOT ROD" and wanted everone to call their cars Street Rods. For some reason they thought the general public would look down on hot rod clubs. Don't care what you call em...they will always be hot rods to me.

 

saw an older guy at a car show with a AD pick up like mine. got to talking to him about it. he told me these truck wont ever look good chopped in his eyes, showed him a couple pics of mine (which he was impressed and liked) then asked me if i was going to make a rat rod out of it. i looked at him, shook my head and then walked away.

 

You are missing the point with the so-called Old guys, they don't know any better as to what to call thies cars.

They might be really interested and have been reading ariticals and talking to there fiends that don't have a clue either and that is what they are still referred to by the public. Belive me I know dealing with a show that is full of Traditional style hotrods the general public still calls them rat rods.

You might have taken a minute to educate the old dude and he may have appreciated it. But you probably only pissed him off my walking away and treating him like a fool.

 

Frosty21, I think you hit the nail on the head with that. My two cents worth is this. Unsafe thrown toghether shit is what I think of when I hear "Rat Rod". Something that is going to cause trouble for the rest of us that would like to continue to work on our cars without the intervention from government institutions, what I mean is this. One unsafe "rat rod" crashes into a car with kids in it and kills people and our hobbie is lobbied out of existance. If a car is built with at least the basic saftey in mind it would have things like a floor, brakes (e-brake too), and reasonable lights. I don't want to be told that I have to have every weld I do X-Ray tested and every part I build Professionally Engineered and every change I make to a vehical inspected by gov'ment bueracrats because some asshole just wanted to be in the "in croud" and had no idea what he was doing when he picked up the torch and welder. Build safe cars and they can't be "rat rods". Personally I like to keep the cost down so things like paint are left till later when I have the dough for it but saftey is paid for before the thing ever sees the road. Later

 

there was more to the story, i just didnt want to bore anyone. the guy is really into the whole 'traditional' thing. said his son is building a rat rod and that his wife is scared shitless because rat rods are unsafe. then he ased if mine was going to be a rat rod. after i had told him that i worked at a hotrod shop and that i went to wyotech. i guess i just felt like the guy was asking if i was going to follow the trend.

 

I could not believe that was in the Wally Parks museum.

 

...please pass the poo pon...

 

Damn Larry, you outta see a Dr about that. it sems too frequent lately...

 

is this real or photoshop? it looks kinda out of place (and not for the obvious reasons).

 

It happens mostly when I read shitty threads...

 

I always prefered the term "beater" for rusty or unfinished rods. Don't here 'em called that much anymore.

 

two poos in one post.whew



with all the objections to "that" term should I be surprized that there are 1200 hits on this thread?

 

you know larry the great thing about message boards, especially this one, is that you can pick and choose which thread you want to read.....isn't that awesome larry?!! ya' get it? for example if you don't like this thread then you don't have to read it. but you've posted twice already,and you've probably been taking a peek periodically to read the latest post....why is that 3dubya? why? why would you do that in a thread that you think is fecal? just read the article...it makes a few good points.

 

like some have stated before....the article is pretty good, the title of this thread is meant to be sarcastic with "that" term.
the term rat rod doesn't bother me if they used it as a reference for a souped up car or truck. just like the early days there were many terms that were used to describe a hopped up/customized car or truck. i think that back in the early 90's when the shifters and the choppers and various other car clubs were kickin' out cars, all these baby boomers freaked out at the sight of these low-budget beaters. the cars were so far gone from the "norm" of everything that the "mainstream" scene HAD to label it....because they didn't understand it. the shifters didn't mind calling them rat rods......because their intention behind calling their cars rat rods were different than the intentions of the "guy at the local car show" last week. man no one is gonna understand this ramblin'. plain and simple...i can't blame the folks that are shocked and speechless when they see these gow jobs. it's hard for them to understand...especially a lot of vehicles being thrown out there today......even if you explain that "we're building them like they used to" they still will have a hard time understanding the big misfits skull sticker on the window. I think the majority of them understand the rides....they just don't understand the punk influence that a lot of these clubs have.

 

I thought that article was very well written. I only saw one thing I would disagree with and it may just be me....

"They want to emulate the days when a guy (or gal) could build a hot car using a junkyard body; cast-off or second-hand speed equipment; a few simple hand tools; and grassroots ingenuity, resourcefulness and talent. The results can be a little rough around the edges. Bodies are usually left in primer or patina; tough-to-fit hoods are stashed in the garage; and a Mexican or Army blanket often takes the place of stitched upholstery. But to these builders, their cars are no less significant than the immaculate creations that vie for the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster trophy or the Detroit Autorama’s Ridler Award."


When you consider the amount of work that goes into a ride that's in contention for the Riddler,with my car being a garage built, lo-budget, daily driver...... there's no way I can see myself being so arrogant that I would think MY car was on the same level.

 

is this one of those RAT RODZZZZZ???







i think he shoulda used the grille hanging on the wall instead

 

Other than the....taxi/panel/wagon body thing going on, and the truck frame, It wouldn't have turned out that bad.

 

It can be yours for $4,500!

ha...

 

Check out them welds.

Anyway, I use this as an example of how not to do a "Rat" (But...most people choose this way).

 

I think some people are so stuck inside the box that they are afraid to look out of it.

 

I've noticed a change since I joined the fray.

Within the last 4 years I've seen "rat rods" go from cheaply built hot rods that followed the basic form of a car, to cheaply built piles of shit that has NO resemblance of the form of a car.

Rediculous rods should be more like it.


The above two examples are perfect.

Here's another "Rediculous Rod".

 

By the way,
That was a good article.

I wasn't aware that one of the Shifters invented the term Rat Rod.

Here's another view of this pile.

I keep pics of this truck to keep myself in line. I NEVER never want to make something as fucked up as this.

Different is one thing....I don't have a problem with different....so long as its well built.

This ain't.

 

That one isn't too bad, atleast its not a five-window coupe/flat-bed on an extended Mazda frame with a VW front suspension. Could use a bed though.