Will we hate the "ratrod" years after its gone?

That's how they REALLY were...

 

Hey, Richard, aren't you building a rat rod?

 

No, it will have paint, brakes, and all welds will be ground down. Probably less "Z" in the front, too. I got tired of waiting for my CenPen front suspension parts (airbags hidden in the front crossmember)and started building the frame. I want it low but without a dropped axle. I will have to mock it up again, and probably modify the front framerails. I am sorta going for a 60s show rod look, 5 spoke Americans, heavy flake paint job, tuck and roll interior, etc...But like they did it back in the old days, I'm just trying to get it driveable first, fancy stuff later...Definitely not a "rat rod".

 

if i become a RAPPER ,my name is going to be FLEETWOOD MACK

 

Man this car is beautiful!!!!!!!

 

Everybody needs a (1) rap name, (2) porn name, and (3) American Gladiators name.

For me:

(1) Sleazy Z

(2) Dirk "Mandingo" Pudpounder

(3) "Mist"

 

SleaZ is better

 

(1) Nubby D
(2) Nat King Pole
(3) Brut

 

hugh ja-cocknballs

harry jackshaft
a couple that come to mind

 

I dunno, even after the trend is over I'll still have a place in my heart for the "rat rod" though I dont call it as such....you see....I was painting rods and customs satin/flat hues way before it was cool....not cause I dont like glossy paint but mainly cause I lack(ed) the funds to squirt the good stuff on....then usually the vehicle would get sold off prior to a finish coat of paint....now in my current situation my truck is in satin cause I havent quite completed the bodywork....satin is easy to match and blend after a cutting session...I may actually see my truck in a finish coat of paint on this one...
anyway I digress, some of the stuff I dig, some of it I dont, but aint that always the case? in my world, at least its old (even with the billet laden cars) worth looking at as long as you dont have the crying baby doll bastards its alright

 

Let me help get my own thread closed....

1) Spittin' Spite
2) Mr Pipe
3) Maximus Fight

Going downhill from downtown... but at a fun pace

-scott noteboom

 

1) Shitty Scent
2) Lube Driveshaft
3) "Acne"

 

MCB

Big B

Killer B

I'm holding out for the Joe Dirt, clapped out, airshock and mis-match mag laden muscle car fad of the early 80's to come back around....

I heart rat rodzzzzzzzz

 

There are two things that bother me about the current fad of "rat rods" the first is that they are not really traditonal rods, rust and no floor boards or using road signs for for floor boards was not done back in the day, and part of that day I saw in person. the other thing that bothers me is that it took a lot of years for modified cars to become acceptable to the general public, and these cars or wrecks waiting to happen will tear down all of the positive things that have happened to the car hobby. Just my 2 cents

 

Awwwww.....you guys who hate rat rods are just getting old, man.... ya gotta be hip....ahhh, "hep"....all them crazy kats and kittens is chopping them up and droppin' them down, see. it don't matter if you ain't gotta dime, you can use whatever you want. Welding is easy, anybody with a car battery and some cables can do it, see. Just use whatever's handy, you can make a grille from the kitchen sink, and radius rods from auger bits. You can put a '27 Dodge on an 87 S10 frame if ya got whitewalls and rally wheels to tie it all together.... add a couple of horseshoes for door pulls and a bottle opener collection on the firewall behind the singlecarbed tunnel ram with the plastic paperbox scoop and you're golden.

Years from now, some poor soul will find a forgotten Kontraption lanquishing in a corn crib in Nebraska, or storage shed in Hollywood and it'll end up on the green blades of Pebble Beach as a celebrated historical reminder of a wilder time. I can hardly wait. It's gonna be awesome!

 

It doesn't seem like anyone agrees on what a rat rod even is, but still so many people get all offended if the term gets used on you and your car.
I've seen this theme spelled out on many different threads and the following rant is not directed at anyone in particular.
99% of the world out there thinks that any car with a little bit of attitude is a rat rod or hot rod or whatever. The term means NOTHING to the rest of the world.
If it seems like someone is really talking shit about your ride, would it matter if they called it a rat rod or a masterpiece?
If someone is trying to give you a compliment on your ride, but they are "not cool enough" to know that it's not called a rat rod, are you going to get all mad, or accept the compliment?
Either way, if you like your car and are proud of what you have done with it, why do you care what anyone else calls it?
People smile and wave at my old ass car all the time on the road.
A lot of them are probably thinking "nice rat rod" because they don't know any better, but who the fuck cares.

 

The original drummer and bass player for the Foo Fighters came from Sunny Day. Its good stuff, check it out...

 

Your right the "old" (late 80's early 90's) emo was good, like Jawbreaker , thats a great band, the newer emo stuff isnt for me.

 

And I have seen the high dollar builders and big spenders get into the rat rod scene. Its crazy how this happens with everything. Think of a biker from the 70s and you see long hair, tats, beards and hard livin. Now a biker is a suit and tie guy that has endless money to throw away. Ive always liked all kinds of cars since my time began. I really like to see the 20s guys into old cars than their Hondas with pumping bass. Im jumping on the band wagon and creating my own pride and joy and it will be an old car with old American inginuety added to make it my personal creation. I really dont give a rats ass if you call it a rat rod, old car, beater rod, pile o shit. Its my fucking car and I will build it as my fucking car. It will look sort of like this when its done.
Only my car will have a hemi.
Has anyone seen how much rusty pieces are going for on Ebay. Just type in Rat Rod. This is what will end some of the hype with rat rods. Prices to create one.

 

Notebooms

Could it be that the term "rat rod" refers to a type of current hot rod being enjoyed by a new generation of rodders - whether young or old? Much like the term "hop up" back in the day?

It is possible that the terms "rat rod" or old skool for that matter, may phase out some day - when, I don't know...hopefully not soon.

Some (rat) hot rods are in transition - being driven, working their bugs out while saving some clams prior to introducing it to the body shop.

Other rat rods are considered complete.

To me, the "rat rods" represent a renewed and continued interest in our hobby, livelihood, new blood, new ideas, camaraderie, etc. This has helped to generate quite a stir, perhaps one that could not have been predicted.

Thank goodness for rat rods!

I'll leave you with these few words as food for thought. Thanks for posting the question.

RGV

 

Presisely, and this "trend" isn't limited to '30s-'40s cars. I graduated from a small rural high school in '68. Since Mommy or Daddy weren't about to buy us new musclecars, we built what we could afford from the back row of the car lots.. '50-'61 Chevys, the same era Fords, same with Mopars , Buicks, Olds's and such. Most speed shop stuff was limited to duals, floor shifts or an occasional hot cam . The rest of the hop-up stuff came from the boneyard from higher performance versions of our cars. Low rear gears came from the long roofs and overdrive cars in boneyard too, and if somebody happened to score a Posi, it was like striking the motherload! Nobody spend much money on paint , chrome sit was rare, mage wheels were non-exitant and most cars were at least partially primered with black 'Hot Rod" primer at $.59 cents a can For a long time, the baddest ride in school was a '61 Buick Invicta with a basically stock 401 and a 3 speed. My personal ride was a ratty '61 Ford Sunliner, partially dechromed and primered, powered by a 312 4bbl with a Crane cam and mismatched lifters yanked from a stolen '57 Ford we found in a field half burnt. We might've not been 'Trendy' but we had a lot of fun.

When I bought my '64 Ford Tudor, I had no plans to redo the body and paint it. The original plan was to drop in one of my 460s, and build a '60s type street racer. Then I thought about building a circle burner for the street. But then I found y'all here building your own rides without giving a shit what anyone thought. That really was the convincer...why not build a car like my beloved '61? So I am, and not matter which way the hot rod winds sway, I'm going to do what I want. I'll refine a few things mechanically because I have more money, but it'll be primarily a late '60s po' girl high school rod. '67-'68 were fun times and I enjoy living there when I'm in the mood. Rat Rod, Roach, Heap or POS or whatever you want to call it...does it really matter?

Jan

 

You used bad words.

You sound angry.

I might be drunk.

 

The only emo I ever listened to was Emo Phillips and he was somewhat funny....at times.

 

I say that to some and they go nuts for the comparison. Still I remember guys in highschool cutting the muffler off an 84 camaro, slapping on window stickers and putting mag look alike hub caps on them and trying hard to fit in with the rich guys who's car was bult and paid for by daddy. The ricers today are similar. a truely creatively done CRX without a stupid wing and tires at 45 degrees to the pavement is worth looking to me. I'll give some of them this, they have a much harder time rodding these things since the aftermarket is only now offering serious speed stuff.

In all genre's of car people, I think we have the rich effers who have a cool car but it pisses most off because he didn't earn it, thenthe cool creative cars that demand respect because they whip the rich kid's car every time and then the majority of the people are wannabe's of both. Eventually the wannabe's get serious or wake up and become the cool creative guys.

What irks me now a days is the rich kid trying to look poor.

Still at least they all love cars, and that's better than nothing.

 

Yeah, but who doesn't love the smell of that Paul Mitchell spray shit we used to put in our hair to make it stand on end.

 

I agree fully! I come from a poor family, raised on 40's and 50's mainly 4dr beater rods. If I can build it with little to no money, I LOVE it! Then there is more pride, creativity, and everytime you drive it, you know you built it.... NOT your wallet.

 

Does anyone but me think there is a difference between a "jalopy"* and a "hotrod"?

*Jalopy = An old car that you keep running past it's "prime" by replacing what's broke as or before it breaks.
If the fix is an upgrade that's incidental to keeping it running since the motive is just keeping it running.

 

Holiday....Celebrate....

Just one day out of life...

Hey what a wonderful day in HAMB land, I was crusing in my boys tall T coupe late last night i hit the gas with no pain BABY!! My eyes happened to drift around I saw the big black skies with all them pretty little stars and I says to myself.......where's the roof??

Ah hell LOW BUCK rocks my cocks, hey so I get pulled over by the Fern Fuzz right oh I would say 11 pm. He strolls up to me and I got like mad fumes baking from a freshly painted pair o zoomies. He says so where's the fire...I says well gee officer, then I cut Monster FART right then and there, I swear to god I smoked that smokie right back to Michigan. The only warning I got was for my ass....

Speaking of ass, I need to get back to the shop.


BOING

 

My father spent all day raking up the leaves.. With his blessing I ran and I jumped into the leaves... and I got out and I brushed off all of the flames...

I woke up one morning and it had snowed. I yelled Yippee! and a ran to the door and said "Dad, let me in."

Emo...

 

In my day, Paul Mitchell would have been for rich valley kids. that shit would never hold up a real spike-- like a liberty mohawk (no, never went to that extreme myself.)

i used egg whites sealed with a cancerous cloud of that white and pink aqua net hair spray. you're really punk rock if you cant afford the eggs, so you have to replace that with a little jizz (hopefully your own if you a guy...)

I blame hair spray, bleach and manic panic for my amazing lack of hair at age 35. Nowadays I have a choice of Uncle Fester or Uncle Fester for hair styles

Oh yeah-- and there is a difference between a work in progress (or dream of progress) and a rat rod (where progress is actually being as fucked up as possible.)

-scott noteboom