Sensitive, sensitive!...for shame.

Touchy bunch we are. When it comes to someone calling our cars "rat rods" a lot of us really get in a huff.

I've always thought the best way to refer to a "hot rod" was simply to say "the car" as in "I've got to fix the freakin' shift linkage again in my car". Not "her", not "she" or "hot rod" or "rat rod" or "street rod" not even "my baby", just CAR. Understated, humble, you know!?

When I first heard or read the words "RAT ROD", many years ago, it wasn't at all offensive to me (I love raw hot rods as much as anyone here). In fact, I thought it was kind of a cool . Today(?!), I just avoid the term. Rat Rod just seemed to evolve (de-evolve?) into something negative with the builders of low budget hot rods who were getting ****-hurt by the term. Get over it, it's ratty and it's a hot rod, mmmmm, rat rod, seems to say it.

whatever...

Sometimes I wonder if it's more a matter that some of us leap at the chance to jump someone's ****. Whether or not it was Gray Baskerville, or someone else who first typed or spoke the name, I'm sure it was meant with love.

You big babys!

 

Hows bout **** box? that is what call mine.

 

LOL!! I'm SO with you on this Jeem...but when you've got more than one car, one must specify.

Do you mean linkage on the Rod or linkage on the Custom...or, heaven forbid...the Musclecar!!

Cars do acquire names sometimes...some earned, some given, some p***ed down, some simply inspired in a foggy haze of dreamy inspiration...whatever- but they happen.

I've had a few of each of the above. I've gotten to a point of simply stating the year most of the time (linkage on the '50, linkage on the '67) or the body style (linkage on the coupe, linkage on the wagon) etc.

The problem with cl***ifications is they either exist as goals to work toward or against, and while building a (insert hip term of the moment here) might sound great when you start a project, the rebel rodder in all of us doesn't want to be pigeon-holed or cl***ified once we get the damn thing on the road.

Blame the magazine writers for trying to do their job and be journalists trying to relate the story to readers of all skill and p***ion levels. Such descriptors can really help tell the tale...until the terms become p***e' or the owner/builders no longer wish to be described 'that way.'

Personally, I try to deliver the story of each car I write about in the words and feelings of its owner. But, I'm no Baskerville either...

He drank Gin. I drink Scotch.

~Scotch~

 

I was at NatsSouth, a lady gets out of the p***enger side of a high dollar street rod, comes over to me and looked at my car and said "Is that what you call a rat rod?"

I said, no, looked at her car, and said, "Is that what you call a rat rod?"


We spend a great deal of time working with banjo rears, stromberg carbs, and sidevalve engines, in order to remain traditional, give us some respect, damnit.

Rich

 

My big problem with the term Rat Rod is that now everyone thinks that if a car is in primer or has flat paint it is suddenly a RAT ROD. I have seen some awfully nice finished cars called a rat rod because it has flat paint.

 

Rat Rod never really seemed right to me but I never thought it was a negative term either... Just kinda stupid.
But if that's what they were gonna call my car when they put it in a magazine what the **** did I care...

And a piece of **** is a piece of ****...

It seems lots of guys started to try to "Out-Rat" each other. It's a cl***ic wanna-be pose that pisses me off.

Building a running and driving hot rod out of imperfect parts=cool

Missing the POINT and building the biggest piece of **** you can=LAME

Ugly cars are worse than ugly women.

 

ive got quite a few cars as well, JEEM... one or two of them are going to be race cars

in other words, i agree

 

I don't know...I've warmed up to a few ugly cars, but never to an ugly woman......

 

Sometimes whether we like it or not. One day (as a joke) right after I got it, I called my car "Irlene". The name stuck. Severely. Now my wife tells her friends that I didn't show up to such-and-such because I was messing around with "Irlene". So now everyone thinks I'm having an affair and that my wife's ok with that!

 

I don't envy the moderators on any forum, because if the intent is to stay on topic and the topic is clearly defined, you still have to determine post by post what's appropriate and what isn't. Message boards have been around long enough that the dynamics have been measured and do***ented, they all operate in pretty much the same way. As someone said on the "rat rod" thread, newbies can't be thin-skinned, they won't last if they are, no matter what forum you post on/in.
I keep looking for a message board where that isn't true, so far I haven't found one.

 

I know this has been said before, but if you build a car ,for yourself to drive, you are just wasting energy worring about what anyone else calls it. No matter what is said about my scratch built roadster, all I can ever think about is all the time and effort I put into it. I know the quality standards I had during the build.

 

I always thought a Ratrod was a hotrod powered by a big block Chevy !!!??? NO ??

 

I think that when Joe public hears hot rod they think street rod. When they here rat rod they think of what you would call a traditional hot rod. They will flip through the channels and see Barrett Jackson, and Boyd and think that those cars are what you call hot rods. If a traditional car rolls across the screen it is a "rat rod." I am trying to make a rod out of a 1949 pickup ch***is and cab. It is not traditional as no one probably ever built one "in the day." So what is it. I tell people its a rat rod just so they can wrap there mind around what it is I am trying to build.
CHAZ

 

If it's a rusty pre 1949 part that I'm selling on eBay to make money to get my Hot Rod on the road you can bet it will be listed as a Rat Rod part. Everyone knows what a Rat Rod is, if they want to admit it in public that's another thing.

 

It isn't a polite term but it isn't as bad as "roach".

 

Looks like its more a excuse to beat up on Newbies, when they use the wrong lingo.

How is somebody that wants to get into this, supposed to know what the "Cool Guys" say?

Specially since appearently the term got coined by one of the " Cool Guys" in the first place....

But you cant use it anymore, 'cause we are SOOOO over it.

 

I don't like the idea of being labeled or "pigeon-holed" either, I just can't wait to drive "It" - or "Her" in my case. On the other hand, I don't feel it should be necessarry to actively skirt a description of a car that calls to mind a certain sterotype just to avaoid the bombardment of criticism that gets shoveled on so quickly.
I was feelin for that kid 'gnfnrs' this morning when I read the posts. Rather than try to ***ist or even constructively criticize his poor choice of terminology, he got **** on so fast and so hard, he'll probably never visit again much less enjoy learning what "traditional" means, or even care. I'm sure it put a bad taste in his mouth.
I know that's kind of like hazing the FNG, but personally I would like to see him or others blended into the fold, not ostracized for it. But then again, that's just me.

 

...

 

I love my dirty, groundgy, old, ****py, loud and smelly HotRod.

 

rat rod, hot rod, jalopy, what ever
it doesn't bother me what Joe public calls my car

although I was a little surprised when a kid said it was "pimp"

 

SURE!

 

Why can't those like gnfnrs stop and read a few of the posts over the last week or month to get a feel for what goes on around here. I did that for about a year before I posted any questions. Alot of the questions that I would have asked are the same questions that get asked repeatedly by FNG's that they would have found the answer to if they could just read, that is how I got them answered. The point that he used "rat rod" to describe what he wants to build shows that he didn't lurk long if any. Goes back to that old ****ogy of a bunch of guys setting around the garage. I see it as respect.

Neal

 

I think with everything else the term "Rat Rod" has gotten watered down with all the 80's caprices and cavaliers etc. Im not sure when the movement began to build purposely rough looking hot rods as to opposed to actually building a hot rod with what you have on hand but some of it has definatly gotten way out of hand. but is there any difference between a chainer clowning your "traditional" car or you trashing some kids heap.

Granted some of the stuff showing up is outragous but its in all cl***es too. From the ricers to the minitrucks to hot rods. Instead of slamming these guys for stepping up lets gently push them in the right direction.

 

agreed.... Seems like the "rattier" the look the more "********" you're supposed to be... IE: Gasmonkey mullet dude....

 

I am building a rat rod so I can be ********!

Actually it is because I don't want to take a "nice" car on the salt at Bonneville next year.

 

That's because you're the man, Paul!

 

If you have to give it a niche name, call it a Fad truck, just like a Fad T back in the '60s.


Mutt

 

The first time we took the Merc out to a gathering of cars, a totaly over dressed lady walked up and looked at the car and said WOW .. so where do you start... Hugh looked at her and said start what? she said fixing it .. restoring it? Hugh srugged and said I spent more money on the moter ( we kept the Flatty) and getting it running then I did to pruchaes the whole car and a couple hundred on the pin striping .. I'm done for now and enjoying driving .. and it makes us happy .. which is the whole point. The lady looked suprised but I think she understood .. it's about enjoying the car not what it's called or if anyone else likes it.

 

I installed the new axle onto my 34 pickup. All ****oned up and ready to go. I just need to re-align it. I have been unable to get all three Stromberg’s to run correctly on my 59 AB and believe me I hate to give up. But I conceded to the fact that I will have to block the center one off and run the outboards. I sent the carbs to the best carb rebuilder in the Nation. Our own Hamber ****ster . He will be done this weekend and I will be ready to fire it again.
This next week I am doing something really cool.
I have taken the week off and my wife and I are traveling in my 37 Flathead Coupe along the National road west for the week. Plans are to at least get into Indiana and maybe Illinois. Can’t wait!