In reply to LanEvo :
"Rat" because of fake patina? If it were a peeling and spot rusty body, perhaps. But putting work into making it look rusty- IMHO, that's just energy and money spend for the sake of it. Which is fine and all. But it's also fake.
The other examples are interesting.
I'm just posting pictures of relatively modern cars that have been made to look kind of like a dry lakes roadster.
Here are a few more random pics for inspiration.
Or is this a modern take on the rat rod?
One Ford that's hit the bottom of the deprecation curve so hard that the curve has to be JB welded back together, a 15 year old Chevy pickup motor, a cheap Chinese turbo, widened steel wheels, and zero paint and bodywork budget.
MadScientistMatt said:Or is this a modern take on the rat rod?
One Ford that's hit the bottom of the deprecation curve so hard that the curve has to be JB welded back together, a 15 year old Chevy pickup motor, a cheap Chinese turbo, widened steel wheels, and zero paint and bodywork budget.
That thing is all business. I love it!
Labels are stupid, so are some of the “builders” who are barely good enough to stick together metal with a flux core welder.
Build what you want, how you want it, and know that there are a handful of shiny happy people out there who are going to pigeonhole or label you. Someone called my belair a rat rod once, i felt like killing him, now i just shrug it off and know i’m putting stuff out of my shop that is better engineered and faster and safer than what they’re doing, if they’re doing anything at all.
In reply to Patrick :
That's really nice!
MadScientistMatt said:Or is this a modern take on the rat rod?
Based only on that one photo I would say no. It has faded paint, but is apparently set up for performance and not for the purposes of being shocking or controversial (i.e. nothing obviously unsafe, no miscellanous stuff hung on the car for no purpose, no bullet holes, etc.)
I lke many kinds and eras of hot rods, but my favorite is the Doane Spencer 1932 Ford roadster..
By the time we define “rat rod”, we’ll be primed to define “bobber” and “chopper”.
And we can move on to “muscle car” after that!
(btw, an El Camino is a CAR!)
frenchyd said:When the focus is on performance rather than appearance, that to me is a hot rod.
When the focus is on appearance rather than performance that to me is a custom.
When looking ratty is a higher priority than performance that to me is a rat rod.
Wholly cow. Frenchy and I agree on something. Somebody make a note of it.
MadScientistMatt said:Or is this a modern take on the rat rod?
One Ford that's hit the bottom of the deprecation curve so hard that the curve has to be JB welded back together, a 15 year old Chevy pickup motor, a cheap Chinese turbo, widened steel wheels, and zero paint and bodywork budget.
That to me is a hot rod - all go, no money or effort wasted on show (or on anti-show).
To me a rat rod has a huge amount of time, money, and effort spent on looking like no time, money, or effort were spent.
GIRTHQUAKE said:It doesn't have to be *specific* for rods, I just really want some inspiration and ideas.
Maybe something a little different like a really early wagon or panel like the one in pic below. Buddy of mine just put an old Buick engine in it & got it road worthy.
[URL=https://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/004-24.jpg.html]
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Here's my scratch built project that may (or may not) fit into the category:
While not on the "ratty" end of the spectrum, I've seen several aviation themed rods which were AWESOME. Example: 
I'm partial to the VW based hot rods
I've always preferred speedsters for myself but...
A few years back my friend and I stumbled upon a car show. Typical 1960s americana with modern drivetrains and way too much vinyl inside and too much chrome under the hood. Not my kinda car show. But one stood out. Somebody had a T bucket, right hand drive, flathead, homebrew holley hi-ram with a Lenco trans. I don't know why but I loved it.
In reply to Knurled. :
I don’t particularly agree with it but much to the contrary, I know plenty of COPS with full sleeve tattoos.
In my (pretty insignificant) opinion, your entire post was way to presumptive and judgmental.
(And that’s coming from someone who drives a simple Chevy pickup and has zero tattoos and never will)
What, nobody's mentioned old Volvos?!
If we're not limiting ourselves to "traditional" pre war stuff. I'm really fond of pro touring trucks.
One of my favorites being this C10.
very low with big rubber all around, built as an autocross car more than a show piece but it still looks awsome.
Not as much of a fan of it's later "finished" form if I'm honest but it's still cool.
So this sort of stuff really burns me up. Build it safe to drive or don't build it. That suspension or lack of it and eide height are just stupid and your burning up old steel worst of all. Look at the fake fill panel on the roof.
So this is my old 28 A. This is my style. Garage built but clearly built to be driven and used in modern traffic.
In reply to wearymicrobe :
The spare with a flat cut on the bottom makes me sad.
I don't know anything about Rat Rods, but looking through this and thinking about the good ones I've seen: Start with a safe chassis that you like and can work with. Pick a body with classic curves or angles that inspire you. Cut, grind, weld. Don't bolt on Chinesium eBay crap. I love what VCH built.
Here's a few (hot links) in no particular order.
If it were me, I'd be really tempted to do a Speedway T-bucket build with a junkyard truck LS and Crown Vic suspension ala Locost.
Otherwise... "Here are a few of my favorite thiiiiings!!"
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/730075789575188465/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/730075789570454556/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/730075789567795010/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/730075789572380986/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/730075789568734224/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/730075789568082526/
More traditional (or close to it) hot rod pictures - this time from Drag Week 2018. No unsafe rat rods here - everything's able to pass an NHRA tech inspection.
This one may have a bit too much billet to be really traditional.
The wheels and injection setup on this one are a later era, but check out that massive blower!
It's the Grenade Truck again. It might have been called a rat rod when the movement started, but it doesn't fit where that movement ended up now. I didn't mean to imply anyone here had called it a rat rod.
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