Rat Rods?

[MetallicaMatt]

Who here has a "Rat Rod"

I believe John has something in that "family"?

I'm always kicking around ideas of the next toy, and I always like Rat Rods, "old school" slammed, chopped etc

It'd be nice to have a car that you don't have to wax and want to leave it outside to give it some character! lol

I've always wanted an "old school" car where I could just cruise all day, and drag the fram if I wanted.

What do you guys like, recommend, and where should I start looking?

[ninetres]

Not the greatest pics or most thorough build description but this pretty basic rat rod is BAD ASS in person! It one of my best friends who does all of my custom fabrication and other odds and ends for me.

http://calibercustoms.com/53_ford_shoebox.htm

[Pro Stock John]

Hehe, I don't have a rat rod but am familiar with them. I'd start looking on a few sites. The www.jalopyjournal.com HAMB forum has good classifieds, though that site is more purist. There are 4-5 big rat rod forums I can't remember their names offhand, I'll go back and see what I can find.

Rat rod is a very general term which can mean a lot of different things. My interpretation is that a rat rod is a pre 1964 car that might have rust, and will not have a fancy paint job. For some rat rod means crazy looking creations that look like they were designed while folks were on drugs.

So if you search on eBay, you might find some for sale, for $8-15K. If you are serious about getting one, make sure you understand what the car does or does not have. Some rods, not just rat rods, have no side window glass. No wipers. No front brakes. No exhaust.

[Pro Stock John]

My '51 Merc...

Before:
http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/1451398278.jpg (http://www.fquick.com/garages/viewgallery.php?action=viewimg&id=98278)

A little later:
http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/14513190472.jpg (http://www.fquick.com/garages/viewgallery.php?action=viewimg&id=190472)

Lately:
http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/14513235410.jpg (http://www.fquick.com/garages/viewgallery.php?action=viewimg&id=235410)

Goal (Photoshop):
http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/14513235431.jpg (http://www.fquick.com/garages/viewgallery.php?action=viewimg&id=235431)

[MetallicaMatt]

I just went through racingjunk.com and there were some rat rods, but nothing that grabbed my attention.

I don't really want the over the top, crazy put together - designed while folks were on drugs lol

just something that would be fun to drive around in, make people point and go cool car!

but I still think if I could put some drag blocks on the back and get some sparks flyin' that'd be sweet ;)

[Pro Stock John]

What do you want, 20's, 30's, 40's or 50's car?

[MetallicaMatt]

ah you posted while I was typing!

I thought it was a '50, I couldn't remember and refused to go back to the "other" place to look lol

looks great!

I also got to love the old cars with the HUGE blower sticking out of the hood lol

[MetallicaMatt]

What do you want, 20's, 30's, 40's or 50's car?

not sure, really not picky

something a little peppy, but cool factor is what i'm going after

[Pro Stock John]

Budget?

[MetallicaMatt]

under $30k for sure

$10-20k would be more likely

[GregWS6&z28]

rat Rods are awesome. definitely growing on me.

[Pro Stock John]

You can get a pretty interesting car for up to $20K, I think you need to narrow down what you like.

[oChristiano]

You can get a pretty interesting car for up to $20K, I think you need to narrow down what you like.

Haha defiantly.

I perfer Tradtional Rods over Rat Rods but both are sick.

'31 Tudor.

http://image.trucktrend.com/f/9588304/163_0803_01z+2008_autorama+1931_Ford_Tudor_Witchy_ Woman.jpg

[Reject]

i like the raunchy rat rods, like the ones you look at wrong and they cut you and give you rust cancer

[MetallicaMatt]

i like the raunchy rat rods, like the ones you look at wrong and they cut you and give you rust cancer

^^ me too!

and the ones with so much power you just think 'you've got to be crazy to drive that!'

[Pro Stock John]

A car like that yellow one could go for $30-50 g's depending on what's done to it.

[Occupational_Hazard]

always wanted to build a rat out of a 50's ford p/u. but my govt salary is holding me back as usual lol

[oChristiano]

A car like that yellow one could go for $30-50 g's depending on what's done to it.

Ohh easily haha. I just found a picture of my personal favorite a '31 Tudor done up good.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Typical_Rat_Rod.jpg

Theres a more ratty Tudor. Pic is too big so I just put link.

[TransAm7779]

Rat rods are sick! I'm thinking for my next project I'm going to do some sort of rat truck.

[Spazdout]

i was talking to a friend about starting to build one a couple days ago.

[Slowhand]

ive always wanted a slammed, rusty 30s ford roadster... no paint would ever come near my rat rod

kind of like this, but with less work, lowered farther, no doors, etc..

http://www.blueovalranch.com/Quickstart/ImageLib/1124389009946_DSCN1777.jpg

[FireDawg]

I'm gonna start one after I get out of the military. Here is a site I found that is interesting http://ratrodstuff.com/

This is the style I like

[firefighting1101]

this isnt so much a rat rod but is one of my favorites

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee270/firefighting1101/RatRodTruck.jpg

[Sandmann120]

Be careful where you use the term 'rat rod'. Some of the guys on the scene take offense to that term. Most prefer 'traditional rod'. I gotta agree with the jalopy journal reference. Lots of good info on there. HAMB rocks!

[Pro Stock John]

Good point. Be careful when saying "cool rat rod" because the owner might not agree with you.

To me a rat rod is an unpainted, unrestored hot rod that has been cobbled together with various junkyard and swap meet bits. Kinda like not using a venerated flathead or a 331 cid Hemi, but using a 6 cylinder engine out of a late 60's Mercedes that you got for $300.

[Rede]

I really like the look of this rod:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Typical_Rat_Rod.jpg

But I wonder how quick you guys would :pokeeye: me if I asked about doing a lsx swap into one...? :o
Nothing crazy, but maybe 'ugly it down' with oil leaking from the valve cover gaskets, maybe some phony rust like pain or 'aged iron' look to sorta fit the rest of the car. But that might take a lot of work and you'd want to relocate the coil packs elsewhere and made find an old distributor cap and run dummy wires to it and hide the coil packs along the firewall someone out of site, or at least cover it with some fake sheet metal.
Certainly would be much easier to change the valve springs with the heads still on the car :bang:

Maybe it would be easier just to recreate a MadMax mobile.... hmmm

[southern69chevy]

Ah man I want to build one of these so bad. A buddy of mine built his for around 3k.

[Atilla the Fun]

What defines a rat rod? Bad interior? Minimalist interior? Whole car built for nearly nothing? Rust? Faded paint? Primer? Bodystyle? Year of manufacture? Make? Multiple carburetors? No overdrive? No heater? Or just any car your best girl wouldn't come within ten feet of?
I really think I could call my '84 Trans Am a rat rod for the condition of the exterior and interior, though it's all original so far, and all the mechanicals are in safe working order.

[11 Bravo]

i like the raunchy rat rods, like the ones you look at wrong and they cut you and give you rust cancer

That's kind of the fad now for some reason, but back in the day it wasn't. Even then owners tried to make their cars look good. Paint did exist. I like a tastefully done rat rod, not a literal rusted pile of junk the west coasters decided would be the cool thing.

[Sandmann120]

A 'rat rod' is like porn. You can't describe it, but you know it when you see it.

[Sammyboy]

A 'rat rod' is like porn. You can't describe it, but you know it when you see it.


huh???

[code4]

here's mine, i have it completely built in my head. which is the hard part for me, i have all the parts including a forged 346, good 317 heads, tc 76 turbo & all the manifolds, pipes etc.

but i hurt my back & haven't worked on it in months. it is very hard waiting but i will get back on it soon. it's a 52 chev pu on a s10 frame with a turbo'd ls1 & f$rd 9" rear with big fatties on the back.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v448/code4/Black%20Betty/000_2254.jpg

[HMFDZ28]

Rat Rods are some of my favs. Something about welding a stop sign in to repair a floor board and not painting it over is just Sick. I love em all though... Rat Rods, Street Rods, Bombers, Hot Rods or Muscle cars you name it. There something about the old school that cant be replaced.

[MetallicaMatt]

growing up, my dad had a hot rod, a 31 Model A Coupe with a rumble seat

I'd love to have that car again...now it's somewhere in Denver, CO.

[Mixican]

Rat Rods are some of my favs. Something about welding a stop sign in to repair a floor board and not painting it over is just Sick. I love em all though... Rat Rods, Street Rods, Bombers, Hot Rods or Muscle cars you name it. There something about the old school that cant be replaced.
x2 though the rat rod deal to me seems like a lot of them will just throw on anything that they can screw to it lol. When I see some of the death traps rolling under the term rat rod, I can't help but think "So... this is what those VW guys that intentionally rust their hoods move on to" lol.