Don't Tell Me Rat Rods Are A New Thing.

That little black car is a rat rod. It ain't pretty. It is amazing for what it is.
Appears to be the fifties.
Notice mag ignition, supercharger.
Looks like rear radiator? Check out the dual upper rad hoses.
The young man slobbering on it says it all.
I want a ride!

That's prety cool! Yeah, I can appreciate a picture like that. Makes me want to go to the junk yard and search for more parts! Of coarse one can never have enough projects going on all at once.

Yes, that is the way that it was, but there were few options and less disposable income for a "toy". Today there are many choices and it doesn't have to be that way. The few that I've seen are junk with little concern for safety. Build it right and your project won't have to hide behind an insulting rat shxx title.

People are contrary or something, I don't know. Sometimes they PREFER this rough built stuff.
I build rat rods because I think they're different. They sure stand out at a car show.
At least I try to build them safe with matched components from one manufacturer. Like IHC.

The neighbor shop to my shop in Dinuba is a world-class hot rod builder. ZZ Hot Rods. Greg Zulim owns the business. He's a very nice guy.
He had his first and last show about four years ago at his shop.
He invited his customers, friends and Smog Guy to bring our hot rods to his get-together for gab and dinner.

So I drove my business partner down in the below pictured rat rod.
I didn't want to stand and explain what that "POS" was doing there so I went and found dinner.
Turns out there was a TV film crew there...
GUESS what vehicle they focused on? Mine!

Despite the fact there were a dozen EXTREMELY nicely finished hot rods there the camera seemingly stuck on my ride.
After I saw the show on TV I went back to Greg and apologized for my car hogging the camera.
I wish the TV people hadn't done that. It appeared that ZZ Hot Rods built it. Wouldn't be good for his business.

I dunno,most of them look like something off a stock car short track from the 50'-70's to me.Add roll and nerf bars and go Saturday night racin!

Question : If your ride was not a rat rod, would you feel like you should go back and apologize?

Hmmm. It's too early to think that hard.

I just got up. It is a monsoon, here . Many persons add outside, why? Does it rain indoors in their houses? The rain is falling. Really? It does that here also, am I lucky or what?

actually that top picture is not a rat rod. it is a hot rod. a rat rod is a piece of junk cobbled together with no thought of the overall aesthetic, drivability, or safety. just rusty junk with bad taste and questionable value. IMHO.

Oh, Boy!

Well here it goes, Rat Rod, Hot Rod I dont know... I might as well declare what Smog originally posted as "Vintage Rolling Americana".

Whats really important here??? Unfortunately I have seen butcherd cars in every catagory. Stock vehicles with sloppy worn out suspensions that will result in death shakes so severe that it will send you right into a ditch. I've seen Rat Rods with cobbled up suspension that you wouldn't get me to ride in forced at gun point. Street Rods with sloppy welded mustang front ends that have been masked with a grinder and a finger full of bondo. The Pretty show cars "AKA Trailer Queens" that look perfect but cant sit in traffic more than 15min before belching coolant all over the ground because of the inadequate cooling system for the 1,000 hp supercharged big block stuffed in a Model A. Point is crappy workmanship comes in many different rolling forms.

However, I have seen the exact opposite displayed in every category shown by beautiful workmanship in welding, machining, autobody,safety,electrical and so on. Sad thing to say is some people get ticked because someone rolls up to a car show with a masterpiece built or restored on a buget because it dosent fit some form of personal criteria perfectly. What a shame! Personally I wouldn't spend a million bux on restoring a less poular antique auto anything but, I would still look at it anyways if it was done in good taste and quality craftsmanship, In other words LOOK at that Smogs righteous looking Rat Rod parked next to the Prius!!!!! No offense to the Prius if it had a quality chop, drop with mooneys painted slick black!

Quality is quality crap is crap disgrunteled car show dudes aren't all that!!! or Give me God, Life, Liberty and Gasoline.


Brent