Is There a Line?

Rat Rods Rule

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How Would You Describe Your Rat Rod?

  • High Quality/High Dollar Show Hot Rod

    Votes: 2 4.4%
  • High Quality/High Dollar But Falls Outside Age Limits

    Votes: 1 2.2%
  • Home Made But Safe Hot Rod - Low Buck

    Votes: 41 91.1%
  • A Loose Pile Of Random Parts - That Move

    Votes: 1 2.2%
  • Art Car - Ready For a Parade

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    45

ivanogburn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
53
Is there a line to be drawn when classifying a vehicle as a Rat Rod?:confused:

Quite frankly some of the cars on this site are actually show quality hot rods or customs.

But then there is the other extreme of cars that appear to be a disarray of unrelated parts held together with bailing wire and JB Weld.:rolleyes:

The upper end of this classification are high quality, high cost custom rods that would be welcome in any classic car show anywhere.

The lower end don’t appear safe or road worthy!:D

Is the definition of Rat Rod really that broad or is there a line to be drawn at both ends?
 
It really shouldn't be that hard.

The term Rat Rod has been around long enough that it can't be considered a passing trend.

The traditional hot rodders are very definite in how they define a Hot Rod..(Age, Equipment, Style, etc...)

Street Rods and Muscle Cars are about the same.

It just seems to make since if the classification is to be taken seriously.
But that does not mean that the definition is narrow and restrictive like the others, but I wouldn't think most folks would consider this a rat rod...
art-cars3.jpg



Any more than they would this...
7533472064_ae47b011ca_z.jpg
 
No matter how you draw the line, somebody will come along and cross it....Most of the builds on this site are very well done and haven't seen any held together by bailing wire. Some are shiney, some are not but most are safely built when all the hitches get solved. One of the things you will see in common is the fact that yes, most have re-purposed parts and lots of enginuity! That's part of building...
 
To answer your question about cars on this forum, I think most of them are "Rust Rods". Not pieces of unroadworthy crap. RRR is one of the more inclusive sites!

Beercan
 
IF I DIDNT HATE SANDING
id have a shiny one.
spoken by a guy that just walked in from painting his frame with brush.......[S
 
No matter how you draw the line, somebody will come along and cross it....Most of the builds on this site are very well done and haven't seen any held together by bailing wire. Some are shiney, some are not but most are safely built when all the hitches get solved. One of the things you will see in common is the fact that yes, most have re-purposed parts and lots of enginuity! That's part of building...

Agreed smallfoot.
As a society we like to put a label on everything. To my mind the "Rat Rod" Craze-Fad-Movement- Style came along as a kneejerk reaction to the high dollar 'Street rod" builds that started back in the 70's and still continue on to this day. The builders of this as yet un-named style decided that they needed to return to the true spirit of hot rodding.(As they saw it). Using what you have and making what you don't....
But like all things, people come along and add their ideas to it. Some good. Some not so....
Not to mention the grabbing onto the term"Rat Rod" by the general public as well as those looking to capitalise on a Craze-Fad-Movement- Style.
This site contains many types of builds as the OP pointed out. And that's what makes it great. High end to low end and everything in between. But the beauty is that the vast majority are being build by their owners. And the ones that are being built by the pros give us all ideas to steal.[cl
As with any true art. It is all in the eye of the beholder......
Torchie.
 
Im with torchie.. call it what you want ,,, but as far as the wagon with the junk glued to it I dont think anyone would call that a rat rod ...Like every one else I have some ideas that after a certain year ,, they just dont make a good looking rat rod ... but thats JMO.. And there are some on here that are not finished and they look pretty rough and loose ,,, but just keep watching and you will see them come to life and look pretty good ...and this is still JMO. If your on this forum and you want to call it a rat rod I may not agree but I'm not saying so ,,, If I dont like it (I DONT HAVE TO COMMENT ) I can scroll on by :D
 
The poll options are pretty straight forward, but the definition of rat rod doesn't appear to be.
There are many builders on this forum who shouldn't ever classify their build as a rat rod (in my opinion) and others who fit the rat rod persona perfectly.

I have a buddy that keeps giving me random crap he says I can use on the rat rod. Old lights, padlocks, old rusty tools and so on.
Most of the things I get are actually pretty cool, but I'm not gonna hot glue it to the pickup just because it's rusty. That's where the lone blurs I think. Some feel the vehicle has to have a bunch of sharp edges and rusty odd ball stuff to define as a rat rod, others, just prefer rust :D
 
If some of these **** boxes on cl are rat rods, were all in trouble. Seems like anyone can get some rusty pile, slap some flat black on it and make an abortion labeled rat rod. Kinda sucks. You guys put your soul into your rides and these ass clowns ruin the genre. I don't have a rat or hot rod.

I think there are rat rods, hot rods, gassers, muscle cars. Any car/truck guy knows which is which.
 
"It's like tryin' to tell a stranger 'bout Rock and Roll..."

Just voted and saw the Results so far. Pretty much speaks for itself. ;)
 
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I have to admit that I am not nuts about the term Rat Rod (no offense to anyone on this forum :)) I kinda hate it when someone says "I like your Rat Rod," because most of the people saying it don't have a clue what they are referring to.

I think the reason for me not caring for it is because it is one thing to have a car built from a variety of parts and it might be a little rough around the edges, but it is another thing to build a car that is just thrown together with clown car elements, just to shock the onlookers. We have all seen those kinds and they have given the term RR a bad image and name.

Don
 
But I have seen both types passed off as "rat rods"!:rolleyes:

If its yours, you can call it whatever you like.

To me a rat is a barn find (or something that looks like it) cleaned up and made safe to use again.

A crap rod is a flea market on wheels.

The rest is what it is, usually just posturing for self importance.

Build on.
 

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