I hate the term

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endicott_jb

endicott_jb

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
1,352
Location
Havre, MT but may as well be the north pole
Ya know, I love the rat rod lifestyle. I love taking a bunch of junk and making something cool and unique out of it but, I hate the term rat rod. In reality, most rat rods that are built right are more like traditional hot rods. Do what you can with what you got. It doesn't have to be pretty but come on, taking a rusted out shell of a car and plopping it on a frame that doesn't exactly fit isn't rat rod, it's laziness. Take your time, put a bit of thought and pride into it, and have fun. I may upset someone but seriously, if it doesn't look decent and isn't fun to drive, why did you build it?
 
endicott_jb said:
Ya know, I love the rat rod lifestyle. I love taking a bunch of junk and making something cool and unique out of it but, I hate the term rat rod. In reality, most rat rods that are built right are more like traditional hot rods. Do what you can with what you got. It doesn't have to be pretty but come on, taking a rusted out shell of a car and plopping it on a frame that doesn't exactly fit isn't rat rod, it's laziness. Take your time, put a bit of thought and pride into it, and have fun. I may upset someone but seriously, if it doesn't look decent and isn't fun to drive, why did you build it?
Click to expand...

I have really noticed that some of the looks you get from people when you tell them your building a Rat Rod they look at you like you must be a low life.
 
All those side-ways looks turned to thumbs-ups mostly on completion. There's an old saying that goes a long way here...."If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand"
 
Looks like I get to drag this out of retirement...

439.gif
 
I'm sorry for beating a dead horse. It's just annoying to me thumbing through craigslist and eBay and seeing stuff marked ratrod when it doesn't really fit the category. And then thumbing through the pages of ratrod magazine and seeing stuff that just makes you scratch your head because it just doesn't make sense. To me, I like simplicity, nothing over the top, but at the same time you know it's a ratrod without having to put a fake rat on the cowl. I really like what most guys on here are doing. It's more traditional but at the same time doesn't fit the mold.
 
It would have been funnier if you would have said "Looks like I get to bring this back from the dead..."
Blue Eyed Devil said:
Looks like I get to drag this out of retirement...

439.gif
Click to expand...


Like a lot of things in life, educate them or ignore them because it's not the words, it's the opinion. A rose is a rose and a rat is a rat no matter the name.
 
Im proud to call mine a rat rod. Its all stuff 99.9% of the car population would have looked over and left for dead. There are no spider webs, no fake rats and no see through spots in the floor boards.no flat black paint and a small block chevy, no billet aluminum os a/c. There is nothing traditional about it. Its 100% built by me in my w car garage. Its safe and reliable, heck i drive it more than any other vehicle I own.
Call them what You want. Its your ride. Build it the way you want and drive the wheels off of it!
 
I don't call mine a rat rod, because it comes with a negative connotation. It's loud, mean, and fast. If that doesn't scream HOT ROD, I don't know what does. I call it a hot rod. Mine is built exactly as it would have been with shiny paint, it just doesn't have shiny paint. In fact, I think it's built better than many of the shiny cars around these parts.
 
05snopro440 said:
I don't call mine a rat rod, because it comes with a negative connotation. It's loud, mean, and fast. If that doesn't scream HOT ROD, I don't know what does. I call it a hot rod. Mine is built exactly as it would have been with shiny paint, it just doesn't have shiny paint. In fact, I think it's built better than many of the shiny cars around these parts.
Click to expand...

I agree with the better built comment. I have seen some shiney gems thats for sure. If people talk crap bout rats while lookin At mine, i set them straight. I do agree that there is a negative ora with rats. But not all rats are created equal
 
I quit calling mine a rat before I ever got it done.
On the other hand, I just let people call it what they want.
 
I get some that want to call the sprint a "rat rod"
if any thing it's a "rat custom"[S

As OI said, people will call it what they want, and we're back at "if they don't know they wouldn't get it any way" :D
 
I have to admit I am not nuts about the term either. I kinda let it pass when someone says "I like your rat rod" but I do twinge a little.

Don
 
I can understand why someone would cringe at their $30,000+ traditional rod being called a rat rod. I've corrected people on that one myself. Rats are low buck - more work than dollars.

On the otherhand, I just ran across this on CL that pretty much nails what Endicott is talking about. '27 cab plopped down on a s10 frame and call it a rat rod thinking that's worth a few extra 100 added to the price? Why not call it a nearly finished 8 second pro street and tack on a few extra 1000? :rolleyes:
 

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