Give me yer honest answer.

[ratrodney]

Okay.....

Who all has liked rat rods from the beginning and who was a nice normal paint job, polishing the car before car show kinda person?

Myself, I never really thought a lot about rat rods. Not really any around here. Till last summer when I got a good look at tim(Mr Gussett's) ryde. And then I was hooked.

My perfect car. Nsane looks, crazy cheap ideas and nooooo waxing and buffing! Perfect for my lazy rear. LOL

Just curious who else turned to the dark side?? RR [ddd

 

[Reign]

since about 1996 i have been heavy into classics of all kinds. was always drawn to rats but never really wanted to have/build one until about 2001. now it has just been one thing after another and i still havent been able to start my project.

 

[Davidhud29]

I like the nice shiny cars. Buuuut. They should need to be cleaned up at the show because they got dirty driving them there. I love lowrider kustoms, 'Ol Skool baby. But I also love home built hot rods. Mostly because they are more obtainable. I grew up drooling over all the candy colored paint, fancy murals, red velvet rope and flashy lights, mirrors and chrome. But. I personally knew that those cars were out of reach. And honestly I don't know how much fun they are. Seems like they would make you worry all the time about a bird pooping on them or something. I knew someday though that I could drive an old car and be proud of it. Home built hot rods are real hot rods. I think that's what most rat rods really are. They just put a new name on them.

 

[Goat]

my s10 had candy paint on it and I went to a local small rat rod show and I feel in love with the flat paint and white walls and with my dad having a shop I had the logo down and it was like free advertising so I talked it over with my dad (this after 4 months prior spending 6k on a candy paint job for this truck) we sanded it down and painted it with a chalkboard paint and it looks flat black but you can write on it. Later on that same week swapped a ls1 in it and made it loud as heck. In true rat rod fashion, Ive always been a fan just never had the stuff to do it with reason for the s10 being transformed, but now I win alot of trophys with the truck for little things that dont mean nothing to noone to see a unfinished truck I see a show stopper.

 

[EnglishBob]

I hate cleaning anything so my daily is always dirty.
I clean my Rat more just by wiping the dust off.

 

[Sam_Fear]

I've never wanted a brand new truck (or car) - to much worry and care involved. No character. Same goes for hot rods or customs.

I wanna drive a car, not a lawn chair.

 

[PhilJohnson]

I've always like beat up looking cars way before I had ever heard of the term Rat Rod. It wasn't until 2004 or 2005 that I knew that other people liked the same look I did.

 

[Reign]

speaking of not cleaning. my daily driver is my 04 f250 diesel on 35's with a 4" lift. i take her off roading at least once a week so she is never clean (except for right now since my lieutenant washed just my drivers side door so i had to clean the rest out of sheer principle. im going back out on Saturday though) that is why my trucks name is Big Dirty. when i actually start my rat, she will be just as "clean" just less mud on her.

 

[Thunder1]

When I was a kid back in the early 70's my Dad used to take me with him to a massive salvage yard in Kansas to search out parts for his 15 Model T and later a 31 Ford roadster. (Both nice factory stock cars by the way.) But every chance I'd get I'd run off into the rows of the oldest rust covered 20's through 50's cars and trucks and stay there the whole time amazed by them. When we would leave - which always sucked, I'd always tell my Dad - when I get a job and can do it I'm going to buy one of those and build a hot rod. Well back then - even the thought of doing that was enough to send him over the top and he'd always say "where do you get stupid ideas like that?" "Get over it, because it's never going to happen!" He shot me down every time which only made me more determined. I guess I built up a bunch of resentment because of his attitude and my passion for rat rods is the end result. I'm on a personal quest that started in 1974 and I have a ways to go yet but It's a matter of principal at this point!

Thunder

 

[Willowbilly3]

Looong before the ratrod label appeared, we were building rat bikes, like in the late 70s. I had a darn cool one I built, a rat 34 VLD Harley, widh I still had it.

 

[CR55]

I primered the 5th car I owned in 1971 because I thought it looked cool! The only one around our cruise zone like it.....ahead of my time?..[cl..CR

 

[allis327]

My car sat for 15 years just because the cost I had figured to make it a typical streetrod. Only started to ratrods around here in the last couple of years, really got me interested and gave me more hope. This car is still costing enough but I don't have to worry about 10k in paint. Now I not worried about scratches but hoping the moss that is on the car will not fall off. Should be a (green) car if some plant life is growing on it.

 

[cantwell.colton]

ive always been a low fi rock and roll and folk type guy ... strange fascination with zombies and vampires and such and the cars just fit me better ... i love kustoms but its just not me... i did get into import street racing for a while in hs and still appreciate a crazy import -- and RALLY cars are among my favorite -- but im also very practical when it comes to my cars/trucks -- what good is it if i cant drive it?

plus cmon the munsters and beverly hillbillies had me from the beginning.

 

[dyce51]

I guess I've always been more for the "ratrods" even before the label came. Being I've always been a lil short on cash all my builds have been done cheaply with a lot more go than show. Not too mention when you have an expensive paint job you tend to bitch about every lil nick, scuff, scratch where as with primer....when you wash it you find some hard to remove dirt or bugs just get out the steel wool...lol....

 

[Sid]

Around this time last year building hot rod wasn't even something I would consider. Browsing the web, I ran across a picture of a Rat Rod, I knew then I needed to build one. There is so much more appeal to them than a garage queen. It was something I probably could build and it gives me a creative outlet. I have a friend that owns a garage queen that they had build for 80k. I just don’t get it.

Here’s a question. I was watching SEMA show coverage or something like that and the winner had a car that he hasn’t even been started. My question is, do these things even run? Or to they just bolt on polished external parts to make it look like a real engine. I think a requirement for any car show should be that the car is actually drivable.

Sid

 

[PA41]

Dirt track cars led me to this--For years till I got health issues, I raced "hobby" cars that were low buck, kinda stock modern jalopys. I used semigloss and equipment enamel and did real rough basic body work. As long as it looked OK from the grandstands at 70MPH, I was good to go.. still that way.

PA41

 

[LilD]

I think Ive been subconsiously since I realy got into cars in high school. I never cared if anything had shiney paint or perfect body work. If it was old it was cool with me.

 

[Gregster]

My quest to build a rat began two years ago at the good guys show in nashville . I was walking down the row stairing at all the fancy cars and trucks in amazement when I looked up ahead and saw a huge crowd gathered , I turned to my wife and said --- something really cool must be up there . As we walked ahead I saw the car that had everyones interest , it was a model A sedan that had been chopped and sat on the ground , how cool , no paint , white walls and homemade zoomies . It was nestled between two $70 k cars and had the biggest crowd of the show . Most people look at a car like that and think to themselves " I could do that " . That was my inspiration , I have had the fever ever since

 

[likes_2_tinker]

i am guilty i jumped on the rat rod bandwagon about 4 years ago but never found you guys untill about 2 years ago but i always loved paint and shinny crome custom rods trailer queens and muscle cars untill i seen a rat i my trailer park then i was hooked even thoe i had no idea what it was dont get me wrong i still love all of the other stuff too but a project like that is out of the buget for now but hopefully someday i will have one

 

[Rev Tex Devlle]

well all the finish car i ever saw was someone else , inthre shop , never had one of my own, they never seemed to make it pass the running stopping stage , if it would run stop and had lights i went to drivin! but all along i had the desire to finish but ever did . but it hink it started as a kid, i lived across the road from a guy that had a field full of cars, and he had this 38 chevy truck , green and rusty no fenders i loved that truck , i wanted that truck!!!! he had a 283 with three dueces , it had pin strip flames , and i love to go sit in it! and for years growing up i always said one day it would be mine! well that day hasnt came yet, but in truth it did cause since i could drive , i been driving that truck in my head and now i build my own interpation of it each time i build one! i am a truck man!![dr[get er done son!!!!!