"Either way, its a phase of hot rodding.....just a phase. There were many phases.....hot rods, street rods, vans, muscle cars"
I couldn't disagree more.
It's a term, yes. A phase, no. The term describes what has always existed in the hot rodding scene. Guys modifying vehicles. Some out of necessity, some out of artistic expression. The guys who are willing to drive them instead of spending stupid amounts of coin making them to pretty to drive.
Where thing have changed is that the guys who were marginalized for not having all shiny paint and chrome have grouped together.
But we have always existed. Bob W picture and post is a good example. My old man was doing this in the fifties. The term rat rod is just applied more liberally. Probably started by the more money than brains, order it from a catalog crowd. That stuff is like assembling models. I was doing that when I was eight. Some of us moved on to "building" some just assemble bigger models. Each to their own.
I like Rat Rods because guys drive them. No body wets their pants if it rains. Bump your door into it in the parking lot, see if we care. I carry the black rattle can to fix their door chip, not mine.[ddd
Not everyone who takes up painting is going to be a Rembrandt, and only one guy needed to be.
Gold03