I can't help myself!

[Bonehead]

From time to time I check out other sites. I try to stay out of the arrguments about Rat rods vs. the world. But I found myself standing up for rats on two sites today. The first was CHR, and looked like this:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Severson
"Ok, here's a bit more accurate showing of what we drove in the 50's and 60's....Enjoy the viewing......

http://objflicks.com/CarsWeDrove.htm "

(BONEHEAD)
I like the site, cool cars, lots of good old memories.

Why is it the term Rat Rod brings out the worst in people? Rats are not traditional hot rods, Rat rods are not trying to be something that happened 50 years ago. They are happening now, today, they are different from the cars back when, and they are different from each other. I am really not trying to start anything here, I'll keep my truck the way it is because I like it, and I won't get rid of it because someone else doesn't like it.

 

[Bonehead]

The second was HR.com. and went like this:

re: Dont be shy, Lets see those Rat Rods!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by tfeverfred
"I still don't like them, but everyone has got their own groove. Just build 'em safe for Gods sake and please, don't try to validate them by saying "this is the way they built them back in the day". Everytime I hear that, it's from someone trying to pass off a POS car they threw together to be in the "scene". That's another word I hate also. "Scene". What the heck is this "scene" and why am I glad I don't belong to it?"


(BONEHEAD)
I respect your opinion. I know mine is not traditional, but with four wheel disc brakes, a full roll cage and 4 point belts, you know it is not the way they were built back when.

 

[earthman]

 

[FlatBroke]

I have noticed on CHR that Dave is somewhat......opinionated......

I will just leave it at that.

 

[Tripper]

Ya think!?!?!

I have noticed on CHR that Dave is somewhat......opinionated......

Ya think!?!?!?!

BoB

 

[26Troadster]

rat rods

i look at it as to each their own. a hot rod/ rat rod is built by the owner the way he/ she wants it, if you don't like it look somewhere else. i really like ol' skool, but my roadster is not ol' skool as it has a pinto frontend, but it is what i wanted as with all of y'alls. just keep doing what your doing. i belong to a couple of other sites with tfeverfred he seems to be good people, more then likly he must still be thinking about a picture that got posted on another site where someone used a crowbar for a draglink, even in my oppenion(spelling) is not safe, but to each their own, but not me. now my 63 stepside chebie truck is real close to a rat with mixed parts and a rattle can paint job, and i like it that way, so what if nobody else does. have fun with what your building just make it safe.

26Troadster aka heart-of-dixie-t aka odie
p.s. loved the clip.

 

[Tripper]

Grain of salt!

Bonehead,
I know what u're talkin' about but I always have to think... just remember who u're talking to... someone who can't think outside the box!

BoB

 

[Bonehead]

There was more to each post, but the big problem is when someone says something like, "I hate rat rods because that is not how we used to build them." Duh, we know that.

 

[LordMaximo]

Hey Bone Brother.........lol......I too have been into some words some of these neandrathals on issues of building cosmopolitan traditional rods. I was draged out yesterday with my racing partner, to a local chainer gathering. YES, I did attend a chainer event, and man was it ever so much fun. Worst thing about this event, NO RATS were allowed to atttend the event. If your ride was not a traditional styled custom, restoration, or original ride, screw you, your ride did not make it in the yard. A public park at that. One person towed in a Model T in the infancy of being built. But that was the only raw unit around. Everything was high dollar polish and bling. I wore my KillBillet shirt to the event, and most all the old farts shund me.
And I did take the 72 GrandPrix to the event, while my partne trailered the 90 Camaro dragster. It is set up as a 10.5 outlaw road warrior. The old traditionalist all freaked out when they came about and looked at the HO 383 stroker with a sidewinder super charger and all the plumbing in the compartment. it had NOS and EFI a laptop on a pedistool in the roll cage to change the fuel curves for the condition of driving.
Only a handfull of young guns understood the technology that we presented to the traditional chainers. my partner found it quite funny that all these OLD SCHOOL FELLOWS rolled over, being afraid of the new technology in super tunners. I will post pictures when I get home from work tonight.
ooooppppsssss, guess I kind of high jacked this thred a little........back on subject......

I really detest the words of RAT ROD myself.
I prefer a highly modified, ground hunging, custom road warrior.
Cause it doesn't look like what they had 50 years ago, plus they would have thought about it anyways. Too many stereo types back then, all being brainwashed by the TV and media...........LEMMINGS.......lol.......

Maximo

 

[donsrods]

I like Dave, but he is EXTREMELY hardheaded on that one subject. As soon as those two words come up, I know his post is not far behind.

I've said it on various forums, I see rat rods evolving.......and forums like this are responsible for that. The "toss 'em together, safety be d***ed" school of thought is being seen less and less. I think that in itself will help change the sour image lots of rodders have about them.

And, I think some rodders are just PO'd when they go to a show and some rat rod gets more attention than their $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ rod. I know I like to look at them to see what unique little tricks the guy put in.

However, some people will just never ever have anything nice to say about them. That is their problem.

Don

 

[LordMaximo]

True tothat one, yesterdays car show was a good example. if you did not belong to the sponsoring club, and your ride was not of the traditional high dollar resto/custom rod genure, then you did not even get and honorable mention at the end of the day. Our 90 Camaro was an outlaw street racer that totally blew everyone away. There were no cars or trucks anywas close to this monster road warrior, they all freaked and flinched hard when the stats were being read about the car.
Nearly $70K have been invested into this street racer, and we are the third owners of the ride. All those other chainer rides had nothing compaired to this ride. OOOpppsssss............there i go again.........Maximo

 

[joehalford01]

i know exactly what you mean, i have a friend here in town that stopped showing his car for that exact reason. the awards always went to the buddies running the show. lame......

as far as the whole rat rod thing goes, oh well, i love em, the rustier the better, but as i mentioned to my wife the other night, i don't think i could personally build and drive a rust bucket (safe or not), i always want to make things nice and top notch when i work on them. I think i'll just stay away from billet but keep em fast and well built.

 

[gassersgarage]

I really don't care about awards or trophys. The last one was for my 32' 3 Window. I knew the sponsor so I told him, no offense, but give it to someone who cares. I see these guys come out time and time again, hoping for some recognition.

When I park at a cruise or show, I get far away from my car. People can look and enjoy it or loathe it. We all have different tastes so I don't care. I like it and thats all that matters.

As for the term traditional or rats, neither bothers me. If you likes rods, thats all that matters.

 

[RonnyG]

If definitions mean anything.

Have you tried Goggling "Rat Rod"? It seems like a fair definition to me. What's really fun is building something that don't fit any definition. You know, they just stand there scratching their heads with their mouths hanging open.

 

[Tripper]

Have you tried Goggling "Rat Rod"? It seems like a fair definition to me. What's really fun is building something that don't fit any definition. You know, they just stand there scratching their heads with their mouths hanging open.

Ronnie,
We had a great definition from a members wife... she told a co-worker it was a car her husband made from old parts he had laying around the garage. Thought that kinda summed it up!!! ; - >

BoB

 

[maddog]

An artist told me once "there no new ideas, just re-combinations of old ideas".

I rode a "rat bike" (79 shovel flat black minimal chrome). No one made a big deal of that term as it reffered to bikes.

rat rods are an evolution of the hotrod thing, just like tattoos are an eveloution of the Elvis, Fonse, James Dean, 40's 50's look thing.

So what.

Dont understand why they freak out about it, but I didnt understand why my parents didnt like Led Zeplin either.

 

[RonnyG]

As best I can figure it out.

Rat Rods are to Hot Rods kinda of like the Grunge fade from some years back. It allows the ugly to be cool.

 

[Bonehead]

We have to do something! I can't seem to get away from people talking down Rat Rods. I was on Hotrodders.com, which is kind of a cool site, lots of great info, and a mix of people. Anyway, someone posted up a picture of a rat rod with no front brakes. Yep stupid rat roddder driving around with no front brakes. The part where we have to do something is to try and make the guys building rat rods know, that they have to be safe! A poorly built unsafe machine only hurts all of us car lovers. Because we all know that accidents will happen, laws will be passed, and it will cost us more in the long run. Or ruin car building as a hobby. I think we have to make it so un-cool to have a rolling piece of accident waiting to happen, that the purest paint and wax guys, don't have an argument. I did not jump in on the thread, because people have already lost their tempers over the subject and are picking on things tha really don't matter, like fit and finish. But mainly because, how do you defend a car with no brakes being on the street.
What do you guys think?

 

[Lakota]

You folks ever heard of Ethnic Stereotyping???...What we have here is Automotive Stereotyping. Rodders see a rod in a UTube video with no front brakes, the front axle stuck way out front on the ends of the springs, bald mismatched tires, and this goofball is burning up his tires doing donuts in a residential neighborhood, and the video is titled RATROD. The first thing that rodders with narrow minds think is that ALL rat rods are built like this and ALL rat rodders drive like this. Pretty soon they infect other rodders into thinking this way. The best we can do is stand our ground, and let our actions and rat rods speak for us. We built them safe, and we know it. Pretty soon they'll come to realize this. Some rodders have already come to this conclusion, and as time goes on others follow. Let the Naysayers protest. There is something to the old saying, "Doth Protest Too Much".

 

[roddguy]

I am in total agreement with you there bonehead. A while back on another sight which has a habit of losing pics there was a thread with a pic that well I'll just let you read what I had to say about it.

First I have to tell you that his grill had half of a 30" circular buzz saw blade sticking out of it end wise, and the title read. " Pictures take before the crash"

I just know I'm gonna catch hell for this one. However I just have to say it. I am all for the kind of machines we love to build. I'm building one myself and as I'm building I am also praying and hoping that some over zellous pollition doesn't take it apon him or herself to write laws to keep my machines off the road. That being said I saw the picks of your grill....... yeah it's cool and all, but it made me shudder to think what it could do to a person in the event of a crash. Then I read....... these are pics before the crash. I hope I'm not alone here people. Hood ornaments where band for the vary reason I'm talking about here. We need to be responsable builders here, because the fact is there are people who want us off the road, and I have to admit...... the second I saw the grill I wanted it off the road. So please guys be creative but lets keep a mind to what might scare the hell out of someone who can take it all away from us.

Now I wish I had saved that pic because it's gone now, but I never heard a peep on that sight about my thoughts on this. I would hope that everyone understands that we do stand on shakey ground with your hobby and don't need to attract the wrong kind of attention.

Case in point: Here in Canada about 5 or 6 yrs ago. There was a street racing bill writen and had already gone through 2nd reading when an American after market wheel company read it and alerted us up here that there was one paragragh that was writen in such a way that it would have killed any kind of modification on cars in Canada. This included right down to changing the colour of the paint. We caught it and with a lot of activism we killed it. However, they are always trying to sneak this kind of crap past us. So, it just goes to show that we all need to be mindfull.

Happy "RATRODDIN" guys.