Where's the rats??

[zzrodder]

Midnight at the Oasis this weekend in Yuma Az. Supposedly 1000 cars in attendance and I only saw one vehicle that could honestly be called a rat rod !! (20 something Chevy pickup - cant get the pic to load ). I was expecting lots in the land of sunshine but it was not to be... plenty of Camaros, Mustangs, Chevelles, T-Birds, 5-6-7,s, etc. - guess I"m out of touch with what people like ..[S
One thing I did hear over and over was spectators calling just about any 20's to 60's car a RAT ROD, shiny or flat paint seemed to make no difference. Makes me worry about the future of rodding in general...

 

[bob w]

I've noticed the old guys, like me are getting fat and arthritic. They are moving into later model roomy cars that provide a good ride and lots of creature comforts. Even if these guys used to build their own true hot rods in the past they are having the current and possibly last ride built by a professional. The next age group grew up with muscle cars. Some, but not many of the younger generation are finding hot rods and rat rods as a car hobby.

 

[donsrods]

I mean no disrespect to anyone on this forum, but I think rat rods are evolving somewhat to become more mainstream hot rod. Like you , I am seeing less and less of them at shows.

It is probably like most other phases of the car hobby, something is hot for a while and then people move off to doing something else. There will always be a place for homebuilt, rough around the edges cars ( I am building my rpu that way) but the name and some of the signature features like non automotive parts being utilized and crude construction techniques will probably fade away.

But that is a good thing, it keeps the hobby fresh and new, IMO.

Don

 

[Stroker McGurk]

I have always just called it hot rodding...then, no matter what changes it fits......So much of this traditional hot rodding and rat rodding is about the "scene" rather than the cars in my opinion anyways......

 

[billy]

the body on mine will always be rough.
but i like comfy seats ,heaters and ac as much as the next guy.
as money allows i add things that are nice.
if i had a perfect car i wouldnt be able to beat on it,

 

[DougnDog]

I tend to believe that the rat roders are just staying to themselves, I found around here the shows I went to when I first built my Rat Rod the Hot Rod crowed was courteous but distant. even having some ask me if I was showing my car at the wrong type of show. funny some snubbed their nose at my car but It had people 3 deep around it at most shows. I don't show it anymore but drive it every day and at the market I always have people around it when I come out.

 

[donsrods]

I think that is what happens to most of us car lovers over time. When we first get our car done we take it to every show we can because we are so proud of it. But after a while the fun of sitting on a lawn chair or walking around looking at the same cars week after week wears thin, so we stop going and start driving it more as a regular car.

I had to work last Saturday, but my Son Dan took his rpu to a show south of here. He said 99% of the cars were stock antiques and he overheard some interesting comments from old guys who were appalled he defiled such a clean rpu body to make a hot rod. If they only knew it was never a car in it's life, but a Brookville body and everything else is custom made.

For me, the real enjoyment of having my rod is to be able to jump in and just go for a long ride, or even a short trip to the grocery store. It is supposed to get back into the 80's here next weekend and I am off work Sunday, so guess where I will be ?

Don

 

[rainbow lungs]

Rat rod or old hot rod.........make it run well toss some paint on it or leave it rusty. Just cause a rat has some satin on it, does it not still make it a rat?

Lungs

 

[gold03]

"if i had a perfect car i wouldnt be able to beat on it, "

And that is what Rat Rods are all about in my opinion. They are cars that get driven, rain or shine.

Nice cars are nice, but the ones I always respected weren't at shows, they were on the street.

Rat Rods are an evolution and a push back against the mail order builder. $80,000 cars that every builder is afraid to drive are nice cars in the same way I see nice cars in museums. Shine it, polish it, and park it is not my kind of fun.

I don't care for the cartoon builds, I like cars you can drive.

Of course there are things that make any car look good... some times its big power, and some times its in the little extra things...[P

gold03

 

[zzrodder]

Don't get me wrong, there were lots of nice cars at the Midnight at the Oasis show, and plenty of ones that suit my taste in rods, 30's are my fav but unusual and well exececuted cars from the 20's to 60's will get my attention. From crazy T buckets to a 63 1/2 Galaxy with 427 FE engine and 4 spd, heck, if it has wheels and spark plugs, I'll stop and look.
I guess it is a good thing that shows like this do draw a lot of people and potentially some of those spectators will get involved in the hobby and that's what keeps it going and growing.

 

[lowbuckrats]

Around here, there seems to be a good mix of every type of car at shows and cruise-ins. I like that. I drive all my cars as I don't own anything newer than 72. The point to owning rat-rods, muscle cars, hot-rods, street machnes or what-ever is to drive them as much as possible in my opinion. I didnt notice any less rats last year, I guess we'll see how this years shows go.

 

[rudetoad57]

well......i think...

As a lifelong car lover....ive been building rats sence i was a teen...I beleive that a true ratrodder is constantly scanning the tree lines and fields for parts....and every part you see is potentially useful for a project.....and the rest are potential tradeing stock for something you need for a project. I feel that the more tools you have...the more parts you can fabricate...thus save paying exuberant prices of time tested aftermarket parts....thus learning from your own mistakes and ...i beleive that a ratrod is a running,cool looking,pleasing to you as to what you like in a rod .....you dont have to please anyone else ..and lastly...a ratrod is how little money you can build it for....kinda the opposite of a money-pit street rod....cause..the first rule of ratrodding...is that there are no rules.....[dr

 

[Willowbilly3]

I've noticed the old guys, like me are getting fat and arthritic. They are moving into later model roomy cars that provide a good ride and lots of creature comforts. Even if these guys used to build their own true hot rods in the past they are having the current and possibly last ride built by a professional. The next age group grew up with muscle cars. Some, but not many of the younger generation are finding hot rods and rat rods as a car hobby.

I had someone ask me if I'd ever sell my rpu. Probably not sell but if someone came along and wanted to trade me a Starliner, Merc pickup or panhead chopper, I'd be tempted.

 

[42chevy]

I think rats are still popular but for me I drive mine and am not into the lawn chair car shows. I go to them but do not enter my car in them and I think quite a few around here do the same.

 

[ratrodney]

When mine gets done sometime in the future ill drive it rain...snow...heat....nuclear war.....russian invasion. RR

 

[junker39]

Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents worth in. I'm building my rat with many different kinds of parts, some recycled and some homemade. I think the only new parts I've actually paid for, besides the engine parts, are the front shocks and the rack and pinion gear. Everything else is either bartered for or "donated" from various vehicles found around town or on somebody's trailer going to the scrap yard. My neighbor, (the good one), has a '69 Camaro 396 SS that he has spent unknown amounts of cash on. He doesn't do much of the work himself but farms it out. It's beautiful, fast, and an eye catcher. If that's what he wants, great. For me, I've always liked loud, different, and unusual. A 70 AMC w/ 460 Ford, an 83 Ford p/u with a 429,( both of these had a 350 Olds Rocket in 'em at one time), a 73 Roadrunner w/ 428 Cobra Jet, and a 55 GMC p/u with a 440 Mopar. Then, there was the mud truck. School bus frame, tractor tires, Courier cab and a BB Dodge. (I never won but, had a blast trying.) Whenever I manage to get my low dollar home built buggie on the road, I'm going to go to every car show that will let me in and I can afford to drive to. I'll go just to show all the big dollar, pro built, perfect paint, scared to drive, car people that I can have more fun and I ain't scared.( I might be on the end of a tow chain going home but that'll be fun too.)

 

[Tripper]

I love my cars and every one of them was built to drive. I really don't care what people at shows think of them! It's usually some jerk that doesn't have a car that will say something derogatory about someone's car! I really love rockin' mine to outta town shows & have just as much fun gettin' there as I do at the show! I have several friends who will barely bring their cars/trucks outta the garage. One friend will hardly ever take his car anywhere because it's a stocker & won't do over 55 on the freeway & doesn't have A/C! OMG... what's the point?!?

BoB

 

[YO MUDA]

I have to laugh (to myself) everytime I go to a car show and see some fellow in fancy clothes, wipeing the dust off his $15000 paint job with one of those funny looking hand mops.[S

 

[440shorty]

Having fun

I have much more fun just driving on the street or highway and seeing "normal" people react to my cars than be 'dug in' for hours at a car show with "car people" who have their opinions and are competing for a $20 trophy I could buy anyway.

One of my cars is a stock '79 Buick Skyhawk (think Monza) with peeling & faded paint. Every time I drive it, people in other cars stare, or smile, or give thumbs up, because there aren't any of these around anymore, and it looks very different from the usual. So it isn't shiny, nor is it old enough (even though it is 34 years old now). But the fun is seeing other people enjoy it. And it gets 23 mpg too!

440shorty

P.S. I have big plans for the Buick involving a '98 V6 Camaro parts car...

 

[blurooster]

at my last "car show" I listened to a guy talk about this shop did the chassis and this guy did the paint and another did the interior and yet another did something else, all over the country! I told him I couldn't have afforded the gas bill for his tow rig! different strokes for different folks.