You have a point, now that I look at it, the car does lean toward old style rather than rat. I was scrambling to find a car that sort of fit the category, and it was the first one I found.

BUT, here is where the rat rodders take offense.........not all rat rods have dryrotted tires, leaking seals, and bad brakes. Some do, I've seen that crap too, but this the kind of generalization that makes them come on here with a chip. Like the one rat rodder said, he has built some really nice cars, worked at some garages, etc. He knows how to turn wrenches. To lump him in with the crowd who thinks a car has to be held together with coat hangers, hurts their feelings and their pride in their cars.

I fall into that category. I just choose to call this latest project a rat. I started out with that premise, am doing some unorthodox things (wrench shifter, untraditional styling, patina on some pieces, etc.) but it will be built like a tank, and dependable. To me it will be a rat, but someone else may have a different name for it.

Although some of this back and forth rat talk seems boring and useless to some, maybe it is good, and the two camps will start moving toward a common center. Every car owner/builder just wants others to appreciate his efforts for what it is. Without insults, criticism, and hurt feelings. After all who out there hasn't looked at other cars and said "I wouldn't have done it that way"? But we never would think of saying to the owners face.

I'm not one of the fans of tuner imports, either, but I have to respect the fact that he or she is interested in cars rather than some other path, like drugs, and those cars are their generations '32 Ford.

Like I quoted before from Rodney King...............