Thread: What I like about rat rods...seriously!

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lakota: You made a wrong turn. The rat rod bashing thread is just down the hall.

In case you missed the start of this post, it was "what I like about rat rods" and was to be on a positive note.

If you start off bashing them, the thread will degrade into the usual drivel of pros and cons, and, frankly, we are a little tired of that one.That is why HOTRODPAINT's start of this thread was so refreshing. The bashing thing has been done ad neausium (sp)

Sorry, just thought I'd give my 2 cents worth.

Don

Sorry if I misled you guys. My intent was to show my support for Rat-Rodders. I guess I got carried away...I just got irked everytime I saw the words POS and Rat-Rod in the same sentence, and needed a place to vent. It takes a lot of guts to go against the normal traditional appearance of rodding. Rat-Rodders are creating a new niche in the rodders world and I for one applaud their endeavors.

Thank you.........sorry I got my dander up.


Don

Let me say something positive about being young, now that I've blamed youthful age for some of our misunderstandings.

I had one of those "revelations" a while back. I was looking through my extensive stack of hot rod drawings from junior high and high school.

It had been decades since I looked at them, but as I looked through them expecting to see a lot of inaccuracies, and stupid ideas, I was shocked to realize that many of the ideas I had incorperated in them, were something that I wouldn't even be able to think of, today!!! I was shocked!

It made me wonder when I had lost that ability to think outside the box! It was then that I realized that we learn to follow styles and methods as they are refined, and become more judgmental, about choices that do not follow the norm.

I guess this is not too different than tattoos, spiked hair, and body piercing. Why should we care if somebody wants to be different, or have to take on the responsibility of deciding if it is right or wrong? (BTW, I still want your car safe, if I am sharing the road with you!)

Getting back to my drawings, I made a mental note that I really missed being able to think like I did then, and as a result, I think my direction changed a little for the better.

Hotrodpaint and Itoldyouso,

You guys are right, I am on the wrong thread. I read the other one last night and should've replied then, but got interrupted. Yeah, I replied to the wrong thread...Boy, have I got egg on my face. I told the wife about this screw up and she said before I type this I should stand up for awhile to let the pressure off my brains.

Dang, HOTRODPAINT, now I've REALLY got to vote for you !!!



You are right, us old timers FORGET what it was like to have limited budgets, no tools to work with, no totally eqipped shop, and no idea of what we were doing. The first Model A I tore apart, I used an axe to cut the fenders off because I couldn't get the bolts loose. A friend of mine swapped an old Hemi into a 53 Ford, and couldn't find spacers, so he shimmed it with pieces of 2x4 lumber !

We forget that we started somewhere too, and did the best we could with the resources we had available to us. Maybe this rat rod thing is an opportunity for us older guys to show the younger guys that we aren't so bad or dumb anyways. If we keep beating them up, no wonder they rebel.

Great points you made, and AH YES, I had a ton of little drawings I made, sitting for hours at night. Channelled '32 Fords were my favorite.

Here is one of those drawings (though incomplete) that I wouldn't have even been able to concieve today!

The question is, what happened to me between '65 and today?

...or how about a GTO truck? Today I would be more likely to follow the "establishment". (and I sure wouldn't put a Cammer in it, either!)

...or a Mustang Altered! Nobody does things this way!....including me!

My point of these is to say that my own early "brainstorms" show the same unconventional creativity that some rat rodders bring with them to the hobby.

Chip Foose has nothing on you !!!!

Originally posted by Itoldyouso
Chip Foose has nothing on you !!!!

Except a few million $$$. :-)~

Im glad you guys see the light,i asked when i first joined this forum why , instead of telling us whats wrong with our cars why not tell us how to fix them, ive been going to alot of local cruise-ins lately, and all the old-timers have been very encouraging, and helpful to me ,compared to all their rods mine looks like crap, but they all give me tips, and compliments on my work, and my favorite freebie, parts! But i also like the fact that my ride does not look like all the others,this guy chip has a 50 merc too, its the perfect sled, 5000$ paint all the bells & whistles, a top notch rod , then theres mine , but i get more people looking at mine cause weve all seen the perfect merc a million times, but it makes me feel really nice when i get compliments from the old guys i respect

Man hotrod paint ,nice drawings, you should be a custom artist or something

Often, what people put out into the world, is what they get back.

That can be either "respect", or it can be "attitude"!

You seem to respect the older builders, and I suspect you'll find most of them will return the favor.