Welcome to the forum Ivan. Those two little words, "Rat Rod" have probably caused more contoversay than the investigation into who killed JFK. As soon as you write them, people start lining up and arming themselves for the battle that is sure to happen. I hope this thread doesn't go that direction, as you just asked about the application of the words, not whether we like them or hate them.

You are right. The word is overused and has now become synonymous with any car on four wheels. If you look under rat rod on Ebay, you will see every kind of car imaginable being described as such. It no longer matters if the car is trashy, painted, old, new, etc. people have latched onto this term, and it is the first thing many say to describe a vehicle. Even people who do not know a Porche from a '32 Ford know those two words. It is simply overused and misused way too often.

Now, since we are on the subject. I think rat rods are evolving......at least a segment of the genre'. There are some rat rods that are still clinging to the hardcore, built without regard to generally accepted methods and materials school of thought. But I see some new thinking happening among many people who like this art form. Many rat rods are starting to display building techniques that create a safe and dependable rod, and I like that new trend.

I am a member of a rat rod forum, and was on another up until recently. I have learned that most rat rodders are no different than you or me, and simply found a type of car that they really relate to. H***, I like them myself, although I personally find it hard to leave a car in rust or primer. But I like the spirit and creativity of them. Over the past year of being involved with the rat forums, I have learned a couple of things:

A) Some rat rodders will never change. They wear the "in your face" attitude like a badge of honor, see themselves as outcasts and rebels, and don't care to learn a d*** thing. I saw more on more of these guys coming onto one forum I was on, so I bailed out.

B) Most rat rodders are everyday joes, with jobs, families, decent morals, hopes and dreams, and the willingness to learn new things. They do not have any anti-social issues, and can play by the rules. The forum I now belong to is made up of group B, and the word "Safety" comes up in every discussion relative to building a car. These guys and gals like this art form, and lack of paint and some rust do not bother them. But they are very proud of their ability to take very little and turn it into something that starts and goes straight down the road. They are doing it the way their Fathers did, with their own two hands.

Lots of the members are heavy hitters, with professional shops that turn out some really well done cars, and some are simply hobbyists, like me, who like to play with things made of steel.

Sorry to get off track a little, but I wanted to say that not all rat rodders are out there building deathtraps that are going to take our hobby down the tubes with them. They just choose a different look cosmetically for their works of art. Soapbox is put away.

Don