Thread: Rat rod debate

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I finally found the picture of the Rat Rod that I followed all over Owatonna. That's me sitting in it four years ago. The guy/family that built it has many 36-34 Ford Hot Rodded coupes.

Originally Posted by Tom F

I finally found the picture of the Rat Rod that I followed all over Owatonna. That's me sitting in it four years ago. The guy/family that built it has many 36-34 Ford Hot Rodded coupes.

That`s a rat rod to me! Awesome!

I dont care if you put in 100,000 or 2000 in your rod as long as you respect other rodders and their builds.

Well.. here`s some pictures of my rod. A liiiiittle different from a US rod.
Hope you rodders like it.

Originally Posted by Tom F

I finally found the picture of the Rat Rod that I followed all over Owatonna. That's me sitting in it four years ago. The guy/family that built it has many 36-34 Ford Hot Rodded coupes.

Man primer that roadster, it would be nice.
I got some buddys that drive rusty stuff, other primer, others paint. I dont like it when I see a good model a or t cut up into something that looks like you couldnt drive around the corner. My model a will be a sunny day only driver trailered to shows over 3 hrs away. Do all my own work and will be proud to push it own a trailer My buddys are already calling me trailer queen
With around 700hp and a tight cockpit, no long hauls for me, anybody ever drive a wide tire, short wheelbase and light car in the rain, no fun

Now that I've gone through the bodywork process on my 47 ford, welding , grinding, filling and SANDING, SANDING, SANDING. I can honestly say my next car will be a rat! takes an insane amount of work to get a car 60+ years old even reasonbly straight. Gave me a lot of respect for those builders using origional steel that make the body look new. And after all my work to get my car looking good, I don't think it will be any more fun than driving it ratty. sorry to ramble, Let's just drive em!

The self-appointed oracle of Naples says:

If you don't have money, getting upset with a guy who does is NOT going to fatten your wallet.

If you're building your own car, looking down your nose at a guy who bought one isn't going to get one ounce of work done on yours.

If you want to drive your car everywhere, sneering at a guy with a car on a trailer isn't going to improve your mileage a whit.

Jack
condemnant quod non intellegunt

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

The self-appointed oracle of Naples says:

If you don't have money, getting upset with a guy who does is NOT going to fatten your wallet.

If you you're building your own car, looking down your nose at a guy who bought one isn't going to get one ounce of work done on yours.

If you want to drive your car everywhere, sneering at a guy with a car on a trailer isn't going to improve your mileage a whit.

Jack
condemnant quod non intellegunt

i just had a thought.
i wonder how many of the sneerers are just mad because they cant afford a sweet tow-rig?

Originally Posted by eurorodder

That`s a rat rod to me! Awesome!

I dont care if you put in 100,000 or 2000 in your rod as long as you respect other rodders and their builds.

Well.. here`s some pictures of my rod. A liiiiittle different from a US rod.
Hope you rodders like it.

Absolutely adore your little car, but is it a Fiat or what??? I'm sure we are all interested in knowing what it started out as and what you have done to it. Looking at the exhaust system there is something under that rear lid that gives the car more punch than the standard engine?? I think I can speak on behalf of everybody on this site when I say we are interested in everybodies own idea of a hotrod. So please Give us a run down on your neat little car.

what a neat lil car!
never seen one before
but i want one!
a fiat isnt it?

I bought my coupe while I am still working on my 40 pickup. My wife came up with this idea (she's a keeper). My brother comes in town and he is one of those if you didn't build it you aint worth a dime types. I asked him if he built his Harley that he cruises. Nuff said !! Some people just don't get it and that is sad that all just can not enjoy the hobby insted of putting labels on each other. I turn plenty of wrenches and enjoy it. I am learning every step of the way. I just don't have the benefit of time to do it enough but I will finish my truck someday. Until then I will also cruise the rod I bought with big smiles beaming out of me.

They can be works of art!...

[QUOTE=Dave Severson;380887]I don't mind safely constructed budget Hot Rods, nor do I mind the in your face rat rods......

What I do mind is someone assuming that just because my car is in a trailer when I arrive I must be a poser or something.... Assumptions are a dangerous thing to make. Some of us with the trailer queens, actually the majority of us have built every bit of the car in the trailer... And now you want to tell me I'm not a Hot Rodder because I have billet on my car, some of which I made on my own lathe and my own mill that I bought with my own hard earned money... So, because of 45 years of nothing but building Hot Rods with my own hands and my own money now I'm not a real Hot Rodder because I have a Featherlite trailer and $50K plus invested in my car, plus the 2 or 3 years of labor??????

Like Roland brought up, I'm just too dang old to make a 2,000 mile round trip to and from an event in a small car with stiff suspension and a 10 mpg engine!!! I've paid my dues, slept beside my roadster in a sleeping bag and now if I have a room at the Ramada and my car arrives in a trailer, I guess I just really don't care what you think!!!

QUOTE]

This pretty much sums it up for me. I have built my own car because it's something I enjoy. I like the Rat Rod look as much as anyone else, but make it safe! I think the thing that bothers most people about the big money rides is the fact that a few of them are not as talkative as some of the others and that fact causes most to believe they are snobbish! If someone can afford to have their car built, then so be it and more power to them. A few times I wished I was in that situation! I too trailer my car when going to a far off show. I had 5 kids and my wife going with me and there just wasn't enough room in my sedan for everyone to enjoy the trip. Does that make me a poser and a snob? I hope not! I don't understand why everyone can't simply enjoy the cars for what they are and help to continue this hobby we all love so much....CR

i am a hotrodder because it is all i ever wanted to be. it's pretty much how i've made my living for 43 years. i do not care who what or when . dont care who you know or if you stayed in a motel6 last night. nobody is going to dictate to me what i drive or when . i am not a member of the nsra. or any other click . to me telling someone they cant trailer their car or calling them a poser should get you some shiny new dental work. all of these rules about hotrodding just make me tired all over.THERE ARE NO RULES ! as for the rockabilly rat rodders i will say this , you come at me with punk i will treat you like one. dont tell me what true hotrodding is about , i dont care what you read, i lived it. come to me with an interest in cars and we can talk all day .

and thinking someone will drive 5k miles in a 100k investment is just stupid. and the average age of hotrodders is around 67 . bet you ass i will be in the 1ton

A wealthy rat rodder
love the staight 8, way kool

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

I wonder if these experts build their own houses? A "real man" would live in a log cabin that he built with a pocketknife! :-)~

Just crusin the site on a lazy Sat aft and came across this . I had a lot of help on my 47 , built most of my rat with my youngest son . Glad to find out i am a "real man" as i do live in a log cabin that i built - guess i cheated - cause i used tools along with my pocketknife .

i like em all. yep rats too as long as their safe to drive. a lot of the hot rods my dad built in the 50's and 60's would be called rats today. i think a feller should build what he can afford and what he likes. to heck with what someone else thinks.i think a real hot rodder builds his own . havin money to go buy a hi dollar ride dont make a hot rodder. i think its in a fellers blood.yoy either love wrenchin or you dont. the best hot rods to me are the ones a guy builds in his garage at home. theres dang sure more pride in em. the feller with the biggest grinn built his.