I once saw a cartoon in Easyriders. There were 3 bikers, one a bagger, one an outlaw type with a chopper and the other was a crotch rocket. Each one had the baloon showing the same thought "These guys look like idiots".
If my hotrod got labeled today it would no doubt be a ratrod, but to me it is just a hotrod. I am building it with as many junkyard parts as I can, but mostly because I wanted a car in the spirit of the way guys had to build cars 50-60 years ago, when you didn't have TCI, Fatman, Flaming river and the like. If I had deep pockets I would do it different.
There are rude people on both sides of this fence. I say build what you like, keep it well thought out and above all safe.
The HAMB won't even allow you to use the words "ratrod" and probably because no good comes from this debate.
I wish the term would just go away and they could all be hotrods.