I've been a fan of old street rods and rat rods, but anytime I look at pre-and-post war era cars they all seem very similar to me, broken up by small minutae. I have future plans for some kind of rod, but i'm just not able to really get my creative juices flowing. Can you guys show me some of your favorites? It doesn't have to be *specific* for rods, I just really want some inspiration and ideas.
Irontrap Garage recently had a YouTube video on the difference between a traditional hot rod and a rat rod that's worth checking out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVomUCyuJe8
It's one thing to build a car that may have some rust or imperfect paint, it's another to build a car that's inherently unsafe and has skulls and rats painted all over it.
stuart in mn said:It's one thing to build a car that may have some rust or imperfect paint, it's another to build a car that's inherently unsafe and has skulls and rats painted all over it.
Amen to that. I checked out some here in the Midwest- so many were straight up unsafe from combining swing axels with boosted engines, and most were just covered in tchoskiss crap from flea markets. It's like the owner has no personality but can't accept that they don't know what should be on it.
I like it!
These are inspiration for my uncle's (father's side of the family, but has been in my father's possession since the '70s) '29 Model A pickup. My plan is to swap in a Desoto Hemi that I have, possibly with a 471 and a Weiand 6 duece maninfold that was on my father's earliest Altered Roadsters, when they still ran SBCs, and before they ran Chrysler Hemis.
6 Strombergs on a 471 carb adapter-
Edit~ forgot to post my uncle's truck (I will save this from one of my cousins from my mom's side of the family, who wants to build a "rat rod" like you have seen locally)-
When I get a little more time, I will post some inspiration for my Dad's '40 Ford sedan...
this thread will not be good for the sleepymarriage
I humbly submit my own work:
It's based on a 1975 Ford LTD chassis and drivetrain, so while ratty, it's not (too) unsafe.
This has been one of my favorites since I saw it in Hot Rod:
volvoclearinghouse said:I humbly submit my own work:
It's based on a 1975 Ford LTD chassis and drivetrain, so while ratty, it's not (too) unsafe.
Post the link to the build thread! I had so much fun reading it!
I saw the "Grenade" truck on Drag Week. It's a lot more of a traditional rod rather than the newer, purposely over the top rat rods.
Here are some relevant pictures I took at Bonneville Speed Week a few years ago - which would be a great event to visit if you are in need of more inspiration. Some competitors, and some that just showed up.
Something to think about- what people are calling traditional hot rods are designs that are essentially frozen in time. Mostly pre-war bodies with some kind of power improvement in them.
Right?
At some time, like in the 30's, they were just used cars that someone did a powertrain swap in. And the most popular cars were the ones that started life as the most common body styles, so the base car was cheap.
Which is to say- you can define your own hot rod however you want to define it. IMHO, a Fox Mustang with an LS is just as much a hot rod as a model A with a Cadillac motor with strombergs feeding it- as at one point in time, they were the same thing- cheap car, big engine, more performance.
Something to consider.
In terms of Rat- I also think the original ones of those- the were the embodiment of spending all of your money and time on the best performance you could get- regardless on how the overall end product would look. Get whatever engine, whatever chassis, whatever radiator etc- all put it together, and who cares how it looks. Someone liked how those cars looked, and then the whole faux patina thing came along and it went down a totally different path.
(Which reminds me, I really hate "barn finds" where they pretend the patina means something- when the reality is that the crappy paint is due to chicken E36 M3, the rust is because of the water you parked it on, and the dent was because someone bumped into it. It has NOTHING to do with how the car was actually used, but how the car was poorly stored. I'd never pay more for a car that needs total restoration.)
I'm partial to Speedsters. They couldn't "hot rod" the engine much, so they added lightness.
MadScientistMatt said:I saw the "Grenade" truck on Drag Week. It's a lot more of a traditional rod rather than the newer, purposely over the top rat rods.
Nowhere did I mention that it was a rat rod. In fact, I mentioned that it was inspiration for building the '29, and saving it from a rat rodded fate that my cousin wanted for it.
This is what "rat rods" are nowadays, and the fate that I don't want to befall the '29. (And it an actual car "built" by my cousin. Shooting up a perfectly good body and attacking it with hammers really isn't an aesthetic choice I condone, especially for on that has family history.
On the "show" spectrum of traditional rods, the Sylvester III roadster, a genuine 1960s show car/hot rod, is a favorite of mine
There's a hotrod roadster A in the area that was built in the '50s by a local guy named Hezzy Armstrong, that I guess had minor fame back in the day. His son owns it now, and it is a total time warp. It's low, it's sleek, its purposeful, there's no really extraneous E36 M3. The Olds 303 Rocket with Offenhauser valve covers and dual quad intake and old magneto with clear plug wires are the cat's pajamas. Not sure how much they sectioned that body, but look how the rear tires are way taller than the turtle deck
Just don’t add anything from a later era and you’ll be good. I cannot stand late model wheels on “traditional” rat rods. I suppose a small-black Chevy would pass however but my self-imposed rule still stands. And please, no more red wheels.
alfadriver said:
Something to consider.
In terms of Rat- I also think the original ones of those- the were the embodiment of spending all of your money and time on the best performance you could get- regardless on how the overall end product would look. Get whatever engine, whatever chassis, whatever radiator etc- all put it together, and who cares how it looks. Someone liked how those cars looked, and then the whole faux patina thing came along and it went down a totally different path.
This is untrue.
The "Rat" term came from "Rat Bikes", which were just really beat up, crappy motorcycles that bikers would ride daily, and beat to death, without concern for them, mechanically, or aesthetically. Usually, they owned a nice bike that they didn't want to get scratched up, but not always. These were also used as "bar bikes", so they could go from bar to bar, and it didn't matter if they "had to lay her down" when riding inebriated.
The "Traditional Rod" and "Patina Rod" phase grew out of backlash from the overchromed '70s, and tweed monochome '80s, and billet '90s.
But the Rat Rod was neither of those, and grew to become the Clown Shoe of vintage car customization.
914Driver said:I'm partial to Speedsters. They couldn't "hot rod" the engine much, so they added lightness.
I've watched enough Goodwood Revival races to be similarly inclined...
alfadriver said:Something to think about- what people are calling traditional hot rods are designs that are essentially frozen in time. Mostly pre-war bodies with some kind of power improvement in them.
Right?
At some time, like in the 30's, they were just used cars that someone did a powertrain swap in. And the most popular cars were the ones that started life as the most common body styles, so the base car was cheap.
Which is to say- you can define your own hot rod however you want to define it. IMHO, a Fox Mustang with an LS is just as much a hot rod as a model A with a Cadillac motor with strombergs feeding it- as at one point in time, they were the same thing- cheap car, big engine, more performance.
Something to consider.
In terms of Rat- I also think the original ones of those- the were the embodiment of spending all of your money and time on the best performance you could get- regardless on how the overall end product would look. Get whatever engine, whatever chassis, whatever radiator etc- all put it together, and who cares how it looks. Someone liked how those cars looked, and then the whole faux patina thing came along and it went down a totally different path.
(Which reminds me, I really hate "barn finds" where they pretend the patina means something- when the reality is that the crappy paint is due to chicken E36 M3, the rust is because of the water you parked it on, and the dent was because someone bumped into it. It has NOTHING to do with how the car was actually used, but how the car was poorly stored. I'd never pay more for a car that needs total restoration.)
When the focus is on performance rather than appearance, that to me is a hot rod.
When the focus is on appearance rather than performance that to me is a custom.
When looking ratty is a higher priority than performance that to me is a rat rod.
In reply to NickD :
The S-III is a gorgeous automobile.
The black A you posted is channeled, hard. Look at where the fra,e rail intersects the cowl. If you open the door, you will see about a foot of step-up to the floor from the bottom of the door opening.
Cooter said:In reply to NickD :
The black A you posted is channeled, hard. Look at where the fra,e rail intersects the cowl. If you open the door, you will see about a foot of step-up to the floor from the bottom of the door opening.
Yup, I see that now. I still think the body might be sectioned a bit too. Apparently, the guy was doing his magic on a Lincoln Zephyr convertible when he passed away in the late '60s, and the son recently dug it out of the shed where it has been sitting and is trying to finish what he started. Can't wait to see (and hear. Mmmm, flathead V12) it when it is done.
That reminds me: If you aren't concerned about going crazy fast, LEAVE IT FLATHEAD POWERED. They sound amazing and look great when they are cleaned up and dressed up.
The Iron Orchid '34 is another traditional rod (although a modern build) that I love.
A modern take on the Rat Rod...
the chopped & channeled VW Beetle seems to be a classic...
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