Ratrods.....I just don't get it (a tragic before/after)

[Brubaker]

I must confess, it's an old high school classmate, but it still makes me cringe. This AA will be transformed into the artist's conception (pictured). I'm all for creativity and supporting a person's right to do what they wish (within reason). My issue or personal disagreement is with the condition of the 'before' vehicle (which looks to be nice). Seems to me, one can construct a ratrod out of a lesser quality A/AA.
On the other hand, the parts salvaged/not needed of of the truck will certainly find there way to individuals restoring originals.
Not sure exactly where I was going with this thread other than to rant and disagree with someone else's decision. New Years resolution: mind my own business. Happy New Year! by-the-way

[Pickupman]

That's not a AA.

[Brubaker]

I didn't look close enough. Just needed to vent about something.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Looks like about a 32 or 33 Ford V8 truck and it sure looks nice NOW.

What a terrible waste it would be to chop it up. If he can't appreciate what he has now, then he should sell it and buy some scrap to make a rat rod from. He'd also be money ahead, besides saving a beautiful old truck.

[zzlegend]

Never understand why i guy wont start with something like this if he wants to rat rod it. I spotted this not far from where i live.

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/3421252974.html

[denis4x4]

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I usually scroll right past these rants, but I'm going to make an exception here. First off, someone sold the truck to this guy. I'm going to bet that the rat rodder was the only guy that met the seller's price. I would remind those of you that want to save every Model A out there that the old saying, "cash talks, bullshit walks" is very real.

[rat51flathead]

you will be surprised how many nice cars go for hot rods
there is a guy north of me about 120 miles that take model t cars and part them im talking nices cars nice paint nice inside he sais he make more money that way

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I FOUND my pot stirrin' stick, not a bad lookin' drawing, with a street Kzhaust system & great paint, it could pass off as good lookin' nostalgia '50's hot rod! I would do it WITH fenders, though. Bill W. (How many of us are oooold HOT ROD crazed nuts, hiding behind our stock Model A's, and have built similar stuff, I am & I did one very similar from a '32 BB truck cab, 4" chop & 6" channeled on an "A" chassis)

[CRguy]

Those big trucks don't seem to have a lot of value in stock form, so I don't see it as much of a loss.
I wouldn't call the truck in the drawing a rat rod either. The term rat rod has been used incorrectly to describe a lot of different rods, many of which have nothing ratty about them. I can appreciate most any rod that has been put together safely and has some type of paint on it, not the rusty falling apart bodies with suspension welds that look like bird shit, skulls, cobwebs, and any other non car crap you can hang on one.

Mel

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by denis4x4

I usually scroll right past these rants, but I'm going to make an exception here. First off, someone sold the truck to this guy. I'm going to bet that the rat rodder was the only guy that met the seller's price. I would remind those of you that want to save every Model A out there that the old saying, "cash talks, bullshit walks" is very real.

Dennis,
Is there REALLY B.S. walkin' around this forum somewhere?????? Got my mouse ready, where is the "B.S. Detector" BUTTON? Bill W.

Ryan, Dog here,
Where are you?? Someone said B.S. is floating on this forum!! It may be disguised as "YAK DUNG" Be careful, don't SLIP! Buster T.

[Tom Wesenberg]

From looking at the rod picture, the only part to be used would be the cab, and he can buy a cab for less than the truck value. You just don't see many early V8 trucks, especially that look that good.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

From looking at the rod picture, the only part to be used would be the cab, and he can buy a cab for less than the truck value. You just don't see many early V8 trucks, especially that look that good.

I was thinking the same thing. Look at the wheelbase the artist rendition uses a pickup and the donor truck is not. Like Tom said the only thing is the cab. There is not even a bed on the donor.

This might be a case where it gets started and never finished due to funds.

Since everything would need to replaced except for the cab, it should be easier and less expensive to start with just a cab.

[Detonator]

Your "artist's conception" is an illustration of the Jimmy Shine truck. If your high school buddy can come anywhere close to the quality of this build, he'll have given the old gal a new lease on life. On the other hand, the flatbed appears to have already had a sympathetic restoration -- makin' her ideal for parades and hay rides.

[midgetracer]

I'm probably going to get blasted, but I kinda like the looks of the rod in the picture. I don't see it as unsafe or a rat rod. We should be open minded enough to see beyond only restoration. I like the stock units, but a part of me loves the rods (done in a safe way) that show up. Do I get evicted from the barn now?????

[PetesPonies]

I wish that Craigslist vehicle was close to me . . . . .

[newshirt]

Originally Posted by CRguy

Those big trucks don't seem to have a lot of value in stock form, so I don't see it as much of a loss.

After all, we're just consumers. And nothing has value unless it can be ground up and consumed for our own pleasure.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by midgetracer

I'm probably going to get blasted, but I kinda like the looks of the rod in the picture. I don't see it as unsafe or a rat rod. We should be open minded enough to see beyond only restoration. I like the stock units, but a part of me loves the rods (done in a safe way) that show up. Do I get evicted from the barn now?????

Midget, Dog here, we like you,
NAAAW! You only get this many~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ lashes with a warm NOODLE!! Buster T.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

From looking at the rod picture, the only part to be used would be the cab, and he can buy a cab for less than the truck value. You just don't see many early V8 trucks, especially that look that good.

T.W,
Could be a 4 cyl. It's engine may already reside in someone's "STOCK" restored Model A! Bill W.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Brubaker, you might tell your classmate that the original truck will almost surely get way more attention than another rod. If he doubts that, then direct him to this site and to the "COMMERCIAL VEHICLES" thread. Right now it's by far the most popular thread on this site, with 407 replies and more than 52,000 hits.

A nice old truck like that would be the hit at any show he goes to, and it would also make a good work truck for occasional hauling.

[bykerlad]

stock model A`s are ...well ..a bit boring .. after all we all have them...thousands of them,so what rite do we have to tell him how to build his,its nice to see some creativity ,no macs catalog repo`s just his artistic mind aka picaso and the like..........????

[Bassman/NZ]

The owner paid the $$$$.... he gets to decide. What anyone else thinks is of no consequence
. I'm going to post a pic of my A. Before the purists start at me, I will point out that I purchased it as a completely bare body shell, lying on its side for 20 years, and so much rust in it that the vintage car clubs and the Model A club it was offered to all turned it down. No one wanted it until I came along. This gives me the right to do with it as I please. I'm not trying to stir up an argument, just pointing out that when we dont know the circumstances behind a situation, we have no cause to criticse.

[brokenspoke]

Originally Posted by midgetracer

I'm probably going to get blasted, but I kinda like the looks of the rod in the picture. I don't see it as unsafe or a rat rod. We should be open minded enough to see beyond only restoration. I like the stock units, but a part of me loves the rods (done in a safe way) that show up. Do I get evicted from the barn now?????

I agree^^^^^^^

[ronn]

If he's gonna drive it-let him enjoy it the way he wants. Better then where it's now sittin....

[pooch]

The rat will maybe get used daily and probably be safe with decent steering and brakes and seat belts.

I have a rod and an original and I know what gets used most.

[ctlikon0712]

A better analogy would be taking a Donatello and cutting it up for a collage as "modern art". A shame in my opinion.

[ba49]

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I have 2 1930 stock model As and a really nice fiberglass bodied 23T-bucket to satisfy my need for speed. I really prefer driving the stockers and they get WAY more attention. They always put a smile on peoples faces, especially kids. I do have to admit I enjoy the performace of the bucket once in a while. I just wish law enforcement appreciated the performance as much as I do. It's like a magnet, whereas they don't give the As a second glance even when I bend the speed limit alittle.

[Special Coupe Frank]

The truck in question deserves a better fate than becoming a "rat-rod"...

We're offering opinions here, and that's mine.

Let the ratters continue to scrounge the abandonded / rusty hulks laying on their sides etc. that most restorers / preservationists would consider "beyond hope".

And as for patently assuming that a rod is going to have well-engineered mods that make it "safer" than the original stocker, that is assuming a lot... I've seen too many cobble-jobs to buy that argument.


SC Frank

[sturgis39]

Rat Rods were kind of interesting when they first appeared but like all hot rods they are now just copies of other rat rods. They have all the same things from over flow cans to welded stitches. This craze can not end soon enough for me.

Most hot rodders have no imagination of their own except maybe the Bonneville crowd. I think Bonneville is best of real hot rodding.

That old truck Is too neat to cut up to copy another hot rod. There are plenty of molested Fords on the market. Unmolested cars are more valuable to me.

I have a couple of searches on ebay for old Fords. When the posts say SBC, SBF, Aluminum radiator, mustang two etc, I go no farther. When looking at the picture you can usually tell the car has Mustang two steering. The front wheels do not sit in the fender wells correctly.

Hot rodders are the biggest copy cats. One guy shows up with an innovation at car show and next year all of the cars have copied the innovation.

[zzlegend]

I agree that its his money and his truck and he can do with it what he wants, but it just seems like a waste to buy a complete truck like that when there are so many bodies still lying around. That truck just looks good the way it is. I like the drawing but not a lover of most rat rods. We have plenty out here in Calif. and i wouldn't ride in 2/3 of them but don't mind looking at them.
As for Bassman/NZ ,,, you did it right. That swhat i would have done with that body. Plus i like sedans hot rodded, not rat rodded. I am doing something similiar with a 27 roadster body i have. Found just the body to build an early 50's flathead style roadster. I found 2 nice originals, but passed on them since they were so complete and stock. Let someone else have those.

[TnA]

just maybe?? the buyer doesnt come onto this purist forum and dosnt KNOW that restoring IS the only way to go. lol he may be on a ratrod forum chatting with like minds and really enjoying what he builds. and I bet he aint whinning about that old goat down the road from him that onlytalks one language [restore] after all who ? on this forum fought for FREEDOM even good ol Henry ignored all the negative bull in his time and Henry did it his way. if yer restoring or rodding your in the shop. I give kudos to any one that can build somthing his mind created. I also enjoy a stock oldie, but restoring is a copy cat hobby as someone already done that. just my rant? remember the Freedom

[Mikeinnj]

The sketch shows a pick=up truck. He must be a magician to make a PU from an AA flatbed.

[Afan]

The rat rod craze will be replaced with something new down the pike, wonder what it will be?

[Chris in WNC]

Brubaker, ask your bud what he will sell the truck for before he "destroys" it.
then let Fordbarn know his price so someone can save it.
if nobody steps up to the plate we will all have to hush up and let him proceed.

don't get me wrong- I want the truck to be preserved, but I know rodders are typically more willing to spend money than the authentic Model A cheapskates like me.

case in point: there was a very straight, rust-free & complete '32 BB flatbed about 10 miles from our house. the old goat who had it wanted $6500. that was twice what I thought it was worth. figured he'd never sell at that price but in about 60 days it was GONE.....

[metalho]

My opinion is if a car is a relatively complete specimen in good condition it should be kept that way. My personal preference for driving and ownership, and I'm sure working on is ROD. Cool was figured out a long time ago, and rat rod is an over used word. P.S. -------I CANT AFFORD TO BUILD A ROD LOL! Check the ZZ coupe out in the white, true art in my opinion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaIZW...8uySLE2NIuP-Mg

[Fordors]

Originally Posted by Afan

The rat rod craze will be replaced with something new down the pike, wonder what it will be?

Just like the Model A that Henry replaced with the V8, things will change. Really, it seems some of you guys never got over that; time marches on.
If someone buys that truck and builds a hot rod I do agree, it does not look to be a smart move. Why rip a complete vehicle apart for that result? On the other hand no one else stepped up to buy it.
What really surprises me is that no one on a forum dedicated to old Fords has correctly identified the truck. We've seen "AA", "looks like a '32 or '33 V8", "could be a 4 cylinder", "AA flatbed" yet clearly, it is a '34 truck, the only one to use that style cab and have a V8 badge on the hood.

[milo]

midgetracer seems to be; one of the few wise men around....

[CRguy]

Originally Posted by PetesPonies

I wish that Craigslist vehicle was close to me . . . . .

All you have to do is watch your local CL ads - those trucks regularly turn up everywhere.
Then, it's the old saying: Money talks and BS walks. Let us know when you buy a couple.

Mel

[barnstuf]

It looks to me like a 1934 Ford V8 truck. The 1932 and 1933 did not have the hood insignia according to my data.

[29ModelA]

My guess is even though he won't be using most of the parts he is planning on using the trucks title.

Either way a shame to see a clean one cut up, but it is his...

[bmita]

i guess i will put my two cents in, it is his money, time and idea so be it.to me its by no means a rat rod. what makes me made as hell is the term RAT ROD i wish main stream america never learned the those two words. my hot rod is based on a hot rod sedan built by a small town teenager spending all his hard earned cash on it in the late 50's or early 60's. true nostalgia rod it has flat paint, no interior but the seat, a sbc. but to every time someone walks up to it i always get NICE RAT ROD. so you can understand how i feel after that. i guess i need a thicker skin my buddies tell me....................

[metalho]

Originally Posted by bmita

i guess i will put my two cents in, it is his money, time and idea so be it.to me its by no means a rat rod. what makes me made as hell is the term RAT ROD i wish main stream america never learned the those two words. my hot rod is based on a hot rod sedan built by a small town teenager spending all his hard earned cash on it in the late 50's or early 60's. true nostalgia rod it has flat paint, no interior but the seat, a sbc. but to every time someone walks up to it i always get NICE RAT ROD. so you can understand how i feel after that. i guess i need a thicker skin my buddies tell me....................

Amen! Throw the term out lol........Rat rod to me is when you can see 30% daylight through the cab.

[CRguy]

Originally Posted by bmita

i guess i will put my two cents in, it is his money, time and idea so be it.to me its by no means a rat rod. what makes me made as hell is the term RAT ROD i wish main stream america never learned the those two words. my hot rod is based on a hot rod sedan built by a small town teenager spending all his hard earned cash on it in the late 50's or early 60's. true nostalgia rod it has flat paint, no interior but the seat, a sbc. but to every time someone walks up to it i always get NICE RAT ROD. so you can understand how i feel after that. i guess i need a thicker skin my buddies tell me....................

You're absolutely right. Car people know the difference between a hot rod, resto rod, old school rod, etc., and a rat rod.
This is my old school rod: A 29 Sedan, all steel, with TCI Chassis and Chevy 350.

Note: It's not the car in my Avatar. That was my A in High School - 50 years ago!

Mel

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

The term "RAT ROD" was coined by Hot Rod Magazine in a 1972 featured car article. It's HRM's FAULT!!
Bill W. (Vermin's owner/driver & Dog Instructer!)

[FordMike]

Well I'm not trying to cause any grief but the "artist's conception" is already a completed, running, and driving hot rod. It was built by Jimmy Shine and from what I've heard its actually a nice job, not a cobbled rat rod.

I hate rat rods as much as the next guy, as a matter of fact I cringe at local shows when I see the abominations that leave some people's garages but there have been some truly great hot rods built.

In my eyes I've seen how much effort it takes to build a hot rod and restore an early Ford and I'd be willing to bet once the "would be" hot rodder that the OP is talking about sees how much work, skill, and money it takes to put something like that little hot rod truck together he will be selling it off and cutting his losses. I wouldn't doubt you'll find that same truck all taken apart and the paint stripped off for sale on Ebay or Craigslist within the next year. But we shall see....

[brokenspoke]

Originally Posted by metalho

Amen! Throw the term out lol........Rat rod to me is when you can see 30% daylight through the cab.

Plus a unsafe POS

[Bob-A]

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Bikers from the '60s and '70s chopped a lot of cool old Harleys back in the day. Now there custom bikes are worth maybe half or less depending on
the quality of work compared to the same model restored original. I customized a '65 Harley Panhead back in 1981 and still ride the bike to
this day. It has a lot of chrome with some non-stock features and I did not
chop, torch or grind anything on it. However, I'd still only be lucky to get 7 or 8 grand for it. If it was restored stock I could probably get twice that amount for it or more.

I can appreciate a person's talent and engineering ability on just about anything that can be created. But to me the concept of restoring an old vehicle to its original state. Takes perserverence, hard work and dedication that is beyond anything else.

Bob-A

[Gumpy]

A person has the right to build anything they want with whatever amount of money they want to spend but a stock lookin truck should stay that way..I remember an episode on tv where Boyd Coddington took a 59 bel air he paid around 25k and completely stripped it to build something out of it...that doesn't make sense!

[sturgis39]

In the early seventies was the first time I heard the term "rat". Rat bikes started showing up at the Sturgis Motor Cycle Rally. They were actually old bikes that were brought back to life. They were not made but cool old original bikes resurrected from the dead with old original paint. A lot of them had the loss oiling system. The loss oiling system meant the motor did not have an oil pump. They had an oil tank by the gas tank and the oil lubricated the engine by gravity and left an oil stream on the road. When parked, there was usually a puddle of oil under the bike. Most of the riders had oil stained clothing. There are still rat bikes at the rally but the crowd has changed. The term now is "rubs" which is short for" rich urban bikers", They now arrive with big motor homes and trailers for their bikes. They have their oil changed at dealers. In the old days, the bikers rode their bikes to the rally and it looked like they worked on them all the way home and back. The rally has now changed to more of a style show. I still enjoy the rally and the attendance is 300,000 to 400,000 people. There are about ten bikers killed every year. There are all kinds of vendors at the rally which includes custom bike builders. The rally use to be a week long. The rally is about three weeks long because people come early and leave late to miss the crowds.

[Rowdy]

I don't get why they would destroy a nice truck, however I have not problem with them using discarded bodies most of you would not touch and would just be crushed. Rod

[tom o tom]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

[cuzncletus]

Something we all need to think about is "who's gonna want this thing besides me?" While we all fall in love with our machines and believe that it's true love forever, usually they end up eventually getting sold to make room for the next true love.

A good friend of mine built a gorgeous stock bodied 32 pickup with 392 hemi power. I fell in love with it and wanted to buy it at his very fair price. Problem: I couldn't fit in it with the recessed firewall. He was selling it because he couldn't either despite him being probably 100 lbs. lighter than me. A chopped and channeled 33/34 Ford truck body will likely fit only a kid or a contortionist. My bet is the builder of this truck will fall out of love with it very quickly when he drives it, then sit there in frustration when buyers start screaming for a chiropracter when they crawl out of it.

The old bikers who responded to this post are right. Remember rigid frames and girder front ends? We all loved the look; nobody rode one very far. What a shame to waste the potential of this truck to end up using only the body. The builder will soon find there's a very limited market for big truck fenders, frames, and parts.

[Chris in WNC]

Originally Posted by Gumpy

A person has the right to build anything they want with whatever amount of money they want to spend but a stock lookin truck should stay that way..I remember an episode on tv where Boyd Coddington took a 59 bel air he paid around 25k and completely stripped it to build something out of it...that doesn't make sense!

Boyd had the same advantage those "Picker" doofuses have- the TV production budget lets them do stuff they would loose their butts on in the real world :-)

[bmita]

more i look at the drawing it does look like jimmy shines truck, i seen it in person and it beautiful. as for the old bikes i remember them some. there was a few in our area when i was growing up. there are a few still around here today believe it.

[pyrodork]

personally, i feel restorations and hot rods are just taking someone else's creative mind and using it yourself. there's even kits to do the thinking for you. i'm a huge fan/supporter of rat rods, and my AA is going to be one (however, i didn't have much to start with when i bought it).

the art of rat rods is using your own imagination to create what has never been created before. donatello wouldn't have been donatello without imagination, right? i'm plenty sure the nay-sayers had a lot to say about him in his day.

i come from a creative family. my mom's side influenced my desire to use my mind and continue expanding it. my father's side taught me how to fix the things i already have and to use intentional things for unintentional purposes. my mind is always flowing with things i come across; and how i can create a way to use them in one of my several ongoing projects.

fact of the matter is, there's a lot of people who don't have several thousand dollars to throw on getting everything perfect or getting original this or rebuilding that; or even dropping a 350 chevy in every chassis. i'm one of those people. i made less than $5000 gross income last year; yet i got my AA, graduated college, got my 40+ year-sat AA running with not much more experience than self-made trial and error, became homeless, and still can't afford to eat on a daily basis. this is how america was made, folks. my grandma called it, "american ingenuity." i read this thread and the majority of you are so closed-minded that it makes my brain hurt. maybe it's not your style, but the least you can do is appreciate someone else's imagination that they dared to make a reality. you did that with henry j, did you not? just because it's different doesn't make it wrong. and in this day when every art and music class is being cut from public schools, anyone who steps up to that plate is on the chopping block. consider their courage to break from the mold.

for the record, i believe that is too nice of a truck to chop up. i also believe that street rod drawing (it's not a rat rod, folks) has little creative element based on decades of the same thing; but i appreciate that someone likes it and will gladly enjoy it alongside with them.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Yo Pyro, Dog here, hope you don't put me & Ol' Bill in the closed mind dept. We fun guys, we'll make your brain LAUGH like a cat in a birdcage!!
We like stock "A"s, old style hot rods, vintage dragsters, & we saw a recliner with a chainsaw motor on it that we'd trade our firstborn for!
A few seem to think they were appointed to tell the WORLD how to run their cotton pickin' business, GIVE it up, they won't listen anyways.
When 99 guys can't even agree on what weights of oil work O.K. in a Model A~~~~~~~???
Buster T., Bill W's OWNER

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by pyrodork

i read this thread and the majority of you are so closed-minded that it makes my brain hurt. .

It has nothing to do with being closed minded. This site as declared by the owner, is for restoration of Model A's.

We can talk about gray areas all day long, and have, but this is not a gray area this specific thread has NOTHING to do with restoration.

Many of those that post here also post on the HAMB site (the Hamb site is "... is dedicated to spreading the gospel of traditional hot rods and customs to hoodlums worldwide.").

Many of my "fans" would be suprised to hear that I subscribe to Hot Rod Magazine, read the Hamb threads, and have subscribed to the build threads on several traditional Hot Rod sites.

It's a matter of audience.

[CRguy]

Someone that would drive one of these crusty, junky rat rods confuses me. What pride is there in having something like that?
These rat rods remind me of houses that some people live in that are falling apart, dirty and unsafe with junk laying all around. Are they proud of those?
If that's all a person can afford, maybe they should be spending their money on other, more important things.

Mel

[1928Pickuppain]

I love survivers not rat rods any time somone throse battery acid on a good body id like to smak them but if its been in the woods for 50 years and you have to replace 90% of it to make it all workable bay all meens turn it into that rat road that looks likie it was driven though hell and back and survived. I built my harley from all old used beat up parts whatever i could aford. put my money into making it mechanicly bulit prof and loved it. still loved the look of it. just tore it down and repainted it last summer when layed up after a few surgeries, got a full up overhall. more or less becouse it was time if i had let the origonal rust keep going i would have had holes in all my tins. And it would have cost me more to fix and replace parts than do to it right 1 time. now that its painted and all the jazz is done i can let her age grasfuly over the next 20 years back to were i started.

[Cool Hand Lurker]

The worst thing is that the project has high odds of never being finished.

[P.S.]

From "pyrodork"s point of view, rat rods are OK because they may be the "poor man's restoration" or the "poor man's hot rod". Hey, that's fine. The problem is (as Mike pointed out), this particular web forum is for the restoration of the Ford Model A cars.

Disclaimer- I am not a "car guy". My point of view is not from a car hobby perspective.

One could argue that the poor man cannot restore a Model A the way this forum intends, and just throws together what they have on hand to get the car on the road again, even if it means a V8. However, the line is clearly crossed when you start cutting it up, like chopping the top! That doesn't save money. "pyrodork" has already made it clear that he is of limited income, and would prefer to spend what little income he has on cars rather than food.

Originally Posted by pyrodork

i made less than $5000 gross income last year; yet i got my AA, graduated college, got my 40+ year-sat AA running with not much more experience than self-made trial and error, became homeless, and still can't afford to eat on a daily basis.

We may find that odd and backwards, but to him, it makes sense. Who are we to judge? Hey, that's one way to fight the nation's obesity problem. Even though, that behavior borders on mentally disabled or dangerous to one's self.

When I see a rat rod on the road, my instinct is to give it plenty of room because I assume there are a lot of loose parts on that thing, and it's dangerous, barely fit to be on the road. Not to mention the feeling that one would require a tetanus shot after being in it. It's seriously doubtful that one would be safe in a car like that on any road, much less a highway. To us non car hobby people, an automobile is transportation, not a lifestyle. Therefore, a rat rod is of little use, and certainly not practical. I suppose to a car hobby type person, rat rods might be attractive. To me, it's just lame. To each his/her own.

[jkeesey]

When I'm out in my jalopy I always get the responses of "why did you do that to such a nice car?" I didn't do anything to a nice car I built my car from the bits and pieces scraps others threw away. I would love to have a showroom quality coupe but that's not in budget. I recently found a post on craigslist of a great looking 29 ccpu with the caption of parting it out email me for parts. I emailed the guy to see if he would sell the whole truck and surprise surprise he didn't respond.

[dumb person]

There is a right way & a wrong way to do it. i have owned some real bone shaker cars over the years, trust me, most rodent cars are doing it all wrong. Do they trailer them to the car shows? How does anyone humanly fit inside some of them? And most of them only have a lawnmower fuel tank to feed a large engine.

Cheese grater metal dug from an abandoned rubbish dump turned into a drivable car that looks like it cannot go but defies you because it drives & drives well = right way.
Welded axles to frame/coils springs welded to axle with no room for an actual driver inside, no way to see past the engine, the fuel line connected directly to the gas cap, & only 1 inch high windows = wrong way.

When you are over 21 years old your bones stop healing overnight & the bare seat frame chafes through your skin & leaves blood everywhere every time you drive. That was why i had to give up my "cool car".

[gwhite]

This has been an entertaining thread...I'd like to think I'm decently connected with the traditional hot rodding crowd and I'd dare say many of their cars are as well researched, documented, and period correct as a high-point resto.

I'm currently building a traditional hot rod. It's a '27 Roadster pickup on a '28 Chassis powered by a '30 A-banger with original Winfield head, carb/intake, Model B distributor, Winfield/Brierley SU-1R cam. Front suspension is from a '32 - rear end is stock A with 3.54 gears & a T spring - mechanical brakes all around with '35 wire wheels. I'll probably get banned for admitting it, but the body, bed, and chassis are in fantastic condition - I wouldn't have it any other way.

As I see it, I'm 'saving' history just as much as the most avid restorer...it's just a different aspect of history - one that speaks the most to me. I feel as passionate about keeping this car as true to the immediate post-WWII era as possible - nothing on the car made after 1945. I could care less what the blinged out street rodders or the high & mighty restorers think - I'm not building it for them.

[CRguy]

Originally Posted by gwhite

This has been an entertaining thread...I'd like to think I'm decently connected with the traditional hot rodding crowd and I'd dare say many of their cars are as well researched, documented, and period correct as a high-point resto.

I'm currently building a traditional hot rod. It's a '27 Roadster pickup on a '28 Chassis powered by a '30 A-banger with original Winfield head, carb/intake, Model B distributor, Winfield/Brierley SU-1R cam. Front suspension is from a '32 - rear end is stock A with 3.54 gears & a T spring - mechanical brakes all around with '35 wire wheels. I'll probably get banned for admitting it, but the body, bed, and chassis are in fantastic condition - I wouldn't have it any other way.

As I see it, I'm 'saving' history just as much as the most avid restorer...it's just a different aspect of history - one that speaks the most to me. I feel as passionate about keeping this car as true to the immediate post-WWII era as possible - nothing on the car made after 1945. I could care less what the blinged out street rodders or the high & mighty restorers think - I'm not building it for them.

That's a great car! Thanks for posting.

Mel

[jkeesey]

I dig it gwhite! That's what my jalopy roadster pickup wishes it looked like.

[gwhite]

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Originally Posted by jkeesey

I dig it gwhite! That's what my jalopy roadster pickup wishes it looked like.

I pray mine looks half that decent. The fascinating thing is talking with some of the old-timers who were 'there'...they'll tell you that the majority of the cars were not nearly as 'finished' as the ones that were photographed and plastered in Hop-Up, Hot Rod, and the 'Little Books' - most were driven in various stages of completion.

Looking at some of the old images from the dry lakes, I was surprised to see cars with faded/worn paint and/or primer, rust along the bottom of the cowl & lower quarters, and a mix-match of tires. Most people today would turn up their nose and call them 'rat rods'...me, I just call 'em traditional gow-jobs, hop-ups, and hot rods.

[Ryan]

The Ford Barn is about early Ford restoration.