Rat rods?

Several years ago, I saw an article detailing how to build a 13 sec. (or less) ride. All it took was a vintage 70's era Cadillac, Olds, Lincoln or Buick...and a "Blue Wrench".

If you are willing to give up a few creature comforts, safety considerations and legality...you too can have a fast ride.

The secret is light weight. You don't have to build better cars, that's close to asking too much...just lighter cars!

Yes, they acheived the promised time and surpassed it. By the time the fenders, roof, doors and non-essential frame and suspension parts were removed, it was very fast.

It don't have to be pretty to be fast.
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That doesn't qualify as a rat rod IMHO. A rat rod to me is a car built as if the builder had minimal $$ and done to match a style on the rougher side of the 50s era. Fast has nothing to do with it.
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I remember that article well. It was in an '87 issue of Hot Rod and detailed the cutting up of a mid '70s Caddy and how much quicker it got with the removal of the fenders, doors, top and such. Pretty cool exercise in weight reduction but definitely not a Rat Rod.

The term Rat Rod has become a derogatory name for an old car just slapped together with no regard for safety, etc. Some are built that way deliberately. But to me, a Rat Rod is a pre-'65 (generally) car built for fun on a low budget without worrying about smooth bodywork, nice paint, chrome, a nice interior and the rest of the normal rodding techniques. I consider my '64 a Rat because I don't care about any of those things. It's being slowly built on a micro-budget and I'd rather spend the few $$ I have on parts to make it faster and handle like a circle burner. But everything I do is done with reliability and safety in the forefront.
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Yeah, I agree with Jan about the definition of a rat rod. I also love your car Jan. It may be a bit ratty, but that's what gives her charm.

I'm personally sick of the term "rat rod". Do a search on eBay with the term - you get back everything including refridgerator magnets.

Hot Rod or CC put a 500" caddy motor in a Vega or something liek that. That's called a "beater". A friend just got his roadster back together. It has a big block Chevy in it. Nothing fancy. Runs mid 5.90's now in the 1/8 at 110 or so MPH. And, it runs the laziest 5.90's you've ever seen. Doesn't look fast at all.
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Thanks, Hanky...[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] Despite the 'character adding' dents, that old boy is a very solid Kansas Ford. He's a real pleasure to work on plus is fun as heck to drive. Right now, I'm installing a new carb on the original 223 6, tossing in a Hurst shifter and am just going to enjoy the remainder of our cruise season. The chassis changes I have planned will be done over the winter..slowly, but he'll be back on the road in the spring. The engine swap will be last because the 6 runs pretty well.

Jan

yeah, that might have been the article...I think it was in an old Car Craft.

Well ... live and learn.

I was watching a car show...there were these erstwhile "Rat Rodders", not sure, but I think they claimed to have invented the term. All were 20's, 30's cars, one may have been a 40's sled variation...some had holes in the floor boards, welded on front axels, one had gas tank in the open bed of a roadster pickup truck.

They were complaining, and kinda braggng how they "crashed" a car show filled with painted and polished Hot rods. Where a terrorized the fat guys with nice cars...little rebellious because the didn't get the respect the thought they deserved.

So maybe I got it wrong?

I got nothing against a Po' boy car, we all built them at one time or another. Maybe my misunderstanding is looking at a semi-functional, unfinished cars as a journey instead of as a destination. I don't seek to look down on unfinished cars...I just wonder how people try to justify the opposite? There's a lot of room in the car hobby, but to say it's OK to complain that a guy may or may not have paid for his car, instead of building it himself is way past narrow-minded. Most of the customs, lead sleds that got magazine coverage were commissioned cars...just like today. If you can't, won't or are incapable of building a decent ride, does that make your car more true to the Hot rod tradition. Not every one is an artist, but we all know art...when we see it! Is the idea now to redefine art to exclude nice cars?

My motto is build them the best you can. I can't see building them just enough to not get get an non-operations ticket from the HP. I thought the idea was to make hot rodding respectable enough that we can continue to have runs, cruises, car shows without haressment.

PS: The 64 is worth saving.


_________________
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety ... deserve neither liberty nor safety.
-- Benjamin Franklin

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Beoweolf on 8/15/05 9:09pm ]</font>

Having built my first Hotrod in 1955, I remember the "good ole dayts" very well. In fact they were the most dangerous, and fun filled days of my life.

The car was a 1932 Ford 5 window coupe with a Rumble Seat with a tired Flathead 59-A block, and 4" Mercury crankshaft, and Hydraulic brakes upgrade. I paid the enormus sum of $50.00 for it.

After putting a 53 Caddy engine, 37 La Salle trans. and 9:37 gears in it: That damned old Ford would really go. Of course stopping it was a different ballgame.

Total invested was less than $500.00. That bought about as good as you could get then

I did not even hear of a Ratrod untill a few years ago. We just built whatever our ingenuity, and finances led us to.
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On 2005-08-15 08:53, ckelly wrote:
I'm personally sick of the term "rat rod". Do a search on eBay with the term - you get back everything including refridgerator magnets.


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I agree, the term has been WAY overused. But the original intent was to build low budget cars for fun, not to worry about owning the fastest, most show worthy car. In essence, a real Rat Rod is a "please yourself, not others' type of rod.


Jan

BTW Jan I have a set of the trim that goes below the rear decklid if you need them. They are NOS, but shelf scratched.

If you want them just send a PM.
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