What are your thoughts on a rat rod like this?

Blaze

Blaze

The Jeeper Reaper
Joined
Aug 9, 2005
Location
Wake Forest, NC
Driving to work I spotted what I believe to be a 61 Fairlane 4-door sitting in the woods by a barn. Looks like it has been there for a while, but it was too far from the road to see the condition. I'm going to try and go next week at lunch to see if I can find the condition of it.

The owner is apparently an old guy and it is on part of his property and I got his number through property records.

Thinking it might be something cool to rat rod. Paint it flat black, have some fun with it. Would be nice to have an old 4-door to beat around in with my family, hard to fit all 4 in my Trans Am.
 
Blaze said:
Semantics.
Click to expand...

Not really.
What he's getting at is how you treat the fix/rebuild.
The "rat rod" approach is to just do teh bare minimum to get it to work.
Which, in many cases, just looks stupid and liek you're wasting something that should be pretty cool.
"Hot rod" implies you actually care about what you have.

i.e. people respect hot rods. Rat rods - not so much.
 
It would make a nice sled if it's in decent condition. I've been waiting for the right deal on a 65 (ish) falcon or nova 4 door to drop a late model six with a 5 speed into for a daily driver. If you didn't want to do the flat black look, a less glossy equipment enamel or gun sprayed rustoleum has a nice old school finish without the water spotting and chalky look of the flat black. John Deere Blitz Black also pulls off the satin look well, without being flat enough to be a pain to get clean. Toss on some wide whites and a set of old spyder caps on the stock steelies and you'll have a neat car.
 
I thought he was pulling the "no such thing as a rat rod" deal, hence my smart assedness. :)

But really I want to build a sled out of it. Minimalistic but still nice. Satin black paint, Bright blue steel wheels with satin black poverty caps, all the trim and everything blacked out. Interior stock and fixed up as cheaply as possible, bagged and all that good stuff.

As budget as possible without looking like I should be running the fields picking cotton in it.

In my mind "hot rod" is an old car built to the hilt to the point that it almost lacks drivability. I want some crazy ass hauler that I don't mind taking to work or the burger joint on Friday nights.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Not really.
What he's getting at is how you treat the fix/rebuild.
The "rat rod" approach is to just do teh bare minimum to get it to work.
Which, in many cases, just looks stupid and liek you're wasting something that should be pretty cool.
"Hot rod" implies you actually care about what you have.
i.e. people respect hot rods. Rat rods - not so much.
Click to expand...


thanks, that's what i meant. I consider my truck a 'hot rod' since I've seriously modified the frame & added some power.


Either way your listed intentions sound like a good plan to go forward with.
 
Not a ratrod fan myself, but it sounds like you meant more of hotrod. To me, flat black is pretty hard to pull off if all the little things aren't taken care of as well...and those change from car to car and change with approach taken on each ride as well. But if it's done right, I think it can look menacing. On the flip side, so many folks are going to black...be it flat or gloss or whatever, black has lost it's appeal to me...and I even have a black truck. Beyond that, yes, I think it would be an awesome hotrod project.
 
It looks like this:
HENRY-MARTEN-1961-FAIRLANE-02.jpg


All my cars have been red, except for my old 79 SE TA. I want to build something really dark and mean looking, I love the look of a big ass car all blacked out hugging the pavement. :)
 
If you're wanting a mean look...are you considering chopping the top? IMO if you didn't, it would be like Bill Engvall and be 15* off cool. Like you tried, but didn't quite get there.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Not really.
What he's getting at is how you treat the fix/rebuild.
The "rat rod" approach is to just do teh bare minimum to get it to work.
Which, in many cases, just looks stupid and liek you're wasting something that should be pretty cool.
"Hot rod" implies you actually care about what you have.
i.e. people respect hot rods. Rat rods - not so much.
Click to expand...
I disagree with your definition of Rat Rod. It's not so much as doing the bare minimum, as much as it's giving the appearance of having done the bare minimum. Doing something half-assed and calling it a rat rod does not a rat rod make.

:beer:
 
13bullets said:
I disagree with your definition of Rat Rod. It's not so much as doing the bare minimum, as much as it's giving the appearance of having done the bare minimum. Doing something half-assed and calling it a rat rod does not a rat rod make.
:beer:
Click to expand...
I agree
 
13bullets said:
I disagree with your definition of Rat Rod. It's not so much as doing the bare minimum, as much as it's giving the appearance of having done the bare minimum. Doing something half-assed and calling it a rat rod does not a rat rod make.
:beer:
Click to expand...


Yeah, what he said. A rat will be bare bones, and may even have an even coat of rust instead of paint, to each thier own. But a properly done rat rod is still a well done rod. Check out this site, plenty of non-shiny objects that are still well built.

www.killbillet.com
http://www.killbillet.com/showthread.php?t=9285
 
Typically if its built for show/ comfort I have always seen them refered to as a "Custom."

When they are built for speed (straight line) then they are refered to as "Hot Rods." The term "Street Rod" is used when its built to cruise but looks like/ performs closer to a "Hot Rod."

These are typically the guidelines you see being followed in magazines such as Rod and Custom and Street Rodder.
 
13bullets said:
I disagree with your definition of Rat Rod. It's not so much as doing the bare minimum, as much as it's giving the appearance of having done the bare minimum. Doing something half-assed and calling it a rat rod does not a rat rod make.
:beer:
Click to expand...

That's actually pretty much the exact definition of a "rat rod". No one ever said they don't take work and craftsmanship...but sinking a bunch of money into something to give it a ghetto appearance is not the point.
Like he said though...semantics
 
i think Rat Rods are cool. specially chop tops, there is no half ass approach to that, it takes a lot! i chopped a 63 VW bug with a buddy once, custom glass all around with weather stripping. took a long time to finish it.
the whole Hot Rod vs. Rat Rod thing is all in what each person likes and is in to. and if done right both take lots of work.
 
I really like the rat rod style. IMHO most of us have adapted this function over form, style into our 4x4s, we don't stand around discussing what color you painted something only that you did it and it works. That's sorta how I see the rat rods. Chop the top, channel it, drop it what ever no one is nit picking that you didn't build show quality car..

I say build it any way you like !

I've been following a chop top OBS (88-98 chevy truck) thinking I'd like to try that... some day.. [ for those interested http://www.fullsizechevy.com/showthread.php?382718-2lows-88-Top-Chop ]
 
I'm rocking around in a '66 F-85 four-door, hot rod black & wide steels w/ dog dish caps.....I love it.

Go for it!!
 
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