What is "Rat Rod"

[blondie]

Living in rural MN I don't get out that much and when shopping e-bay for parts I come across parts stating "rat rod", what the heck does this imply, I'm 71 and know what "rat fink" means but -----

[tim87114]

Rat Rod refers to a lifestyle or version of Hotrod. It is basically a low budget minded hotrod. A car that usually shares parts from multiple manufactures, swap meets, or junkyard finds.
Usually the car bares little paint, rusty, or even flat paint. In some cases most guys will pull a barn find car or car from a field that is in sound body shape, then get it running and run it as it is. In other words, a daily or weekend driver car with dents and all. Not a Resto and not a car costing thousands of dollars

[blondie]

Thanks that is really helpful, can I assume that when they are selling s Stude part, that it is rusty, possibly worn but could be made to work, and if chrome needs replating?

[52-fan]

If you want a long...answer search for rat rod on this forum. That question has been discussed at length with lots of opinions.
Usually you would be right about the condition of the part, but that is not always the case. Some people just add the tag Rat Rod to attract more potential buyers to a part that has a wider appeal than just the make it was designed for.


1952 Champion Starlight, 1962 Daytona, both w/overdrive.Searcy,Arkansas
"I may be lazy, but I'm not shiftless."

[bams50]

Tim's is one definition; but these days it's been morphed into a word that can have a hundred meanings. Mostly it's used as a catch-all sales pitch term meaning "needs work", "fair to poor condition", or just simply thrown in to a listing as a search term.

Your assumptions can be correct, but it's best to not put too much stock in the term one way or another.

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[PackardV8]

Originally, rat rod meant car and parts in as-found condition - no new paint, chrome, billet, upholstery allowed.

However, the real deal always get picked up by wanna-bees with too much money. (Like the lawyers who have their Harley hogs sent to Daytona in a van, then fly down and stand around for a week wearing a do-rag and leathers, then fly home and put on the pin-striped three-piece suit again.) Lots of fauxrat rods out there now. In one of the rod mags, a rat-rod-fad-follower bought a pristine $40,000 '34 Ford rod show car and spent another $20k to make it look like it was built forty years ago and just came out of a barn. It was a fibreglas bodied car, and he had fake rust holes drilled in the rear splash pan. Go figure, if he'd bought a Stude, it would have come with plenty of genuine rust holes. Your money, your decision, but some are easier to understand than others.

thnx, jack



PackardV8

[bams50]

quote:Originally posted by PackardV8

(Like the lawyers who have their Harley hogs sent to Daytona in a van, then fly down and stand around for a week wearing a do-rag and leathers, then fly home and put on the pin-striped three-piece suit again.)

LOL! This is too true! I'm not a biker, but happened to be in Daytona one year during Bike Week. A well-dressed quartet pulled into our hotel in a brand-new Suburban pulling an enclosed trailer. They rolled out gorgeous bikes, and took down the brand new leathers and changed into them. I thought this was funny and struck up a conversation. I told him REAL bikers are supposed to throw a bedroll and their ol' lady on the back of the bike and DRIVE in; to which he laughed and said, NO WAY, too loud and cold! There were some that started out in snow on their bikes and drove in, but I don't think most do anymore if they're more than maybe 100 miles away.

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[gordr]

blondie, you have been given good information here. Remember, on eBay, many sellers engage in what is called "keyword spamming". They will add as many descriptors to their item as they can, in the hopes that somebody searching certain keywords will scoop up their item in their search, and thereby view their auction.



Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[Pinchbolt]

Rat Rod is the latest fad in the hobby. It was supposed to be a backlash against the "Hi-dollar" streetrods that took little creativity, just a checkbook. The rat rod thing was essentially about Cars for fun, by laid back people. Thing is, it is just like when they come up with a new class at the local dirt oval--it starts out low dollar, little guy, and it quickly evolves into the class it was supposed to replace; High Dollar, big guy. Prolly, there are guys paying big bucks to have simulated rust holes put on socal cars, out there. Hope that helps you some.

[Studebaker Wheel]

Here is a sample owned by one very ugly guy. And Studebaker power no less! He claims however, no Studebakers were destroyed in making the car.

Richard Quinn
editor: Antique Studebaker Review

[PackardV8]

Hi, Richard,

Everyone is entitled to his opinion of the definition of "rat rod," as it is an amorphous term. However, I'd disagree with that photo as an example of same. JMHO, but primer doesn't disguise a very high dollar modern engine with lots of bling for bling's sake and a fake "Studebaker Thunderbolt V8" power lablel. Not a rat rod in this guy's opinion.

thnx, jack vines

PackardV8

[mausersmth]

Those headers don't look quite right for a Stude. Or is he running an exotic head I don't know about?

Charles Eck
Essex, MD

'57 Commander 4 door sedan
'66 Ford F-250
'66 Ford F-100
'53 John Deere 50
'41 John Deere H All-Fuel
'41 John Deere B All-Fuel

Studebakers were made to drive! (Besides, they don't get lost as easy in the Wal-Mart parking lot!)

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by mausersmth

Those headers don't look quite right for a Stude. Or is he running an exotic head I don't know about?

The heads (and the rest of the motor also) are late model Chevrolet. The DECAL is Studebaker

Dick Steinkamp
Bellingham, WA

[jeryst]

Motorheads would find an old car. Do some basic body work, and cover it with black primer. Rusty chrome was painted with spraycans. Fix the basic systems like brakes, steering, etc. All available funds went into the motor, making it as powerful/fast as possible.

That's pretty much how ratrods started, because people without a lot of money wanted to race.

[PlainBrownR2]

They be Chevy heads alright. When I go to the regular swap meets(yes I go to other make swap meets, lol), I can pass row after row of vendors who would be selling those heads. I dunno which engine they come from(I'll go to the 305/350 answer), but I know one thing, if they were Studebaker heads those center pipes would be much much closer, since the center exhaust ports are siamesed.
That's about my stand at the moment, engine first, decisions on shag carpeting later. If it's main purpose in life is to go, then I'd like to improve the main device so it can really gooooo.

[img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201950%202r5%20Studebaker%20Pickup%20with%20turbocharger/P1000137-1.jpg[/img=left][img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201950%202r5%20Studebaker%20Pickup%20with%20turbocharger/P1000145-1.jpg[/img=left][IMG=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/Ex%20Studebaker%20Plant%20Locomotive/P1000578-1.jpg[/IMG=right]
[IMG=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201964%20Studebaker%20Commander%20R2/P1010168.jpg[/IMG=right]