when did term "rat rod'' first appear
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skull
''SARCASM: just one of his many talents.''
rat rodf
posted this on hamb ,, deleted it in 2 minutes,, are they that afaid of rat rods, l own nice cars and rats, l walk on both sides of the car fence,, thanks for the answers
posted this on hamb ,, deleted it in 2 minutes,, are they that afaid of rat rods, l own nice cars and rats, l walk on both sides of the car fence,, thanks for the answers
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Tripper
Older and more rusted every day!
Rock rod!
It sprang from the original "Rock Rod" from prehistoric times!!!
Surprised u didn't get deleted too!!!
BoB
It sprang from the original "Rock Rod" from prehistoric times!!!
Surprised u didn't get deleted too!!!
BoB
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earthman
Fascinated by rolling objects!
Last i heard camshafts were once commonly called rods. Someone with a hot car had a hot rod. Last debate i read concerning the origin of the rat rod title made the connection to rat bikes which is what grungy bikes were already called. You have to think the Rat Fink had some influence as well. On a side note the boxes that Chrysler shipped their parts in were always labeled Motor Parts. It's thought black guys on the shipping docks shortened it to MoPar.
On a side note the boxes that Chrysler shipped their parts in were always labeled Motor Parts. It's thought black guys on the shipping docks shortened it to MoPar. Haven't you heard? Rat rods are ugly unsafe abominations built by drunken fools. Call it a work in progress traditional hot rod and your OK.
Rev Tex Devlle
He's workin' 4 da Lord, in a '46 Ford!
to clear this up ! it wasnt no big thing! once a boyd cottington customer was at a show! got mad because the officals parked him next to a old resto car that had some bad place on the car where some rust was showing! this guy (owner of the crazy horse mustang,the boyd built for his wife!) went to the officals and said where did they get off parking him next to a ratty peice of Junk ( to use a freindly pg words) after a few minute of his raving they went to the guy (who owned the ratty piece of junk) and ask him to leave, the guys feelings was hurt! and left! so the story goes!,, See folks with enuff money and enuff crying , trailer queens rule!!! LOL , (fine print) this is the story told to me and i have passed it along only as folklore and in no way ! is it intend as a true story but possibly could have some basic facts that could have happened! ( laywers have been retain for questioning1)
Fox Fabrication
Well-known member
Here is "MY" take on some definitions of how "I" classify different vehicles...
RAT ROD....Big Block Chevy Powered HOTROD (see hotrod definition below)!!
JALOPY....Pieced-together from other cars to make one car. Car is/looks like it is falling apart...This is the proper classification of a where modern day RAT RODS belong in my opinion.
Trailer Queen...Person with toooo much money invested in his/her vehicle "ART" ROD. Can't drive it due to the possibility of dust getting on it. High percentage of these cars were NOT built by the owner. Older, Balding, middle aged, overweight male who doesn't want the TYPICAL Corvette that many others of his genre drive. Many of these owners have a very high opinion of themself and put down all other cars claiming he has the best. Nothing more than a "CHECKBOOK" competition.
Street Rod....Pre-63 vehicle that has been modified to have modern day car amenities (drivetrain, air, tv's, power seats....ect). Many are Fiberglass replicas.
HOTROD....Generally a pre-63 vehicle that was modified for quicker acceleration/top speed. Modern day "RACE" parts commonly used. Mostly owner built/designed in their garage with or with friends helping. Drag Racing type performance/influance modifications performed. Cars were made to pound the streets looking for some racing action!
Traditional Rod...Normally a PRE WAR vehicle that was constructed with parts (speed or from other vehicles) from the era of the cars construction. An example would be a 32 Ford that was "hot Rodded" in the 1950's with that time periods avail parts. Around 1960 seems to be the common CUT-OFF year for using what was avail from "speed" suppliers on a traditional rod. Most modern day builders/replicators of these era cars go to great lengths and money to aquire vintage parts. Only problem I see with modern built traditional era rods are that they are to perfect. They were not built "back in the day" to be put on a trailer and hauled to shows. They were built to be driven...That is something that is getting lost with all the"NEW" "traditional rods" poping up. Another problem is that their are more TRADITIONAL RODS now than their was in the day!! Sorta like everyone who said they were at Woodstock!
Muscle Car...Normally a 1964-72 TWO DOOR "sport coupe"
Street Machine.....73-82 Nova's, Camaros, Malibu...type vehicles that had fat rear tires (sometimes tubbed), roll bars, blowers, tunnel rams, nitrous...ect....Cars resembled what you would see at the drag strip but driven on the road.
RAT ROD....Big Block Chevy Powered HOTROD (see hotrod definition below)!!
JALOPY....Pieced-together from other cars to make one car. Car is/looks like it is falling apart...This is the proper classification of a where modern day RAT RODS belong in my opinion.
Trailer Queen...Person with toooo much money invested in his/her vehicle "ART" ROD. Can't drive it due to the possibility of dust getting on it. High percentage of these cars were NOT built by the owner. Older, Balding, middle aged, overweight male who doesn't want the TYPICAL Corvette that many others of his genre drive. Many of these owners have a very high opinion of themself and put down all other cars claiming he has the best. Nothing more than a "CHECKBOOK" competition.
Street Rod....Pre-63 vehicle that has been modified to have modern day car amenities (drivetrain, air, tv's, power seats....ect). Many are Fiberglass replicas.
HOTROD....Generally a pre-63 vehicle that was modified for quicker acceleration/top speed. Modern day "RACE" parts commonly used. Mostly owner built/designed in their garage with or with friends helping. Drag Racing type performance/influance modifications performed. Cars were made to pound the streets looking for some racing action!
Traditional Rod...Normally a PRE WAR vehicle that was constructed with parts (speed or from other vehicles) from the era of the cars construction. An example would be a 32 Ford that was "hot Rodded" in the 1950's with that time periods avail parts. Around 1960 seems to be the common CUT-OFF year for using what was avail from "speed" suppliers on a traditional rod. Most modern day builders/replicators of these era cars go to great lengths and money to aquire vintage parts. Only problem I see with modern built traditional era rods are that they are to perfect. They were not built "back in the day" to be put on a trailer and hauled to shows. They were built to be driven...That is something that is getting lost with all the"NEW" "traditional rods" poping up. Another problem is that their are more TRADITIONAL RODS now than their was in the day!! Sorta like everyone who said they were at Woodstock!
Muscle Car...Normally a 1964-72 TWO DOOR "sport coupe"
Street Machine.....73-82 Nova's, Camaros, Malibu...type vehicles that had fat rear tires (sometimes tubbed), roll bars, blowers, tunnel rams, nitrous...ect....Cars resembled what you would see at the drag strip but driven on the road.
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rustybeercan
Never met a beer he didn't like!
Rat motel
I think it was in Louisiana, when Boudreaux got married and had kids he put his trusty ride in an old tumble down barn for safe keeping. Fast forward 25 years after his kids left home. He goes to retrieve the old beast which is now a rat motel. He tells his wife to come look at his old hot rod and she says "it looks more like a 'rat rod' to me". There you have it!
Beercan
I think it was in Louisiana, when Boudreaux got married and had kids he put his trusty ride in an old tumble down barn for safe keeping. Fast forward 25 years after his kids left home. He goes to retrieve the old beast which is now a rat motel. He tells his wife to come look at his old hot rod and she says "it looks more like a 'rat rod' to me". There you have it!
Beercan
dmw56
Busted and Rusted on Route 66
I heard it was a phrase coined by Gray Baskerville.
Rat Rods
"Rat rods is a newly developed name for the original hot rod style of the early 1950s. A rat rod is usually a vehicle that has had many of its non-critical parts removed. They are usually finished in primer-like paints and are often period correct. They are very often the conglomeration of parts and pieces of different makes and models.
A typical rat rod is an early 1930s through 1950s coupe or roadster with the body set low on the frame, fenders removed, whitewall tires, big-little tire combos, exposed engine bay, home-made upholstery, and lots of power. A Rat Rod is considered to differ from a Hot Rod in a number of key terms. A Rat Rod is generally considered to be a home built, low budget, one off custom that is still often driven and has many flaws and/or imperfections.
In popular usage a Hot Rod is now considered to be a high end, high budget show car that emulates the early Hot Rods in style but sports flashy paint high end upholstery and generally rarely see much in the way of road time. (See Boyd Coddington as an example of new-age Hot Rods) In many ways Hot Rod is now synonymous with Trailer Queen (a car that is never actually driven but is purely for display and trailered from show to show). Rat Rods are also sometimes called Custom cars, Kustoms, Leadsleds or Sleds.
Most Rat Rods were usually not originally high performance vehicles, but usually a large 2-door sedan with a chopped down roofline, lowered suspension, and most of the trim work removed. They often sport a mixed parts from other cars, i.e. its not uncommon to see a Mercury running a Chevy motor with Dodge rear end.
The term Rat Rods came from an article written in Hot Rod Magazine by Gray Baskerville about cars that were painted in primer. A lot of rat rodders do not consider their cars rat rods but hot rods and prefure the term Hardcore Rod rather that "rat rod". The first rat rod was owned by Robert Williams who had a 32 Ford Roadster that was painted primer."
Rat Rods
"Rat rods is a newly developed name for the original hot rod style of the early 1950s. A rat rod is usually a vehicle that has had many of its non-critical parts removed. They are usually finished in primer-like paints and are often period correct. They are very often the conglomeration of parts and pieces of different makes and models.
A typical rat rod is an early 1930s through 1950s coupe or roadster with the body set low on the frame, fenders removed, whitewall tires, big-little tire combos, exposed engine bay, home-made upholstery, and lots of power. A Rat Rod is considered to differ from a Hot Rod in a number of key terms. A Rat Rod is generally considered to be a home built, low budget, one off custom that is still often driven and has many flaws and/or imperfections.
In popular usage a Hot Rod is now considered to be a high end, high budget show car that emulates the early Hot Rods in style but sports flashy paint high end upholstery and generally rarely see much in the way of road time. (See Boyd Coddington as an example of new-age Hot Rods) In many ways Hot Rod is now synonymous with Trailer Queen (a car that is never actually driven but is purely for display and trailered from show to show). Rat Rods are also sometimes called Custom cars, Kustoms, Leadsleds or Sleds.
Most Rat Rods were usually not originally high performance vehicles, but usually a large 2-door sedan with a chopped down roofline, lowered suspension, and most of the trim work removed. They often sport a mixed parts from other cars, i.e. its not uncommon to see a Mercury running a Chevy motor with Dodge rear end.
The term Rat Rods came from an article written in Hot Rod Magazine by Gray Baskerville about cars that were painted in primer. A lot of rat rodders do not consider their cars rat rods but hot rods and prefure the term Hardcore Rod rather that "rat rod". The first rat rod was owned by Robert Williams who had a 32 Ford Roadster that was painted primer."
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bob w
Still crazy after all these years!
I heard the same story as Earthman. First there were Rat Bikes, then came Rat Rods. It's interesting to read different definitions of terms like hot rod, rat rod, etc. Seems like definitions are morphing at time marches on.
When I heard Rusty Wallace call his Cup car a Hot Rod & John Force call his Funny Car a Hot Rod, I knew from then on anything could be (and would be) called a Hot Rod.
In 1957-8 I drove a 1935 Ford 2 door with a hopped up flathead in it. If I would have called it a Hot Rod, I would have been laughed out of the county. It was simply a "car". Back then, around here, a Hot Rod had to be chopped, channeled, fenderless and have a big engine and be 1934 or older.
Later, when the Minnesota Street Rod Assn. and NSRA got started, hot rods were classified as 1948 and older. Mainly because starting in 1949 the appearance of most car brands changed drastically. 1946-8 cars retained the pre-World War II appearance.
Because Hot Rod was a term used in the early days of rodding and demonized in the news and popularized in many B movies of the day, the general public and the police were wary of Hot Rods and the bad boys that raced them on the street. Although very little of that happened around here.
The push to use the term Street Rod was a move to achieve acceptance with the general public and law enforcement by having a name that was less aggressive. As many of the young Hot Rodders got older, they too became less aggressive and in fact turned into street rodders. In fact, as some got well to do, they had their cars built, then over built and they chased recognition rather than enjoyed the hobby of hot rod building or driving.
There are definitely lots of trailer queens, but as I look toward my 69th year on this planet, I can say that many rodders my age are physically no longer able to build a rod. Many can no longer drive a rod for any distance because of medical/physical issues. I can tell you that if I drove some of my less comfortable cars 400 miles in a day someone would have to help me out of the car.
I look at the rodding hobby as broad and deep with many niches. You just have to pick the place where you can have the most fun and not worry about the rest.
When I heard Rusty Wallace call his Cup car a Hot Rod & John Force call his Funny Car a Hot Rod, I knew from then on anything could be (and would be) called a Hot Rod.
In 1957-8 I drove a 1935 Ford 2 door with a hopped up flathead in it. If I would have called it a Hot Rod, I would have been laughed out of the county. It was simply a "car". Back then, around here, a Hot Rod had to be chopped, channeled, fenderless and have a big engine and be 1934 or older.
Later, when the Minnesota Street Rod Assn. and NSRA got started, hot rods were classified as 1948 and older. Mainly because starting in 1949 the appearance of most car brands changed drastically. 1946-8 cars retained the pre-World War II appearance.
Because Hot Rod was a term used in the early days of rodding and demonized in the news and popularized in many B movies of the day, the general public and the police were wary of Hot Rods and the bad boys that raced them on the street. Although very little of that happened around here.
The push to use the term Street Rod was a move to achieve acceptance with the general public and law enforcement by having a name that was less aggressive. As many of the young Hot Rodders got older, they too became less aggressive and in fact turned into street rodders. In fact, as some got well to do, they had their cars built, then over built and they chased recognition rather than enjoyed the hobby of hot rod building or driving.
There are definitely lots of trailer queens, but as I look toward my 69th year on this planet, I can say that many rodders my age are physically no longer able to build a rod. Many can no longer drive a rod for any distance because of medical/physical issues. I can tell you that if I drove some of my less comfortable cars 400 miles in a day someone would have to help me out of the car.
I look at the rodding hobby as broad and deep with many niches. You just have to pick the place where you can have the most fun and not worry about the rest.
skull
''SARCASM: just one of his many talents.''
rats
thanks,, good info.
that hamburger site is inconsentant,, some barn finds look like rat rods and there proud of em. person states i'm not gonna restore [ put whatever the find was here] couse the patina looks cool. told several guys there better restore so it don't look like a dreaded RR and most said " naw l like the way it looks" .
so ., you can't build a rat on the hamburger site and be accepted but if you find old junk and do nothing with it, just leave the looks of the body/ inteirer ratty you're cool.
just wierd,, thanks for letting me vent,, later.
thanks,, good info.that hamburger site is inconsentant,, some barn finds look like rat rods and there proud of em. person states i'm not gonna restore [ put whatever the find was here] couse the patina looks cool. told several guys there better restore so it don't look like a dreaded RR and most said " naw l like the way it looks" .
so ., you can't build a rat on the hamburger site and be accepted but if you find old junk and do nothing with it, just leave the looks of the body/ inteirer ratty you're cool.
just wierd,, thanks for letting me vent,, later.
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dogpatch1
Well-known member
rat rod
your all wrong i invented it.
hey its my birthday i can say what i want! lol dp1
your all wrong i invented it.
hey its my birthday i can say what i want! lol dp1
rustybeercan
Never met a beer he didn't like!
Then WHY didn't you show up in the birthday boy section? Oh yeah, happy birthday!
Beercan
CR55
It's just a little surface rust!
Happy Birthday! [cl..and yes, you can say anything you want on your birthday. (we don't have to agree though)!.....CR
....CR
donsrods
Well-known member
I heard the same thing about rat bikes. Wherever it came from, how in the world have so many people learned that term? Even old ladies in walkers go by and say "nice rat rod Sonny!" We've talked about this among ourselves, suddenly every modified car is a rat rod to the general population.
Don
We've talked about this among ourselves, suddenly every modified car is a rat rod to the general population.Don
rainman
Rough Rodder
I'm not sure where it originated but the first time I heard it, it was a bike. Bike shows have had the rat bike classification for many years.
Rev Tex Devlle
He's workin' 4 da Lord, in a '46 Ford!
agreed , and i like it like that[P
earthman
Fascinated by rolling objects!
From now on if anybody asks me i'm givin' 'em RBC's story! [cl
