Difference between ratrod, streetrod, and hotrod

[49rat]

Maybe i did.

 

[Torch]

outside perspective

Where's the word ratrod come from?
Generally it applies to many things not just jalopies and unfinished hotrods and customs
ratbikes when I was a kid were choppers built out of garbage and jap parts.

*I think rat I think ratty, unrefined, unkempt, grungy mean and nasty.

*I think hotrod I think old school street and racing cars like on the Hamb

*I think street rods I think hotrods but built for show or reliable transportation(Built with common stuff and not gonna break alot of rare parts getting on it) not really built to race ie Lil John Buttera.

*I think musclecars are factory issued option packages and models, as the factory issued them. base models are not musclecars without the right papers. Musclecar clones are not musclecars. Customized or prostreeted Musclecars are no longer musclecars. Musclecar is something collectible created by Detroit in limited quantity.

*I think Street machines I think modern base models or musclecars hopped up to make them faster and perform better. the modern equivalent to the classic definition of Hotrod.

* I think customs I think beyond top chops sectioning and channeling. I think mixing and matching body parts from different cars to create a new design never produced.

* I think racecars and I think anything built with competitive edge as the only factor

*I think Pro street I think Mark Grimes

Authority is in the words of the Author​

You can only apply a categorization to an extreme example of something. Most everything else crosses boundaries

 

[dmw56]

Where's the word ratrod come from?
Generally it applies to many things not just jalopies and unfinished hotrods and customs
ratbikes when I was a kid were choppers built out of garbage and jap parts.

I think you mean Japanese parts!

 

[King Herald]

The heap I am putting together isn't a hot rod, or a rat rod, it ain't a street rod, and it sure ain't a custom. If I call it anything, I call it MY rod.

And that is all that really matters to me.

 

[Torch]

I think you mean Japanese parts!

you mean like bike parts from Japan, not parts of people right?

 

[Willowbilly3]

I think most of the time the only difference is what forum you are on.

 

[Gastrick]

I think most of the time the only difference is what forum you are on.

Oh man is that ever true.

 

[Sam_Fear]

I think most of the time the only difference is what forum you are on.

Definitely. I posted a picture of my car on this quilting site I post on regularly and got royally flamed for it! Said it was a rat rod, not a hot rod. They didn't care what I called it and banned me!

I sucked at quilting anyway....

 

[hotrod preacher]

... this quilting site I post on regularly...

I sucked at quilting anyway....

that's b/c you were on the wrong quilting forum ....

 

[deerchooper]

I think most of the time the only difference is what forum you are on.

very true.

but it just shows how ignorant some ppl are, kinda ****es me off in a way. i would really like to ruffle feathers there, but i find some good deals there and i would be out if i did.

there hard core traditionalist (sp) but its ok to have fiberglass bodies, jag irs, 60's- 2010's engine's and there just picked up ride doesnt have any rust and are ready to roll.

i do see alot of rat rods/ traditional cars posted and being built. but there not rats. i dont care if you call mine a rat rod, hot rod, rust rod. all i know is i built it and i like it and cant wait till the next one.

 

[Willowbilly3]

that's b/c you were on the wrong quilting forum ....

Were you on that traditional quilting forum or the one where they are into all that newfangled type of quilting? Or the one where they only use dirty stained old rags and do the fake stains to make them look old?

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

I recently raised the ire of a "hot rod" owner and his car club buddies by calling his '31 Ford highboy with a Cadillac engine, Chevy steering wheel, no paint, etc. a Rat Rod. Personnally I don't car much for labels, but they do help when I'm trying to post photos and keep the photos somewhat sorted. Maybe this guy is just a closet Rat Rodder...


1931 Just Married - Ford High Boy / Cadillac Rat Rod by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr


1931 Ford High Boy / Cadillac Engine / Chevy Bits = Rat Rod by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr

If you yourself don't care for labels, then why down another guy who has the same feelings? Guys like Sean (the owner of that car) and the other guys in his club pride themselves on what they build and don't want to be pigeonholed. It might not be the worst thing in the world, but when you hear "hey nice rat rod" about 750 times a day from every wanna-be poser that learned a new catch phrase that week it gets pretty old. It's nothing personal and nothing against you, but you gotta see where they are coming from.

Your feelings are right - Just ditch the labels and say "nice car". As Billy Dee would say...

 

[Torch]

"just married"/???
he must get married a lot from
spending that much time in the garage...

 

[woodman]

It is one cool RAT! Good job!