RANT about rat trailer queens WTF?

[Last-Call]

Sorry, but this has been bugging the hell out of me for a few days now and I want to know what you guys think? I was at a show on Saturady and there were only 3 other "rat rads" there. I was the only one who drove his car to the show. The other guys had enclosed trailers..... What the hell for? You guys are no different in my book as the guys who build high buck cars and tow them to the parking lot out side the shows.

This just blows me away that they would put togather a car that they can't use? Isn't that the whole point behind our cars? To build one cheap and safe? What a waist of time, everyone saw these cars pushed on the trailer. I over herd one guy say" yeah they are never safe to drive, just crap". If the guy would have planned things out and built a car to drive down the road this type of stereo type would never happen. But cuz he either can't build one right, or just to scared to drive what he built....we would never get the bad names about our cars.

Build it right, build it safe, and build it to drive for **** sake.

NOTE, a trailer is fine if something huge breaks on the road.

So here is a pic of a ugly trailer queen(to me anyway)....yep he can't drive it.All that work for nothing.

 

[FlatBroke]

I will agree with you to a point. If these guys didn't plan the build out in full, I would mark that up to stupidity on their behalf. If it is not safe to drive, then don't. If I were to take mine to a show that was more than 100 miles away, it would have to be on a trailor cuz I can't afford to put gas in it. After all, the "Dark and Sarcastic one" only gets 2 gallons to the mile.....specially with the way I put my foot down....

But ultimately, If you didn't build it to drive, what was the point in building it in the first place.

 

[Tripper]

Driver!?

Wow! A car u can't drive?!?! I'm sorry... that is not a car!? What IS the point?

BoB

 

[Gastrick]

Me, I just don't care what other people do with their cars. If they don't want to drive them that doesn't bother me. I can't really see building a ratty car and then trailering it, it sort of defeats the purpose, but it doesn't bother me that people do it. As for trailered show cars, I don't have a problem with that because I enjoy looking at them sometimes when I go to a show. I like a variety. I look over everything from the rats to the trailer queens.

 

[joehalford01]

i kinda like the way that one looks to be honest. As a trailer queen, kinda lame though. That thing needs to be driven (unless he was a hundred miles from home-then it makes sense). The stacks and caterpillar grill look cool together.

 

[Bonehead]

Rant: somepeople worry too much about what others are doing.
Well the reality is, since cars have been built, there has been some of these cars that never were driven. The best example I came up with was Roth's Mysterion. Yes a show car, but historicaly a fine example of what has made car design in the mainstream turn a little. Here is a quote from the story I read:
{Bob to this day refers to the Mysterion as "a total piece of sh--.""It broke all the time," he says. "The weight from the engines alone constantly cracked the frame--and that was from riding in a trailer from show to show!" After numerous ad-hoc repairs at various venues, Larivee divested himself of the Mysterion. Someone eventually parted out the car and it ended up in the Midwest.}
So who is the next Big Daddy Ed Roth? Maybe one of those guys with their car on the trailer.

Sometimes you will find mine in the trailer, sometimes on the road. It depends on how far I am going, how much junk I am taking with me, and how my back is doing. But I won't falt anybody for doing things the way they want to.

 

[motomech]

it even looks to low to lean on and still look cool

i do like the grill thoe

 

[gassersgarage]

This car was built in Japan. The builder had it shipped to L.A.., then drove it to Paso Robles and back. It's called "The Rodriguez". The new owner lives in my area but trailers it to the car shows. Matter of fact, he's so into trophies, he was asked to bring the car back the following day (GoodGuys event) and he said he would only do it if they ran an article on the car.


Although I drive my car all over the place, I don't fault someone if theres a reason for trailering. For example, if I were to go to Viva Las Vegas, I would trailer my car. #1 - My truck is air conditioned #2 - In case of breakdowns #3 - My truck has a stereo I can hear #4 - I can haul ramps, tools, jack, luggage, etc...

 

[Tripper]

RAt get paint job! ; - >

This car was built in Japan. The builder had it shipped to L.A.., then drove it to Paso Robles and back. It's called "The Rodriguez". The new owner lives in my area but trailers it to the car shows. Matter of fact, he's so into trophies, he was asked to bring the car back the following day (GoodGuys event) and he said he would only do it if they ran an article on the car.

Case in point... it takes all types! Strange... a rat with a paint job! Think I've seen that car B4 but I don't remember it having that grill!?!?

BoB

 

[Last-Call]

Maybe I was just in a bad mood when I wrote that rant....I don't know. I just feel like you miss the fun of the car if you have to tow it everywhere. To me, when I do the Power Tour next spring....there will be no F-ing trailer for me, just me, my tools, and 4500 miles round trip. Rain, sh_t, hail, or shine I will drive it everywhere.

Zach

 

[gassersgarage]

I went to a Super Chevy show and when I parked, the flyer said to leave the doors unlocked, trunk and hood open for judging. Then I saw the majority of cars had come in on trailers and decided, not to have my car judged. At one of our cruise spots, they brought in a clone of the Tommy Ivo 4 engined dragster. That thing was perfect except for one thing, there were no guts in the engines. It was a prop.

At the Bakersfield Street Rod Nationals, a bunch of us caravaned from L.A.. A friend of mine has a 34' Chevy with a brand new engine. The last day, his engine started knocking. Fortunately, one of the guys has a 48' F1 P/U. They rented a trailer and hooked it to the F1. 4 quarts of oil later, they made it home. The F1 decided he needed a new engine too.

 

[donsrods]

Hehehehe, I think it is funny that trailers have entered the realm of rat rods! Whodathunkit?????

I'm with you, I have no use for a car that is not driven. Kinda like the some of the showcars of the '60's and '70's that didn't even have pistons in them.

My one Nephew has a '67 Shelby GT that is pretty much a 1000 point car. It has become too nice and too valuable to drive, even to a show. So it lives in an air conditioned garage, goes into a covered trailer, wins a trophy almost every time, goes back home, and sleeps under a cotton cover until the next show.

YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Don

 

[john56h]

The car we're building is an old oval tracker, 1933 Chevy coupe. We're guessing that it will not be the most comfortable car to drive on the highways...great on the track though. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will be loads of fun to drive on the road, but in small doses. We plan to drive it to local shows, but anything over about 40 miles and it will no doubt be trailered. Once towed to the vicinity of the show, we'll drive it around locally.

Trailer Queen? No....just some guys who'd like to show off a car that otherwise wouldn't be there due to the logistics of driving a "race car" on the highways for long distances.

The ones I don't like, are the ones that couldn't be driven safely, even one mile. They're built just to shock the show attendees. The "extreme" Rat Rods are getting kind of like some of the tattoos and peircings you see these days....some people just go overboard trying to out-do the others.

 

[gassersgarage]

I could never understand the extreme "rats". Cars so low, they hit lane markers, besides being illegal. In Cali, nothing can drop below rim height. Or bodies sectioned and chopped so you can't see around the engine. Another violation. I believe that cars should have the ability to drive anywhere and be somewhat practical.

My 31' was built by a hot rodder in Texas. Driven to Paso Robles, Ca and back, then sold to a guy in Santa Monica. I bought the car from Santa Monica and have driven it to Bakersfield and back, no problems. Yeah, it's a little rough and tiring, but my 32' with coil overs was little better.

 

[Thunder1]

Great points there! I have nothing against having to trailer a rod to a show either if it just isn't possible to get there without one. There's a million reasons why someone might trailer a car and it's not always because they are afraid to drive it there. Simple logistical issues cause a lot of it. However, It's also like you said, some of these EXTREME machines make the thought of even driving it an impossibility and that I can't understand??? Why invest all the time, money, and effort into a car you wouldn't want to carry your children in??? I admire the creativity that goes into some of these builds but when any rod gets to looking more like a life sized Rat Fink cartoon come to life you have to draw the line somewhere. There's a point of absurdity in everything! Pushing the design edge TOO FAR is a sure way to continue the degradation of the image of Rat Rods as a whole. Safety first & foremost has to be the rule and design and function play right into that too. IT HAS TO BE SAFELY STREETABLE!!!!! I'm not going to point out anything in that picture because I'm not here to criticize another guys work but I just wanted to say I agree with you.

Thunder1