Whats the story

[Rat]

Just looking and reading post on builds, what people are buying, doing.......you know its all good stuff

clue me in..Do people who build ratrods care how fast they go? or do they just build cars the way they want to. If they build it fast ok, if it is a poker thats ok too?

If you build a rod and the motor is just a motor nothing special just stock is that OK?

Also some of the power to weight combo I have seen are scary. some of these should be easy 10 second cars?

 

[cycledog]

Sounds about right.

 

[the reverend muddy grimes]

Faster than stock, but not so fast parts fly off is a good rule to have.

 

[rustybeercan]

Rat,
It runs the gambit! I've seen anything from blown Hemi's, blown diesels, stock slant 6's and 4 bangers. It all depends on how brave you are and what you like. Be sure to check out the "Rat Rod Rule Book" on Amazon!

Beercan

 

[skull]

usin' what l got

not sure about others but, in my case the 2 vehicles l'm currently working on and the 3 l'm planning on later (in the next few years hopefully) are getting mostly the left over race car motors, rearends and a few other misc parts. for 20+ years dad and l race circle track and accumalated a lot of stuff.

then theres the fact l'm a pack rat, l also use the 30+ years of stuff l've stashed or found over the years in all my builds.

also l trade stuff for other stuff, like the 'glass body for a 375 hp sbc motor and a built, stage 2, 7OOR4. so it varies with me, basically just usin' up what l got or trading what l have for what l need.

Later

 

[Pookie Bros]

Just looking and reading post on builds, what people are buying, doing.......you know its all good stuff

clue me in..Do people who build ratrods care how fast they go? or do they just build cars the way they want to. If they build it fast ok, if it is a poker thats ok too?

If you build a rod and the motor is just a motor nothing special just stock is that OK?

Also some of the power to weight combo I have seen are scary. some of these should be easy 10 second cars?

hehehehehehe..... that's all I gots to say on that one.

 

[ratdog]

I guess it depends on the main objective of the build,is a certain style/look most important or is it just for fun/cruisin or are you going to take it to the dragstrip now and then.I am sure everyone has different objectives when they build their cars.

 

[Rat]

With stright axle front ends and old frames that I'm sure will twist,

I just figured it would be crazy to try to make racers out of the "spare parts collection on a frame"

Plus I never see them racing legally or illegally

 

[Sam_Fear]

#1 Build it safe.
#2 Build it the way you want.
#3 Drive it.

There ain't no rules.


They're fun to build and fun to drive. If they go real fast - bonus. Look at Boneheads ride. It has a old 292 Y-block and a truck trans and takes about 3 seconds to shift. It may not be too quick BUT it sounds wicked and looks crazy cool.

 

[Rat]

Yea I am just tired of building fast cars, and all the money the motors suck up before and after in gas. still planning my build.

1800 lb car and 250-300 rhp Ford V8 seems like a handful enough, plus
easy enough to drive. Is what I am thinking.

What about the late 60s early 70s caddy motors with hugh cu in #s

 

[cantwell.colton]

lol both of my engines just happened to be whats available and affordable

 

[LOWANDRATY]

rats

I like the big caddy motors, here is mine, its a 79 425 caddy, .030 over 10.5 to 1 pistons, 500 caddy performance cam, tool steel rocker shafts, we opened the heads up a little and worked all the valves, a nice intake, with a early 500 caddy quadrajet carb, all new external parts, should be good for 300 hp and about 500 ft. lbs of torque, all that with a turbo 400 trans I had rebuilt, from what I have read it weighs about 100 lbs less than a big block chevy engine. should be a fun motor in a 2000 lb. car

 

[Rat]

I hear those caddy motors purr...... no vibration

 

[donsrods]

It doesn't take much to push a 2000-2500 lb car, and even a mild V8 will stay with most traffic just fine. The more hp you build into a motor the less dependable it becomes, and the more costly to build and maintain.

I built my 23 for pleasant/dependable cruising and the mild 350 Vortec fills that bill quite well. On the other hand, when I rebuilt my 27 I had a different goal, and I wanted to see how a 331 Ford stroker would compare to the 306 Ford I ran in it for years, so I put as many Ford Racing parts in it as I could. I've never had a stroker or aluminum heads, so I took the plunge on this one. With 4:30 gears I don't expect it to be a great highway cruiser, but I bet it will be fun around town.

It just comes down to how you plan to drive your car.

Don

 

[skull]

old frames;

on all of my builds l either have a new chassis or stregthen/box the oringal one to take the power that l will put down to the ground. safe and fun is a great motto to live by, oh, and good brake are a MUST.

all of my cars gets disc's in the front and the 1933 has 4 wheel disc brakes.

have fun building, that's also a good thing. if it becomes a "job" then it may not get finished. (been there, done that [dr

Later

PS--please post pics, we like pics

 

[jfg455]

thats why I am building my datsun 610. 1800lbs and 600hp. But it has a cage and awesome brakes etc. still and 1800 lb rat with a 350hp motor will likely scare the stones off most people who aren't used to a truely fast car.

 

[slaughterhouse customs]

I would tell you your on the right track.. I have built high hp rat rods that are stupid fast and ran off av gas like the coupe we just finished and i have built cruisers with mild sbcs.. The great thing about the cruisers are they are not as costly and less to maintain. Plus when we sold the coupe there were so many people that wanted to buy it without the engine because it was not practical to drive on a day to day basis

 

[Pookie Bros]

Who cares about horsepowah?



TORQUE is where it's at.........

 

[jfg455]

Who cares about horsepowah?



TORQUE is where it's at.........

if it smokes like a train, and sounds like a train, then it must be Pookies drag truck!!