Duster Rat Rod ???

-
Best I can understand the "standards" of a rat rod, wouldn't any crusty Duster you had absolutely NO INTENTION of actually restoring or finishing in any way qualify as a "rat rod"?
 
Sounds like everything I built. But I never went out of my way to make it look old and crusty, they just came that way.
 
loyal0ne said:
anyone built a Duster Rat Rod project?
Click to expand...

In my opinion, Rat Rod has become sort of a catch-all term for poorly-built, crude and unsafe cars. To me, they seem half-assed and take no engineering whatsoever - it's all for looks and the fad has gone sour. The rat rod look dosen't really jibe with muscle-era cars either. Traditional hot rod types cringe at the rat rod label, it's become a joke.:angry7:

People who purposely build them are going for a look/style which is that of the cheaply-built and crude hot rods of the '30's and '40's. Some like to call it 'patina' as if they'd found a crusty old hot rod in original, untouched-by-time condition and decide to keep it that way. These days, it seems that anything with satin black primer, a mexican blanket and a set of red steel wheels qualifies as a rat rod.

If you're looking for a muscle car 'rat rod' look, I'd suggest '70s style - Gabriel Hi-Jackers, Ansen sprints and Indy profile tires, Accel Super Coil, Moroso Valve covers, speed parts stickers under the trunk lid etc...

We now return you to our regulaly-scheduled programming.
 
rmchrgr said:
In my opinion, Rat Rod has become sort of a catch-all term for poorly-built, crude and unsafe cars. To me, they seem half-assed and take no engineering whatsoever - it's all for looks and the fad has gone sour. The rat rod look dosen't really jibe with muscle-era cars either. Traditional hot rod types cringe at the rat rod label, it's become a joke.:angry7:

People who purposely build them are going for a look/style which is that of the cheaply-built and crude hot rods of the '30's and '40's. Some like to call it 'patina' as if they'd found a crusty old hot rod in original, untouched-by-time condition and decide to keep it that way. These days, it seems that anything with satin black primer, a mexican blanket and a set of red steel wheels qualifies as a rat rod.

If you're looking for a muscle car 'rat rod' look, I'd suggest '70s style - Gabriel Hi-Jackers, Ansen sprints and Indy profile tires, Accel Super Coil, Moroso Valve covers, speed parts stickers under the trunk lid etc...

We now return you to our regulaly-scheduled programming.
Click to expand...

I agree with you totally on this.... It's like the fad a few years ago with the biker craze bandwagon that everyone jumped on to. REAL bikers ride all of the time rain, cold, etc. not because of an image they want to portray period.
Same with the rat rod people who are much the same, they do their cars up to their tastes, and drive the hell out of them, rain snow whatever.
allthough, many of these cars are very mechanically sound, not like the stereotype that is usually portrayed. Just because it looks shiny and good, doesn't mean that it is mechanically sound, and same goes for the reverse! I've seen lots of newer cars that aren't fit for the road because of low or no maintainance, looks can be decieving.....
Myself, I prefer the early '80s look of well worn, gonna fix it up as i drive it, that's the era that i came from so i guess i am a product of my youth experiences, as all of us are.
I have tried the full numbers matching resto thing and I find that it's a hassle, expensive, and it's not me.
Now, I put together cars that are like the ones in my past, beaters if you want to call them that, all of the mechanical work is first rate and they are 100% roadworthy and safe. (even if they don't look that way)
Bottom line, I have now the attitude that i enjoy my cars no matter what they look like, matching numbers, etc, I feel that this is what this hobby is all about.
It's just my 2 cents!!!!! :evil4:
 
rmchrgr said:
...........If you're looking for a muscle car 'rat rod' look, I'd suggest '70s style - Gabriel Hi-Jackers, Ansen sprints and Indy profile tires, Accel Super Coil, Moroso Valve covers, speed parts stickers under the trunk lid etc...

We now return you to our regulaly-scheduled programming.
Click to expand...

Right on :thumbup:
 
rmchrgr is right go with the 70's or 80's style build. This was my 73 Scamp daily driver for years. built up 360, air shocks, SS springs, 3 inch sidepipes and a crap load of stickers in the 1/4 window. Lets not even get into the rat rod conversation I just got done reading 10 billion pages over on hotrodders.com about what a rat rod is and it sounds like if you dont follow the standard fiberglass 32 ford build including a 350/350, billit dash insert, and 10k paint job they will march you into the oven.

DSC03709.jpg

DSC03710.jpg
 
rmchrgr said:
In my opinion, Rat Rod has become sort of a catch-all term for poorly-built, crude and unsafe cars. To me, they seem half-assed and take no engineering whatsoever - it's all for looks and the fad has gone sour. The rat rod look dosen't really jibe with muscle-era cars either. Traditional hot rod types cringe at the rat rod label, it's become a joke.:angry7:

People who purposely build them are going for a look/style which is that of the cheaply-built and crude hot rods of the '30's and '40's. Some like to call it 'patina' as if they'd found a crusty old hot rod in original, untouched-by-time condition and decide to keep it that way. These days, it seems that anything with satin black primer, a mexican blanket and a set of red steel wheels qualifies as a rat rod.

If you're looking for a muscle car 'rat rod' look, I'd suggest '70s style - Gabriel Hi-Jackers, Ansen sprints and Indy profile tires, Accel Super Coil, Moroso Valve covers, speed parts stickers under the trunk lid etc...

We now return you to our regulaly-scheduled programming.
Click to expand...
he knows whats up
 
I see that several of us have different opinions and definitions of "Rat Rod" which is nothing short of healty. In our neck of the woods "Ozarks" there are people that put together "Stuff" that i wouldn't ride around the block in and then there are those that fabricate highly engineered materpieces that look like they wouldn't make it around the block but contray to that by a long shot. Channeled, lowered, chopped, shaved, bored, stroked and much more all hidden under a what seems to be a rusted out piece of long over due scrap iron. Some have even gone to the extremes of duplicating the rusted "looking" paint schemes complete with simulated rust holes and patches but is totally structurally sound. Did i mention the faded sign on the door of " Joes Radiator Shop " or " Dicks Mule Barn ". Just because some kid puts spring shackels on a 4 door galaxie and lowers the front end and sticks a pair of cherry bombs or no mufflers at all but is loud beyond tolerance and sticks a hood scoop from hell on the hood, a itty bitty steering wheel and make shift floor model floor shifter from Zipper Speed Shop don't make it a muscle car. I forgot the 12 X 16.5 truck tires on the *** end. IMO a "TRUE" rat rod is a site to behold and capable of running safe speeds beyond imagination. Good Morning All!
 
For the most part I enjoy looking at most of the rat rods, but the term itself is starting to beat me just like " 'ol school" did.
 
The way I see it is that it's easyer to call it a "Rat Rod" instead of a

Street-"I had someone else build 90% of my car, I don't drive it unless it is nice and sunny out beacause I have my Toyota or new SUV to drive everyday, I don't want to get road rash on the front of my 10K paintjob that is on top of my perfectly smooth fiberglass and bondo filled body, I may scuff my billit wheels, I have to rechage the AC in my 32 ford, the motor is too loud and I cant hear "Born to be Wild" for the millionth time, there is a glitch in my Dakota Digital dash, my wife wont ride in it, they would never let you into my car club with that thing, What do you mean you want to drive it while you work on it?"-Rod

Besides I don't wanna be part of the Straw Hat Club. Any one that has been going to car shows for a while will know what Im talking about.

Who cares if you can see the welds and it's in primer. they may not have the extra cash to get the paint job they want or to get a monthy car payment. But atleast they drive their car all the friggin time! Im tired of seeing "Boyd Cars" at all the shows thats why I stopped going to most of them along time ago.

I have a buddy that has a 76 Malibu that he wants to turn into in his words "An 80's rat rod" That would be code for "Hey, I love the **** outta my car but I don't have a garage to work on it all the time, Im less than one paycheck away from living in my car, they were all daily drivers 20,30,40,50,60 years ago, it's the only thing I have that makes me happy so Im ganna do what I can with what I have and if you don't like it go **** yourself, you don't have to look at it!"

Sorry guys but I end up going off on people at car shows when they try to define or bash rat rods because there is no set in stone how to book or formula on what a rat rod is. I went off on a friend of mine that is into VW's at Hotrod-A-Rama the other weekend when she made the comment "wow Im suprised that most of these cars even start or that they drove all the way from Canada to get here".

As long as you built it and drive it like a normal car F everyone else!

http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k199/360scamp/Hotrod-A-Rama 2008/?start=all
http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k199/360scamp/Hotrod O Ramma 2007 Tacoma WA/?start=all
http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k199/360scamp/Hotrod O Ramma 2006 Tacoma WA/?start=all
http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k199/360scamp/Hotrod O Ramma 2005 Tacoma WA/?start=all
 
360scamp said:
.... it's the only thing I have that makes me happy so Im ganna do what I can with what I have and if you don't like it go **** yourself, you don't have to look at it!"
Click to expand...

YEah!!! Thats me!!!!! My Duster is pretty much done and rebuilt mechanically, but still looks like hell (original paint and rust showing through). Everyone thinks its a POS, because it doesnt have a $10,000 paint job.
 
360scamp said:
As long as you built it and drive it like a normal car F everyone else!
Click to expand...

What he said! Opinions are like assh*les - everybody has one. Build the car for YOU not what you think everyone else expects to see. Rodders are some of the worst offenders of "conforming not to conform" in my daughter's words. Remember when pastel, monochromatic paint was cool? Pretty soon you couldn't find a car that wasn't salmon or teal. Remember when graphics were all the rage? Then even Detroit and Japan started churning out cookie cutter cars with wild "graphics". Now the car makers are putting out new cars with matte finishes. The point is, just be yourself and build your own car. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If you think rust and primer are cool, then go for it. Life's too short to let other people's opinions define who you are.
 
I was at a small car show a while back and this guy had a newer mustang with drive-in tray on the window six million trophies in front of the car award ribbons everywhere. He saw me taking pics so started rearranging everything. I walked right past and took a pic of the stock 49 Dodge next to him. Made my day.
I agree with drive what you can afford or your car will sit in the garage, if you have one, and rot while you save money to make it what someone else wants it to be.
Did ya'll see the rat-alac in my "only in TX" post?
 
For me, rat rod translates into no effort. It generally takes a lot of skill, money, effort and time to build a car right, no matter what the style. Cars that run and look good are not compromised in any way and leave very few details to chance.

Where's the guy that started this thread? Lurking on the H.A.M.B? :happy8:
 
Yeah, It's not a duster its a Valiant, and just recently the name has come into vough. It used to be considered a g-machine but thats out of style now. Needless to say I have been building and driving my Valiant since 95 and it's still not done and may never be. I did not set out to fit into any of these catagories. The cats. became magazine cliches after I put it on the road. I set out to build a good handling fast a body with little cash, skined knuckles and junkyard parts. It was all done by me with the exception of the 10 year old never garaged until 3 years ago paint job. (BTW drag racing a unibody tends to warp and crack paint)

In fact the term rat rod is given credit to Gray Baskerville commenting on a "in process" rod at a show. The statement got published and the average 2 kids and a mortgage stiff reading it got inspired, built one off of the pictures that started to become a photographers "hey I saw one" photograph and when asked at the local rod show "hey what is your dirrection for this rod?" he replies, "It's a rat rod"

I myself am looking into finding a decent early frame and shell to build a rod. And it will probally be deemed a rat by the billit loving straw hatters. But I want a fuel eficient car and I hate rice. I have a boatload of parts collected for the valiant collecting rust and a 225 pushbutton setting in a barn. Light car + small engine = cheap and FAST.

If it has chips and bugs on the front it's a rod or muscle car. If it is on a trailer its either a race car or art.
 
this is a pic of my rat rod, i know its not mopar but it was my first car when i turned 16 and i love it lol

DSCF0189.jpg
 
That is cool, hows this for a pain schemeit's not the same type of van but the basic shape is there. I t was at the RAT ROD :bootysha: show we went to the other weekend.

100_1654.jpg
 
that is a sweet van lol i was thinking about pulling the straigt six and putting a small block in the back closer to the rear end sorta like the lil red wagon
 
Just drive 'em, Ford, Chev, Dodge......whatever! I got no use for the straw hatters and the people that they pay to work on their cars, true car nuts work on them and drive them hard no matter what others think, and also, there's nothing like the satisfaction of busting your *** on a car 'till all hours of the morning and finally taking it for that first drive after months of work and knowing that you did it by yourself.... maybe with the help of some friends. (you buy the beer and pizza this time!)
Bottom line is that do you all have the balls to drive, enjoy, and be proud of your car no matter how it looks?
A true car enthusiast will do what it takes to make them happy, be it a full blown resto, a restification, a beater driver, or something in between!
You have to pay for it, do whatever suits you!
Once you think about it, the kids with the ricer cars these days aren't doing anything different than a lot of us were doing in the '70s!
Food for thought guys, we are a product of our times.
What makes YOU happy?
A straw hat cheque writer 401k guy or a true knuckle bustin' car nut?
I choose the latter, even if it means that someone turns their noses up at my cars, I still love them and drive them no matter what anyone thinks.......period.
Be yourself.
just my 2 cents.:poke:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top