LUVTruck.com

What exactly is a Ratrod? I've heard several things from several different people. It's a new term to me, but I hear it's been around for a long time. Is it one of those area of the country things? I wonder if webster has a definition. I would like to hear what anybody has to say.

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I want to be different like everybody else.

If I had to guess at a expanded version of "rat rod" it would be ratty hotrod.
Basically it isn't pretty, looks don't matter, only performance. the last pics in the thread from pee roy are of a car from Monster Garage. the only paint that was applied was some pinstriping and the orange on the visor... other than that its the original paint just buffed out....
I think the build cost for that thing was like $32,000. (not including labor of course ) The key to a "rat rod" is performance above all else, especially looks. That car doesn't look like 32 grand to me


Having said looks don't matter is kinda not right. You would want it free of dents and cancer... I'm losing it... guys help me out...

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Resident lurker

basically like these...






neil

and this \/ \/

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"but its that gut feeling of you're drawn to what feels right for yourself and what you're passionate about..."

my boss has a hard on for rat rods. basically rather than making everything show quality like a lot of hot rods, you take some ugly piece of junk that nobody wants and cram a big powerful, highly detailed engine into it

that what its all about!


neil

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"but its that gut feeling of you're drawn to what feels right for yourself and what you're passionate about..."

Ive gotten into some old guy hot rod sites lately because my next project is going to be a 28-30 tudor or fordor. The way its being described on those sites is its the lowest of low buck hot rods. You use used parts from swap meets, junk yards or auctions. There were some guys on there that would call around to machine shops and try to snag up stuff that people had left unpaid like engines, trans or what ever. Or even obselite stuff that most poeple would consider junk. If you pick up a street rodder type mag. you will notice alot of people using 4 cyl. motors now because theyre everywhere and cheap. Its just putting something together as cheaply as possible without worry of the cosmetics. Simply put.

w3rd


Out here on the left coast a lot of the guys are trying to find the most obsure old engine and dropping that into the car instead of something of large displacement and very shiny.
If its shiny, it doesn't belong on a ratraod.

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I TOOK UR MOM DRAGGIN LAST NIGHT
Bagged 84 Pup
Bagged 53 F100
stock 72 Citroen DS19

Bighappy You Da Man. Your description sounds like what I've been seeing, except for the four cylinder engines. Maybe that's because you can get an old stock 350/350 for good prices. I had a guy offer me a 1972 Chevy truck for two hundred with a, you guessed it 350/350. I can actually pick those up for less than a good four cylinder.
As far as the old man sites go, I've seen some really nice innovation, and some cool products, but all those " too slick rods " just do not work for me. $85,000.000 to $125,000.00 for a street rod?

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I want to be different like everybody else.

this is from http://www.ratbike.org/

What is a Rat Bike? This argument has been going on nearly as long as the "What's a Biker?" one. Well, to add my 0.02 worth, a Rat Bike is a motorcycle which is ridden instead of cleaned, maintained at the lowest possible cost with whichever parts are at hand, and which is usually painted matt black. There's no room on a Rat Bike for things like Chrome or, horror of horrors, bolt on plastic pretending to be chrome Live To Ride (TM) accessories. Some motorcycles just "grow" into rats during years of hard riding, others are turned into survival bikes as a personal style statement. Loved by their owners and hated by the police, Rat Bikes are a way of life.

to me a ratrod simply has 4 wheels instead of 2

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I like my steak like I like my women, young, tender and bloody.

All I need is my weed, women, and wine. -Edge City Outlaws

i should make a ratrod toyota...i've got a worn out nasty looking 20R engine sitting upside down in my back yard...

a ratrod is basiclly a "low budget" street rod that can be done with the old T Buckets duece coupes etc. they can be painted or left in primer which is popaluar. they also can be done (and i seen them done) in the 49-51 Fords,53-54 Chevy Bel Air's even the 55-56 Bel-Air's. a friend of mine in Odessa has a 27 T-Bucket Truck "Rat Rod" running a 1940 Ford Flathead V-8 W/ the dual Radator hoses. on the rat rod's the engine combo ranges even from a flathead to small blocks. money invested in one of these's cars is like $4,000 up too $10-15,000 and compaired to the street rod that are $20,000 and up on investment to build that is why some build rat rods over street rods.


just a lil "rat rod 101" for this subject

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Corbett Racing INC

1981 Chevy Luv Long Bed Pro Street

1992 Ford Mustang (5.0/C4)

1979 Chevy Luv (newest project)



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this thing is f-ing badass.

check this out too!
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neil

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"but its that gut feeling of you're drawn to what feels right for yourself and what you're passionate about..."