Rat rod

What is a Rat rod?

Rat rod is a newly developed name for the original H ot Rod style of the early 1950s. The term "rat rod" is considered derogatory to many traditional hot rod builders, but new fans of hot rods who notice the difference from yesterday's shiny hot rods to today's primered, lower and more radically designed hot rods call these cars "rat rods." A rat rod is usually a vehicle that has had many of its non-critical parts removed. They are usually finished in primer-like paints and are often period correct. They are very often the conglomeration of parts and pieces of different makes and models. A lot of rat rodders do not consider their cars rat rods but hot rods and prefer the term Hardcore Rod rather that "rat rod".

A typical rat rod is an early 1930s through 1950s coupe or roadster with the body set low on the frame, fenders removed, whitewall tires, big-little tire combos, exposed engine bay, home-made upholstery, and lots of power. A Rat Rod is considered to differ from a Hot Rod in a number of key terms. A Rat Rod is generally considered to be a home built, low budget, one off custom that is still often driven and has many flaws and/or imperfections. In popular usage a Hot Rod is now considered to be a high end, high budget show car that emulates the early Hot Rods in style but sports flashy paint high end upholstery and generally rarely see much in the way of road time. (See Boyd Coddington as an example of new-age Hot Rods) In many ways Hot Rod is now synonymous with Trailer Queen (a car that is never actually driven but is purely for display and trailered from show to show). Trailer Queens are also sometimes called Custom cars, Kustoms, Leadsleds or Sleds. *'hardcore rods are totally different to Kustoms and leadsleds. they belong to another sub-culture of the hot rod fraternity. Hardcore rods are more or less just people with a passion for custom cars that create their masterpieces over many year thus leading to the use of primer as in the creative process one sometimes can not afford to build, paint and trim the 'rod in one hit.

Most Rat Rods were usually not originally high performance vehicles, but usually a large 2-door sedan with a chopped down roofline, lowered suspension, and most of the trim work removed. They often sport a mixed parts from other cars, i.e. its not uncommon to see a Mercury running a Chevy motor with Dodge rear end.

At one time, the "rat rod" (or, even more so, the "rat bike") was owned/built by an outsider for whom the machine was a statement of individuality and disregard for cultural norms. Now, the "rat rod" is a statement of lifestyle that includes tattoos, surf and rockabilly music, and Betty Page as just a few of its cultural touchstones. As such, the vehicle, and the term, refers to inclusiveness and belonging (to a subculture) rather than exclusiveness and outsider status. The term itself has been co-opted by business and is a marketing tool used to sell "lifestyle items" that are used to signify membership in the subculture.