Old School Rat Rod Roadsters and Trucks

A rat rod roadster is both a rejection of traditional hot rods and a return to its roots. While classic hot rods are lovingly restored and maintained, they are more often shown off than driven. Rat rod cars and trucks are meant to be driven. It's often been said by rat rod enthusiasts that the rat rod emphasized function over form.
 
But even as rat rods reject certain aspects of hot rod culture, they maintain strong ties to the roots of hot rods. The original hot rods were built and customized by their drivers. Ingenuity and skill were prized more than expensive parts and attractive appearance. Building a rat rod gives drivers the same sense of pride and accomplishment that was so integral to early hot rods.

A Typical Rat Rod

Old school rat rods tend to be built from the coupes and roadsters that dominated the hot rod scene between 1920 and 1940. All unnecessary parts and accessories are stripped off rat rod cars and trucks: The fenders, running boards, hood and bumpers all go.
 
Typically, old school rat rods are 1930s coupes or roadsters with exposed engines. The body of a rat rod car or truck is set low on the frame. Whitewall tires are preferred, with larger tires on the rear wheels than on the front. Rat road roadsters are an eclectic mix of rat rod parts and accessories.
 
Most rat rods, particularly rat rod passenger vehicles, are rear wheel drive. The vehicles are meant to be driven and generally are extremely powerful.
 
Rat Rod Controversy

The term rat rod is used to refer to cars and trucks that imitate the look and feel of the first improvised hot rods. Recently, however, the term has been used to describe any vehicle with an unfinished look.
 
Some car enthusiasts hate the very concept of the rat rod roadster. It is their opinion that surviving vehicles from the early hot rod days are rare, and that such cars and trucks should be restored rather than extensively modified.

Building Rat Rod Roadsters

Building rat rod cars and trucks has only one unbreakable rule: You build a rat rod roadster yourself. You don't have someone else do the work, and you don't build from a car kit.
 
Engine choice for building a rat rod is of great importance. After all, the visual and functional focus of a rat rod truck or car is the engine. Popular choices include the Ford Flathead V8, small block V8s and the Chrysler "hemi" engine.

Rat Rod Parts and Accessories

Rat rod parts and accessories should be found the way the original hot rod drivers found their parts: Rooting through junkyards, exploring the back rooms of garages and hunting down specific parts are all part of the appeal of building a rat rod.
 
A rat rod roadster will not be an exact duplicate of an original hot rod. Parts are salvaged from any possible car or engine model. If the part improves performance, it's used.
 
While most unnecessary fixtures are stripped from a rat rod, rat rod parts and accessories aren't always functional. It's common to decorate a rat rod roadster with skulls, Maltese crosses and similar accessories.

The Rat Rod Paint Job

A rat rod paint job is about as far away from the typical hot rod paint job as you can get. In keeping with the unfinished look of rat rods, paint jobs are usually restricted to primer paints. Bare metal is also acceptable.
 
A rusted appearance would horrify most car owners, but for a rat rod owner, rust is often prized. Rust gives the rat rod a sense of age and durability, reinforcing the fact the roadster is often built from a mixture of parts.

Rat Rod Rallies

Rat rod passenger vehicles are quite common. As function is so important to the rat rod community, it makes sense that rat rods should be able to transport passengers. Rallies for rat rod passenger vehicles are popular weekend events, much as hot rod rallies are for the larger hot rod community.
 
Resources
 
Street Rods Online (n.d.). Welcome to the Rat Rod Photo Gallery. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from the Street Rods Online Web site: www.streetrods-online.com/RAT%20RODS/rat_rods.htm.

Urban Dictionary (n.d.). Rat Rod. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from the Urban Dictionary Web site: www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rat+rod.