I went to the Daryl Starbird Car Show here in Tulsa a couple weeks ago and I learned something new. I’ve learned the term “Rat Rod.”
Rat Rods are like hot rods only with no chrome, rough or nor paint, and just generally look kind of homemade.
Wikipedia talks about Rat Rods being a reaction to the pretty show hot rod show cars of today that are meant to be shown and not driven.
Rat Rods are often associated with Rockabilly or Greaser culture. They are supposed to be a throwback to the hot rods of the 1930’s to 1960’s. I love them. They have that Mad Max home built slopped together look about them. The safety people among us are going nuts I’m sure. Exposed exhaust pipes, drive belts, and fans. Whoops there goes your fingers, please don’t bleed on the cars sir.
Apparently conventional hot rodders loathe the rat rods. I just love controversy like this. Reaction and counter reaction, yin and yang. I’ll be looking into this more.
What about you? Have you ever heard of rat rods before?
Rat rods are pretty cool. I’m not sure I could get into one after they “slam” the car to the ground, chop the roof so that you will look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame and then many features look a little unsafe. I can understand traditional rodders looking down on the rat rod culture, but I do like some of the components of the rusty road warriors.
So I too learned something new and they definitely look like something out of Mad Max.