RAT ROD?

Rat Rod has become a component of the new Kar Kulture, but what is a RAT ROD? I think the phrase has spread too wide. Lets see if I can subdivide this a bit= 1- Rat Rod - NOT a street rod because a street rod is a finely refined custom usually with a great custom paint job and a defined goal towards perfection. A Rat Rod on the other hand usually a pretty modified drivetrain, but where it strays is the body and interior usually follows the rule of there ain't no rules! No paint, rust, chopped and channeled and tack welded back without finishing or finished in satin paint usually around a theme with the goal to amuse and entertain. The overwhelming theme is on a good rat rat is keep the audience busy. If you keep finding stuff while walking around the vehicle its a success!! 2- Beater, a term we lost that usually is an older car with faded paint and maybe some mag wheels, could be faded paint, lets make this clear this is not a Rat Rod. 3- Imposter - YOU CAN NOT FAKE PATINA!! I do like the faded painted signage (made to look faded) we see on an old rat rod truck, yes trucks count! What I see more and more are people painting a potential rat rod and then sanding and buffing the paint off so it looks faded or old, worst examples might actually be clear coated after the illusion and these just never make it at all. I am building a rat rod 67 Dodge D100 truck - it has a performance built 225 slant six, bored .030 over, 268 hydraulic can, 2bbl Holley carb, header with 3" exhaust and a big cherry bomb muffler, brakes rebuilt, 16x10 steelies out back with steam roller tires. Paint will be satin black with hammertone gold and bright red accents, many other features and once finished will show it here. I am still having problems leaving the rough spots, but I am trying. Without the many performance and custom touches I think it might just be a beater, if I finished the body right and painted it original the egg shell blue it would be a custom. So I guess we have the chart= BEATER* RAT ROD* CUSTOM* STREET ROD* RESTORED* PRO STREET* PRO TOURING* The Kar Kulture is just that a culture, the guys like to dress a little rockabilly, the gals AKA Rust Queens dress in 1940's pin up styling with the hair styles and clothes to match, but Tattoos are part of the look. Don't want to try and figure out why we follow a theme in dress and style with the cars, but its like the Harley Davidson culture a bit although a new Harley owner will find themselves in boutique at the dealer buying the look! I see a lot of vintage clothing and creativity in the Kar Kulture. Attending the first rebirth of the Brooklyn Rumblers car club thats used to be a big rowdy party under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway which it over grew so for the first time it was at the Garden State Exhibit center and hats off because I think it was a great success as it combined with a few clubs in NJ. This truck caught my attention, 302 v8 modern driveline, but no attempt to polish it off check it out>

You either get it or you don't!!