Rat Rods...

[ZLTFUL]

So I was out and about today running errands and saw a T-Bucket rat rod and began brainstorming...

Since I have a lot of free time on my hands and a friend who owns a junk yard loaded with everything from T buckets and A Trucks to 50 Mercs and late 60s lincolns, I have decided that maybe I should built myself a Rat Rod or a lead sled...something low and ratty and black and sinister and badass and plain awesome...

I think I will head up there tomorrow and see what he has that I can pick up dirt cheap and drag back home to fill my hours.

I like the idea of a late 60s Lincoln Continental with suicide doors...or a SERIOUSLY chopped and slammed 50 Merc spewing fire from the lake pipes...but there is something visceral...almost animal like about the T-Bucket Rat Rods...

The key to this project is going to be cheap...and so ugly it's just damned cool...

I am all quivery now!

[GAAN]

My pops builds street rods

I have wanted a '40 Ford Coupe Deluxe since I was a wee lad

but no rat rod

[pennyrobber]

I hope to one day do something similar. The rattier the better.

[zooom]

somehow, I don't see any of what you mention to be "cheap"....I could be wrong, but with classic car values and parts being what they are for things like that from what I've seen...it just doesn't seem to go hand in hand...


now, if you were to find a cheap Renault Fuego and put a real motor and electrical system into it and rat it out...that'd be foookin cool!...I;d bet you could find someone to pay you to take one of those...or maybe perhaps a Yugo and put a 'Busa motor in it!

[GAAN]

frame alone for a T-bucket will run you 10 to 15 K

[cyrus buelton]

I want a GMC Syclone

[Speedbag]

There's quite a few neato rat rods in my area. Some with way cool body mods - but left unpainted and bare for maximum patina. 

[GAAN]

rust rods pain me to my core

[ZLTFUL]

I think you missed the key here..."A friend who owns a junkyard"...

He inherited it from his dad who inherited it from his dad. They were both packrats. Lonnie on the otherhand is not a packrat but cant bring himself to crush the vintage steel he has laying around.
Some of the more obscure...
Ford Fairlane 500 Police Interceptor
69 Cougar XR7
4 (Thats right 4) 64 T-Bolts...real T-Bolts
2 63 Fairlane 2 door sedans (want one of these but he knows what they are worth)
several 62-64 Impalas including his dad's pride and joy 64 SS 409 100% original with 28,700 miles on the clock and sitting in it's own climate controlled room

The list is pretty long and impressive. The stuff that is worth something he won't get off of but the ratty 50 merc or the 3 69 continentals that are in rough shape or the various other collections of things deeper into the yard are all free or damned cheap to friends.
All he really cares about is the stuff that has sentimental value and the parts cars/trucks for his rebuilder business.

The 50 Merc I was looking at he told me $850...not a horrible price at all.

[Ratfink749]

rust rods pain me to my core

  I don't mind an old rod with some patina or "character".  But only when its actually a whole, thought out, semi-well put together car.  This new trend of throwing a bunch of random crap together with the intent of making it ugly (and 99% of the time, unsafe) really chaps my ass.

[mookieo2]

A late 60`s Continental was always on the top of my list. I used to have a '63 Impala and I still miss it.

[1KDS]

30's rat pickups are the way to go

[Oldfisti]

30's rat pickups are the way to go

There's a nice 'n ratty (but solid and straight)  37 Dodge P/U sitting outside near my buddy's dentist office.


I have some ideas for that one...

[Grampa]

vw is the way to go

[ducpainter]

vw is the way to go

So that's what happened to my old Rabbit.