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To Rat Rod or Not
Has there ever been a car you just had to have? Like a 57 Chevy, or 66 Nova, or maybe a 67 Fastback Mustang? If the answer is yes then join the club.
Mine was a Ford Model A. Why you ask? Well, my Dad had one and always told endearing stories of his youth and fun in the A. So, many moons later I had to have one and I found one. A barn find and it is what I hoped for. Black with red wheels, it runs, it drives, and it steers. But let’s not try to fool you. You know this 1928 automobile is going to need something and it does.
Like you I watch all the shows on the tube relating to cars. I cruise the web sites, go to car shows, heck even went to SEMA once. So, now I have the right car at the right time. Do I Rat Rod it as some will say, or do I throw countless thousands at it and hot rod the car. You know, big engine, big pipes, fat tires, everything we saw in the movie American Grafitti. Big question and no immediate answer. Like you when I watch some of these shows on TV I wonder where do these people get all this money. I mean I like to eat and I do not want to live under a bridge so how do these so called regular people throw 100k at a car? Is it an inheritance, are they stealing, are they rich but dress as bad as me, what? I need a solution.
So I go to some local car shows and I see all these rat rods. At first I thumb my nose at them and think they ruined a perfectly good old car. You know, it’s only original once theory. Shame on these people for rat rodding these old gems. But wait, upon further review I decided to look closer at these rides. And I soon discovered that these rides are moving art. Look closely and you will see imagination, thought, art, hard work and yes a lot of money. The average person thinks rat rods are cheap. Think again Sally because if you study these cars and trucks of course you will see that clearly they took some license on the original idea but the builders took countless hours of hard work to get what you see. And, they are never done. There is always another spot they want to improve upon or change. Say you are lucky and have a 34 Ford Coupe. Now you take that car and hot rod it with the standard Chevy 350 engine and chrome everything that does not move. And in the interior you chose the finest leather money can buy. The crowd is in awe. You cover it up every night in the heated garage and won’t drive it if there is rain within 500 miles.
The Rat Rod changes all that. No car cover, if it rains so be it and best of all if you do not like something after six weeks you can change it and not get a second mortgage. It’s not for everyone but what is? Appreciate both art forms and take a minute and tell the owner you like it. Trust me in that he or she could care less if you don’t. But a kind word or gesture will make all the hours spent in the garage worth it.
Now, back to my project. You ask which way am I going to go. Is it Rat Rod or Hot Rod? Drum roll please. The answer…… Neither. I am going to stay original. You see, our hobby has room for everything. Just keep an open mind.
By Mark Weisseg
Muscle Cars for Sale here – http://newmusclecars.org/muscle-cars-for-sale/
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