the rat look pic thread

Oh, this is where I get really pedantic and get accused of being a label snob / blinkered / etc. But lets keep it as generic as possible.

Its a hot rod thing, and the VW guys seem to have got in on it more recentlyish.

Two basic strands...

#1 hot rod built and not yet finished, or hell, this is as finished as its going to get. Been going on since the 1930s. died out during the 1960s to a degree, came back in the 1980s when clubs like the Lowflyers kicked it all off again although there have beenpeople still "keeping the failth" between times. Back yard low buck cars with rattle can paint jobs built to go fast and kick ass. No polish, just power.

#2 During the last decade or so there seems to have been a boom in nostalgia like you wouldn't believe. People are also finding a lot of good stuff which has been stashed long time. Grandpa Joe raced a Willys back in the 1960s and its been in the barn ever since 1974. Someone drags it out and its all patina and original race paint. takes it to a show and everyone shoots their sexwee.

Theres only so many original old rods and race cars out there so people started replicas, but rather than building them to look like they were built in 1955 and its still 1955 like the early nostaligia guys were doing they start building car to look like they were built in 1955 but dragged out of a barn 2 days ago where it has been stored since like 1960.

Then theres the psyhobilly end of the rat rods. Built like they weren't built back in the day. Built to be an exageration or caricature (sp?) of those old rods, taken to another level with severe and extreme modifications to the body and running gear. Soe real off the wall power plant swaps too. All HAS to be period... Some very cool and creative vehicles there but its not "nostaligia" in its true sense.

It works on Beeltes and busses I guess from the same standpoint.

People have applied the style to more diverse and modern cars as it has become more mainstream/hip.

Stuff like that Polo just make me think its a beat up old junker. I'm sure its all very ironic but theres nothing to distinguish a "rat" Mondeo from some travellers un-MOT'd banger.

There have been some very interesting vehicles which have cut ther own style like the Qorsa and the "woodie" Jetta. But getting these kind of cars "right" requires a certain inspiration.

A sleeper is just a very powerful fast car which looks very stock.

I have no idea what a "hoodride" is except that people seem to use the term around ratty VWs

^ touches on hoodride IMO

decided to post this on an NI modifying forum, see what they make of the 'llok'

agree al, how do you tell? my favorAt was very definitely in this style but was a bit of a fuzz-attention getter as it just looked curse word to most people. those who matter got it though.

charming

don't get the hump i didnt say there was anything wrong with them! but painting a car matte black and generally making them look like you don't care what they look like isnt the same thing as the above cars. Its called 'shatlook'

rat rods


























My kind of passengers

Again I'll blur the desitinction with trad rods...

"Hoodride" is defined thus:

hoodride.com/nucleus/About.php



Personally I love Ratlook etc, but the hoodride thing smacks of shallow fashion following to me, I just don't see the point of it - it's a subset of ratlook, so why not just stick with that? ;D

Thats the thing though. Something genuinely beat up and still kicking azz is something fun and cool. That ran a 2.9 12v didn't it?

If we don't call them rat look I dunno what we are supposed to call 'em LOL

what I don't get is making an otherwise decent car into a knacker deliberately, or the thing where somone goes and buys a ropey stocker, sticks on a grand plus worth of bling wheels and suddently its well cool. Erm, surely its just an old knacker with expensive wheels?

The differnence to me is in car which have been crafted on a budget and people who just want in by buying a car which is a trendy "now" thing.

Anything that involves a) stenciling or stickering your car or b) buy t-shirts/hoodies/patches/badges to fit in is not a movement but a neat sales trick subverting another already existing movement. Hoodride seems to fall into that for me.