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Apr 15, 2005 11:28:46 GMT
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Hello there,
ive been visting the site for while now and love the refreshing view on cars.
For my first post I am going to be slightly controversial, I just don't 'get' Rat Racers. I'm referring to cars typified by checks on the roofs, bright bumpers and spotlights. While as a 'rat' in the beaten up sense is very cool, in a couldnt care less way, a rat racer misses this as it has obviously had a lot of effort put into it. Am I missing something here, or do other people feel the same way? Where does the inspiration come from for these cars? Apart from maybe pan american racers I don't think I ve seen any period cars modified this way.
This is of course all my opinion, you can do what you want to your car, but either I'm too conventional to get it, or I'm missing something.
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Apr 15, 2005 12:23:41 GMT
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Hello and welcome  All rats have a lot of effort put into them, a lot of waxing goes in to make sure that rust doesn't get worse/dangerous. Structually they have to be completly solid, without letting this show on the outside. With the rat racers thing I take it your refering to cars like racer86's?? I think its rat as in VERY budget, and as he has said himself it looks better in the photographs than it does it real life. Good first post, lets see examples |
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Rat RacersBenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Apr 15, 2005 12:25:17 GMT
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Hi yan666 and welcome!  Personally, I like rat-look cars when all the underpinnings and engine etc are tidy - to me that's the distinction between a rat-look car and one that's just been neglected! ;D |
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Apr 15, 2005 12:39:21 GMT
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I'm sure there is a lot of work goes into any rat car, and anything which keeps more intersting cars on the road while avoiding over restoration is to be welcomed.
As is often the way the car which really sparked this thread is a car which i occasionally see locally, but am yet to get pictures of. Its a 1960ish merc, possibly a 220SE with fog lights and the obligatory checked roof.
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Nathan
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,626
Club RR Member Number: 1
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Rat RacersNathan
@bgtmidget7476
Club Retro Rides Member 1
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Apr 15, 2005 14:37:35 GMT
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Welcome mate, I do get what your saying i think in my eyes the Checked roof Spells RETRO, and kinda makes the motor look like its stuck between a Load of Mods in the 60's on their Vespas and Lambrettas. Pure Class in my view, think the GT wouuld look great with while Checks on the roof
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Rat RacersBenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Apr 15, 2005 15:07:11 GMT
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Merc with a checked roof hey? You're giving me ideas now..... Love to see pics of that! ;D |
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Apr 15, 2005 18:09:17 GMT
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hello yan666 how it going?welcome to the forum  id have to agree that rats do have a lot of effort put into them.i was being very careful with my benz but somehow its gotten a little out of control. if its not written off and i don't have to sell it to keep the powers that be happy, its gonna need a couple of bits of welding and a lot of effort to get it looking rough again. i get loads of grief at work cos they just see an old rusty car. underneath is fine and the engine is tip top, having had the oil changed every 3k for its 23 yearlife. had the last laff yesterday though when the guy i work with turned in 2 hours late cos his 53 reg hocus pocus broke down and the rac man couldnt fix it. ;D |
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Apr 15, 2005 20:04:14 GMT
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Hi, welcome to the forum. I can sort of get your point about rat cars being artificially rough, but I think there's a certain charm about a motor that's been tuned well and sees a lot of action, but wears it's real battlescars with pride and is unpretentious, ie so what if it's got dents on it and the paint's a bit rough, it'll still kick most shiny new stuff's ar*es anyday.  As well as that, I sort of like the stealthy aspect of a serious performance car that just looks like an old shed, because it's a monster, but it doesn't show off, so it can really embarrass people at track days, RWYBs, traffic lights and backroads! |
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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Rat RacersDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Apr 15, 2005 21:27:56 GMT
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Welcome! By "Rat Racer" I take it you mean something along these lines:  That's the first one I can find - I'm not on my normal computer this evening - and maybe not the most representative of the breed. The roofrack is more resto-cal... To me, they kind of look like old long forgotten 70s saloon car racers that have been found in a barn, fired up and driven straight onto the road. Purposeful, gnarly, that sort of thing. I don't know if that's the 'accepted' definition, but it's mine ;D Check roof, spotlamps, stripes, euro-stance etc etc. It's cheap too, or it can be- the best ones are scruffy (but not rotten) yet hard as nails and have the performance to go with it. |
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Last Edit: Apr 15, 2005 21:29:06 GMT by DarrenW
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Apr 17, 2005 19:54:23 GMT
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...How about a checkered front panel.....  or a checkered parcel shelf.... ? ;D  |
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... the only injury I sustained was a bumped head when I let the seatbelt of without realizing the car was upside down  and that's not really the car's fault. |
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Apr 17, 2005 20:08:19 GMT
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Welcome! By "Rat Racer" I take it you mean something along these lines: That's the first one I can find - I'm not on my normal computer this evening - and maybe not the most representative of the breed. The roofrack is more resto-cal... To me, they kind of look like old long forgotten 70s saloon car racers that have been found in a barn, fired up and driven straight onto the road. Purposeful, gnarly, that sort of thing. I don't know if that's the 'accepted' definition, but it's mine ;D Check roof, spotlamps, stripes, euro-stance etc etc. It's cheap too, or it can be- the best ones are scruffy (but not rotten) yet hard as nails and have the performance to go with it. thats just give me an great feckin idea, mine is having that cheqered stripe on the bonnet, this time next respray! |
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Rat Racersrustingdeathtrap
@GUEST
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Apr 17, 2005 20:19:37 GMT
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Mr Mattblack sir, I salute you |
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Apr 17, 2005 20:53:43 GMT
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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and that's not really the car's fault.