naviathan Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Here is mine in flat black, not sure if it qualifies as a rat rod though. Actually that's very clean. Not a fan of the rims either. Ratrod would be ditching the fancy rims for something old school and easy to get your hands on like the aluminum bullet hole rims and not washing it for a couple years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six_Shooter Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Here is mine in flat black, not sure if it qualifies as a rat rod though. That's no where near a "Rat Rod". The car is too finished, and too complete to be a rat rod, flat or faded paint doesn't make a car a rat rod, if that were the case I've owned almost nothing but Rat Rods. As stated Rat Rods are really a joke, taking what is supposed to be a budget build, and spending as much or more on a Rat Rod as what would be spent on a similar "finished" example. There are even "Rat Rod" builder, that charge lots of money for an "incomplete rod". WTF? A Rat Rod, or the vehicles they are supposed to be emulating were the ones built with shoestrings, some bubble gum, a hand full of bolts, some left over or donated parts, and some time with a dash of enginuity. Now there are computer designs and CAD programs being used to build these "Rat Rods". I liked the first few "Rat Rods" I had seen, now they are just annoying, in that everyone seems to be building one, and they are buying new parts that look old, to get the look they are after, instead of scouring the classifieds, barns, feilds and local wreckers to find that perfect part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prowl Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 ive seen some flat black rat rods painted like his Z, the rims are a dead give away though. so is the body kit. i'd put black rims on it instead of chrome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280Zone Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 My goal wasn't necessarily "rat rod" but more of the sinister or menacing look. I go bad and forth on the wheels too, but that was all I could find and afford to get to a 17" wheel. i also agre with six shooter, rat rods should be built with true old parts and ingenuity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin.pk Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 280zone's car is definitely not a rat rod.... its is just down right slick and menacing. In all honesty, I think the only car that can really qualify as a "rat rod" on this site isn't a Z at all... check out alfs hot/rat rod build. Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_furious Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 That fits the definition perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e_racer1999 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 been to ratsun.net? i'm flat black (my car could DEF pass as a rat rod) and am thinking about an imperial japanese flag for the hood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjames Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 From my personal experience, I can tell you that a rat rod is easy to do. A rattle can paint job is HARD to do with gloss paint, thus flat black, and its cheap. What else does dad or uncle, or the neighbor have in the garage, hmm, red! Cool, now I can paint the wheels. Hell, I need a shifter, this car didnt come with a floor shift, cut a hole. ok, piece of pipe, some trinket from the junk box that will thread on, a little welding with no idea what I was doing, and I could change gears!! I need a 4bbl carb, the one I found in the JY for $3 doesnt fit, but an adapter can be made with materials found in dads garage. cool! (I think it was something off an old tractor). Cherry bombs were $9, the V8 engine (that replaced the worthless 6cyl) had thrown a rod, and I patched the block with JB weld and replaced the ONE bad piston and rod, cleaned the cyl up with a file, and reused all the gaskets, including the head gaskets. It ran like a raped ape, I was 16, and had about $50 in the whole project. I didnt realize till years later that I built a ratrod ford falcon. A tire burner it was indeed, and I was the envy of my friends, till it blew up and I did it all over again. Things are different now, I'd never think of doing some of the things I did then, but I still like rat rods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewievette Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 You wanna see a Ratrod Z, check out my car... I've had this car going on three years now and I'm slowly putting it back together. Everything on this car was begged, borrowed, or bought really really cheap. Most of the parts I've put on arent even for a 240 but they work so thats what I'm using. I hope to have it driving this year, then maybe I can acctually start upgrading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prowl Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 maybe i'll just paint it Dupont BMW Ice Blue instead. make look like a true classic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z-ya Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Here is my "rat rod", I mean restoration candidate. Code name "The Work Bench". One of these days.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 My issue is that people are now building them that way on purpose, but taking it WAY overboard. It's become a parody of itself. A perfect example is the '36 Ford recently featured in Popular Hot Rodding that looked as if it had rolled out of a barn after having been in there since the '50s, complete with worn-out hand-painted racing signage and rust holes... ...and it was a brand-new from the ground up fiberglass-bodied car! The rust was FAKE. Nothing on the car was old. Hahaha, like the VW guys that had rusted hoods on their cars. I can't find any pics right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Hahaha, like the VW guys that had rusted hoods on their cars. I can't find any pics right now. HAHHAHAH that ♥♥♥♥ is super ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ugly. leave it to the VW guys to do something utterly hideous and stupid because it's different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Do you remember where those pics were? I can't find them for the life of me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Did somebody say Rat Rod with Cherry Blossom accents? Been there, done that baby! 1978 280Z ($200) converted from auto to manual ($100 in parts, i did the work). Garrett T-04 ($50)with a Rajay on-center exhaust housing(free) (more for the 4-bolt flange it had, but also it was much smaller A/R than the one that came on the turbo), Sunny GTi-R top mount intercooler($40) that uses NA saturn SKY exhaust pipe(free, welded together by me) as IC piping. 280ZXT turbo manifold ($100), SS Autochrome t-3 to t-4 adapter, with welded on(by me) external wastegate flange ($60). SS Autochrome Tial-style 38mm wastegate($99) with a 6psi spring. DSM blowoff valve courtesy of OTM, in exchange for artwork (yet to be performed...i didn't forget about you brother!) Megasquirt fuel-only($99) (also camo, which added like 3hp), JSK barb-style fuel rail(honestly don't remember how much this cost...lets say it was $100 and came with the throttle body adapter) and KA throttle body($49). Saturn VUE redline fascia(free), modified to "fit". Impul Hoshino Racing RS-III($700) 17X7" front, 17X8" rear wheels both +38mm offset, with Falken Ziex 512 tires ($400). These required 1.5" hub adapters to clear ($250), and the wheels themselves required special lug nuts- a tuner style lug with a shank on the end. I've got about $100 in lug nuts alone... Fender mirrors are from a first gen Mazda RX-7 (free), and side skirts came off an early Acura RSX type S (also free). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 i was actually looking for pictures of your car to post here. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 here's a cobra daytona that looks like a rat rod to me You know that that car is one of the like 4 remaining ORIGINAL Daytonas... It was pulled out of a garage a few years ago and this pic was taken. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Veritech-Z's BOV: I give you my "rat rod" Z... The car was either in flat black, all black rustoleum, or black/red two tone rustoleum over 4 years...The hybrid Z logo even has the red "Z"... I went from the above pic to ripping around the curviest roads in the SouthEast in about 18 hours... Consisting of a cylinder head rebuild(swapping valves and cam with towers from an 83 mn-47 head to the 74 E88...Ghetto I know but it worked), exhaust, Eclipse seat installation and more all in a LONG day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyZ Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Veritech's car definately encompasses the spirit and the look of a "rat-rod", I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 OTM, your car totally counts as a rat rod with as much mixing and matching you did to get your engine going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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