I think rat rod is used whenever something they are selling looks like cr@p and they want to spin it to make it appear cool or trendy. Before the rat rod craze people would have been embarrassed to drive something full of rust and bondo but now it has been branded as patina so it's OK... just my 2¢.
FWIW, I don't mind cars with actual patina - like when it's been sitting in a barn for 40 years and is basically solid with some wear and tear - but the whole idea of making something look as mickey mouse and crappy as you can doesn't appeal to me. Not to mention that some of the rat rods I've seen look like they could be death traps as well. Oh well, to each his own...
Mark (MC), i totally agree with your above statement. I find them interesting to look at or laugh at but mostly I DO NOT GET IT ! When enough folks die driving these so called rat rods, that is when they will be made outlawed. Many are well constructed and safe looking but many also look like death machines just waiting to claim a life.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8