Automotive cultural stereotypes?

The vast majority of car enthusiasts are douchebags and/or posers. You ran into some of them. No big deal.

alfadriver wrote: My question would be- who are you building this for, you or them?

I built a 78 Datsun 280z years ago. It started out to be just a fun street car that I wanted to look pretty good. One thing led to another and I ended up with a national level (in the Z community) show car. The one thought going through my mind over the years was "no one has to like this car but me". My great pride in the car was that I built it. I didn't pay someone to build the engine, someone to do the mechanical work and someone else to paint it.

Build what you want and what makes you happy. If other people like it GREAT if they don't screwum.

924guy wrote: I see more "non traditional" rat rods than I do of what is more commonly accepted for the term... I think its the spirit of the project that should define it. for me, i want one like this.... except id like to have a windsheild at least..

Daddy likeee.

It seems as if there is an element of the rat rod community that is at least as obsessive about period correctness as the Mopar restoration crowd. I took a look at the Ol' School Rods board once and they equated trying to use a more modern engine or disc brakes with some of the '70s rectangular headlight and mural abominations.

If I wanted to build a down and dirty hot rod, I'd probably come up with something a bit more Haasian. Just get an old car body and find a much more powerful engine from a donor car or from the local junkyard. And if the hottest engine at Pull-A-Part that wasn't seized up happened to be a Ford 4.6 DOHC or a BMW V12, I'd still put it in. Fast is fast, and it's wrong to make a rat rod look right in my books.

Haasian

Awesome.

I berkeleying love the 49. IMO, that was the prettiest thing at the Challenge last year, and a dead-simple concept, which is extra cool.

z31maniac wrote: I don't know about any of the bickering and hating. But I personally think rat rods are cool as hell, and I'd like to build one to go along with the E30. Maybe even an E30 rat rod.

What, like this?

Kinda started doing this. Picked up the car for $150. Got hit on the front, driver side fender. Have been tweaking it since I bought it. Replaced fender, painted ENTIRE car satin black (clear was peeling bad, and new fender was different color), other odds and ends to make it driveable. Car isn't lowered yet, and I don't have the wheels and tires (obvious photoshop), but was leaning this way. It will get lowered either way, but might stick with some stock bottlecaps. Steelies would be easy, but the white walls get pricey.

Appleseed wrote: You might be confusing traditional hotrods and rat rods. Ratrods are poorly built, dangerous pieces of crap. We like to call them Shock Rods. Built only to draw crowds and scare old ladies. If you just take a cast off heap, rescue it, and make it fast, well you've built a hotrod inthe traditional sense. This site can be uppity at times, but there are many, many craftsmen there that have forgotten more than I'll ever learn. They don't really tolerate the "were in it for the music and tatoos" stuff you'll find with Ol' Skool Rodz. It's called the HAMB, and its part of the Jalopy Journal. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/

I['m a regular on there, and what you described as "being uppity at times" is exactly the sort of thing that sparked this thread, I'd say. You're right about traditional rods vs rat rods. And Poop is right about the way anyone building something similar is treated if it's outside a very narrow automotive focus (age and origin being the most notable). For example even though it's been pointed out that VWs were hot rodded and drag raced in the time period that they focus on, do NOT post about a hot rodded VW (even in the correct style) or you will be flamed massively (the site owner, Ryan, hates all things VW). Even gasser style VWs built on a traditional frame with a period correct V8 are only grudgingly accepted.

Of course, the Volksrodder forum is as narrowly focused and almost as closed minded, just about a different genre.

In cars as light and small as most of those rods four wheel brakes are overkill. As long as you are aware of how the car drives it shouldn't be an issue. Then again I saw a plastic bubble on the side of the road and thought I'd like something like this
so I may not be right either

derekshannon wrote:

joey48442 wrote: Maybe the poor front brakes on these things will help weed out the idiots.

The day someone runs into the back of my car because he was too cool for front brakes is the day I go to jail for aggravated assault.

Don't worry. He's probably too cool for seat belts as well.

If you serch the site called the HAMB, there is a thread about to make wide whites for cheap. Think latex paint...

Appleseed wrote: If you serch the site called the HAMB, there is a thread about to make wide whites for cheap. Think latex paint...

Yeah, I have seen a few different ways to "make" my own white walls. Honestly, if I decide to go the "rat rod" route with the E30, then I probably will do something like this, as actual white wall tires get a little too spendy for a cheap bucket like mine.

benzbaron wrote: The only problem I see in the M3 engine is it isn't loud enough to rattle window like a rat but maybe you can tune the exhaust.

on my old '88 accord, the exaust rotted of so i slapped a "tractor" muffler on it, looked like a glass packs ugly step sister. that thing shook the glass in the china cabinet in the dinning room

Appleseed wrote: If you serch the site called the HAMB, there is a thread about to make wide whites for cheap. Think latex paint...

They used to make stick on vinyl rings to do that. I wonder what happened to them.

It would be funny to paint the side of a set of R-comps like that though...

derekshannon wrote: I remember how many guys I knew or just saw out in public pretty much turned themselves into Jesse James look-a-likes when Monster Garage came out. The day people stay themselves is the day I become unjaded.

As you (may) know I'm currently on tour with a country/rock act. Although I could probably sub in for the guitarist tonight with little drama, I'm the merch guy. I'm under constant pressure to go buy a bunch of Affliction shirts and Diesel jeans. Sorry fellas, I'm not paying $300 for jeans when my Miata needs new tires. I'm sticking to my WalMart brand $18 jeans and cargo pants, and my T-shirts with goofy sayings on them. I haven't changed for anyone else, why would I change for you? They argue that I'll get all the women if I revamp my look.. well lets be honest, I don' t want the girls who won't talk to me in my funny t-shirt, even for one night.

Oh, yeah, and if you wear an Affliction shirt to the club you're probably an shiny happy person.

I used to live in Denver where the Rockabilly scene is pretty strong. Most of the Rockabilly guys were alright one you got past the "I'm too cool" attitude. It would usually take a mutual friend to break the ice, and then they'd figure you were cool enough to talk to. A good amount of them were just douchebags though. I actually met one idiot who re-named himself (legally).....his new name.....

Heavy Duty

Hey buddy, instead of getting another Betty Boop tattoo surrounded in flames, why don't you just tatoo LAME on your forehead?

That said, we could go on and on about ricers, waxers, even......gasp.....hard core autocrossers!

everyone sucks in their own special way

Wowak wrote: Oh, yeah, and if you wear an Affliction shirt to the club you're probably an shiny happy person.

I don't even know what that is.

"I actually met one idiot who re-named himself (legally).....his new name.....

Heavy Duty"

BBBBBBBOOOOOOO TO THAT!

He probably owned 8 cars with only one of them that actually is street worthy at the moment and most of them not being worth the time and effort he's putting in to them. He probably is some angry IT worker who has girls ask him all the time why he doesn't get rid of all the junk cars and have one "nice" car.

Er, wait, that's me.

Actually I took my name from the GI Joe character and the fact I have a big freaking truck.

16vCorey wrote:

Wowak wrote: Oh, yeah, and if you wear an Affliction shirt to the club you're probably an shiny happy person.

I don't even know what that is.

I had to google it.

Eldukerino wrote: Here is my dads car, 28 ford roadster pickup, without the bed. 32 rails, with a Ford zetec with ITB...

That thing is awesome. I saw it on the Ratsun board but never commented on it.

"They seek him here, they seek him there, his clothes are loud, but never square

its goin to make or break him so he's got to buy the best, cause he's a ......."

Wanna talk stereotypes??

I have second-gen F-body cars and I lived in a trailer for a short while.

I still have all my "teef" and my wife isn't barefoot and pregnant so I guess I'm not white trash yet.

Shawn

"Rockabilly" is a "was" by definition.

Anyone who thinks fuel-injection is uncool is a homo

Rat-rod sounds so ghey that A-Rod and rats are both upset.

Build something cool and paint it pink. Berkeley everybody.

Trans_Maro wrote: Wanna talk stereotypes?? I have second-gen F-body cars and I lived in a trailer for a short while. I still have all my "teef" and my wife isn't barefoot and pregnant so I guess I'm not white trash yet. Shawn

My second gen is up on blocks... no trailer for me though...

Trans_Maro wrote: Wanna talk stereotypes?? I have second-gen F-body cars and I lived in a trailer for a short while. I still have all my "teef" and my wife isn't barefoot and pregnant so I guess I'm not white trash yet. Shawn

But do you have a mulllet?

walterj wrote: "Rockabilly" is a "was" by definition. Anyone who thinks fuel-injection is uncool is a homo Rat-rod sounds so ghey that A-Rod and rats are both upset. Build something cool and paint it pink. Berkeley everybody.

Pink is the new rust, Bitch