If you thought the hot rods of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s were hot, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Check out the hot Rat Rods for sale on eBay these days!
Where the classic restored hot rod is all gleaming chrome and shiny paint, the rat rod is primer and rust. Where hot rods are lovingly restored to their factory-new condition with original parts, rat rods are functional, and nothing more.
Rat rod interiors may consist of blankets or metal chairs bolted to the floor. Rat rod exteriors may be missing bumpers, fenders, hoods, and running boards.
A rat rod is most likely a coupe or roadster from the 1920s through the 1950s, but many people use the term to refer to any car from that time period that isn't fully restored. Proud rat rod owners often joyously mix and match parts from other makes and models of cars, much to the chagrin of purist hot rodders, who believe that such vehicles should not be tampered with.
There is some dispute over the origin of the term "rat rod." The phrase may be have begun life as a pejorative description of such cars, but today is used proudly by rat rod owners, who comprise a growing subset of vintage car enthusiasts.
