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HomePick of the Day1931 Ford Model A rat rod

1931 Ford Model A rat rod

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The Ford-based rat rod displays high-quality workmanship
The Ford-based rat rod displays high-quality workmanship

Rat rods kind of defy definition. They can be crusty old things that celebrate rust and decay, or fabulously quirky creations with such adornments as fur roofs, crystal door knobs and vintage airplane seats. Or any number of other concepts.

As long as there is a strong engine up front and a slammed profile, a rat rod is something that you could say, “I’ll know it when I see it.”

The chopped roofline looks about kneecap high
The chopped roofline looks about kneecap high

The Pick of the Day, a custom 1931 Ford Model A, is a definite contender but one that has been built with an unusual amount of finesse and fine workmanship. It’s chopped into the weeds with that rockabilly rat rod flair, and looks ready to tear up the asphalt. But its high-quality finish and detail appear presentable enough for polite company.

In other words, there’s nothing ratty about this rat rod.

“A lot of money and custom work has been put into this,” the private seller in Phoenix, Arizona, says in the advertisement on ClassicCars.com. “The chop was done at Street Rods by Auto Art, and the interior was done at The Interior Shop.”

The silver-and-black paint job looks first class in the photo gallery with the ad, accented by subtle pinstriping and a set of wide whitewalls up front and slicks in back on bright-red wheels with dog-dish hubcaps. The interior is also bright red, with a neatly designed custom dashboard in black.

The seats, rugs, headliner and door panels are all bright red
The seats, rugs, headliner and door panels are all bright red

There’s an extra-tall floor shifter topped by a skull-headed bandito. The tire valve-stem caps are little skulls. An empty Corona beer bottle serves as a coolant-overflow container. Classic funky rat rod stuff.

The car is powered by a Chevy 350 V8 backed by a manual transmission and Ford rear, the seller says, which should make this open-wheel coupe plenty hot. The vintage-looking engine is fitted with a rust-patina shorty exhaust manifold, which also should make it plenty loud.

Looks like fun and something that could impress your mainstream street-rod pals as well as the rat-rod outliers.

The custom Ford is priced at $34,500, which sounds fair enough.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day

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Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.
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