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 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.
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