LIVE-STREAM: “After Hours NO-PREP” @ US131 Motorsports Park – April 12th 2025 
We promised you exclusive coverage of the unveiling of the Rat Rod Magazine 2013 Tour Rat build and here it is! This project was sponsored by Rocket Racing Wheels as the 2012 build was. Steve at Rat Tod promised us that this was going to be a controversial deal that would get people talking and we’d say he was right on the money! What is it? How about a 1937 Lincoln Zephyr that was chopped down and made into a cab, melded with the back of a 1957 Chevy wagon made into a truck bed. The wheels are from Rocket.
We’re leaving our opinions out of it as to not influence yours. What say you? Do you dig it? Would you drive it?
um …….. yea
Nice wheels. Junk the rest.
You got that right Ian!
Good Lord, when will this fad PASS?? I’m not against building a unique hot rod, but good grief, the “Let’s build something from the parts in the back yard” idea is just getting really tired….
Other than the wheels and tires, its a rolling turd.
That’s not a ratrod. It’s more like a frankenrod. Junk it.
I’m not really liking it but a hood would probably help the looks a little.
There is a fine line between a ratrod and a craprod. Crap like this is why we (hot rodders) get a bad name!
?
Sounds like crap annnnnnnnnnnnd…….looks like crap too.
A big no way I would be caught even sitting in that monstrosity.
That thing would have to be really fast for me to drive it. Even though, it doesn’t look too bad from the grille to the cab. It’s the “bed” portion I can’t quite get with.
I don’t mind rat rods but it looks like they attempted to copy the one behind it & I can see why as it looks better..!
Bottom line here is that you need to ask, just because I can do it, should I do it..?
Dude, i built them BOTH. Copy myself???
I’m guessing the Zepher was in a restorable condition. What a waste, the rat rod hacks usually just butcher sheet metal the rest of us would at least try to save.
so…..they chopped up a Lincoln Zephyr AND a 57 Chev wagon to make this? Jesus H Christ….I men, I was with the whole rat rod thing in the early days when it meant the patina the car ALREADY had with a decent engine, the whole looks a bit crappy but goes like hell thing reminded us of the early days of jalopy hot rods but the trend has gone more and more stupid ever since. This piece of shit waste of money paragon of bad taste should be the wake up call that ends it. I mean seriously, read the comments. NOBODY likes this crap. One day people will look back on this and be angered and saddened at such a waste of useable old cars. It is an insult to hot rodding. These idiots should unstitch the mess they have made and sell the salvageable parts to people who might actually be able to use them. Where is the proportion in this thing? bleugh.
New category—- “Crap Rod” And the winner is…..
Someone should steal the wheels and leave the rest in a ditch
Not impressed. It is a bit original (except there’s a similar contraption in the background), but it doesn’t seem to go fast, showcase good craftsmanship, or really seem to work together. I mean, a 1980s Cadillac steering wheel on it?
Another no vote from me. I just don’t get it…….
Eeeeeesh ! WTF is that ? A car ? Hot Rod ? Post Modern sculpture on wheels ? Junk yard parts that fell together haphazardly ? Or just another round of Suburban Urban Hipster Irony pretending to be a Hot Rod ?
A prime example of …. Just because you can ….. Doesn’t mean you should
Send it back ( minus the wheels ) to the Junkyard please . Its hideous
what a waste of welding wire!
NICE WHEELS
If nothing else, it takes a large set of courage units to admit you had anything to do with building this piece of shit. Rocket, you all suck.
what can I say………………it’s all been said!
I like it! Custom body work big motor definatly one of akind but most of all I like it cause it pisses off the stuffy show car folks who have nightmares of people acually touching their mass produced all original cars that look exactly like all the other mass produced all original cars in mint condition that nobody is allowed to touch.that is what keeps ratrods popular.its in your face disregard for your prefrences and who cares if it meets your standards.bad publicity is better than none and none is what 90% of show cars get
Thanks Matt, It’s a working rather well. Got all the shiner dudes underwear in a bundle. LOL Love it or hate it they keep on spreading the word. So al you shiner guys keep on a shining,, while their all looking at my rat rod. See you on the street,, i’ll be driving mine while your hauling your.. Later
…..My guess is that: it’s an April Fool’s joke and that’s really your ’24 Hours of Lemons’ racer
Where’s the Grand Am front end? I like ratty traditional rods, but not “Rat Rods”. That might be OK with some slick paint.
Hang the Builders. The ruined a zephyr and a 57.. ought to be capital punishment for that.
Both were shot beyond belief. So i gave them new life. And there are NO RULES in rat rodding. Don’t forget to bring your rope.
That thing looks terrible. Have the people who built that ever heard of proportions? This could be really cool if you had someone who knows how to design a car involved.
I like anything with a motor (except the Pontiac Aztec and Honda Ridgeline). I saw it on Friday in person, and I thought it was pretty creative. Sleek, very aggressive profile in the front, but something went a bit awry behind the cab. I think it would have looked a lot better with a wider bed area, tires inside fenders, step-side it, anything. Too abrupt, and the color change pokes you in the eyes while you’re rubbing them. I love the attitude of Rat Rods , but not sure I’m a fan of the Frankenrods. Not ready to toss them in with the aforementioned crimes against retinas, but I think they are difficult to pull off. Gotta make them flow, otherwise it’s visual fingernails on chalkboard.
Ridgelines are awesome.
This is the same as an ugly dog contest. Maybe one person loves the winner.
Ive been tryin to get ready for it for days but I just cant quite get there.
I guess an Olds engine was a good choice.LOL
Im all for hacking up classic parts,”it takes a real man to cut up a rare part”, but only in the interest of a better whole.
This pile dont measure up there.
Parting it out and following the parts might make a better story and a happier ending. LOL
I think this crap has run its course. That thing is butt ugly.
Jump The Shark! Jump the Shark!
What a damned shame. If the parts were usable enough to weld together into that rolling pile of junk, they were good enough to be put to use properly.
There’s a difference between an unfinished hot rod, and these pieces of trash.
This fad or sub culture of whatever it is, can’t end soon enough.
??…….
Is that a Bigfoot impersonator in the 1st 3 pics?
Maybe he’s the designated driver for whatever that vehicle is supposed to be…
Can anyone imagine having to take that thing to a DMV/BMV for inspection/verification for registration?
I was mildly amused several years ago when these P.O.S. buckets hit the street because they really lit up the purists. Now it’s as cliche as the motor oil in jimmy shine’s hair. Ducktails looked stupid the first time around… they haven’t improved with age.
That said, it’s their time, effort, and money so if they dig it, that’s all there is to it and I’m fine with that. Since you asked if I liked it, though, I’d yawn out “It sucks.”
those wheels would look good under an altered.
I don’t understand where in the hell these guys get their styling ideas from? Really. I get the whole ” Wow” factor crap and “shock rod” stuff but this crap doesn’t even go together that well. I’m sure it’s on an S10 frame too. I actually like the magazine but hate some of their builds. Last years build wasn’t too bad but this crap is just plain jane ugly and useless. This doesn’t even harken back to the show car era either. Roth wouldn’t even care for it.
in the words of Chad Reynolds “it’s ugly as sin dipped in misery”
Rocket wheels is a great company and should be embarrassed their names on this heap. And anyone else notice the other “rat rod” in the background, almost if not even fuglier than the first one
The people have spoken.
That’s a fact, JohnnyG. I’m really surprised they’d want to be associated with trash like this.
How long is this fad going to last? I’d see the van craze again to this garbage!
I love it….but I also enjoy getting skin caught in my zipper.
It’s like taking a turd and floating in a pool. Aint a damn person gonna get near that thing. What’s more funny is that somewhere and somehow somebody actually thought it was a good idea. It really looks like crap.
Spectacularly awful.
yeah,this doesn’t work–two decades of styling difference between front and back just doesn’t flow,it’s more of a drop-off—-i think it could be saved if they lost the back,and made it into a mini-tanker—chop the tank so it’s no higher than the cab,and hinge it down the middle(length-wise),with gas shocks holding it up—you’d have massive storage—you could use a grill from a zephyr in the back and angle the rear of the tank to more or less match the front angle—ditch the zoomies and go with stacks,big-rig style–and i hope the donor cars were total trash!!
You guys need to get off the lawnchairs more often, lol.
This car is cool. Period.
Nitpicks: The steering wheel sucks, the inner door panels suck, and the craftsmanship sucks. And the car needs to be all one color, even if it IS rust. That’s where they failed, IMHO.
Building a rat rod doesn’t mean you are REQUIRED to suck at fabrication.
I’ve seen lotsa Rat Rods that had superior fab work, just not superior paint & body work.
This one’s a 7-outta-10 on the Caveman’s hairy-armed club-’em-over-the-head salute.
… So, Caveman, what would YOU do?
I’d sand it down to bare metal all over, then clear it.
And make the interior look like someone other than a high school freshman did it….
Brian, you said right at the start you were leaving your opinion out of it so as to not influence us – soooo, you’ve heard what we think, what do you honestly think? curious to hear your opinion…
You would’ nt last half a day if you drove it on the Dutch roads…
Once a cop see’ s you, youre FUCKED and the car is goin’ to the impound.
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