What is a Rat Rod, you ask?

Even though the last few visits to the Eden area have brought family together over the loss of a loved one, the trips have been a blessing because they’ve allowed some time to get back in touch with folks we just don’t see enough. There is one more aspect of those visits that I want to write about before getting back to some news about Luray tomorrow – my uncle’s custom cars.

Uncle Tim is my dad’s brother, and he and his family have a farm near Stoneville. This time, he and his wife, Aunt Dawn, opened his home to the family as a gathering place between the wake and funeral service for grandma.

During our trip down in 2001, Tim took Mary and me to a little garage where he and some friends worked on car restorations and customizations. It was quite an operation, with eight or so stalls for projects, three of which were filled with ongoing efforts.

Then in 2006, he showed me this old Chevy that he had taken on as a new project. He found the car in the Midwest on eBay and brought home to do some work on it himself. Most of the body and interior work had already been done, so his efforts focused on the engine and some performance improvements. These photos show off the finished product.

He also had this truck that was a recently completed job. It is a jewel – very nice. These vehicles are mainly for having fun driving around, and they’ll often take them to shows and meets where other enthusiasts get together and show off their projects.

Now, after the wake, Tim told me about his latest effort – he was very excited about this one, and since I’m already gaga about the old Chevy and the “new” truck, I didn’t know what to expect. He called it his “rat rod” – a new term for me, which I’ve Googled:
“What is a rat rod? Many people have asked me, what is a rat rod? A rat rod is simply a custom car that is made for driving and hanging out with friends. Rat rods aren't ultra glossy show cars. Instead a rat rod is a "unfinished" street rod that is intentionally left a bit rough around the edges. (From: http://ratrodstuff.com/what-is-a-rat-rod)

So after the funeral, as everyone was hanging about visiting, Tim walked a bunch of us back to an old garage at the edge of one of his fields. He’d relocated his projects there, to a 2-stall work area that now houses the Chevy and the rat rod. Here are some highlight photos.

These cars are really awesome. I have no mechanical talent and that might be part of why I am so impressed. But it’s more likely that I’m impressed with the achievement I see here – a big project that takes talent, commitment and focus to bring it off – especially when those things are required in your hobby and past time. I can’t wait to see what the next one will be.