Aircooled VW South Africa

I have noticed over the last few weeks that there are quite a few referrals to cars being a "Rat Look" car.

I think its about time this topic gets discussed. If this topic offends anyone, I apologize, its not a dig at you.

I seem to get the impression there are two types of Rats around....
1) a car built specifically to look old with full proper running gear and a rock solid body with surface rust or paint that has been made to look rusty or old
and
2) a POS that is rusting which people refer to as Rat instead of rotten.

A few pics of cars that I think are done right....

Jesse James beetle, fully restored to be an 11 second drag car - this is not rust, this is a full rust look paint job


another few




This to me is almost right, but too shiney. Bus looks old but you can see its in good nick, and all the chrome is highly polished.





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how not to do it







rusted POS












And Filmore for a smile

Hey, leave Fillmore out of this!

Imho there are two ways of doing it, like the first pics you posted, OR, if you have a totally original car, with completely original paint/interior etc, that might be ratty with age, but is still useable, and not rusted/neglected to a state where it is unsafe to use, I would be hesitant to respray/redo it.
Especially if it's a car as original as say my 58 and various other members vehicles. To a bystander, not knowing the history or originality of the car, they might consider it "ratty" and in need of restoriation, but I would leave it as is as far as possible. That said, if it's rusted beyond repair, and the car is becoming unsafe to use/drive, then perhaps its gone too far. No hard and fast answers on this topic I'm afraid from my side. But let's hear it from the usual suspects, can't wait.

To me a rat is when the bodywork looks old and patinaed but does not necesecary have to be 100% original with regards to the mags, trim & any other hidden mechanical running gear. There is a very fine line between a rat and a POS, the line is probably drawn by the amount of rust but there are always exceptions. The "rat look" is very subjective although there is some common ground in most peoples understanding of it

Taking something, leaving it appearance wise in "as found" condition, but making everything mechanically sound and safe - that's pretty cool. Not many candidates around for this. Fig's new acquisition is a perfect example - not that I'd use the R word to describe it.

Trying to make something look tatty on purpose, rust paint, faux-tina, that's just trying too hard.


Something that just looks like shit, is unsafe, or is covered with skulls, cobwebs or whatever junk you can throw on there - well that's just stupid. It was when the bikers were first doing it to "protest" the megabuck stuff at bike rallies, and it still is even more so now that it is just another trend to follow. As with so many other things like hippies, punk, gangsta rap, something that originated out of a few dissaffected people "protesting" against mainstream "plastic" values and fashions, it quickly became a fashion in itself - the cruelest joke played on it's pioneers )


Lean, trimmed down, purposeful, are all good things, "modifications" for shock value are not. Understanding some basic design principles like LIM, form & flow is a good thing, throwing glue on your car & driving it through a junk shop is not.

This is a "trend" that has happily run it's course overseas already, sadly I think we still have quite a few of these aberrations coming our way here............

To my mind, the Rat look requires a few specifics. Firstly, the car must have genuine patina. Some rust is acceptable. However, the car should be mechanically perfect. It should also be lowered (from slightly to slammed) with a set of pimp wheels on it. Performance modification is acceptable, so long as it retains the crusty sleeper look. Original bling accessories are also OK.

My oval rag is a genuine patina car, not a Rat. If I lower it with some bling wheels it would become a Rat.

The Ratmobile, aka The Rat, my daily driver Fleetline panelvan, is NOT a Rat Looker, it's a just a ratty but roadworthy bus that earned its name 10 years before the Rat Look name was coined (and has been painted since then, a Rat Look no-no).

Cars like the Hood Ride beetle may or may not fit your idea of Rat Look, but making a car look like this is pointless after someone has showed off the concept once. It's not as though ratty cars are so hard to find that anyone needs to make one.

Rat look That is for those who have no money or knowledge to fix up their ride.

calooker wrote: Rat look That is for those who have no money or knowledge to fix up their ride.

Hallelujah!

Look, that Jesse James car is a stunner. Most of the others look just that, crap & more like a Genuine patina (not a rusted up piece of ) is really cool, honest and shows off the cars life story. Notin wrong with that at all. As Fig said, lower the ting, add some bling, ie spend some money on it.

My O2's worth

Rgrds

Barry wrote: Something that just looks like shit, is unsafe, or is covered with skulls, cobwebs or whatever junk you can throw on there - well that's just stupid. It was when the bikers were first doing it to "protest" the megabuck stuff at bike rallies, and it still is even more so now that it is just another trend to follow. As with so many other things like hippies, punk, gangsta rap, something that originated out of a few dissaffected people "protesting" against mainstream "plastic" values and fashions, it quickly became a fashion in itself - the cruelest joke played on it's pioneers )

Those gay HoodRide stencils come to mind, then we have stupid sayings about rust etc

I have a (surface) rusty (rat?? ) fastback and I must say that the car draws excessive negative attention i.e the Police always pull me over thinking that because it's rusty and has a rear lid in primer, it is unroadworthy, try explaining to them that mechanically/electrically it is perfect, they are not prepared to listen.....My disc almost got pulled off last week

I can happily say that it will be painted and all the rust removed quite soon....

I like honest rust...... the Jesse James one looks like someone took some of the crowd from the Bombay Spice Festival and they spuit-poeped all over the car.

It should say: "I've been around for some time." Not: "Hey look at my rust."

that is actually how the colour of the car when they pulled it out of the swamp

Mmmmm And then there is The DarkSide...
This is a Rat & not a POS!

It has the rust, the go faster bits, a cool sleeper and has a mild drop....

But then Sour Krout is one of my favourite bugs... Sorry but I can post my fav picture of it?

Lets just clear the air..

U CANNOT call your call a "rat-looker" just coz its rusty and looks like kak!
Believe it or not, rat-looker vehicles (the proper 1s) generally have a theme or an idea that runs thu out. It Usually comprises of 3colours (tints and tones), dropped suspension (air-ride 4 xtra points) and ideally has genuine patina to some honest rust with all chrome work in fair to great condition,
but def no cal-look style ratty beetles! Also add many period accessories, even if its not vw specific items; the more the merrier!
Mags are optional but og wheels or any other vintage OEM 15" with white walls work well too. With xtreme examples however, the trend is to add anything that has shock value, after all thats what its all about.

I agree that, rust paint, faux-tina and scortch marks are just WEAK! Patina (and the like) is earned,lol.

Ratty is a chosen kind of eccentric lifestyle, a statement or a defiance against the norm, a contradiction.

If you dont get it, then its not for you..

I like the way you think Benjamin, echos my thoughts exactly

vader wrote:Mmmmm And then there is The DarkSide...

DSC_0229b.jpg

This is a Rat & not a POS!

It has the rust, the go faster bits, a cool sleeper and has a mild drop....

But then Sour Krout is one of my favourite bugs... Sorry but I can post my fav picture of it?

No Vader...this is a rusty POS!!!
Rust that goes fast is not a Rat...it's still a rusty POS

To me, this looks much better then the JJ Beetle