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I've been watching a reality TV car show where all kinds of old rusty vintage and antique vehicles are transformed into Rat Rods. Pretty cool with some projects being a Hit and others a Miss. Anyway, it got me thinking, has anyone converted their C3 into a Rat Rod / Rat Vette? Besides the obvious big issue of the non metal body, is there any out there? One can airbrush a rust look into the paint, or use a wrap to look like beat up rusty paint...Jus' askin'...
Last edited by RetroGuy; Jan 11, 2024 at 11:37 AM.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
I grew up poor and hate that look because all my cars looked that way. Its the look of a lazy man to desire a **** looking car. A car is an extension of the owner, most rat rods I have seen were driven by folks I have no desire to talk to. Now a HotRod is a car in progress and may take a while to get to a finished state, but calling a car with a **** paint job beautiful is just plain lazy and half assed. mY paint may be needing help and it needs work on all the spider cracks but in no way do I want it to be that way.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
I grew up poor and hate that look because all my cars looked that way. Its the look of a lazy man to desire a **** looking car. A car is an extension of the owner, most rat rods I have seen were driven by folks I have no desire to talk to. Now a HotRod is a car in progress and may take a while to get to a finished state, but calling a car with a **** paint job beautiful is just plain lazy and half assed. mY paint may be needing help and it needs work on all the spider cracks but in no way do I want it to be that way.
I've been watching a reality TV car show where all kinds of old rusty vintage and antique vehicles are transformed into Rat Rods. Pretty cool with some projects being a Hit and others a Miss. Anyway, it got me thinking, has anyone converted their C3 into a Rat Rod / Rat Vette? Besides the obvious big issue of the non metal body, is there any out there? One can airbrush a rust look into the paint, or use a wrap to look like beat up rusty paint...Jus' askin'...
Airbrushing rust onto an old metal car is interesting and a bit artistic and creative if you are into that sort of thing.
However, airbrushing or wrapping a rust effect on a fiberglass car is dangerously close to… uh, not smart.
I hate the rat rod look, but I get that some folks need to be "different". Distressing a steel body car, then clear-coating the rusty panels, WTF even is that? Going out of your way to make a car look worse is foolish.
On the flip side, and usually it's a C4 thing, but there are plenty C3s, too: It is perfectly fine to leave a car in primer, or flat black paint, or bad paint, or whatever. Fix the mechanicals, first. At least the car is being driven, and not left to rot in a field.
Here are the only two related images I found. If there are other rat rod C3s out there, I don't pay them any attention.
Not a C3 but my latest project is a 80 Camaro with a LS3/4L60E swap. Original 28K car. Bought it from the original owners son. Body is far from perfect. Original paint. Never hit just some small nicks and paint dings. Not one speck of rust. Pretty cool for a MN car.
Would I call it a rat Camaro no. Folks ask me if I'm going to repaint? No. But it would be easy to put a laser straight base coat clear paint job on the car. You can't see it from the pic but the black center hood paint is checkered I suspect is from engine heat.
I don't care for the fake patina.
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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I do not like rat rods due to not having any money when I began driving, therefore, "rat rods" were my only choice. The same reason I don't like silver cars because they remind me of "cant afford paint primer gray". In 1968 I could have bought a 57 chevy convertible for $100 but it was in such bad shape when I showed it to my Dad he said I could not park that car in front of his house.
I concur...... and airbrushing rust on a fiberglass body is downright ridiculous
Originally Posted by Rescue Rogers
I grew up poor and hate that look because all my cars looked that way. Its the look of a lazy man to desire a **** looking car. A car is an extension of the owner, most rat rods I have seen were driven by folks I have no desire to talk to. Now a HotRod is a car in progress and may take a while to get to a finished state, but calling a car with a **** paint job beautiful is just plain lazy and half assed. mY paint may be needing help and it needs work on all the spider cracks but in no way do I want it to be that way.
Mutt might be a better term for a Vette that is just a good solid driver. Usually non original drivetrain and suspension, tired body & paint, probably some invisible upgrades, whatever the owner can afford and be happy to just be out there driving a Vette.
Rat is short for ratty, which sure isn’t a term of endearment for a car. I can appreciate the creativity of the rat rod movement, but that’s where it ends.
That has me laughing ! The Rat Rod thing has gotten a little carried away where as was noted above, Ratty, rat infested, old and abandoned. Then as with anything, it grew on people who didn't get the original point. Just driving , Llke Roadworthy Rescues or as those knuckheads from Roadkill garage do. But clear coating a sun baked rain flaked rust worn ratty is where they started crossing the line into 'Weld er Up' world. Some are like art and with bad art, it does exist.
Look at the Guitar world, they take perfectly good NEW guitars and give them the faux age treatment. Great real old stuff is Cool, but fake is fake.
I must confess however, I like survivors and have a preference for it in some cases. But nothing beats taking a ratty old car and making it your own.
Last comment on this is the Dung Beatle that Asin drives on Street Outlaws or the Farm Truck. Now that is some funny stuff right there. " What, C'mon, you can't beat an old farm truck ?!?!? ", or that nasty Dung VW pulling up to challenge anything. Fishin is fun ;-)
They used to call them sleepers. Now thats where that rusty wrap comes in !
what he said in post 3
Rat Rod Vettes?
