Thread: Rat rodder leaves the Dark Side

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Yep, it's true. Jimmy Shine admitted that his ratrod pickup was not a ratrod - just a work in progress.

"Every time they called it a ratrod, it was like a knife in my heart."

- Jimmy Shine

He's tearing it apart, intends to finish it inside and out - and paint it black.

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Yep, it's true. Jimmy Shine admitted that his ratrod pickup was not a ratrod - just a work in progress.
He's tearing it apart, intends to finish it inside and out - and paint it black.

I ask you WHY,WHY,WHY!!!!!!!
That truck had a great look and stance.
Of course I would love to see a blown 540 in there but that would ruin it.

I thought he said he was going to paint it red?? I will be suprised if it changes all that much.
Craig

Craig,

It was Pete Chapouris who said that modifying Jimmy's truck was about the same as painting the "California Kid" red. Pete thinks it should be kept as an icon. Jimmy just wants to build the car his way. Imagine that?

Erik,

If it looks good the way it is, think how good it will look finished. The new blown flathed looks terrific.

Not only did that blown flathead look goood, but when the fired it up on the stand, it sounded very good. I'd love to have a blown flathead hot rod. Can't afford it.

I have to admit, I think he is making a mistake. But it IS his truck, he can do whatever he wants. I personally would have just built another and leave the legend alone.

I gotta say IMO it's going to look a lot better finished and painted then it did.... From what Shine said on the tube, he doesn't like people thinking it's a rat rod!!!!

As for the California Kid car, I think it would look great in red!!!!

"Every time they called it a ratrod, it was like a knife in my heart."

I also seem to recall him saying that even while he was driving it his feelings were that it was "a work in progress".



This is something that I think really explains the feeling of most builders "back in the day" (when ever that was ) that the hard core Rat Rodders of a few years ago missed. When they did find an real example of a rough car from a certain era they would say that was the way it really was........and completely overlook that in the builder eye it was not a done car!!!

Over the last couple of years one thing I've noted is that the gap between the rat rodders and more traditional builders is slowly closing. The quality of the "rat rods" has generally gone up and builders/buyers have become more discerning of the cars (isn't the buying a rat rod a contradiction of the basic concept what the rat rodding was supposed to be anyway ) . Seems like almost all the car shows have all built high buck Rat Rods by now too.

Lets face it guys Rat Rodding has gone main stream.

As much as i hate to say it, uncle Bob, and dave were right, rat rodding is dying out, the poeple are changing.

It was refreshing to hear him admit that the engine would make around 250 hp rather than claiming something ridiculous. Just don't try to figure hp/$....................that blower setup by itself is $8500.................

As for the red thing, in the teasers for next week at the end of the show I think I also heard a comment something like "now he's going to paint it red....".

As for tearing down an icon, there probably isn't a more iconic car than Grabowski's bucket (although IMHO there are others that warrant equal footing) and he redid that car more than once. But then, it was just a car when he was doing it.

I called H&H for a quote on a complete engine for a project I'm going to do. There quote was $9998.00 for a complete flat motor detailed with 2 two barrel 97's, complete detailed blown motor was $16,000. So it looks like $64.00 per. That quote is about 30 days old, after Thursday it may be going up!!!
Ken

Low horsepower for big bucks . . . what a concept.

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Low horsepower for big bucks . . . what a concept.

If this is a new trend, count me out!!!! How in the heck could you ever justify spending $16K for a lousy 250 horse???? Seems like a ridiculous amount of money for an engine that does nothing except make some sort of fashion statement....

Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

As much as i hate to say it, uncle Bob, and dave were right, rat rodding is dying out, the poeple are changing.

I have to agree with Hotroddaddy, or at least say rat rodding is "changing." Not a bad thing totally.........I see prices for some parts that were driven up by the rat rod craze starting to level out. Ebay is not bringing the prices it once did for parts like '40 Ford brakes or ''35 Ford wire wheels.

As for Shines car, I have a little scoop on how it ended up. He did not paint it, just some of it like the frame. He decided to keep the body in bare steel to preserve the historic value........I guess Pete won out in his argument that Shine is just the "keeper of the car now."

Don't ask me how I know..........I promised not to tell that part of it.


Don

It seems to me the bad image has caused the drastic change in the original rat rodders mindset, also it seems what a few of the older guys here said, is that now that they are gaining more experience alot of there build quality is starting to step up alot, and what one thought was ok or cool is now not enough, their outlook on craftsmanship is getting better. Plus as don mentioned, the prices are coming back to reality, woo hoo, now maybe i can afford that model a ive been wanting.