So, we already know what a restomod is, right? To sum it up, a restomod is a car that has been restored and modified to better than new condition. What exactly better than new is, is up to whoever is actually doing the restoration.

Case in point, just because I want to drop an LS3 into everything I see, doesn’t mean that it’s right for you. We all have different tastes, and that’s one of the reasons why the car world is so awesome.

Over the next few Fridays, we’re going to take the time to discuss different types of restomods. Trust me when I say that there are many different types. Need proof? Okay, just to name a few, there are gassers, rat and hot rods.

We’re going to go ahead and get the rat rod out of the way right now. My reasoning is because most people will disagree that this is even a type restomod.

Photo Credit: eBay

Once again, I’m okay with that. Why, you may be asking? Because if my name was Leonardo, Mona Lisa would be grinning from ear to ear, and not have that lame excuse for a smile that she eternally wears.

But guess what? Leo wanted her a specific way…

What I mean, is that your restomod is a direct representation of your personality. I consider it a form of art. Furthermore, who’s to say that the rat isn’t better now than it was when first built? After all, isn’t that the only criteria for a restomod.

Personally speaking, I am a rat rod guy. My old pickup is going to be rat-rod-like. I love it when a car is low, lean and super ugly – in a beautiful sort of way…

Photo Credit: eBay

Rats don’t fit in with the general population. They stand out because the goal is to be different and go against the grain.

The things you could do to a rat rod are endless. A lot of the time, these guys use whatever parts they have laying around in the garage. A guy I know personally has a camshaft for a front bumper. It was a cam out of one of his other engines that just happened to work perfectly as a bumper.

I’ve also got some creative ideas of my own for when I start throwing wrenches at my old ’67 pickup. I was a mechanic for several years. So, I have a lot of tools left from that part of my life, which I don’t use anymore. A good example is this ginormous box wrench that is about two feet long that will eventually be my shifter. I have no use for it otherwise.

Even though they look strange, most rat rodders don’t want their car to be a turd on wheels. Just because the rat looks unreliable, doesn’t mean they actually want it to be that way. The last thing any gear head wants is to be cruising through the streets and have a catastrophic failure.

That kind of defeats the purpose of cruising.

Photo Credit: RatRod-o-rama

Next time you see a rat rod at a show, don’t just walk by it thinking that there is nothing special going on. There is likely more creativity in the rat rod than in just about any other car present. Look at it; breathe it in. Who knows, you may just get some inspirations of your own.