Maxs junkyard jewels thread reminded me about this car, i think it looks awesome!

Quote from: VXT Tim;259044You V dubers may be aware of the "Rat look".

This is my mates Karman Ghia, its show season again and the car was finished about a month ago.   Its spent 40 years of its life in the desert and so has a sun scorched body.  To protect this its had 13 layers of lacquer.  Underneath its all very modern with disc brakes, IRS etc etc. It was fully restored by a good friend http://www.vwjava.com

Not got many pics and the sun wasnt out but here it is after a quick clean.

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:thumb:

Hell yeah!

All my motorbikes have always been some sort of primer or rat paint. :mrgreen: I was just talking to a guy yesterday who has an old Chevy truck being restored about how I want to get a mid 60s GMC truck and keep it rat, perhaps primer black or tan, but then put a new v6 in it with solid state ignition. Its gotta have a push button AM radio permanently tuned to 650.

cant see the point in "rat" look, like to step into a shiney car that looks great myself

Quote from: Binary Shadowcant see the point in "rat" look, like to step into a shiney car that looks great myself

Ever heard of a thing called patina? I can see you rattle canning a Louis XVI chair. "But it looked old!"

I love it. like a custom paint job

hardly, cars that look old are mint looking classics, cars that look "rat" are just crap and not looked after IMO

The definition of "rat" in classic car circles does not mean tatty, necessarily. With motorcycles its usually a bit gnarlier, as theres a ratbike culture with punks. Rat cars in the US usually take their cue from 50s hotrodding and moonshiner culture, where function and performance are far more important than appearance which is usually brought up to "an acceptable" level, but not obsessed over.

Its rather like pre-worn jeans and distressed clothing, you or I might not give tuppence for it but some people do.

In a car it can have two advantages, keeps the thieving chavs away and makes idiot drivers think twice before they try anything stupid on you in their new car. Yours might really be a ratbag and you might not be bothered if there is a slight bump between it and their brand new 4x4

iv driven a pre smashed astra about before and yeah it certainly makes people think twice, but a paint job that makes it look like someone has poured paint stripper over it is pointless IMO unless you have real dents itll not put people off