Is it just me that doesn't understand 'Rat Look'?

[Superhoop]

Driving home from work the other day, I ending up following this.....



Now is it just me, or do they...

A) look like a complete pile of st, that any normal person would be embarrassed to drive/be seen dead in, and...

B) Scream 'please Mr Policeman, please pull me over, as my car looks unroadworthy'

I know the VW scene takes a bit of a bashing on here, but surely this is far worse?

[Eviltad]

Thats funny.

I guess you must need a strong sense of humour to drive that. Clearly a pisstake.

[hombrepaulo]

And it starts again.....

[Daaaveee]

Eviltad said:

Thats funny.

I guess you must need a strong sense of humour to drive that. Clearly a pisstake.

I agree, its amusing.

[Silent1]

It's even better when you see rusty plastic:

[Mr Gear]

Eviltad said:

Thats funny.

I guess you must need a strong sense of humour to drive that. Clearly a pisstake.

Exactly. This is a car driven by an 19/20 year old, who realises it's a piece of st, and plays up to it instead of trying to hide it under spoilers and low profile tyres.

I don't mind it. I'd rather be stuck behind this in a traffic jam than a totally boring standard one.

[Frederick]

The thing about rat look that's getting lost in translation a bit now, is that it used to be ratty looking but mechanically awesome cars. Now it's ratty looking and mechanically deathtrappy cars.

The amount of 'rat' cars I've heard of that have notched chassis with no strengthening to enable another inch to be chopped out of the springs, or the coilovers wound out until there's no tension on the sprint at full extension etc. is scary. Whenever I see one now I give them a massively wide berth - just in case. It's a shame cos something that looks crap but goes like a scalded cat is something that really floats my boat - but something with a badly stacked roof rack full of st, no suspension travel and questionable mechanics is a bit too worrysome for me so it's a case of "into third, and pass as quickly as possible!"

Yeah they're not all the same, and the ones that are done well are done really well, but for every "good" rat car, there are a legion of imitators who haven't maybe been as mechanically adept as their forebears...

Edited by Frederick on Friday 29th October 11:02

[carlove]

What about a rat look Rover?

[slipstream 1985]

its just st nothing else. not each to their own or everyone has different tastes or i respect what you like its just plain and simple st!

[hombrepaulo]

^ arrogant tosser ^

[Mr Gear]

slipstream 1985 said:

its just st nothing else. not each to their own or everyone has different tastes or i respect what you like its just plain and simple st!

That's the point though isn't it?

Making a Rover 400 "good" is an uphill struggle if ever there was one.

[T25 Clive]

Hi there, been a lurker for a while, but thought I'd register to post on this thread :-).

I originally disliked the Rat Look quite alot (I'm in the VW scene :-)) and yes, those cars above do look pretty crap. However proper Rat look is not where someone has attempted to create the Rat look, but where the car/bus has just been left to weather its years.

My friend has a 63 Split, it was imported from Uruguay and was originally a taxi, the bodywork and interior hasn't been touched for 47 years whereas mechanically its been totally rebuilt (inc recently fitted turbo :-)), now he could have restored it and made it all shiny and nice, but that would have completely lost the character and history of the bus, this is the part of the Rat scene that I do like, cars/buses that are still on the road (albeit safe/MOT'd) but showing their age.



^ was taken in Ninove (Belgium) after driving all the way from Plymouth :-)

[Colonial]

slipstream 1985 said:

its just st nothing else. not each to their own or everyone has different tastes or i respect what you like its just plain and simple st!

In your opinion.

Their money. Their choice. Simple.

I'm not arrogant enough to demand that people conform to what I think is acceptable.

[2 Wycked]

Rat look has certainly moved on since my 309. I think as a rule it is done purely by people who know they drive a terrible car so they play up to it, although there are exceptions that take it very seriously indeed.

Much like any car "scene" to be honest.

[Superhoop]

T25 Clive said:

Hi there, been a lurker for a while, but thought I'd register to post on this thread :-).

I originally disliked the Rat Look quite alot (I'm in the VW scene :-)) and yes, those cars above do look pretty crap. However proper Rat look is not where someone has attempted to create the Rat look, but where the car/bus has just been left to weather its years.

My friend has a 63 Split, it was imported from Uruguay and was originally a taxi, the bodywork and interior hasn't been touched for 47 years whereas mechanically its been totally rebuilt (inc recently fitted turbo :-)), now he could have restored it and made it all shiny and nice, but that would have completely lost the character and history of the bus, this is the part of the Rat scene that I do like, cars/buses that are still on the road (albeit safe/MOT'd) but showing their age.



^ was taken in Ninove (Belgium) after driving all the way from Plymouth :-)

Now this type of Rat Look I get - Externally original, but mechanically sound.

It's the deliberately rusted, painted badly, tat stuck all over the roof rack, and chains and ropes hanging off everything that it's possible to hang a chain or rope off that I just don't get

[Wadeski]

i think it can look really cool. a Rat look corsa tends to look crap because its a corsa, which is hard to make look good in ANY style.

however, rat-look American muscle, classic BMWs or 70s Japanese stuff can look immense: all Mad Max meets surf wagon meets salt-flat racer.

[T25 Clive]

That picture probably didn't prove my point that well :-) as we gave it a quick rattle can spray (kept getting stopped by the police), but this was it when it arrived, filler, dents dinks and all - loads of history :-) (and before the mechanical rebuild)

[MoBeanz]

Chill out guys.

There are lots of people out there that would turn their noses up at some 'flash c**t in a Ferrari' or 'some hairdresser in a Mazda'. Who gives a st?!? Just worry about your own ride.

There's 'debate' and then there's hating. Truth is, being a hater is never flattering.

[al1991]

I do think some of the VAG fanboys cars look ok.

But the rat look I don't get.

[ewenm]

What's not to understand? Some people like their cars to look like that. Fair enough, doesn't take much understanding. Now, liking rat look is a completely different matter, each to their own.