1928 Oakland Rat Rod Flaunts Massive Pontiac Engine, Could Go for Pocket Change

Whenever I look at a Rat Rod, I tend to think of the War Boys from Mad Max. These vehicles seem to encompass the same levels of insanity of that cult of V8-worshipping zealots. And I mean that in a good way! You aren't going to set a lap record in a rat rod, but building these cars doesn't necessarily imply you have to go fast in them. At least not for competition purposes.

Can you imagine going to a business meeting, all dressed up, driving a rat rod? How much fun would that be? I feel that anyone can appreciate these builds, if only for the fact that you're bringing back to life cars that wouldn't normally be on the roads anymore. And then there's the mixture of old and new technology, and the sound of it all. I guess "Rebel without a pause" would be a fitting intro song for when you're driving one around town.

I've only been looking at this 1928 Oakland 2 Door Sedan for 5 minutes, and I can't already imagine myself driving it in a bunch of different scenarios. It's strange how I feel it calling me. This may very well be the kind of car that rarely gets pulled over, and when it does, the officer is just curious to ask about the build. This was originally painted in Mount Vernon Blue, but now there are only traces of that paintjob left.

This is an evolution of what the original car used to be, as it comes with four-wheel disc brakes and a six-point chromoly rollcage to begin with. A lot of custom work has been performed to get it to its current level, but I'm most impressed with the powertrain. That's because a 1969 Pontiac 428 cubic-inch (7-liters) V8 was swapped in. And that wasn't enough for the owner, as the engine was further stroked up to 487 cubic-inch (8.0 liters).

Official performance figures have not been provided, but I guess it's safe to assume that this thing is packing at least 450 horsepower in its current setup. And that should be more than enough to light up the rear tires anytime you feel it. The moment you'll notice the exhaust pipe, is the moment you realize there's no way you can park this in your alleyway without waking up the whole neighborhood.

With a build this level I honestly expected that more people would place their bids, but that doesn't seem to be the case. With 3 days left until the end of the auction, only 6 bids have been placed, and the highest one stands at $2,900. That either means everyone's waiting to make a last moment move, or that you could get yourself a fancy war-horse for next to pocket change.