Photo: Classic Cars
By definition, rat rods are meant to look ugly, but they are real sleepers underneath. Born in response to the flamboyant, at times bling custom movement, the rat rod segment bets on several key elements to send the right message across. Those include the lack of paint, the presence of rust, and the use of cheap, at times even non-automotive parts.
The Chevy 3100 we have here, although described as a rat rod, kind of misses all those points, and is, in turn, more of a regular custom. And not a bad one at that. Currently on sale for $35,000 in South Carolina, the bowtie is, if you like, a mix of both the rat and hot rod worlds.
Wrapped in a creamy matte white paint that gives it a bride’s dress look and riding on sanded aluminum wheels, the truck shows from place to place “nice vintage patina, […] as intended,” as the seller says in the advert posted online.
On the interior, the original bench is missing, having been replaced with bucket seats coming from an Audi car. The dashboard instruments fitted from the factory are still there, and “all working well enough.”
Mechanically, a lot of changes have been made, starting with the fitting of Heidts independent front suspension, a new fuel tank, and Lokar shifter and linkage, among others.
The engine powering the white monster along is a crate V8 capable of developing 425 HP and 447 lb-ft (605 Nm) torque, linked to an automatic transmission. We are not being provided with performance figures, but we are told the 0 to 60 time should be a single-digit affair with “a good tailwind,” while the top speed of the thing seems "to be limited only by wind resistance and your nerve.”
As said, the truck is listed for sale and is going for $35,000, having racked up 41,000 miles (66,000 km) on the odometer.
Wrapped in a creamy matte white paint that gives it a bride’s dress look and riding on sanded aluminum wheels, the truck shows from place to place “nice vintage patina, […] as intended,” as the seller says in the advert posted online.
On the interior, the original bench is missing, having been replaced with bucket seats coming from an Audi car. The dashboard instruments fitted from the factory are still there, and “all working well enough.”
Mechanically, a lot of changes have been made, starting with the fitting of Heidts independent front suspension, a new fuel tank, and Lokar shifter and linkage, among others.
The engine powering the white monster along is a crate V8 capable of developing 425 HP and 447 lb-ft (605 Nm) torque, linked to an automatic transmission. We are not being provided with performance figures, but we are told the 0 to 60 time should be a single-digit affair with “a good tailwind,” while the top speed of the thing seems "to be limited only by wind resistance and your nerve.”
As said, the truck is listed for sale and is going for $35,000, having racked up 41,000 miles (66,000 km) on the odometer.
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