Blog : Rat Rod 2011, AROnline’s dropping out

Keith Adams

A traditional Rat Rod, yesterday...
A traditional Rat Rod, yesterday…

You mention the term RatRod to most people and they’ll probably picture something like the car above. A gorgeous Hot Rod that’s been wonderfully patinated, turning rust into an art form. It’s a craze that’s sweeping the automotive world. and seems to have many different interpretations (see below). Banger Rally guru, Justin Clements, has his own ideas, too – and consequently, has built his own event around these cars.

The plan is to leave Calais, rally through the Alps, and finish in the Romanian city of Brasov. It’s an amazing adventure, and undoubtedly I’d loved to have gone on. In fact, I’d been banking on going until this weekend, when my plans suddenly came unstitched on the back of some unmovable deadlines, and my shocking lack of organisation. leaving ‘Team AROnline‘ stuck firmly in the pitlane.

Co-driver and long-suffering Cock-er-nee rebel, Andrew Elphick, has hitched with another team, leaving me to cover the event from good old Blighty. So, you can expect updates from the road at the end of each day, which I hope will inspire you (and me!) to make a similar journey next year. If all goes to plan, I should be meeting the rally at the end of the event and helping bring something back with Andrew (as we did in 2009, see ‘Bangering in reverse‘ blog). So, we could well end up either patriating something mad – like an Oltcit – or bringing home UK rally car, preferably BL-flavoured.

It will offset some of the disappointment, that’s for sure.

Stay tuned!

More at the Street Safari website.

A Rat Rod more in keeping with AROnline budgets

Keith Adams

4 Comments

  1. This is a 1925 Chrysler with a much newer Chrysler 413″ motor and “cross-ram” manifold. I shot it at Viva Las Vegas in 2010. I asked the owner if it had a little bit of throttle lag. His response was “Big time!” Kool rod, tho.

    RtR

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