Rat rods find home at Hot August Nights

The Hot August Nights car show on Lewiston's Main Street Saturday was full of dazzling classic cars, meticulously restored and sporting the finest paint jobs.

But here and there were cars of a different color - namely rust and gray primer. Known as rat rods, these cars are classic but they are anything but stock. When rat rodders begin working on a car they are not beholden to any standards of what the original car may have once looked like. In fact discerning the original make is nearly impossible. Instead their cars are Frankenstein-like creations that mish and mash parts from different makes, models, years and even eras. The results are truly unique automobiles.

Forrest Rahrer of Palouse proudly stood next to his rat rod. The engine came from a 1954 Bel Air, the body is a 1938 Dodge pickup and the doors came from a Chevy pickup but had to be cut in half to fit.

"The cowl (the part between the engine firewall and the front of the dash) is from a '29 Dodge Roadster, maybe, question mark, don't hold me to it," he said.

Andy Heitmann, also of Palouse, said his car is made of parts from nearly every major U.S. car manufacturer.

"It's like a melting pot," said his wife, Teresa Heitmann.

The car has a 1937 Dodge pickup body, the grill is from a 1937 or so Chevy, the rear end was taken from an early 1960s car, maybe a Galaxie, and the suspension is from a 1934 Ford car that was "quite modified" to fit.

Rat rodders relish not only building cool-looking cars but using their creativity and ingenuity to put their own stamp on the design.

"I think that is what drives people," said Heitmann. "It's your imagination, not just what comes from the factory."

He said making everything fit and look good is rewarding. It's also a great way to build a car on a budget.

"I didn't have a whole lot of money and I kind of got bored buying stuff out of a catalog," he said.

For rat rodders, the local junk yard is better than any classic car parts catalog.

"Walk through a junk yard and everything there has some kind of potential," said Rahrer.

He did start with a vision, then began to amass parts and pieces. From there he started drawing up plans on paper and kept collecting other people's junk. Throw in a TIG welder, elbow grease and some head-scratching, and before long he'd cobbled together his dream car.

And like many of those who build rat rods, he didn't even think of painting it. Instead the car sports a patina of rust. The newer parts of the body, fabricated out of sheet metal, quickly caught up rust-wise with the junk yard parts after a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

Rahrer's creation got plenty of looks from gawkers at the car show. Some stood and stared or dropped to a knee to look underneath. Some hazarded guesses as to its make-up.

Tyce Irish of Meridian said he prefers classic cars but can appreciate the rat rods as well.

"They are becoming more popular all the time," he said.

But Wade Huffaker, a mechanic from Lewiston, said he prefers the classic hot rods.

"The hot rods show more craftsmanship and creativity," he said.

He also wondered about the safety of the cars made from mish-mashed parts.

"They are kind of hobbled together and it makes me wonder how safe they are," Huffaker said. "Working on cars and knowing what I know, it's just kind of hard to comprehend something in that condition."

But Heitmann said safety is always a top consideration of his and other members of the Palouse-based Knuckleskrapers car club. The club requires its members to pass a safety check list published by the National Street Rod Association.

"They are built to be safe and not just strapped together," he said.

Heitmann said his car is still a work in progress and he does plan on painting it some day. Rahrer's car is pretty close to complete.

"Shortly I'm going to be done and it's going to be for sale," he said. "It's going to be time to start the next vision."

That vision is already in his head. But walking around Main Street and seeing all the cars, hot rods and rat rods alike, gave him lots of new ideas. He said the variety on display at Hot August Nights is inspiring.

"There are ideas everywhere at this show."

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Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273.