I come back to this video every few months. I’m a younger guy, under 30 and it’s nice seeing younger guys like me with these cars. I have a 73 cuda, ratty, and I live by “if I break it, I’ll fix it. I’ve broken a ton of stuff driving always back on the road in a couple weeks.
Slapping bits of metal on over structural rust using tech-screws - nobody is going to be driving this 'cuda ever again in 5-10 years. This guy is not making even the slightest effort to preserve it. His Dart however - that looks great.
I checked out their web site a few years ago when they first started out. And his attitude was they didn't want any old men involved because they are all arrogant and don't listen to different ideas. So in their own way formed their own status. Pretty disappointing to an old man who has always tried to be very open-minded.
@@alanbeck1037 it is true tho, where I live at least five old guys have told me I shouldn't be driving my Camaro because it is a "classic" and it must be well kept so value could increase and that adding modern stuff like efi just kill the cars originality,, actually one guy said once "If I had your car I would restore it and just take it to car shows and weekend drives" that's why the market has been getting inflated lately, its always the old dudes that think their car is close to auction price and other dudes see that guy listing their old car for tons and think "well, maybe my poorly restored 68 Camaro costs around the same as the one I saw on TV last night" lol
I have so much respect for this guy he is the epitome of what I want to be. I bought a 1966 Ford Mustang and have been wrenching the shit out of it because I've always wanted one. I just recently joined the U.S. Army as a Ah-64D helicopter mechanic. I graduated high school in may and leave for basic training next Tuesday. I know most people won't care but I just related to this guy and wanted to share a little bit of my story.
Tyler, you go buddy! I am a Mustang lover too and my baby is fixing to get a supercharger. Believe me when I say there are going to be some surprised people when I go to the track for the first time! Good luck young man. Never give up on your dreams!!!!!
Tyler Walls bro post a video of your mustang maybe you can help me out don’t know much about cars but I loved them specially old school cars I have a 79 z28 and it’s cool to hear that engine start
Lucky you guys I do love muscle cars and I cannot own one... It's worse I can't even drive a car older than 2000 inside the city were I was born... I do wish I could emigrate just to try to live my passion, cars... Classic muscle cars...
Well said Hudson. Thanks THOM for keeping it authentic. You’d prolly like my ratty Porsche 944 with an LS truck motor squished into it . . . Drives like a 6/10th scale Cuda ;)
but he fixes stuff with self tapping screws and trash he finds lying about...not much of a steward...i personally dont care but those cars will all be junk when he's done "fixing them"...its really hard to remove a bad repair
@@philtripe That's the idea. He's not fixing his car for YOU to enjoy, he's fixing it for himself. The idea of the car isn't to make it the prettiest show car and then sell it. A souless approach. It's to enjoy it for yourself.
I'm totally into this and am so happy about this movement of Ratty Muscle Cars !!! I like to see old iron on the road no matter what it looks like. I bought my childhood dream car 13 years ago, A 1969 Camaro RS/SS (clone) on ebay sight unseen except ebay pictures, They ended up being photo shopped and it was not as perfect as I thought when it arrived off the shipping truck, I was like ahh its not the show car I thought I was getting but now I can drive it and not be as concerned about rock chips and such, it was still a well done clone. I made an intake change, 2 camshafts, street slicks, carbs and whatnot. About 8 years ago a micro burst picked up, spun and dropped the canvas carport it was parked under and gauged the soso paint all over, I was 42 at the time with a wife, two kids a mortgage and always at work, I was devastated and didn't have the funds or time to bring it back. I did some filling, sanding and primer on the damaged areas. I drove it here and there but less and less as I felt embarrassed when pulling up to the gas station, 7-11 or whatever. So it ended up mostly sitting for 7 years with me talking to it daily saying one day ill have you back on the road, mind you there was nothing wrong with it besides the way it looked. So it sat semi neglected with some rust now popping out of the rockers and lower doors and nice patinaed primer, sanded and some shiny paint. I watched an episode of Ratty Muscle Cars and said holly shit, there's lots of people out there like me with not perfect old iron driving on the road (unlike me). This inspired me to get my shit back on the road for me to enjoy and dammed what anyone else thought about it. I installed a new clutch and drove it all summer, weather permitting and put more miles on it in 4 months then I had over the last 13 years. Getting thumbs up everywhere, people talking to me at the gas station or anywhere I park it, Including the weekend car shows I would go to parking my car on the outskirts with members stopping me while looking at their rides and asking... hay did you drive that Camaro that's parked way out there? why don't you pull it in here where it belongs !!! Its been the best damn summer for me and my ride and I have helped 3 other friends get their junk back on the road. I'm looking forward to driving through the fall until the snow drops and hopefully making the long trip to the next #NoShineShitList event in the spring P. Get that ratty old iron back on the road where it belongs !!! (sorry this ended up way more long winded then intended :) )
ScoobyDigits not quite that cudas frame looked like it's got really bad problems on film I get it I've had and still do have more than one that needs painting rust is rust not Pettina and I drive mine but as soon as I could do do the right body work the right way I plan on it because in one of my cases steel makes my b-body faster and safer around and quality paint makes its stay that way mike has a point though at one point mr angry was according to him a nicely painted candy wrapper with guts that got his family stranded because of not putting any effort into it and all on the outside and a some on the inside interior
My buds got an apache that he bought rusty then lacquered to prevent any more holes while keeping the look. To me that made sense as it has character and will last longer. Purposely letting something rust for the patina is missing the point though. But hey, to each their own, my truck is spotless because thats how I like it but rust can be more interesting if thats your thing.
Can't possibly put into words just how much I enjoy this show, and it's predecessor, but this episode really came the closest to explaining the "why"… I still have a stupid grin on my face as I write this, 'nuff said.
tommyfyeah You should be into domestic cars. The heritage of these cars cannot be match by imports. Do not be influenced by how you are perceived by your peers. I am not saying imports are bad. But domestics are better. Try them. Does not have to be these types. If your friends call you whatever understand they have the issues. It is their ignorance.
I could not agree MORE! I have a 78 C3 Corvette Silver Anniversary that I drive almost every day. I bought it running for $1100.00 with a trashed interior and a broken rear window... all fixed with the help of Ebay and Craigs list. Sure Its rough in spots, has some cracks and spiders in the body and sketchy paint. She has well over 300,000 on her, a third trans (Just put in a Tremic 5 and Hydro Throw out) and a well refreshed 4 bolt out of a 76 pick up, after breaking a piston skirt on the original motor. Rusty Hooker full length headers and a home made exhaust that looks and performs better than anything the General ever made. Number matching??? F that! Most of all, I'm not afraid to beat the snot out of it on the back roads or park it at X-mart if I need something. Sure I hit the car shows, I park it outside and admire the shiny money pits. Then.... rumble past the trailer queens, pull out of the parking lot and light up the 'Pro Comps'. All with a little molten rubber on the rear quarters and a big fat oil leak spot where she was sitting. So while your polishing your rig, buying another trophy case and hoping some dust doesn't land on daddy's little girl, my junk is hood down and commuting two hours a day.
LaPabst I bought the exact same for 1000 and sold it for $2500 in a week lol it did need work obviously. But I didn't want to try and fix it since I wanted a 77 or older. I didn't care for the bubble window in the back
For sure Duke, and they are starting to get a second look in the market. Admittedly, the General made WAYYYY too many of them for wayyy too long,,, I get that. But, if your smart, you just might want to grab a good one while they are still cheap. The post 75ers died early deaths because they were smog monsters and ill running. They also got real expensive to fix real fast. Lots of em' got stuffed out back with the rusty Studebaker pick up... which is now worth a fortune I might add. I started as a mechanic in 79 trying to keep these pigs on the road (Along with all the other fledgling choke-mobiles). Now with carb exemptions in most states and the net, these have never been cheaper to own, drive and enjoy. The most amazing thing about the C3? How a car so big can have so little room. J
I agree Alamo, the last version of the C3 can be homely from some angles, but bad ass from others. And they really suffered from 'cheap down' towards the end, the build quality is a joke that no one is laughing at. But, its still got some soul and really trys to be a Vette most of the time. For the money? Hell yeah, I'll buy one.
These cars are my favorite, like me they are a bit rough on the outside, a bit too loud and sometime smoke too much but they are still moving and looking for a good time. Keep em' running and on the roads.
i can appreciate this show i have a 72 cougar my great grandpa bought new im the 4th owner always family owned,it sat outside since 02 i've had her back on the road daily driven about 5 months now all original,love it!
This. This is what classic cars are truly about to me. They were never perfect, they never handled great. But they're bring us together. And there's no point in having one sitting in storage under a cover looking like it rolled off the production line. It was built to be enjoyed. Want to stare at it? Buy the poster. Want to drive it? Work, buy one, enjoy the wheels off it, then buy new wheels for it. Classic cars are turning into rich boy (and girl) toys. When I left high school I could buy some classic cars for $500. Now they're going for $50,000. Same car, same condition. It's great to see these guys taking hot rodding back to the roots of it all.
I've always had ratty musclecars too. Way back in 91, I got a FREE, banged up, gutted, rusted out 68 Charger RT. Put a FREE 400 and 727 in it, and 3.91s, and eventually ran 13.39 at 106mph at Mission Raceway, just across the border in BC. It's in Car Craft Readers Rides, July 98, page 93. I'm Jeff, Donell is my wife.
This is the TRUE nature of Hotrodding! It's not about how much you spend... but how you make the car an extension of yourself. Loved the show, the car's and the real down home folks...THANX
I have restored a few classics myself to former glory. but i could only store them outside under the open sky. So after a few months little spots of rust would come trough the new paint, and i was so tired of that, i just took my 68 charger, put some plexiglass windows on it, build a healthy 440 with 727 for it, and just daily and graveling the crap out of it! And you know what, i should have done that way earlier! Love the thing!
I just wanna say that I've watched the episode over again at least once a month since it came out. It's my inspiration, and would love to see cars like this on the road more often. My favorite house of muscle to date.
Austin, you are my hero! I'm a fellow Alabama boy and what you do makes me feel like what I do ain't so dumb!! I have an 03 Mustang GT that is my baby!! I was always taught that you spend your money on the drive train. When you whoop up on a fancy girly car people look at you in a whole different way!!!! You go brother and all your friends have the kinda friendship we all long for.
My 88 mustang is dark red with a bright red driver door, teal passenger door, black hood, and dark blue hatch. its had countless owners and has dings and dents everywhere. but its mine. I made it my own. I’m always working on it, but I love that. Its a passion not everyone has. I care about my car but I have no problem laying tools on the fenders and laying dirty parts on the seats. Thats the beauty of a ratty muscle car. I don’t think i’d drive anything else.
Love it. It's nice to see old car being used rather than sitting around and rusting away. I like to see them out even if they look rusty and beat up only getting better and better as some one tinkers with them.
I love Ratty cars, they have real character with the faded paint and dents, they have a story to tell. My old Ford Falcon looks like it belongs in a scrap yard but I do not lose sleep if it scores more shopping trolley dents or some more scrapes on the paint. A new shiny car would be too stressful so I will stay with pre-stuffed cars.
Love this! Great to see videos on other people daily driving classics like we do. Although we couldn't get ahold of an icon like this cuda, as 19 year olds we're still more than happy daily-ing and making TH-cam videos about our 72 mustang and 89 camaro
Brought back a bunch of memories. Many beaters back in the day. Loved the camaro. Hit a speed bump, rust falls off. Launch it and the seat bolts broke and I fell into the back seat. Maxed out many a credit cards back then. :)
when vids like this come out it makes me want to work on my first car again. just get it on the road and enjoy the car with friends and family. ive got a 1968 coupe that i saved from going to a crusher.
Rat rods are one of my favorite. the idea to just make it mechanically perfect and continuing to run is something great. and what this guy is doing is awesome. cheers.
I drove my trans am for 10 years as a daily driver till I got it painted . Beautiful now , but I sometimes miss not having to worry about it .Good show
The closest I ever had to a "muscle car" was a '67 Dart GT with a stout small block. I wasn't especially careful with it either. I miss driving it like that so much. Its the only actual car I've ever owned for myself; everything else was a truck. I love that 'Cuda and the condition it's in, mostly. I'd have to do something with the rust, though.
dead on. i do body/paint/smash for a living and appreciate the look of the body but couldn't drive around with a flintstones floor pan. could be repaired and not change the look of the car at all.
Ratty Muscle Cars gives me inspiration. I plan on getting something ratty one day, and driving it while I fix it up. No amount of rust will stop the enjoyment of a loud V8
I love this episode, I'm glad to see that people enjoing their cars the wey it is, many people wait a lot for restore a project and when they finish they can't enjoy it for been taking care of it. Well done ! ! ! !
My dad has a 66 Newport 2dr, its super clean. White with a black vinyl top. Car is pretty fast for a 4000 pound lead sled. Lots of good memories cruising and shredding tires with friends and family in that car :) It's the first car I drove that could burn rubber and bark 2nd. The first car I ever drove was a friends 4 door 66 Malibu with a little straight six. The little six banger was fun but there's a night and day difference between a straight six and a big block V8 lol
Finally, some common sense enters the culture. I think the world has it's fair share of overly restored, too-shiny-to-drive collector cars. Would you rather drive your muscle car or hang it on the wall over the fireplace?
This is awesome, great episode. There are a lot of people out there who just want an old muscle car, and can't afford them in any condition. I think it's great that these guys are enjoying theirs weather they fix them up or not due to financial or personal reasons. Probably more than the ones who spent thousands of dollars on their numbers matching cars hidden away somewhere for no one to see. It's the people who have the high end fully restored show cars that ruin this hobby that turn their noses at the person who doesn't have one. That is how the hobby will die someday.
i checked it out because money doesnt matter (#1 reason i will never be rich) and you cant leave comments at all...so i dont like it, i feel the need to leave an inane comment on nearly every video i watch and when i watch normal tv it pisses me of cause i cant comment so i wind up writing emails (or at least starting them before im distracted my youtube)
This episode speaks so much to me. I'm a young guy who started a publication, thinking it would always be about cars, and that the people would be secondary to everything. It turns out the people are actually more interesting than the cars. By now I'd much sooner sit back and listen to someone 3 times my age tell me about drag racing in the 60s, than look at a show car. The show cars are only interesting if you're talking to the guy who built it.
If I ever had a Valiant Charger it would look like ass on the outside but would have beautiful mechanicals and frame. Yeah if she runs well and stops safely that's all that matters.
This car has serious structural rust, it's going to fall apart in a few years and nobody will ever get to enjoy it again - assuming it's already not beyond the point of no return.
Yes that's a good way to be - but this car has bits of metal - not even steel, just random metal like licence plates - tech screwed over structural rust in the framework - which won't do anything at all other than trap more moisture and dirt meaning more rust. It's clearly a bodged up mess body & frame wise, even if he's got the engine, brakes, suspension and steering sorted. It either needs to be taken off the road for proper structural repairs, or remove all the running gear and fit to a safer vehicle. In most countries, this vehicle would be ordered off the road. Looking at his Dart, I'd say it gets all the money spent on it and this poor 'Cuda is just for driving into the ground despite what he says about wanting to preserve it. Makes me sad.
I drive a very ratty old 81 rabbit pickup, people always tell me it has "potential", "you should just" or "you need to"... Its pieced together with a furnace, a filing cabinet, a treadmill and a bunch of other bits of scrap metal I found . It had the "potential" to be crushed years ago, i keep it in "it still works" condition and love all 78 hp of it.
I have been trying to locate a ratty muscle car but it isn't easy. I want to have my dog beside me going anywhere without stressing. Every body wants to "fix them up", throw a bad paint job on it, hideous wheels, and try to sell it for a fortune. PLEASE STOP! Just leave them original!
I AM THE 2ND OWNER OF 1986 GMC CABALLERO MY DAD BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW I GOT IT WHEN HE PASSED AWAY. I ENJOY THE CAR SO MUCH AND GIVES SOMETHING TO REMEMBER HIM BY
Mathew, cars back then were simple and reliable. If something were to go wrong every part store has the parts and yiu aren't stuck paying $2000 for computer module after paying someone to hook it up to computer. Ignorance Matt. ignorance.
Duke, you're the ignorant one. As someone who owns 3 muscle cars, i can tell you for a FACT that any new car is 100 times more reliable than your average 40-50 year old muscle car. Just because it runs doesn't mean there aren't hundreds of things that are ABOUT to break. The reason there aren't many of them left is because the rest of them have all broken down and been crushed.
In the mid '70's, I drove a '65 Malibu SS that looked like an abandoned car. The car was British Racing Green with a flat black hood. No dents but there were scratches all over it. Someone had added rear flairs to run N50's. I stuck in an old 396 with oval port heads, a Sig Erson Hi-Flo II cam, factory high rise and an 800 Holley. I added a 10,000 RPM nitrous unit which meant cutting a hole in the hood for the air cleaner to stick out. Underneath the air cleaner was blacked out cardboard to hide the nitrous. I had an M21 and 4:88 gears. I cut the flairs off and rolled the quarter panels with a baseball bat to fit 11" M&H slicks. After I blew the 396 after a year of racing, I installed an old LS6 I bought from a neighbor. I never worried about door dings and scratched paint. It was a fun car for street racing.
About two years ago, I meet Austin at a small car meet in my hometown in Alabama. He saw me and a friend filming his car (the Cuda you see in this video, which he had just got a few months back) and came up to ask us about how long we've been filming, what equipment we use, what cars we own, ect. He then talked about his group Ratty Muscle Cars and how he's planning a TV or Internet show pilot, and said me and my friend would be perfect to help film for it. I was hype on the idea, but school/life got in the way every time I thought about taking him up on his offer. I still have the business card and decal he handed me from the meet, and here I am stumbling across this video.... Anyway, Austin is a solid dude. Cool to see his name getting bigger.
I come back to this video every few months. I’m a younger guy, under 30 and it’s nice seeing younger guys like me with these cars. I have a 73 cuda, ratty, and I live by “if I break it, I’ll fix it. I’ve broken a ton of stuff driving always back on the road in a couple weeks.
Great thing about a cuda is no matter what condition it is in, you are still driving a cuda.
Slapping bits of metal on over structural rust using tech-screws - nobody is going to be driving this 'cuda ever again in 5-10 years. This guy is not making even the slightest effort to preserve it. His Dart however - that looks great.
Matthew Sharpe it doesn’t matter how preserves t is that’s the point of this movement, it’s that he’s enjoying it
When you're right you're right you can't argue with that logic.👍
Better than a chevelle!
Fact
This is the culture I'm talking about. No status, just love and respect for cars and one another.
Absolutely
Amen brother, let's all come together at least in one way!
No bs,no politics. Just car people.
My tribe.
I checked out their web site a few years ago when they first started out. And his attitude was they didn't want any old men involved because they are all arrogant and don't listen to different ideas. So in their own way formed their own status. Pretty disappointing to an old man who has always tried to be very open-minded.
@@alanbeck1037 it is true tho, where I live at least five old guys have told me I shouldn't be driving my Camaro because it is a "classic" and it must be well kept so value could increase and that adding modern stuff like efi just kill the cars originality,, actually one guy said once "If I had your car I would restore it and just take it to car shows and weekend drives" that's why the market has been getting inflated lately, its always the old dudes that think their car is close to auction price and other dudes see that guy listing their old car for tons and think "well, maybe my poorly restored 68 Camaro costs around the same as the one I saw on TV last night" lol
I have so much respect for this guy he is the epitome of what I want to be. I bought a 1966 Ford Mustang and have been wrenching the shit out of it because I've always wanted one. I just recently joined the U.S. Army as a Ah-64D helicopter mechanic. I graduated high school in may and leave for basic training next Tuesday. I know most people won't care but I just related to this guy and wanted to share a little bit of my story.
Tyler, you go buddy! I am a Mustang lover too and my baby is fixing to get a supercharger. Believe me when I say there are going to be some surprised people when I go to the track for the first time! Good luck young man. Never give up on your dreams!!!!!
Thank you brother!
That's awesome. I'm 13 and my dad has a 68 mustang that I really want to restore. Thank you for your service.
Tyler Walls bro post a video of your mustang maybe you can help me out don’t know much about cars but I loved them specially old school cars I have a 79 z28 and it’s cool to hear that engine start
Lucky you guys I do love muscle cars and I cannot own one... It's worse I can't even drive a car older than 2000 inside the city were I was born... I do wish I could emigrate just to try to live my passion, cars... Classic muscle cars...
I love old schools like this .. honestly they have more character than the restored shiny classics.. it just tells its own story
That's why I'm keeping my Datsun 510's paint original like how its now.. just pale and no shine. Love it ! Gives character indeed.
Yeah well they won't be able to tell a story after that rust has chewed up the car
@@abstract0014 That's why I've gotta repaint mine. Already have to fix some rust spots chewing on it
Plus it's preserving history. Long as it's safe to drive go nuts
Something tells me he would get along well with roadkill guys
I was just thinking, maybe Roadkill needs to see this guy!
goddimmus they do
darius2640 hell yeah bro he'll go well with them patina with power
Lmao ya think
Honestly this is the only motortrend series that has stayed good and isn't a constant advertisement. Good job
Thank you Hudson.
Well said Hudson. Thanks THOM for keeping it authentic. You’d prolly like my ratty Porsche 944 with an LS truck motor squished into it . . . Drives like a 6/10th scale Cuda ;)
1:25 "If i break it, i´ll fix it." That´s the way it should be for all car guys
but he fixes stuff with self tapping screws and trash he finds lying about...not much of a steward...i personally dont care but those cars will all be junk when he's done "fixing them"...its really hard to remove a bad repair
phil tripe Yeah, I don't think I'd want anything he fixed.
@@philtripe That's the idea. He's not fixing his car for YOU to enjoy, he's fixing it for himself.
The idea of the car isn't to make it the prettiest show car and then sell it. A souless approach. It's to enjoy it for yourself.
Race it, break it, fix it, repeat lol
Good ole boy 's , good ole days , how I grew up , I miss em ! Nice to see you still got ' em .
I'm totally into this and am so happy about this movement of Ratty Muscle Cars !!!
I like to see old iron on the road no matter what it looks like. I bought my childhood dream car 13 years ago, A 1969 Camaro RS/SS (clone) on ebay sight unseen except ebay pictures, They ended up being photo shopped and it was not as perfect as I thought when it arrived off the shipping truck, I was like ahh its not the show car I thought I was getting but now I can drive it and not be as concerned about rock chips and such, it was still a well done clone. I made an intake change, 2 camshafts, street slicks, carbs and whatnot.
About 8 years ago a micro burst picked up, spun and dropped the canvas carport it was parked under and gauged the soso paint all over, I was 42 at the time with a wife, two kids a mortgage and always at work, I was devastated and didn't have the funds or time to bring it back. I did some filling, sanding and primer on the damaged areas. I drove it here and there but less and less as I felt embarrassed when pulling up to the gas station, 7-11 or whatever. So it ended up mostly sitting for 7 years with me talking to it daily saying one day ill have you back on the road, mind you there was nothing wrong with it besides the way it looked. So it sat semi neglected with some rust now popping out of the rockers and lower doors and nice patinaed primer, sanded and some shiny paint.
I watched an episode of Ratty Muscle Cars and said holly shit, there's lots of people out there like me with not perfect old iron driving on the road (unlike me). This inspired me to get my shit back on the road for me to enjoy and dammed what anyone else thought about it. I installed a new clutch and drove it all summer, weather permitting and put more miles on it in 4 months then I had over the last 13 years. Getting thumbs up everywhere, people talking to me at the gas station or anywhere I park it, Including the weekend car shows I would go to parking my car on the outskirts with members stopping me while looking at their rides and asking... hay did you drive that Camaro that's parked way out there? why don't you pull it in here where it belongs !!!
Its been the best damn summer for me and my ride and I have helped 3 other friends get their junk back on the road. I'm looking forward to driving through the fall until the snow drops and hopefully making the long trip to the next #NoShineShitList event in the spring P. Get that ratty old iron back on the road where it belongs !!! (sorry this ended up way more long winded then intended :) )
if it looks bad on the outside but runs like a top that's fine. performance over cosmetics.
ScoobyDigits yup!
ScoobyDigits not quite that cudas frame looked like it's got really bad problems on film I get it I've had and still do have more than one that needs painting rust is rust not Pettina and I drive mine but as soon as I could do do the right body work the right way I plan on it because in one of my cases steel makes my b-body faster and safer around and quality paint makes its stay that way mike has a point though at one point mr angry was according to him a nicely painted candy wrapper with guts that got his family stranded because of not putting any effort into it and all on the outside and a some on the inside interior
the bad look might sometimes also be the look someone is going for.
Rust never sleeps
My buds got an apache that he bought rusty then lacquered to prevent any more holes while keeping the look. To me that made sense as it has character and will last longer. Purposely letting something rust for the patina is missing the point though. But hey, to each their own, my truck is spotless because thats how I like it but rust can be more interesting if thats your thing.
Can't possibly put into words just how much I enjoy this show, and it's predecessor, but this episode really came the closest to explaining the "why"… I still have a stupid grin on my face as I write this, 'nuff said.
im not even close to into ratty cars or older american cars and i love this episode. this is a sick show.
John Smith I totally agree
tommyfyeah You should be into domestic cars. The heritage of these cars cannot be match by imports. Do not be influenced by how you are perceived by your peers. I am not saying imports are bad. But domestics are better. Try them. Does not have to be these types. If your friends call you whatever understand they have the issues. It is their ignorance.
@@GARAGESZERO it always surprises me when I find you randomly in a comment section of a video haha
I've been doing this for 25 years. I always say,if it's too pretty you'll be afraid to run it. Love it
I could not agree MORE! I have a 78 C3 Corvette Silver Anniversary that I drive almost every day. I bought it running for $1100.00 with a trashed interior and a broken rear window... all fixed with the help of Ebay and Craigs list.
Sure Its rough in spots, has some cracks and spiders in the body and sketchy paint. She has well over 300,000 on her, a third trans (Just put in a Tremic 5 and Hydro Throw out) and a well refreshed 4 bolt out of a 76 pick up, after breaking a piston skirt on the original motor. Rusty Hooker full length headers and a home made exhaust that looks and performs better than anything the General ever made. Number matching??? F that! Most of all, I'm not afraid to beat the snot out of it on the back roads or park it at X-mart if I need something. Sure I hit the car shows, I park it outside and admire the shiny money pits. Then.... rumble past the trailer queens, pull out of the parking lot and light up the 'Pro Comps'. All with a little molten rubber on the rear quarters and a big fat oil leak spot where she was sitting. So while your polishing your rig, buying another trophy case and hoping some dust doesn't land on daddy's little girl, my junk is hood down and commuting two hours a day.
LaPabst I bought the exact same for 1000 and sold it for $2500 in a week lol it did need work obviously. But I didn't want to try and fix it since I wanted a 77 or older. I didn't care for the bubble window in the back
Lapabst, great comment. Many criticize c3's but they've never sat in seat and peered over those bulging fenders.
For sure Duke, and they are starting to get a second look in the market. Admittedly, the General made WAYYYY too many of them for wayyy too long,,, I get that. But, if your smart, you just might want to grab a good one while they are still cheap. The post 75ers died early deaths because they were smog monsters and ill running. They also got real expensive to fix real fast. Lots of em' got stuffed out back with the rusty Studebaker pick up... which is now worth a fortune I might add.
I started as a mechanic in 79 trying to keep these pigs on the road (Along with all the other fledgling choke-mobiles). Now with carb exemptions in most states and the net, these have never been cheaper to own, drive and enjoy. The most amazing thing about the C3? How a car so big can have so little room. J
I agree Alamo, the last version of the C3 can be homely from some angles, but bad ass from others. And they really suffered from 'cheap down' towards the end, the build quality is a joke that no one is laughing at. But, its still got some soul and really trys to be a Vette most of the time. For the money? Hell yeah, I'll buy one.
FINALLY!!! some dudes that have real class for cars!! much respect.
great episode. Those guys get more enjoyment out of their cars than 99% of people who own these classics.
These cars are my favorite, like me they are a bit rough on the outside, a bit too loud and sometime smoke too much but they are still moving and looking for a good time. Keep em' running and on the roads.
i can appreciate this show i have a 72 cougar my great grandpa bought new im the 4th owner always family owned,it sat outside since 02 i've had her back on the road daily driven about 5 months now all original,love it!
Austin 😘
@Seth Gallup no
Meet Austin the year before my dad passed away and he is the real deal man. He is a true Ratty Muscle Car lover
This.
This is what classic cars are truly about to me. They were never perfect, they never handled great. But they're bring us together. And there's no point in having one sitting in storage under a cover looking like it rolled off the production line. It was built to be enjoyed. Want to stare at it? Buy the poster. Want to drive it? Work, buy one, enjoy the wheels off it, then buy new wheels for it.
Classic cars are turning into rich boy (and girl) toys. When I left high school I could buy some classic cars for $500. Now they're going for $50,000. Same car, same condition. It's great to see these guys taking hot rodding back to the roots of it all.
Awesome episode, I've had my ratty 72 mustang for 12 years and it always makes me smile when I fire it up!
Best episode so far imho. I love the mentality of this guy!
I've always had ratty musclecars too. Way back in 91, I got a FREE, banged up, gutted, rusted out 68 Charger RT. Put a FREE 400 and 727 in it, and 3.91s, and eventually ran 13.39 at 106mph at Mission Raceway, just across the border in BC. It's in Car Craft Readers Rides, July 98, page 93. I'm Jeff, Donell is my wife.
more of this please! the average Joe with his passion for cars... period
This is the TRUE nature of Hotrodding! It's not about how much you spend... but how you make the car an extension of yourself. Loved the show, the car's and the real down home folks...THANX
Great job mike, my favorite episode yet.These are my kinda people, made me want to go wrench with them.
Ratty cars are my favorite, I love that I don't have to care about it
Patina is cool but bondo is not, had to do quarters and all on my el camino.
Stuart Cote very true
Stuart Cote you hit it right on the head
Lucas Sobrinho takes me back to my foxbody days lol
Driver Mod Gaming yea I feel you man I got a thing for these Gbodys I'm building my 80 cutlass sedan right now .
I have restored a few classics myself to former glory. but i could only store them outside under the open sky. So after a few months little spots of rust would come trough the new paint, and i was so tired of that, i just took my 68 charger, put some plexiglass windows on it, build a healthy 440 with 727 for it, and just daily and graveling the crap out of it! And you know what, i should have done that way earlier! Love the thing!
I just wanna say that I've watched the episode over again at least once a month since it came out. It's my inspiration, and would love to see cars like this on the road more often. My favorite house of muscle to date.
old ratty cars are great, but I sure hope they aren't driving around of 30 year old tires.
ZeroSuitSamo yeah, if your going to splurge on anything, some good tires and brakes are what you need, otherwise go nuts
My first thought as well, it's just stupid, endangering yourself and others around you for no good reason.
30 year old tires typically are rotten and dont hold air, these would likely be bias-ply, and you can clearly see they are radials
Nah
Episodes like this are the reason why I will always watch anything with Mike in it
Dude you were stationed at Shaw!! I was also in the gambler amu. I was a weapons tech, and also worked on 353. "double down"!!!
Tiger tiger, all for freedom!!!!
Austin, you are my hero! I'm a fellow Alabama boy and what you do makes me feel like what I do ain't so dumb!! I have an 03 Mustang GT that is my baby!! I was always taught that you spend your money on the drive train. When you whoop up on a fancy girly car people look at you in a whole different way!!!! You go brother and all your friends have the kinda friendship we all long for.
Best episode yet. They keep getting better and better! Great work!
I love this channel, it's a great way to learn about an entire culture. These are the kinds of episodes that will last for years, not roadkill.
like how like how he has fun in a ratty car. This episode reminds me of why I like roadkill.
I love these cars, such a great bond between man and machine
This is the definition of men. There should be a TH-cam channel dedicated to the Rat Muscle cars
Type in Ratty Muscle Cars we have one
Oh nice! thank you!
Ratty Muscle Cars I was going to say, there is one lol.
Bricklinsv1970 it's called roadkill lol
My 88 mustang is dark red with a bright red driver door, teal passenger door, black hood, and dark blue hatch. its had countless owners and has dings and dents everywhere. but its mine. I made it my own. I’m always working on it, but I love that. Its a passion not everyone has. I care about my car but I have no problem laying tools on the fenders and laying dirty parts on the seats. Thats the beauty of a ratty muscle car. I don’t think i’d drive anything else.
Excellent story! love it. Keep it simple and enjoy small thing.
Love it. It's nice to see old car being used rather than sitting around and rusting away. I like to see them out even if they look rusty and beat up only getting better and better as some one tinkers with them.
I'm liking Mike in this series. Great stuff
Much appreciated!
I love Ratty cars, they have real character with the faded paint and dents, they have a story to tell. My old Ford Falcon looks like it belongs in a scrap yard but I do not lose sleep if it scores more shopping trolley dents or some more scrapes on the paint. A new shiny car would be too stressful so I will stay with pre-stuffed cars.
Love this! Great to see videos on other people daily driving classics like we do. Although we couldn't get ahold of an icon like this cuda, as 19 year olds we're still more than happy daily-ing and making TH-cam videos about our 72 mustang and 89 camaro
Decades Cars wow coool seeing you young guys making videos on muscles cars! I subscribed to your channel
Decades Cars my friend picked up a complete running and driving 67 cuda for 1450
Nice! I've managed to get a 1962 Studebaker GT Hawk myself as my first car. Enjoy every minute you get with yours.
Brought back a bunch of memories. Many beaters back in the day. Loved the camaro. Hit a speed bump, rust falls off. Launch it and the seat bolts broke and I fell into the back seat. Maxed out many a credit cards back then. :)
Reminds me of a Dukes of Hazzard episode with him driving through a field!
when vids like this come out it makes me want to work on my first car again. just get it on the road and enjoy the car with friends and family. ive got a 1968 coupe that i saved from going to a crusher.
you can have more fun with a car you don't care about than one what you won't even drive
martin mann hehe you should see my 2016 mustang i been putting dents while driving it and just hammer tap back out and gets so much hate
Rat rods are one of my favorite. the idea to just make it mechanically perfect and continuing to run is something great. and what this guy is doing is awesome. cheers.
at the very least, fix the frame rust correctly
Cuda is a unibody car, no frame...
If it gets you down the road without breaking, thats a gem to the owner. Love and respect to my brothers and sisters.
More videos like this please!
I drove my trans am for 10 years as a daily driver till I got it painted . Beautiful now , but I sometimes miss not having to worry about it .Good show
The closest I ever had to a "muscle car" was a '67 Dart GT with a stout small block. I wasn't especially careful with it either. I miss driving it like that so much. Its the only actual car I've ever owned for myself; everything else was a truck. I love that 'Cuda and the condition it's in, mostly. I'd have to do something with the rust, though.
I can hear that Dart screaming now, Scott- hope you get the chance to drive her again soon
Another reason this is the best car show there is!
Oh Boy I'm glad I came back to this video. After watching videos of what supposedly is considered "RatStyle" here in Germany...
I love the way people react to my ratty lil Maverick with chrome torque thrusts. Puts a smile on my face every single time!
I LOOOOVE the way that red Camaro looks. The way it looks like its black with red spots painted on looks demonic.
this was the best and most well spoken and written episode of house of muscle ever. thanks for showcasing my kind of people and cars. Respect.
While I generally support the philosophy, perforating rust (especially structural) is a huge no-no.
Sensekhmet Surface rust is okay though
As long as it does not go deeper... I had personal experiences with rusted out cars, it's the stuff of nightmares.
Sensekhmet
This, I can handle faded paint, but rust is the devil.
dead on. i do body/paint/smash for a living and appreciate the look of the body but couldn't drive around with a flintstones floor pan.
could be repaired and not change the look of the car at all.
Sensekhmet you only live once who cares
One of my favorite brand of cars other than Oldsmobile & Pontiac.
holy shit i follow that guy on instagram i didnt know he was on this
he's awesome. love the cruises they do
crashandcynder whats his ig
ratty muscle cars
Ratty Muscle Cars gives me inspiration. I plan on getting something ratty one day, and driving it while I fix it up. No amount of rust will stop the enjoyment of a loud V8
This guy is roadkill before roadkill was roadkill.
I have to say this is probably the best episode ever because it truly exemplifies the grass roots of hot rodding
I'd pick this rusty muscle car over any overrated italian sports car with out any doubt
I love this episode, I'm glad to see that people enjoing their cars the wey it is, many people wait a lot for restore a project and when they finish they can't enjoy it for been taking care of it. Well done ! ! ! !
Performance > Perfume
Best episode yet! The world needs more people like this. Ratty muscle cars are the best. Keep 'em coming!
Good ol' crew chief zero f*cks
This will forever be my inspiration for my 1970 impala that i saved outa a buddies yard after it sat for 20 years
my dream car is a 1967 Chrysler Newport 2 door with a 383.
Kristopher Klassen I love c bodies from the late 60's but in the vid the cars are rusty but I will restore a car 100% but I will drive all bay long.
Trey Lewis
i have a 66 2 door hardtop in my backyard
My dad has a 66 Newport 2dr, its super clean. White with a black vinyl top. Car is pretty fast for a 4000 pound lead sled. Lots of good memories cruising and shredding tires with friends and family in that car :)
It's the first car I drove that could burn rubber and bark 2nd. The first car I ever drove was a friends 4 door 66 Malibu with a little straight six.
The little six banger was fun but there's a night and day difference between a straight six and a big block V8 lol
65 Chrysler here...and yes, the 67 is a beauty, too!
As a European: This couldn't be more American thing! Everything in this video! LOVE IT! :D
it doesnt get more ´murica than this.
My friends and I have been doing this for years. I'm glad there is a following for ratty cars and trucks
Finally, some common sense enters the culture. I think the world has it's fair share of overly restored, too-shiny-to-drive collector cars. Would you rather drive your muscle car or hang it on the wall over the fireplace?
Nice to drive these cars and not have the worry of the full restorations. I've always been an advocate to "DRIVE EM"!!!
When he was sitting on the bonnet I thought he only had one foot!!
me too LOL
Did not realize he was sitting on a Hat ;)
This is awesome, great episode. There are a lot of people out there who just want an old muscle car, and can't afford them in any condition. I think it's great that these guys are enjoying theirs weather they fix them up or not due to financial or personal reasons. Probably more than the ones who spent thousands of dollars on their numbers matching cars hidden away somewhere for no one to see. It's the people who have the high end fully restored show cars that ruin this hobby that turn their noses at the person who doesn't have one. That is how the hobby will die someday.
Doug Quan yep, even the junk is worth a mint now, and the clpnes go for as much or more than originals in some cases.
Make MTOD on gift cards similar to an iTunes or Amazon Card. Make a 1 month, 3 month, and a Year. Trust me a lot more will buy, even me!
Jaden Sanderson that's actually a VERY good idea
i checked it out because money doesnt matter (#1 reason i will never be rich) and you cant leave comments at all...so i dont like it, i feel the need to leave an inane comment on nearly every video i watch and when i watch normal tv it pisses me of cause i cant comment so i wind up writing emails (or at least starting them before im distracted my youtube)
This episode speaks so much to me. I'm a young guy who started a publication, thinking it would always be about cars, and that the people would be secondary to everything. It turns out the people are actually more interesting than the cars. By now I'd much sooner sit back and listen to someone 3 times my age tell me about drag racing in the 60s, than look at a show car. The show cars are only interesting if you're talking to the guy who built it.
If I ever had a Valiant Charger it would look like ass on the outside but would have beautiful mechanicals and frame. Yeah if she runs well and stops safely that's all that matters.
This car has serious structural rust, it's going to fall apart in a few years and nobody will ever get to enjoy it again - assuming it's already not beyond the point of no return.
i was thinking more on the lines of a sound base but a tatty looking exterior (surface rust)
Yes that's a good way to be - but this car has bits of metal - not even steel, just random metal like licence plates - tech screwed over structural rust in the framework - which won't do anything at all other than trap more moisture and dirt meaning more rust. It's clearly a bodged up mess body & frame wise, even if he's got the engine, brakes, suspension and steering sorted. It either needs to be taken off the road for proper structural repairs, or remove all the running gear and fit to a safer vehicle. In most countries, this vehicle would be ordered off the road. Looking at his Dart, I'd say it gets all the money spent on it and this poor 'Cuda is just for driving into the ground despite what he says about wanting to preserve it. Makes me sad.
well,this is america, bud. deal with it.
I drive a very ratty old 81 rabbit pickup, people always tell me it has "potential", "you should just" or "you need to"...
Its pieced together with a furnace, a filing cabinet, a treadmill and a bunch of other bits of scrap metal I found .
It had the "potential" to be crushed years ago, i keep it in "it still works" condition and love all 78 hp of it.
I have been trying to locate a ratty muscle car but it isn't easy. I want to have my dog beside me going anywhere without stressing. Every body wants to "fix them up", throw a bad paint job on it, hideous wheels, and try to sell it for a fortune. PLEASE STOP! Just leave them original!
I AM THE 2ND OWNER OF 1986 GMC CABALLERO MY DAD BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW I GOT IT WHEN HE PASSED AWAY. I ENJOY THE CAR SO MUCH AND GIVES SOMETHING TO REMEMBER HIM BY
I don't want to be that guy but those are clean cars to tear up like that
Ross Johnson dont be like that guy
daltex81 Ok I won't
I have to say, this is one of the best, if not the best, episode that I have seen yet! Nicely Done!
I'll race you with my chevette.
Ok, August 26th 2pm Decatur be at the Morgan County Fairgrounds
it's on baby
Ratty Muscle Cars do you have an email? I have some questions about your club
These are honestly the kind of people I want to be around
You should spice it up! Do house of IMPORTS
THE MTB FANATIC um no... this is an American show about American cars. I bet your favorite car is an R35 GTR.
cutthroat795 actually my favs car is the Porsche 918
Import does not always mean jdm! Europe(German,Italian),Asia(jdm) but also Australia,New Zeland has crazy builds
THE MTB FANATIC yeah well hardly anybody has those cars.
THE MTB FANATIC I have always wanted to see something on those weird Argentinian muscle cars of the late 70s.
Dude . This guy is a Real American Hero!
Because everyone enjoys breaking down every ten minutes.
Mathew, cars back then were simple and reliable. If something were to go wrong every part store has the parts and yiu aren't stuck paying $2000 for computer module after paying someone to hook it up to computer. Ignorance Matt. ignorance.
Duke your 100% right
Duke, you're the ignorant one. As someone who owns 3 muscle cars, i can tell you for a FACT that any new car is 100 times more reliable than your average 40-50 year old muscle car. Just because it runs doesn't mean there aren't hundreds of things that are ABOUT to break. The reason there aren't many of them left is because the rest of them have all broken down and been crushed.
@Skylar Garrett Thank you
I've never seen good bodywork make a car more reliable
In the mid '70's, I drove a '65 Malibu SS that looked like an abandoned car. The car was British Racing Green with a flat black hood. No dents but there were scratches all over it. Someone had added rear flairs to run N50's. I stuck in an old 396 with oval port heads, a Sig Erson Hi-Flo II cam, factory high rise and an 800 Holley. I added a 10,000 RPM nitrous unit which meant cutting a hole in the hood for the air cleaner to stick out. Underneath the air cleaner was blacked out cardboard to hide the nitrous. I had an M21 and 4:88 gears. I cut the flairs off and rolled the quarter panels with a baseball bat to fit 11" M&H slicks. After I blew the 396 after a year of racing, I installed an old LS6 I bought from a neighbor. I never worried about door dings and scratched paint. It was a fun car for street racing.
Thanks for this episode. You made me realise it's ok to love my ratty 70 Mercury Montego and all it's flaws.
Hell yeah it is!
need more car clubs like that. a++++
About two years ago, I meet Austin at a small car meet in my hometown in Alabama. He saw me and a friend filming his car (the Cuda you see in this video, which he had just got a few months back) and came up to ask us about how long we've been filming, what equipment we use, what cars we own, ect. He then talked about his group Ratty Muscle Cars and how he's planning a TV or Internet show pilot, and said me and my friend would be perfect to help film for it. I was hype on the idea, but school/life got in the way every time I thought about taking him up on his offer.
I still have the business card and decal he handed me from the meet, and here I am stumbling across this video....
Anyway, Austin is a solid dude. Cool to see his name getting bigger.
Over many years of learning one of the most important things I've learned was , if you don't have anything good to say , don't day it.
Good ole north Alabama. See these guys just about every Saturday night. And they know why. Lol
There's nothing more fun than a vehicle you don't care about but still love haha. Also, not at all surprised he was a crew chief.