A coat of satin blue looks...
A coat of satin blue looks awesome on this low-down '51 Mercury. Smoothed lines from front to back, and a set of black steelies and wide whites give the Mercury lots of style in a simple package.
Don't snarl your lip at the name because it has the "R word" in it-the Rat Rod Rumble isn't just about a bunch of scabbed together hot rods. It's a huge gathering of traditional rods and customs from around the Southeast, all meeting at the 411 Dragway in Seymour, Tennessee, just north of Knoxville. The event is generally held on the last weekend of April (weekend before NSRA Nats South) and caters to hot rodders of all generations. You'll see everything from rusty creations to super slick hot rods, and every participant can make as many passes as they want on the old eighth-mile drag strip.
This year, the forecast looked grim with a nearly inevitable chance of rain, but it's a rain or shine event, so the dedicated rodders hit the road and rolled in early Saturday morning. As it turns out, the rain didn't show up until the afternoon, so there was plenty of action on the track, and a great turnout all together. The Rat Rod Rumble is definitely an up and coming event, especially if you like seeing nostalgic cars on the drag strip, and it's sure to keep growing if they keep up the good work.
Racing started at 11am, and...
Racing started at 11am, and rodders quickly rolled up to the staging lanes to make a few passes. This Model A sedan made at least ten passes, and made lots of noise with a healthy small block Chevy.
It's hard to beat the looks...
It's hard to beat the looks of a '57 Ford Ranch Wagon, especially when it features a two-tone paint job and a slightly lowered stance. This one has a traditionally-dressed Y-block, topped with three Holley 94 carburetors.
The swap meet was packed with...
The swap meet was packed with vintage parts, including a vendor that had a great selection of old wheels. The 15x6-inch Radir Tri-Ribs are the old aluminum center/steel rim design, and he was asking $500 for the set.
Rob Honeycutt owns this '51...
Rob Honeycutt owns this '51 Chevy, which features all sorts of surf shop flavor. The two-door sedan rolls low ever a set of polished Americans and blackwall radials.
Patina and vintage lettering...
Patina and vintage lettering gives this Model A coupe plenty of nostalgic style, while the triple-carbed small block Chevy provides the power. Other cool touches include a nice chop and a louvered visor.
Need a Hemi? Judging by the...
Need a Hemi? Judging by the decals on this fellow's pickup truck, and the contents in the bed, he sells vintage Hemi engines. He brought three Hemis and plenty of parts to the Rumble swap meet.
Rolling on 16- and 20-inch...
Rolling on 16- and 20-inch steel wheels and matching Firestone whitewalls, this heavily channeled Model A Tudor has loads of traditional styling. Red oxide paint with simple scallops finishes off the chopped sedan.
The Ramco Rocket is a killer...
The Ramco Rocket is a killer shoebox Ford and it was on the track all day. Just about every car on the track, including this one, featured a manual transmission, so it was certainly fun to watch the drivers bang gears.
Slick red paint with tons...
Slick red paint with tons of traditional pinstriping covers this F-100, which sits nice and low, over a set of steel wheels and BFGoodrich whitewalls. You don't have to own a rat rod to have a great time at the Rat Rod Rumble.
Slammed to the earth over...
Slammed to the earth over a set of black steelies and wide whites, this Advance Design Chevy is one wicked pickup. Weathered lettering and Indian blanket upholstery complement the look.
Satin bronze paint with a...
Satin bronze paint with a glossy white top makes for a cool look on this '59 Chevy Parkwood. The four-door wagon belongs to Cary Swearingin and rolls on a set of chrome five-spokes.
We don't see very many later-model...
We don't see very many later-model Anglias but this one is exceptionally cool with its gasser stance and big-'n-little slots. The lightweight Anglia has a hot small block Chevy and runs very strong.
John Gray squeezes every ounce...
John Gray squeezes every ounce of power from his bone-stock crate engine with a massive turbocharger. Though racing at the Rumble isn't timed, John has run very low 6's in the eighth mile with his wild combination.
Cherry Bomb's headquarters...
Cherry Bomb's headquarters is just down the road from the Rat Rod Rumble, so it's not uncommon to see its vendor trailer at local events like this one. The Hemi-powered Dodge pickup was definitely an eye-catcher.
Rolling on a set of Coker...
Rolling on a set of Coker Classic whitewalls and black Chevy rallyes, this tall T coupe looks just right with its raked stance and unchopped roof. We caught a shot of it as the owner rolled through the pits and into the show area.
With its interesting roof,...
With its interesting roof, this '29 Model A tub has a cool look with lots of red accents and an early small block Chevy for power. Larry Ramsey is the proud owner and he's a regular at the Rat Rod Rumble.
A great number of body modifications...
A great number of body modifications give this shoebox Ford plenty of custom flavor, and the flames top it off nicely. The chopped Ford is powered by a Flathead with three deuces.
Sporting a set of gray-center...
Sporting a set of gray-center Americans and big-'n-little rubber, this '40 Ford coupe has an aggressive stance. The car looks like it's been together quite some time, but it's still looking good.
Anyone else remember a certain...
Anyone else remember a certain red altered roadster with a big wing atop the roll cage? The "Teacher's Pet" isn't quite as legendary as the Winged Express, but it's still a crowd pleaser at nostalgia drag events.
A supercharged small block...
A supercharged small block Chevy with dual quads made it hard for the massive Mickey Thompson radials to grip, but it was fun to watch this fat fendered Ford blast down the track.. The sedan wore a fresh coat of flat black, and put on a show for the crowd.
Derrick Bradshaw didn't cut...
Derrick Bradshaw didn't cut his '54 Dodge pickup any slack on Saturday, as he made many passes down the track. Whitewalls and slots look cool on the shortened satin black pickup, and it survived the weekend without any trouble.
When's the last time you saw...
When's the last time you saw a Corvair gasser? Danny Casey owns this one, and runs it hard on the track. An aluminum-headed small block Chevy provides the power and sends it through a four-speed transmission.
Whitewalls and cool caps offer...
Whitewalls and cool caps offer a nostalgic look on this '31 Model A sedan. The unchopped Tudor features a raked stance, a rolled and pleated interior and a set of open headers to make plenty of noise.
Kevin Ingle rolled to the...
Kevin Ingle rolled to the Rat Rod Rumble in this weathered '37 Ford pickup, and mingled with his hot rodding friends. You won't find many modifications on this old pickup, but it's certainly cool.
With smoky burnouts and even...
With smoky burnouts and even smokier launches, this Chevy pickup was fun to watch on the track. We didn't find out much about the truck, but we know it has a manual transmission and the owner put it to the test.