so what is the definition of a rat rod, may I ask?
RAT ROD: A retro-styled, traditional, low-budget hot rod that eschews high dollar paint, modern components, or billet aluminum parts in favor of primer, junkyard/ swapmeet scrounged vintage parts and raw or unfinished bodywork. Rat Rods are so named for their "ratty" unrefined appearance. The term was likely inspired by the slang term 'rat bike', which is used in the custom motor cycle world to describe a bike intentionally built to look grungy and dilapidated as a reaction to and subversive protest of expensive, overy finished "trailer queen" bikes.
This definition comes from the HOT ROD CHRONICLE, copyright 2003