Ratty Muscle Cars - The House Of Muscle Ep. 8 

Great thing about a cuda is no matter what condition it is in, you are still driving a cuda.

Something tells me he would get along well with roadkill guys

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.

1:25 "If i break it, i´ll fix it." That´s the way it should be for all car guys

This is the culture I'm talking about. No status, just love and respect for cars and one another.

if it looks bad on the outside but runs like a top that's fine. performance over cosmetics.

Austin 😘

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.

old ratty cars are great, but I sure hope they aren't driving around of 30 year old tires.

Ratty cars are my favorite, I love that I don't have to care about it

I love old schools like this .. honestly they have more character than the restored shiny classics.. it just tells its own story

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.

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.

Honestly this is the only motortrend series that has stayed good and isn't a constant advertisement. Good job

you can have more fun with a car you don't care about than one what you won't even drive

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 :) )

holy shit i follow that guy on instagram i didnt know he was on this

at the very least, fix the frame rust correctly

This is the definition of men. There should be a RU-vid channel dedicated to the Rat Muscle cars

like how like how he has fun in a ratty car. This episode reminds me of why I like roadkill.

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.

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"!!!

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

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!

While I generally support the philosophy, perforating rust (especially structural) is a huge no-no.

Reminds me of a Dukes of Hazzard episode with him driving through a field!

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.

Great job mike, my favorite episode yet.These are my kinda people, made me want to go wrench with them.

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.

Good ol' crew chief zero f*cks

Oh Boy I'm glad I came back to this video. After watching videos of what supposedly is considered "RatStyle" here in Germany...

I'd pick this rusty muscle car over any overrated italian sports car with out any doubt

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 RU-vid videos about our 72 mustang and 89 camaro

more of this please! the average Joe with his passion for cars... period

Excellent story! love it. Keep it simple and enjoy small thing.

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.

FINALLY!!! some dudes that have real class for cars!! much respect.

Might be rusty but it's an awesome car!! I'm working on my 70 Nova now. New 360sbc going in tonight! Video soon to follow haha

Performance > Perfume

More videos like this please!

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!

This guy is roadkill before roadkill was roadkill.

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!

One of my favorite brand of cars other than Oldsmobile & Pontiac.

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?

I'm liking Mike in this series. Great stuff

Good ole boy 's , good ole days , how I grew up , I miss em ! Nice to see you still got ' em .

Best episode so far imho. I love the mentality of this guy!

Best episode yet. They keep getting better and better! Great work!

340s get a lot of credit in the mopar community & Chevy-ford guys who tried to run up against 1

it doesnt get more ´murica than this.

I love these cars, such a great bond between man and machine

I LOOOOVE the way that red Camaro looks. The way it looks like its black with red spots painted on looks demonic.

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.

my dream car is a 1967 Chrysler Newport 2 door with a 383.

great episode. Those guys get more enjoyment out of their cars than 99% of people who own these classics.

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.

Yeah I've been saying this for years... The cars were built to be driven, raced, driven fast and enjoyed. All of the cars that I have owned were actually pretty clean Factory examples that I built up and took out and enjoyed on the road weather be burnouts or whatever. If it's a trailer Queen, and it constantly sets in a climate-controlled garage with a paint job on it that cost $6,000... Well good for you but that's never going to happen to me. I mean I respect the people to do whatever with their cars. But honestly if you are so worried about a tiny little Dent or scratch, perfect paint no dust Flawless interior... You better have a pretty high-dollar collector car. Some of the cars that people own are just not that... They are rough they are Rusty that have dents in them... Yep these are the best ones actually. These people are enjoying their vehicles just like what we see here.

When he was sitting on the bonnet I thought he only had one foot!!

Awesome episode, I've had my ratty 72 mustang for 12 years and it always makes me smile when I fire it up!

I'll race you with my chevette.

Amazing I don't care what you say about classic muscle cars in my opinion they have a great history and worth more than a plastic stuff junk in today's society real muscle never dies still looking for my 70 charger dream 🚗

I don't want to be that guy but those are clean cars to tear up like that

Can't wait till I get a challenger 426 shaker R/T top most legendary card in the muscle is my dream favorite car with a Hurst pistol grip.

340 is the best small block ever made. Eats chebby and phord variants yesterday, today, alllllll day tomorrow

These are honestly the kind of people I want to be around

You should spice it up! Do house of IMPORTS

Good ole north Alabama. See these guys just about every Saturday night. And they know why. Lol

Because everyone enjoys breaking down every ten minutes.

all you need to know to make a ratty muscle car is a body, wheels and an engine in any combination, just make sure it puts a smile on your face

Shouldnt have to power brake it.you could smoke em at a roll.with our 440.

was Austin drummed out of the air force for having a ratty F-16?...ha

🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 the gospel... just drive it and beat on it

I just realized that you're the guy from "Big Muscle" good for you man!

Meet Austin the year before my dad passed away and he is the real deal man. He is a true Ratty Muscle Car lover

Best vid. I have ever seen Thank you for it And pls do moor!

Not a trend or fad. Most of us southern folks been doing this for years

Favorite episode so far man. Still looking forward to seeing a full show on your MONTE

At 9:22. The guy trying to put the hood pin back in... hand him a another beer and carry on.😆

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.

Ratty cars became SUPER popular on FB awhile back but I remember seeing that stuff and being like this is all my dad and his 4 brothers use to work on this is DAILY life for me lol. I'm a shade tree mechanic at best but I just love taking shit apart and getting back to gether the best I can lol I have a Old 82 olds it's a freaking boat but I LOVE it. one owner I have all the paper work. 98K orginal miles. It looked way better 5 years ago but now I still toy with it it went from show room ready to oops i left it in a field for 5 years. NOW it's not so pretty but still fun to play with TH400 hooked to a 307 like to get a crate 350 and shove in there. I LOVE cars and playing with them.

You should see my "Original" 340 H code Demon. 4 speed and all.

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

Love everything you guys do!! Keep up the Great work!!

need more car clubs like that. a++++

That was a '78 Camaro not a '68 (the one where the introduced his friend) not the red one that is a 68

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!

Wow! Great video. Very deep. It's so easy to get caught up in the show car/ pro touring look (which is amazing), but it's nice to see car enthusiasts come together and just enjoy what they have without being judged by what's trendy or a status symbol. 👏👏👏

Can't afford MotorTrend Channel ....... Summit Racing has all my money !

Very nice, Austin! Starting a movement! I could see it in those people's eyes! May God bless you and yours! Great work as usual, Mike and crew!! :-)))

I spotted Dylan mccool!

All American great kid!

I love the way people react to my ratty lil Maverick with chrome torque thrusts. Puts a smile on my face every single time!

Great episode... something 80% of all car guys/gals can relate to

This is kind of like my 66 AMC Rambler Rebel Classic. It's ratty on the outside and inside, but under the hood is a fresh AMC 327 with heads, cam and electric ignition.

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.

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 ep. im 30 now but back in high school, i had a 79 chevy stepside. it didnt really have rust at leat to the untrained eye. the body was strait but the paint looked shitty. i had the old mags on it. i had a nasty stroker under the hood. many kids made fun of me., they called it a piece of shit. that broke my heart....... i loved my truck that me and my dad built. and when it came time my truck loved me back and spanked those rich daddy bought rides. it looked like it had 100hp but it really had 450hp.

Yeah ratty cars are a little less stressful to drive so I guess you could say there more fun, hey you guys check out my ratty 70 chevy Nova on my channel Atomic Speed Garage I'd appreciate any comments.

I love this car; the paint, sound, everything but rust really does kill it for me.