You've probably heard of hot rods, street rods, and rat rods before, but there are quite a few distinct differences to them beyond their names.

Jeremey Rainey's Volkswagen Beetle rat rod is the definition of the "built not bought" slogan that so many hot-rodders live by. He purchased a rusty 1964 bug and went to work on the blank canvas.

Regardless of being admired or mocked, rat rods are a work of personalization. They harbor innovation instead of conformity, functionality instead of precision, and enthusiasm instead of refinement.

If so, your opinion on rat rods—and by extension, diesel rat rods—may be informed by whether you are already invested in traditional hot rod building (pre-1949 hot rods) and the long history of ...

Rat rods aren’t anyone’s idea of typical cars. T.J. Lutkins, 46, of St. Clair Shores, said his 1950 Ford Custom, “affectionately known as a Shoebox by car afficionados,” might even be too ratty for ...

Tucsonan Artimus Gil has no problem driving a vehicle that looks like it came straight out of “Mad Max: Fury Road.” In fact, it is kind of his thing. Over the last decade, one of Gil’s primary rides ...