Hi, I'm not new the the forum, I joined when I bought my first car which was a MK2F Breadvan. The Breddy is now dead so it's time to start on my new project, the tatty rat wagon 6n! My breadvan was MINT which was nice but I got tired of cleaning it all the time and I was really strict about passengers smoking/eating in it or people leaning on it and I got kind of bored of being like that, so for my next car I wanted something that I didn't have to ever clean and didn't care if It got dented or scratched and I also wanted something a bit newer and more reliable but I wanted to keep going with the V-dubs so I was thinking of getting a 1.4 3 door 6n and ratting it. Soon enough I came across this bargain, unfortunately it's only a 1L and it's a 5 door BUT it's already slammed on coilovers and its sitting on ATS Cups with all new tyres! Plus it came with half a tank of fuel, 5 months MOT and Tax and it only cost me £300! And it seems completely mechanically sound!

I'll start by posting some pictures of how it was when I bought it.

I've got a lot of ideas for this car. My aim is to try and make a rat car that actually looks good. I don't just want to glue loads of junk all over it and make a mess like a lot of ratters do! I will post all my progress up here, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but If your interested give it a comment and you'll get notifications every time I update :)

Cheers

I didn't really like the way the bonnet looked so I decided to rust the whole thing, I did like the bit of graffiti on it but I think I'm going to try draw something similar somewhere else on the car.

So after an hour of using a twisted wire wheel on a drill and poring sea salt and vinegar on it it looked like this the next day.

I also relocated the front number plate

That's all I've done to it so far but I've only had it a few days.

Edited 4 October, 201411 yr by shadaboot27

very interested to see how this one turns out, if the whole car is the same quality as you've done the bonnet I think it will look the tits

Thanks! The bonnet looks even better now after another night out in the rain! I am a bit of a perfectionist so I'm setting myself high standards for it, well as high as I can for a rat car! lol

I must say i am not a fan of 6n's and not a fan of ratting cars either tbf, not that they dont look cool but I just cant see myself rusting one on purpose lol

despite what i have just said I think if done correctly they can look quality...i saw a mk3 golf with a big spotlight on front bumper and roof rack with old shit in it and I must say it did look very good.

Ratting aint my area really but have you thought about stitching the front bumper with cable ties if you know what I mean? I think it looks bad ass

I agree, I think most modern rat cars look shit! It looks much better on old cars that have ratted naturally. I think it can look good on newer car if done right, and that is the challenge that I want to take with this car! I'm going to try and make it look good. And yeah cables ties on the bumper and wing do look good!

I think what gives rat look cars a bad rep is where people get a cinquecento, throw a pot noodle on the roof and spray rat on the side or whatever, I think almost any car could look good ratted if its done properly and effort is put in, so I reckon this will turn out nice!

Get some clear lacquer on that bonnet dude.. Am sad still the mk2f has gone

I think what gives rat look cars a bad rep is where people get a cinquecento, throw a pot noodle on the roof and spray rat on the side or whatever, I think almost any car could look good ratted if its done properly and effort is put in, so I reckon this will turn out nice!

Yea A lot of ratters just glue loads of junk to the roof and make a mess, that is not Rat look IMO, it's just shit! I think to make a good rat car you have to put lots of thought and effort into the car.

Get some clear lacquer on that bonnet dude.. Am sad still the mk2f has gone

Nah who needs lacquer! The more rust the better lol. And yea is is sad to see her go! :(

Edited 5 October, 201411 yr by shadaboot27

Good luck with your new toy boss...

well i have faith it woll turn out good, atleast you chose a semi ratted car to start with that was cheap too, I wouldnt mind seeing this in the flesh, I've never seen a ratted car in the flesh ever and amongst what I have seen pictures of this looks decent in comparison considering you just started...better than the guy you got it off!

It looks so much better in person! Pics don't do it justice, you can't see the lovely texture to the rust!

Love this build it looking sick dude keep it up. 5door 6n ftw

Quick pic of it from today with My MK2f getting chopped up in the back ground :( I'm glad it's been raining loads coz it's making the rust look better :)

Made a couple of slight changes today. I tinted the indicators yellow to match the headlights, removed the grill and I also sprayed some WD-40 onto the rusty bonnet to make it a bit darker, the bright orange was a bit too much. Only slight changes so far but i think the little touches make a big difference.

Everyone also keeps thinking my car is going to break down because of the way it looks so I gave the engine bay a good clean to show that underneath it's still a fully functional, reliable car. :)

liking the matched indicators

Edited 8 October, 201411 yr by ChiefkeefMcgee

Yeah I think it looks much better like that :)

Take the rocker cover off, sand it and polish it!

bonnet looks much better now, what else you got planned?

Take the rocker cover off, sand it and polish it!

Yeah I'm going to polish the rocker cover and also the wheels when I get time, ganna sticker bomb the underside of the bonnet too :)

bonnet looks much better now, what else you got planned?

I'm going to smooth the tailgate and leave it in a grey primer colour and rust up the edges of it, relocated the rear number plate onto the bumper, smooth the number plate recces on the front bumper, get pressed metal plates, slam it a bit more, get a loud, obnoxious, up swept exhaust, single wiper conversion, sticker bomb a few places and get a train horn! lol. I have no idea what to do on the interior yet though.

Edited 9 October, 201411 yr by shadaboot27

Looking forward to the trainhorn, If I had the money I'd get one, I think keeping the interior clean would be good If you put cool seats, like porsche tombstones or something and a nardi maybe?

Yeah i was thinking of getting bucket seats or something, not sure yet. I want to get the outside done first though.

hahaha all about a train horn! and upswept exhaust will look good too, think it will turn out cool as, you taking this to any meets any time soon?

Yeah I think I will be going to shows and meets in this. Don't know which ones though.