'Rat rods' add character to car show - St. Cloud Times

SAUK RAPIDS – The Pantowner’s car show features row upon row of beautifully polished, shiny vehicles with perfect paint jobs. That’s where you see cars like Justin Sauer’s. “This thing sticks out like a dead tooth,” Sauer, 27, said Sunday. This is the “rat rod” class of the Pantowner’s Annual Car Show and Swap Meet, where vehicles exaggerate the look of 1930’s and 1940’s hot rods and purposefully ignore the glossy, finished appearance found at the rest of the show. Sauer’s car, which he calls “Hadez,” is a charcoal black 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood. He said it’s inspired by Christine , a 1983 horror movie about a violent car. And to emphasize its difference from cars in the rest of the classes, Sauer took out his key Sunday and scratched it. Tom Hall, Chairman of the car show, said the rat rod class is “blossoming. ” The class used to draw one or maybe two cars per year, Hall said. Hall said the class adds plenty of character to the show. Rick Gayken, who works at the show each year, said he has seen the rat rod class grow and is not surprised. “And you don’t have to worry about polishing it. ”. Sauer said he has only spent $10,000 on his rat rod in the five years he’s had it, but it was a desire to be different that pushed him to the class. But seeing the same thing over and over does get old after a while,” he said. Source: www.sctimes.com