Page 58 - Issue 38

BY LUKE MERRILL
Leading to Inspire (TINMAN 2 KUSTOMS)
Learning to Educate

hat inspires you to succeed at your life’s pursuits? To answer that
question you must look into what you value as an individual. Do you
enjoy building things with your hands? Do you also enjoy exploring

Wcreative ideas with thought and resourcefulness? If these questions seem
to fi t your values then a rat rod build is for you.

each of our rides more so than our own image
of status.
At the age of 19 I started to pursue the
dream of my fi rst rat rod build. Some of you
may remember the “Slammed Chevy” c10
from issue #23 of RRM; this is the build I am
referring to. Prior to this build my parents had
a negative stigma on “rat rods” because they
had each always been into the shiny painted
hot-rods. They did not understand the
valuable premise of building something out
of little-to-nothing. Because of this they were
Picking-up my initially against the idea of my build.
current dream Despite their negative mindset and less
build: 1931 Chevy,
with many plans of Many individuals have differing ideas of than supportive attitude I continued to push
artistic expression) what a “rat rod” can or should be. That, to through and build the truck of my dreams.
myself and many, is the glory in what defi nes Although I had never taken any classes in
rat rods as a type of artistic expression within
rat rods as a type of artistic expression within automotive or had much experience with
fabrication/building a car from nothing, I knew
a “Kulture” of, seemingly, misfi ts. Some
a “Kulture” of, seemingly, misfi ts. Some fabrication/building a car from nothing, I knew
how to be patient and persistent.
individuals value the amount of how to be patient and persistent.
individuals value the amount of
When the truck
money they put into When the truck
was fi nished, my
their rides, while others was fi nished, my
parents fi nally saw
value the worth & parents fi nally saw
the joy I found in
craftiness of their own the joy I found in
hands in creating their what I had built. At
what I had built. At
dreams. The craftiness this point is when they
this point is when they
realized they could
& “dirty fi ngernails” is realized they could
fi nally appreciate and
6 page where I, and many other “rat- fi nally appreciate and
spread of my rod” guys, differ from the typical
c10 in Issue
#23 of RRM car enthusiast. We value the Picture of my late little sister,
personality and expression in Shelbie, helping with the
wheels for the c10: Rest in
Paradise Shelbie!
58 RAT ROD MAGAZINE ISSUE THIRTY-EIGHT
58x59.luke tinman how to.indd 58 6/13/16 4:37 PM