Perhaps the appeal of a rat rod is the promise of a capable car underneath a tarnished hide. It’s fair to assume that, with many rat rods, function follows form—they’re artistic expressions first and foremost. Rarely are they made to be quite as incisive as this ’70 Carrera, which, without any urethane in the suspension, guarantees a direct relation between the driver and this baby blue 911. Call the chiropractor.
“Drives tighter than it looks,” quips Farah.
The ragtag paint scheme, as appealing as it is, wouldn’t look too natural parked in front of a Monaco hotel. Yet, it speaks to the focused nature of the build—as does the IROC RSR-replica bodywork. With a 3.2-liter motor from an ’87 G-body, a 915 gearbox, tall gears, and 220 whp on tap, the 2,200-pound racer has more than enough thrust to tackle these LA backroads.
It’s uncouth, it’s crude, and the Phase 9 mufflers are sure to irritate the neighbors from miles away. That raucous blare and the garish paint job might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s sort of the point, isn’t it? A robin egg blue middle finger to convention; a portal back to an irreverent adolescence.
All of a sudden, I feel like digging up my old Van Halen records.