Whether you like it or not, electric cars are here, and they are here to stay. It's no longer just Tesla trying to make waves in the market, as pretty much every major car company is starting EV projects, with some pledging full electric lineups, like GM. What does that mean for enthusiasts like us who often like to modify our cars? Will building a car soon be a thing of the past? One man is doing everything in his power to prove that just because it's electric, doesn't mean you cant mess with it, and he has just put together an all electric rat rod.
1930's Ford Meets Electric Motorbike
Rich Benoit is an interesting man with an even more interesting business. Also known as Rich Rebuilds on YouTube, he has set out to prove that electric cars aren't untouchable as far as modifying and repairing. Anything from buying and fixing old totaled Teslas, to building a Cybertruck inspired "Cyberquad", Rich is not afraid to attempt things that many would say shouldn't be attempted.
Onto the vehicle at hand, the electric rat rod started its life as a 1930's Ford Model A. Rich then took the motor and electronics out of a wrecked electric motorcycle and engineered them together. Seeing as the motorcycle's motor is quite small, Rich decided to mate it to a 3 speed transmission out of a 60's Chevy in order to get the torque advantage necessary to power the car.
Rich's Electric Ford Model A is The Epitome of Hot Rodding
To say that Rich has a "make it work" attitude would be an understatement. Rich put together a collection of random parts in order to complete this build, such as the seats, which are out of an old Dodge Caravan that he had upholstered to look more period correct.
This car, which plenty of old purists would probably call an abomination, is actually the complete opposite. It is, in fact, the heart and soul of what hot rodding is and always has been. In essence it really isn't much different than a big block Chevy powered Model A because either way it got a swap; only difference is Rich chose to go electric. Either way, this build is really cool, and it proves that electric car hot rodding is possible and is still equally as awesome.
Source: Barcroft Cars, Rich Rebuilds