Originally Posted by Jeep2Xfire
Maybe I'm just stupid.. I thought the term "rat" meant big block, usually in big block Chevy (427, 454, etc.) while mouse meant small block (most common 327).
Am I wrong, or just two of the same words, but different meanings.
You're right, a Rat Motor is a big block Chevy, and has nothing to do with why a Rat Rod is called a Rat Rod.
A Rat Rod is essentially:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_rod