Rat Fink Reunion

I’m not a car* guy. but I have always been pretty intrigued by the Rat Fink scene. so imagine my excitement when I learned that the Rat Fink Reunion was an annual event in Manti. in years past we’ve always been out of town or something, but this time we got to go so I have a little report.
















first of all, you can learn more about Ed “Big Daddy” Roth at one of these places. how he scavenged junkyards to make building hot rods an aesthetic art, was the first to start using fiberglass to mold auto-bodies, and went on to create a bunch of monsters to ride around in the things – including the anti-mickey mouse Rat Fink that’s become such an icon. eventually Big Daddy Roth settled down in Manti, married a local girl and died in 2001. now his widow, Ilene Roth, has been putting this on for the last 5 years. she’s also the county auditor or something.












the Roth home is on the east end of town, last house on the street, and they open it up for you to look over the collection. then in the garage/hangar out back they’ve got a big carpeted shrine of a museum, with the best stuff even glassed off. dozens of vehicles, t-shirts and even pinstripers. whatever you want to bring, they’ll pinstripe it for you: cameras, wedding rings, strollers, palm pilot (you square!). I bet they’ll even pinstripe your ipod.

but I think this is the crown jewel of the collection: some fan mail to which Ed responds, talking about his boss old lady, being sidetracked by the devil, and how kids should NEVER COPY!

people come out to Sanpete for all kinds of stuff: weddings, snowmobile rallies, the Mormon Miracle Pageant, and to look at old pioneer homes. but if you get the chance, you really should come out to this sometime - I’m giving it a bunch of stars and thumbs. it’s a 3 day affair and there’s also tons of souvies, pompadours, tattoos, a car show, awards, parade, music, and bbq.

* by the way, I realize there are few things less pedestrian than a car show. but as far as cars and paintings go, hot rods and Rat Fink are about as pedestrian as it gets.