Earlier this week, our travels found us in Philadelphia, where Bob Naylis showed-off his super sweet street rod build. Naylis’ ride was a clean ’37 Chevy coupe with all the right trimmings, and part of what made his rare breed of hot rod so unique was that it was built with comfort and driveability as its primary focus.

Next up, “Timekeeper” which is a ’48 Chevy pickup that’s fairly similar to Naylis’ coupe in that it’s simple and stays true to the era, though the rat-rodded truck is exactly the opposite of the late-’30s Bowtie in terms of finish and appearance. This stark contrast of similarity yet obviously very different is exactly why we love this hobby so much!

Timekeeper is a real rat rod, not following any standards of showroom cleanliness or car show perfection. Instead, the ’48 pickup takes us back to a time and place where one didn’t need the most cutting-edge in engineering to be cool; a fast motor, a manual transmission and simple body lines were sufficient for making the street scene during hot rodding’s early days.

Autoevolution’s Gabriel Brindusescu talks about why sometimes it really is better to keep it simple with certain automotive projects, “In the eyes of the right gearhead, this rusty ’48 Chevy pickup has more personality than three Lamborghini Venenos wrapped in gold foil,” says Brindusescu.

Timekeeper is far from being the prettiest-looking hot rod in the bunch, but for many enthusiasts, it’s ugliness is the very source of its driving excitement, “Still, it reminds you of how simple and fun driving was in the old days,” says Brindusescu. “Shape didn’t necessarily need to go hand-in-hand with functionality.”

Our featured rat rod pickup, “Timekeeper” is a time warp for sure. It’s also a good example of hot rodding for anyone who truly believes that rods should be driven and enjoyed! Share your thoughts below in the comments section.