(EXPANDED FROM 1/10/2023)
Head out of Raymond, Washington on Route 6 (Wikipedia, 2020) and you cannot miss seeing an unusual assortment of old cars parked in front of the Rat Kool Garage & Customs.
Among those cars is a street rod dubbed the Packrat. Pictures on the garage’s Instagram (2022) page suggest that this beast is — or at least was — drivable. But some of the other cars? It’s a mixed bag.
Rat Kool Garage appears to have had a website that is no longer available and its Facebook (2022) page has not posted anything new since 2016. A Tumblr (2022) page describes the shop as run by “derelict rat builders that live in the wetlands of the Willapa Hills in Washington State.”
The garage has an eclectic array of domestic and foreign cars. The selection has been different each time I have driven by.
Then there is the memorabilia, ranging from old signs to gas pumps. Don’t look here for a slick presentation like you would find up the road at the LeMay Collections at Marymount. Rat Kool Garage is a roadside attraction that clearly fits in the category of “authentic.”
NOTES:
This article was originally posted on October 16, 2020, and expanded on Jan. 10, 2023 and Aug. 10, 2025.
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Facebook; 2016. “Rat Kool Garage.” Last post May 20.
- Instagram; 2022. “rat-kool-garage.” Accessed Jan. 10.
- Tumblr; 2022. “About us.” Accessed Jan. 10.
- Wikipedia; 2020. “Washington State Route 6.” Page last edited February 3.
Be the first to comment