Thread: I want more than a rat rod

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Is it o.k. for a geezer to carp?My prject car has slowed to acrawl.RUST .TUE BODY LOOKS GEAT,IT IS PLASTIC,changed braks and suspention put on bigger rotors and calipers,went great till I changed hoses Broke3 steel lines putting on braided hose.2 support backets were rusted out . got new brackets but can not get the old bolts out [rounded off] tried to take off some front rad.brackets could only get 1/2 out.Since I am working in a 1 car garage I can not have all the tools to aid inthese problems .I CAN NOT DRIVE,SO DO I just ignore the funny looking rusty stuff and just do the stuff needed for saftety or keep fighting and never finish anything? phil the geezer

how tight is your space around the bolts? do you have an air compressor? I have used all the following to remove bolts that are rusted too badly: plasma cutter (interesting, works fast but you have to be careful), angle grinder with cutoff wheel (takes the most space), die grinder with cutoff wheel (less space than the angle grinder), and an air chisel. the air chisel gets the most use, it works great. shear off the head of the bolt then punch out the remaining portion.

If you are tight on space, budget and equipment get yourself a dremel with a cutoff wheel, it will take longer but hey, in a pinch you make do right.

Red

I want more than a rat rod

Good for you!

I just hate to leave stuff abandoned in place - especially junk stuff.

For the rusty bolts, you could go stone-age with a ballpeen hammer and a cold chisel.

Don't give up.

Originally Posted by ponchogeezer

Is it o.k. for a geezer to carp?My prject car has slowed to acrawl.RUST .TUE BODY LOOKS GEAT,IT IS PLASTIC,changed braks and suspention put on bigger rotors and calipers,went great till I changed hoses Broke3 steel lines putting on braided hose.2 support backets were rusted out . got new brackets but can not get the old bolts out [rounded off] tried to take off some front rad.brackets could only get 1/2 out.Since I am working in a 1 car garage I can not have all the tools to aid inthese problems .I CAN NOT DRIVE,SO DO I just ignore the funny looking rusty stuff and just do the stuff needed for saftety or keep fighting and never finish anything? phil the geezer

I usually keep fighting and get very little done!!!! But I have found out that in most cases the fight to do it right is worth it in the long run!!!!

I thought I could be a rat rodder but that lasted about a month before I couldn't stand it anymore. Fix it right or it will annoy the crap out of you later.

thanks guys,I cant quit completely ,its too much fun cursing.red, thanks I didn t think of a dremal/I no longer have a compressor or torch. I live in arow home with a10x20 garage.Putting agrinder under the car 15 inches off the ground isnt easy.The reason for crying is because I SPENT 3 HRS OUT THERE AND GOT 2 BOLTS OUT AND ROUNDED OFF3 MORE GUYS THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT.I LLBE BACK TO BITCH AGAIN PHIL THE GEEZER

a dremal will kick azz if its all you have available hang in there geezer..

Originally Posted by falconvan

I thought I could be a rat rodder but that lasted about a month before I couldn't stand it anymore. Fix it right or it will annoy the crap out of you later.

some things you just have to figure out for yourself welcome back into the light ..

I like the some of the ideas of what they're doing, like staying away from new parts and fabricating and refurbishing what you need. But I've been working on this one I'm building for about two months now and it's a lot of work to do this and make it look decent, even though it's not a ton of money. How can you spend weeks and weeks getting these old truck cabs or car bodies to fit the frame you're using and not at least want to shoot a decent coat of primer on it? When I build something, I like to know it's going to be around for a long time, no matter who ends up with it.

in a lot of cases we are just the care provider for the next owner , i cant tell you how many times i have bought something and eventually had a problem and under further inspection found some crapola that just makes you wonder what the previous owner was thinking , i do like some of the radical rat rods folks are building even the ones that odviuosly cant be drivin but i do like the art part of it even if some people dont , personally i like mine shiney

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Good for you!

I just hate to leave stuff abandoned in place - especially junk stuff.

For the rusty bolts, you could go stone-age with a ballpeen hammer and a cold chisel.

Don't give up.

some of us still do things the old tried and true way when all else fails break out DA BIG HAMMER and swing for the fence i resently removed the crapola fenders off my 37 this exact way , 70 year old bolts are a B$%@h
did i FUBAR what was left , you betcha!