Thread: Describe your Rat Rod project here.

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Hi, I'm new.
First post in the forum.

Here's the description of the car I'm planning:
(key word -- *planning*)
The front half will be traditional rat rod based on very rusty parts from the front half of a 1929 Ford Phaeton.
The back half will be a shiny, polished Fiero drivetrain hanging out in the air and connected via a 1" triangulated tube frame.
Underneath will be a 2x4 square-tube frame (like that of a classic T-bucket) which transitions into the rear tube frame right around the seat back area.
The steel diamond-plate floor will be mounted to the *bottom* of the 2x4 tubes. This flat floor option is possible because of the rear engine. The main driver for doing this is that it will provide maximum legroom -- I'm 6'4".

That's the plan so far. Right now it's just a pile of parts in the garage.

Here is a pic of my 31 ford roadster. I made it in 5 months while working and going to school. The body is a combo, its half 31 and the back part is a 23 t half. its got a 350 I pulled out of a nova with a 350 trans witch had a isky cam and a shift kit in the engine. The wheels are 16 with firestone 16x6.00. the axel was also out of the nova. A buddy and I built the frame ( it cost about 35 dollars in metal) the radious rods and front axel are 30-31 and are drilled. After the car was mocked up I put a 6 pack on the motor using 6 2 barrel holley 94's. the gas tank is out of a t and the steering box is out of a 56 f 1 truck and the grand total was $1900 including the carbs intake and paper work. I got some other projects going on and if you are interested go to www.ruffrodders.com thanks

I started out collectng vintage bicycles, primarily balloon tire bikes. A friend of mine and I love it when we find a real crusty rusty complete bike that looks like it was left out behind the shed for 40 or 50 years and yet it's still ridable. We refer to these beauties as Tetenus Riders. I have several of these TR's and they get quite a reaction at the shows and swaps. I never thought of the connection before but they are similar to Rat Rods and the two would actually compliment each other. Click on the links below, one is my web site link and the other is my Stelber Rat Rod Tetenus Rider.

http://www.classicriders.com
http://www.classicriders.com/arc/Stelber1.JPG

Originally posted by Kid Dearborn


Hey, has anyone heard of anyone building a rod out of the older Volvo body that looks similar to a 40 Ford? I always thought a slighlty chopped version with a small mill would be cool.

I'm looking into buying an old Volvo 544. I won't start dreaming about what I can do to it untill it's sittin in my yard.

I don't know if it will be a "rat rod" by the definitions of this forum, but it won't be pretty anytime soon:
A have a '63 Corvair which was once given a fiberglass skin and a nose patterned off of some kind of Porshe. It was never really great, and sitting outside for 25 years hasn't helped.
However, I am doing a transplant of powertrain- the poorly done SBC is out, and am preparing the FWD 3.8 from a '87 Olds to go into midships of former 'Vair.
The motor and trans will stay stock until I get suspension, brakes, and all that stuff sorted out. Then, I have a turbo from an older 3.8 T-type to help things along...
Won't be a world-beater anytime soon, but should be a fun toy...
photos later.
jay

Why is it that every time rat rods are brought up this unsafe stuff starts my wife and kids drive mine and it needs a goverment saftey to be one the road. I do agree I want 4 brakes on my car to but if every rat rod only has two than every show car MUST have chrome rotors right because I have seen at least 4 or 5 in my day and I now have the right to say that thay all do.Please stop the KRAP I still like the part of the hobbie I belong to.

ow wow Big Meanie those are some cool looking bikes some real classic. I can remember haveing one some what similar to those sure wish I would of held on to It but I had to have one of those 5 speed stingray bikes when they came out and the old one whent to the garbage dump:confused

Period Rods?????? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
OMG, looks like a period to me too. Which period did that spanking new 350 LS-1 come out of? You can afford a crate motor but not a can of paint, because your making a statment?? Then you get upset because the statment is negative?
What a bunch of punks...you want to build a rod to "take it back to where it all started" crap- then get it right, use the same equipment that they had available, THEN let's see what ya got, besides your head up your butt, and an attitude about it.

I would realy like to know where these 80.000 paint job are at I want to cash in I dont know any one that has paid that much my truck only cost never mind I learned to paint it myself but still it would of only cost at most 3,500 only cause the color I chose but most paint job Ive seen range from 1,500 to 10,000 depending on color beside you always got maco starting at 200.bucks

Originally posted by Streets
Some dweeb wuz pushin' his Rat Rod up muh driveway yesterday, said he lost his rear brakes and didn't have any front brakes at all and ran into the big rock at the bottom of muh driveway... So I went and got my Remington (rattrap)10 gauge loaded w/00 buckshot, and put it outta it's misery forever, then I buried it in the back 40, (needed the fertilizer) he crawled away in his old rodent fashion..hehehe

ow yea streets lets put some more wood on the fire need some good reading

ya wasted a good /00 shell

Just in fun are you sure he wasnt a kamakize and just ran out of gas a little short of the strike zone.

Yawn--------DDSS. Read Dave Brisco's post again, then read it again, then keep reading the thing til you realize that you are not going to change anyone's mind or opinion concerning your rat rod... Cultures, sub-cultures, geez, been reading out of yer psychology 101 textbook again? Just quit labeling and catagorizing everything and everyone, build what ya want, nobody else really cares anyway. Just don't tell me that I'm wrong for building what I like. Never had a rat rod, never wanted a rat rod, never will own a rat rod. And by the way, if you're doing it as a form of protest, go find something worthwhile to protest.

Somebody kill this thread, Please.

I agree. My dad has a 31 model A coupe. Currently primered and chopped and sports a real hot flatty with and all the tricks. But it's no rat rod. It's gonna be shiny black, with a 50's style white and red tuck and roll interior. The chassis is a beautiful gloss red. To me, retro style and rat rods are two very different things. I really like the retro, but really hate the rat rods.

I just bought a 47 coupe that I'm making a early 60's style rod. It is yellow with white interior (not tuck and roll, yet!) It's stock flatty is going to be warmed up, and I need to give it a nice rake. I'm thinking of chrome reverse wheels and wide whites. Again, retro, but sure isn't any rat rod.

Bang, it's dead