Thread: 33 Rolls Royce rat rod

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I've had this idea of rat rodding an old rolls royce for a while, I've actually found a cheap RR where I'm from and planning on going through with it. chopping the top a couple inches and channeling the body aswell, then throwing in some big block american muscle. I was wondering if anyone had thought of this before or if anyone has seen this in action? Also looking for some input from y'all.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...KYmSiAKGjYHgCg
There are probably not too many of us who would know what a '33 RR looks like, here is a link to several models....

rolls royce 2.jpgrolls royce 3.jpgrolls royce 1.jpg

haha sorry, here is the one i have in mind for the project. its a 1933 20/25 Rolls Royce.

Travis McGee did it with Miss Agnes!!!

...but alas, no photos

Most of these old RR bodies are wooden frame with aluminum skin. There were a variety of coach makers who would build custom bodies for the chassis & running gear purchased from RR. You might be wise to do some research on the maker of that particular body to see if it is one of the valuable ones before you cut it up. Just a thought....

I was thinking the same thing. That looks like a pretty complete RR to be cutting it up. If you do find that it's not of significant value and decide to go forward with the project why do you say "Rat Rod"? I think that the lines of the body and fenders lend themselves to a nicely finished street rod (again, assuming it's not a valuable classic) and I would hate to see it trashed for shock effect. If it becomes a project car why not do it right?

there is no cheap R R that i know of ??but looks like the costly parts are missing? grill head lights?. cutting down a skin body car is a real job . welding on that aluminum skin may be fun. if you have done many jobs like this under you belt go for it .but to channel and chop you will end up building a steel or aluminum structure to hang the alum skin on. not my car but if it was i put the out side back stock looking. power every thing on the inside but stock looking right down to the bud vases . use a new wire rim to put some wide whites tires under it. up grade on front end disc brakes re work the frame of more HP . ford 9 BBC in the back a. 496 flat top pump gas or go with the aluminum theme and use a donovan 9.800 deck build a small 540 flat top pump gas engine

Randyr, where would I be able to find that kind of info? Its just as described, being a wooden frame with aluminum skin and vin plate says Rolls Royce. Does that make it more valuable than if it were a custom body?

Rspears, it's fully complete, the parts that aren't shown were taken off to be rechromed or repaired and apparently the motor still runs quietly an smoothly. I guess rat rod wouldnt be the exact route I want to take, more like hot rod. I still want it's elegance just chopped and painted a flat white, not like it's about to fall apart driving down the road. I've always wanted a ratrod/hotrod but the ones I've come across around here cost too much for what I'm getting IMO. This one the chrome pieces, rims, and grill are each worth more than what I'm getting it for.

Hey pat, I think this is one of those rare occasions where this is a cheap RR haha. That descriptiondoes sound like a pretty sweet setup! Do they make a disc brake setup for this car?

Well, they're asking $250K for this bad boy! 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II - $249,500 - Vehicle Classifieds For Classic Phantom IIs For Sale (CC-360785)

Granted there's a lot of difference between the two cars, but it seems to me the RR is more of a "purist" car that doesn't fit somehow with rat rod (or any "rod" for that matter.)

If it were me and I was going to cut her at all, I'd be inclined to go with Pat's suggestion and make it look bone-daddy stock and put a nice BBC in between those frame rails. would take a ton of work and would probably be easier to buy a wrecked late model Corvette and graft the RR onto the frame. If the RR engine does run well you could probably sell it and recover a lot of the "remodel" cost!!

My two cents!
Glenn

Originally Posted by Htex88

Hey pat, I think this is one of those rare occasions where this is a cheap RR haha. That descriptiondoes sound like a pretty sweet setup! Do they make a disc brake setup for this car?

the easy way is buy a new axle set up for a chevy spindle or ford or take you spindle cross over the bearing to mount a disc rotor then a bracket can be made up to hold the caliper or rework the king pin size to adapted a spindles could be made to work last two ways will require a higher level of skill and you have to worry about other things with the old axle holding up

Originally Posted by glennsexton

Well, they're asking $250K for this bad boy! 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II - $249,500 - Vehicle Classifieds For Classic Phantom IIs For Sale (CC-360785)

Granted there's a lot of difference between the two cars, but it seems to me the RR is more of a "purist" car that doesn't fit somehow with rat rod (or any "rod" for that matter.)

If it were me and I was going to cut her at all, I'd be inclined to go with Pat's suggestion and make it look bone-daddy stock and put a nice BBC in between those frame rails. would take a ton of work and would probably be easier to buy a wrecked late model Corvette and graft the RR onto the frame. If the RR engine does run well you could probably sell it and recover a lot of the "remodel" cost!!

My two cents!
Glenn

well yes you could put a LS engine in it but i did say if mine not hard to get 650 out of a blown LS but i like dumb horses power but a blower will bolt right on a BBC and get 700 to 800 HP

This is a RR hot rod built by a friend here in Tampa. It's powered by a RR engine & auto trans. These are the only pics I have of the car.

Mike

Rolls Royce Street Rod.jpg

Rolls Royce 1.JPG

Rolls Royce 2.JPG

Rolls Royce 3.JPG

Rolls Royce 4.JPG

That's badass, what size motor is it?

Originally Posted by Htex88

Randyr, where would I be able to find that kind of info? Its just as described, being a wooden frame with aluminum skin and vin plate says Rolls Royce. Does that make it more valuable than if it were a custom body?

Hey HTex, several years ago a buddy & I acquired a 29 Rolls limo that we were going to restore. It didn't take us long to figure out we were in way over our heads but one of the ways I started to research the car was to contact the Rolls Royce Owners Club and try to gather more information about the car. http://www.rroc.org/content.asp?pl=5...&contentid=535 Rolls didn't make a complete car until after WWII. As I said earlier, there were a variety of coach builders and some had better reputations than others. If you can find a plate, badge, number, signature or something to indicate who built the body, that would be helpful towards determining it's potential value. You can also contact the RR headquarters in England with chassis/engine numbers and they can often send you a copy of the original purchase sheet which may also show the coach builder, original purchaser, etc. No doubt a car like that has some interesting history. It just takes a little effort to find out as much as you can before making any rash decisions. It would be a shame to turn a Ming vase into a flower pot prematurely. Hope that helps a little.