Anybody holding on a project afraid of it going to rat rodders?

[AnthonyG]

I also read this whole thread. Several asked to see some pics of the '37 PU in question. Lotsa guys on FB talking about building a PU? Not sure how much green your looking for. Let's see this thing. Then post it on the board?

[kirkf]

I know im too nostalgic but it just seems like a shame when you can't bring one of these back to being a road worthy vehicle. Especially if it's fairly complete. How bad is it? And how complete is it? Motor still there?

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[barnfind]

I bought a 35 coupe a few years ago that was advertised as a "rat rod".
It was a bit of a drive and there were no details in the ad that even hinted that it was a coupe body but as always I took the trailer - just in case it was something worthwhile.
When I got there the body was pretty ratty looking but the body panels and 40 brakes and suspension made it a worthwhile trip.

Best part of the story was in the barn he had a 3 window coupe that eventually went home with me as well.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder - I now love rat rods.

[AnthonyG]

I know this isn't the site to say this but here goes. There's rat rods and then there's rat rods. Some guys half ass it to sell and just use the term just to sell / dump it. they think it' a slick way of selling a Turd. But there are guys who put a lot of time and amazing ingenuity in the real rat rod community. You'll see a lot of time effort and $ spent under the skin. Even the interiors on the quality ones are sparse but pretty cool. In these all the serious rust has been replaced and ingeniously made to look like the rest of the old patina. Most in less forgiving climate are sealed to hold but not let that patina advance. While I prefer a clean strait resto. whether stock or rod'ed I gotta give the guys who build the real rat rods credit.

[keith oh]

Whew, I got thru all the posts and haven't changed my opinion, which is "Everybody is entitled to my opinion".

[mustang8]

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Agreed, big difference between junk and a well planned out rat rod.

[Tinker]

When I think of rat rod I think of this...


Or this... sort of... which I guess is a decently build ratrod... or a modern hotrod!


DefinitelyNot this... which is a HotRod / jalopy!

[Tinker]

But then again a high-end streetrod builder I know calls my truck a ratrod... ha ha

[AnthonyG]

Even the 1st ugly one looks interesting, twin turbo's and I think I see an AC compressor. Hard to believed it's air-conditioned but ya never know with rat-rodders. Weird part is it doesn't appear to have a radiator, grill's pretty funny.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by AnthonyG

Even the 1st ugly one looks interesting, twin turbo's and I think I see an AC compressor. Hard to believed it's air-conditioned but ya never know with rat-rodders. Weird part is it doesn't appear to have a radiator, grill's pretty funny.

Personally (and that is what i'm saying) I find no redeeming value or "art" in the first, other then just for the heck of it and fun. The twin turbo would have been way more impressive in a decent pinto.

[deuce_roadster]

My avatar roadster was a car that was intentionally set out to rust into the ground, the owner WOULDN'T sell it because of a tragedy where a kid was killed in the car. (see my public album with newspaper pictures from 1949). A friend bought it at the guy's estate sale and then decided he couldn't fix it and sold it to me. So my car could have ended up rotted away. As it was, I had to hammer weld 10" all around it, new floor, subrails etc.

[albertaboy]

Hey all
Sorry- for some reason I stopped getting updates on this. Decided to keep the truck. The wife came on board and that changed everything. A restoration is planned. Even found some parts it needed. Maybe I'll start a build thread... someday.

[JSeery]

Now your talking, no more worry about it's future!

[dumb person]

i have a project i'm holding back from people. They don't want to pay much for it and only see it as body panels and parts. Technically it's a running, driving, road legal car too.

[Jeff/Illinois]

tinker,,, looking at that first picture of that 'rat rod' (translated junk)you posted hurt my eyes, I couldn't turn away fast enough

On a farm near me sat a '36 Ford truck, you could see it sitting in a drive through corn crib, for years. Rumor was it was a ton and a half with a corn sheller on the back. The farmer wouldn't let anyone near it.

Fast forward to about three years ago, the guy died no kids never married, his nephew was the Executor and had everything up for sale to close out the estate. They pulled that truck out of the corn crib it was a pickup not a ton and a half and there was no corn sheller on it. It was BAD. Frame had rotted in half from 50 years of exposure, whole thing was really rough. Raccoons and mice had destroyed the interior. It still bid just shy of $4,000 as it sat.

This one was so bad, about all you could do was street rod it or try to part it out but there was very little left of it. In this case (and I do not like rods I prefer original) it was OK to chop it up or whatever it was way too far gone. Only decent parts were the SS grill trim and maybe the hood outside of that there wasn't anything left.

[dude]

Originally Posted by albertaboy

Hey all
Sorry- for some reason I stopped getting updates on this. Decided to keep the truck. The wife came on board and that changed everything. A restoration is planned. Even found some parts it needed. Maybe I'll start a build thread... someday.

Yeah , right..next question ..

[Ron Pilger]

I've got a couple of old Ford carcases that i wish rat rodders would have sufficient desire to attempt. I'm apprehensive to promote them for fear they'd mock me. LOL.

[albertaboy]

Originally Posted by JSeery

Now your talking, no more worry about it's future!

Haha. It's going to cost me a new kitchen. I came up against a shrewd negotiator. My last project cost me new appliances so I this wasn't a surprise. Anticipated even.
I picked up a portable garage to get the truck and parts back under cover but I have a frame almost ready to go. I stripped the cab years ago so within a month, it will be media blasted so i can get new cab corners and other rust taken care of right away. It might take me 5 years to get it back together but it will get done.

To everyone. This post and duscussion went way beyond what I thought it would. I was having a bad day I guess but reflects my passion for these old trucks. Rat rodders-do what you want. Peace.

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[Straightpipes]

I know of a hot rod shop that covers the country to find quality 32-34 Ford 2drs and coupes. Thay pay the price, build them as hot rods for elite customers who are willing to pay for such a thing. The values are as much as three times a restored car would bring. However, they are far from what you call rat rods.

[bigdoor]

one thing about it there putting them on the road and not just setting if your not going to put it on the road let it go