That is exactly it. And when you do it you have to accept the fact that many will hate your hybrid or rat rod. I wouldn't be seen driving your neighbors truck. It's a pile of random crap fabbed together. He might as well tack on some Honda Accord parts and install a lawn chair for a seat. That's just my opinion of course. I'm likely not alone in that opinion here. He can rat rod on and there will be some that do appreciate it for reasons that will forever escape me.

Not angry, just have zero appreciation for it on a classic Ford truck forum.

 

I thought it was an "older, classic and antique trucks" forum.
Not my neighbor. Still kinda like it even if it isn't my style. And even if I don't like it, I'm not bashing someone's work.

 

Maybe he can sell it for parts

 

Crap mobile

 

While not in every case, you gotta' admire the work that goes into all of these projects. As I was reminded once that all of these guys help keep the auto industry going. Too bad about the rod.

I wonder what the guys said when the first guys began pulling fenders off to make tractors and go faster cars...

Great forum where every shares their ideas and interest. While not my cup-of-tea, I appreciate what others are doing.

 

Not my style... but each their own. If there wasn't some kind of different tastes we would still be in a cave, without fire. Just hope he likes it. I'm from the Darkside and it has a good looking cab, front grill and tail gate (with out the Bow Tie).

 

You wanted one with Honda (or similar parts) added? Your wish is my command:

 

Hi all Im not chiming in about the rat rod, but just to mention that Ironmancan had only been a member of FTE for 7 days when he posted about his neighbors truck. That's all I wanted to add. FTE rocks, so "Rock on my friends"

 

Point taken Jim. I'll try to do better next time, and I'll drop him a PM and apologize.

AX

That's a very nice rod. So finally crafted . If not for my vast experience I could probably not even see the transition points between the F1 parts and the car. I do hope it has a smallblock Chevy in it.

 

To each his own, I suppose.
Again, I'm not a hug fan of the whole rat rod thing. I've seen some interesting ones, I've seen way more dangerous ones.
I'll give the guy the benefit of the doubt though, maybe it was built from parts destined for the crusher. In that sense its great the parts got saved and used.


Did anyone else pick up on the statement that this guys neighbor bought it as a company vehicle? I wonder what kind of company?


That must have made quite a bit of a racket when that window opened up in the block....ouch


Bobby

 

I think the thing looks ghastly. That said, and as others have noted, to each his own.

Fortunately, around these parts, the few rat rods I have seen have been cobbled together with the rotting carcasses of vehicles that would have, at best, been poor resto candidates, with significant rust being a main feature. I see no reason why an enterprising individual cannot employ his imagination to create something interesting from what would otherwise be shredded.

Kinda OT, but still germane to the concept of making something, if not useful, at least interesting, from junk. Here in Columbus, IN, we have a central event and meeting center one block from the courthouse called The Commons. Inside is a sculpture, Chaos I, made by Jean Tinguely for the city in 1974. The thing is 30 feet tall, and weighs some three tons. Made almost entirely from scrap metal from the local yard, it has become a very popular attraction. Looking somewhat like a "Mouse Trap" game on steroids, there are several motors that cause various mechanisms to rotate, spin, roll, and otherwise make a hell of a racket when all are operating at once.

I look at rat rods as a sort of rolling Chaos sculpture.

 

I've contributed to rat rod discussions here before. I can appreciate some one making something from scrap. My problem with rat rods, most of the ones I've seen posted on line, and everyone I've seen in person, is they seem to be built to shock and are rolling death traps. Fine as long as they aren't going down the road at 60 mph heading toward me or some one else. The examples I've seen locally are cobbled together with no thought of safety for the passengers or general public. All of the should at least ha large warning signs advising having you tetanus vaccines up to date. Most had jagged pieces of sharp rusty metal welded to the outside. If that wasn't bad enough brackets holding important mechanisms together are held on with booger welds.

My other concern is the general public sees a vehicle with rusty, banged up parts and calls it an "old car", grouping rat rods with all the other vehicles in our hobby. The government does enough to try to regulate our hobby and having these cobbled together piles driving down our highways, IMO, doesn't help.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

 

The disparity of rules defies logic from one locale to the next. I see threads where a guy has to go through an inspection and somehow prove his properly installed disc brakes are a safe mod. Anyone with a bit of knowledge knows the truck will probably stop 25-50% faster than factory. Then I go to a car show and see a street licensed rat rod that only has small drum rear brakes, and no front brakes, seat belts or safety glass at all. Almost as if the vehicle was intentionally built to avoid anything safe.

I do see how it could be a form of artistic expression. That part is fine if it isn't being driven on public roads.

 

He has corvette suspension front and back. Yea the hate is just that. Someone with nothing better to do. That's cool if that's how you roll but my life's a little richer than that. I'm sure I will have haters in my build thread as well

Sorry I've been off the net the last few days. I work nights and since Wednesday we started with the tear down. Number 2 rod failed not exactly sure why. Good news for the owner is he can make quite a few bucks off the heads. I researched as much as I could they appear to be a set of Dart heads going by the serial number. Studded with 1.6 roller rockers he has the buyer for them and the 1k goes a long way to cover the new crate engine. Basic Chevy crate engine long block. We will get her installed and running by Friday and back on the road.

 

I think what it is , is a fun thing on wheels so hope he enjoys it. From what I can see it looks like it put together fairly well.