So, I've been trying to sell my '56. I know, big mistake and I'll regret for the rest of my life. But, no one is buying anyway so I still have it. Seems like they want the "perfect truck" for $7000. I've got about $11000 into it now. Ho-hum.

That's not the point of this topic though, now is it....

What would y'all think is needed to make my truck into a (recently overused term) ratrod?

I'm going to flip the rear axle and drop the front an additional 3"-4" with a front beam axle from CPP. I may get lazy and install a Toychota power steering box too. Sell off the grey tweed interior which is mostly uninstalled (anyone want to buy it? e-mail me it's a complete set! ). Take off the running boards. Remove the inner fenders. Remove the oak bed and stainless hardware. The 351C needs rebuilding so I guess I'll have to break down and do that too (bummer ). Put a gas tank between the frame rails to get it out of the cab. Fix the rusty cab corners and paint the whole thing flat black with two of three tone grey to charcoal flames on the front end. I'll reinstall the crappy chrome bits on the hood and doors too! Probably put a roll pan in the back end and smooth gravel pan up front. Then I'll park it outside for 20 years and see what happens!

Of course, everything I take off is going to be for sale. Gotta makes this as painless as possible...

What do you think?

Be

 

if you want too than do it, i have a 75 i did the same with it is now a nice flat black and the cops know me just by the truck

 

Sounds like an extraordinarily expensive way to deal with not selling it. You may or may not get anything for the parts you remove either. Then again, turning your truck into a dark, unseemly pile of junk may make it irresistable to the trendy buyer. Better hurry tho'... the tedium of that rat rod thing is wearing thin!
best. himmelberg

 

I hear you himmelburg. I'm already tired of the term myself. I wouldn't make a pile of junk anymore than it is right now. I guess "ratrod" isn't really what I meant. Really want more of a period looking hotrod without all the airbags and flashy paint. Driving a rusty bucket isn't my most favorite thing, that's why I'd repair the cab corners and replace the front fenders and gravel pan. Just looking for the kind of input you had for me. Right on!

If it's going to take up my precious two-car garage space, it might as well be more cool than it is!

 

I'm with himmelberg on this...that ratrodthing ...........

If you're going to keep it give it some body work where needed, a good paint job...maybe some flames (fenders can show ya how ) and fix it up mechanically......then just enjoy it. If you're still thinking of selling I wouldn't put a whole lot in. JMHO
Norb

 

Yeah, if you're looking to sell it, I don't think I'd spend anymore money on it. You'll never get out of it what you put into it. But if you do sell your grey tweed interior, I might know "someone" who might be interested.

Ron

 

I'm with himmelberg on this...that ratrodthing ...........

Norb

I'll warn you I've been sniffing resin fumes in confined areas tonight in search of the perfect kickpanel, but here goes anyway.

Actually, he may argue with me, but Himmelberg IS doing my interpretation of the rat rod thing. Or something close to it. It seems that somewhere along the way the thing got distorted into bondoed up piece of dangerous crap. Or is that how it really is and I'm the one that is confused?

It appears to me that Himmelberg is building his truck in a traditional rodder way. Lot of guys have Y blocks here, but he is adding the vintage speed parts, as painful as that may be for him sometimes. Maybe his truck will be painted all shiney in a few years, but more likely it will have some scallops over primer (hopefully black). It might get that vintage steering wheel from another old car, but it sure as heck won't see an modern aftermarket one. He'll never pass Niolon with his fuel injected, stroked and blown 460, nor will he knowingly drive towards me with a tierod end that's about to break. And pigs will fly before he owns an air bagged MII suspension. Even if he won the lottery.

By my count, at least three or four distinctly different approaches on this board. And I have grown a soft spot for each of them over time. Except the one where you billet up everything, stuff a smallblock chevy in it and paint a bowtie on the gate. My patience has it's limits you know?

The board is slow and just making conversation while my fiberglass dries. I'd be interested to hear Himmelberg's take on rat rods, since the old guy was probably here to see it when it first started.

 

Here's my two cents. I have a few friends who are getting into the ratrod theme. They're even dressing the 50's part. I personally don't care for it. It's a small portion of the hotrodding scene. Unless, you really feel you like the looks, style, etc. I wouldn't go that route. If you do. Hey, email me! I need an interior, the inner fenders (someone took a torch to mine when it had a tilt front end), and just about anything else you can think of. Give me a price and we'll talk.

 

Himmelberg is building his hotrod truck the way he built his '55 Chev, '55 Merc, '63 Vette, '54 Chev, and other rides out of the hotrod realm. I'm fixing up what I have with what I can afford and doing it when I have the time. Usually this puts me in a rod that is not like everyone elses.

If my truck looks "traditional" it's probably cause I like my Ansen five spokes and NOT dragging my oilpan over speedbumps. I prefer scallops to flames on my truck. If I got a great deal on black primer you'd see my truck that way just till it cured, then I'd be squirting it with real paint.I like '53 Buick headlights, cause Fergy's done the Poncho thing.

I don't know what a rat rod is. I'm building a hot rod. At least I think I am. If I made a billet part I'd use it. I won't buy one. I may complain about carburators but it sure has been fun doing it myself. If what I do fits someone's definition of a rat rod then so be it. The term seems to have transmorgrified from a primed junker with red rims on white walled tires to almost anything else that isn't a shiney street rod.

Old? Who's old? Don't let the "elder" (pretty annoying term as well) in my appellation fool you. I will probably be VERY old by the time John gets that monster 460 anywhere close to passing me. youthfully, himmelberg

 

Sounds to me like Himmelberg knows more about ratrods than he thinks. As for old? I believe your only as old as your mind allows you to be. Remember, with age comes wisdom. By reading your posts, it is easy to see you have intelligence along with the wisdom. I don't always agree with you on certain subjects, however I do enjoy reading your posts and often gain knowledge from reading them. Now if you could write in ebonics, I'd really be impressed.... LOL....

 

It's still for sale folks! And I'm willing to really deal. But my son has been bugging me for a project that we can do together, hence the question. I'll let you all know the outcome. He now has his eye on, of all things, a '65 Valiant stationwagon. I never raised him that way! How can he do such terrible things?

 

"Old? Who's old? Don't let the "elder" (pretty annoying term as well) in my appellation fool you. I will probably be VERY old by the time John gets that monster 460 anywhere close to passing me. youthfully, himmelberg"

Peter

Well you're just old enough to have lived a bit of the 60's in adult form. That's why I asked. I think I had a fairly correct understanding. It's really no different than a a guy clipping an Effie with an old LTD, Camaro or Volare today. No different at all in my mind, as long as it stays somewhat homebuilt and therefore low buck, and not a complete F100 catalog shopping adventure for all the pieces to the puzzle, like I and many others here are doing. Just fast forward to the future.

And yes I know we won't define rat rod today. I was just beginning to wonder if I had any concept of the term at all. It seems to have turned into an excuse to build a death ride void of any adherrence to a safe construction. That's one of several spins I've seen on the term lately anyhow.

 

If going traditional, you need to shave off all the shiny dodads on the hood. Not too sure why you wouldn't use the inner fenders unless you are planning on racing and want to take off weight. I would guess you could call my 56 a ratrod, but I perfer "kustom". I do run the inner fenders, running boards and old paint. The traditional way would be to use items you have and make it run. You can have good interior and not a mexican blanket. It all depends on the builder(or the guy with the cash if done by a shop). If you can shoot on some primer, why not shoot on some paint? The most important thing is to have fun with it.

Whats wrong with a Valiant? I have a 65 Barracuda myself and I for one think they are cool. The 1st gen A-body Mopars are often overlooked, but helped to keep Ford on its toes during the 60's. Innovation comes from competition.

 

When I hear ratrod, the first thing that I think of is low-low budget. The guys that I know who are into ratrods do it on a very thin budget. They scronge junk yards looking for ideas on taking something obscure and making it into something usable on their car. They take a lot of pride in describing the many parts scavenged and refurbished to somehow work on their rides. Their vehicles tend to be primered, red-rimmed, and without an interior. For some reason, however, they seem to have no problem spending large amounts of cash on numerous tatoos. Oh well, to each, their own... John

 

The term "Rat Rod" was barrowed from the bikers that build trashy bikes. Us old time street rodders used to call em "beaters" so in reality we build low budget hot rods, with little or no billet aluminum or stainless steel what you end up with is an old style hot rod like we built back in the 50s and 60s. More power to the guys that can afford the magazine cars we all love to look at but I never could find the bucks or the time to spend on all that detail.
Check out my current ride and come back soon cuz this website is under construction and so is another project based on a 39 ford pickup. I'll be addin pages soon as possible includin some cool links!

I pulled this from a website! Kinda of a good explanation. Makes me want to go out and get a tattoo. Ed