[cboy]

Originally Posted by a_druunk_guy

... looking at the mazda "nightmare" i can honestly say you didnt take it as far as you could. did you guys ever bother looking into tubular control arms. removing all stock suspension brackets and goin with a mini trucker style suspension.

Post up them pictures. We'd love to see what you've built using a mini pickup chassis and exactly what it cost you.

[wishnevsky]

They are on there.. i have to pull the body off the Nissan frame, and go from there. Next project is a roadser on a 89 toyota truck..

[Good Frosty]

I drove about a mile or so looking for some icecicles, and found a 30's/40's car frame beside a creek, I've probably passed it by atleast 200 times in my life and never noticed, so straight axles are easy to find if you look for them. And, its actually worth trying to dig one up then salvage an IFS unit into looking somewhat right.

And as far as scratch building a body, Its kinda pointless, save something old from turning into dust or a Hyundai, also, not as hard to do as reconstructing something yourself.

[wishnevsky]

I agree... But here in the east stuff does eventually rot into the ground.. I am keeping my eyes open... The 47 ford frame had parallel leafs front an rear, and just wasn't right.. I think it was a 1 1/2 ton truck... Nobody i talk to seems to know for sure.. But the guy that bought the froze up flattie offered me an 8" rear for it, and $30.oo so i took it

[Good Frosty]

There is winters up here, and about everything from the 60's back was used to dam up creekbanks.

[Chopt 48]

I'm not attempting to get in anyone's face, far from it.

I'm 60 years old and have seen a lot of fads come and go. I have seen some extremely nice low buck cars that were bigtime show winners and I have seen some atrocities that had a lot of money tied up in them.

Years ago I had a friend in Waco TX who had a chopped, channeled and sectioned Model A 2 door that was a constant show winner. It did not have one chrome piece on it. Well maybe the rings on the gages on the dash and the inside dash handles. The thing was that the car was ultra detailed. Instead of money George spent time. The frame was glass smooth and painted as nice as the body and pinstriped inside and out. The rear end was again slicked off and painted and striped. The whole car was that way.
Detail, detail, detail but very little cash outlay.

I realize that not everyone's idea of what constitutes a hot rod, rat rod or custom is the same. It would be a boring world if it was.

The only thing I really care about on other folks cars is that they are safe to drive on public streets or through the area that we attend a car related event in. Do the steering and brakes work as they are supposed to? If there are modifications are they done in a manor that will allow the car/truck to be safe.
Example, at the 1973 Street Rod Nationals in Tulsa I listened to the guys from the Michigan Hot Rod Assn. tell about going out to pick up a broken down rod that had electrical conduit for radious rods with the ends flattened and bolts going through holes that were drilled in it and bolting it to the axle. This car was driven to Tulsa. The driver full and well planned to drive it home that way.

What I have avocated is building a rig that is safe and for the most part legal to drive and somewhat presentable to the general public.
If Good Frosty wants to cut down that heavy duty truck frame and stick it under a car, more power to him.
We have pretty much the same frame out here that will go under a 27 T. Well, at least we have the front 10 ft. we didn't keep the 10 ft behind that. With the scabs cleaned off and the holes filled and smoothed it will be a frame that will easily handle the little Desoto Hemi that has been sitting in the shed for 20 years. The front axle will probably come from a swap meet and may be a parallel leaf axle from a 1/2 ton converted to cross leaf with some custom batwings. Mainly it will be a low buck car with most of the money being spent to rebuild the engine and that will be somewhat spendy. Not fancy but rebuild parts are spendy and a bit hard to get for those. Auto Zone doesn't stock much for 56 Desotos.

[wishnevsky]

Well just personally, i dont want to drag race, and the only show i want to be in is the "Ugly Truck Contest".. I just want something funny looking to drive on the street. I'm over 60 too, and make guitars for a living, so you know i dont have extra money.

I just like playing with stuff, and even if i had $20,000.00 to blow on a toy, i think i would keep on messing around.Got to amuse yourself, don't you know.

[Good Frosty]

After running into a couple of F1's, I have enough chassises and axles to keep me busy.

So, its just a matter of getting the rest of it home, and getting a decent welder.

[RustyRatRod]

Originally Posted by JerryMopar

Hello All.

I got this idea stuck in my brain to make my own Rat rod from the frame up. More or less making it scratch built.

I plan on using a mopar 318 (cheap and effective V-8 power) with a regular 3-speed auto.

Maybe then getting some cheapo bare Honda frame or other "minicar"frame , and chopping it up to what I need it to be.

Making my own "cockpit" out of L bar and sheetmetal.
Using a plain Dana truck transaxle, driveshaft, with the 318

Having rear leaf spings and front shocks and springs.

rear drum and emergency brakes

Haing a bare bones electrical system, with all applicable lights

Here are some sketches I made in school...





Has anyone else tried making one from scratch? What do you think??

The last post on this thread was 1-30-07, what became of this project ? Im interested in seeing what you came up with.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Not sure what ever happen here, But here's one you can check out.. New Homemade Ratrod In The Making!!!

Check out Cboy's journal..He also has some very nice home made Rods..
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...66&action=view

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...81&action=view

[RustyRatRod]

Originally Posted by NEW INTERIORS

Not sure what ever happen here, But here's one you can check out.. New Homemade Ratrod In The Making!!!

Check out Cboy's journal..He also has some very nice home made Rods..
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...66&action=view

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...81&action=view

Oh yea, I seen that thread. I got the idea to build my own Rod from the ground up from reading it.My Mustang project is a no go{sold it} so I decided to do a homemade rod.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by RustyRatRod

Oh yea, I seen that thread. I got the idea to build my own Rod from the ground up from reading it.My Mustang project is a no go{sold it} so I decided to do a homemade rod.

Good luck.. I can't wait to see it come together..

[RustyRatRod]

I plan to start when it cools off a bit. it has been 95 or hotter around here for a month or so.Humid as hell too.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by RustyRatRod

I plan to start when it cools off a bit. it has been 95 or hotter around here for a month or so.Humid as hell too.

I know what you mean.. I'm from South La..

[RustyRatRod]

I know its hot there, I stayed in Diritter for a while a few years ago. I wish more people build homemade rods. I think its the future of the hobby, least in this area. there is no old tin around here at all. If you can find something, the owner wants a mint for it no matter what shape its in.