Project #2 from CGCINC, category: Decorative Metal Art

[CGCINC]

*RAT ROD*

I've been wanting a hot rod/rat rod for awhile but the economy limits my extra fundage so I decided to just make one to set on my desk.
I started out with the idea to make it a simple hot rod out of scrap, nothing to involved but the more I did, the more I wanted to do.... it's turned out to be quite a time consuming project.
I'm using my Everlast 250ex Tig to weld it all together. My PP50 plasma cutter has helped out along the way!


My first "spark" of an idea came from working on another job and seeing some scraps lying together....




Then it just snowballed!!!














Measuring for wheelbase and engine placement/size...

[CGCINC]

Next I needed some frame rails.......








Started welding up the Flathead V8.

[CGCINC]

My skull head shifter knob!!

[CGCINC]

Disc brakes....





Front axle.....



With leaf spring......




Shocks....

[CGCINC]

Tailights and Rearend...



Wood bed with metal rails...

[CGCINC]

Last thing to do is acid wash the complete truck and then add rust where wanted and clear coat the other parts.

[Mike J]

Wow - that is cool! Very nice work - I love the wood bed to provide accents - what is the gas mileage?

[sportbike]

Looks good....should make it a flathead V8 though rather than a V6.

It'll sound better... :-)

[CGCINC]

Wow - that is cool! Very nice work - I love the wood bed to provide accents

Thanks! I originally wanted to use old gray weathered wood but it looked to similar to the metal so I stained it.

Looks good....should make it a flathead V8 though rather than a V6.

It'll sound better... :-)

Thats what they look like.... Weird but correct

[sportbike]

I'm an idiot. I've even had the heads off. The center two cylinders have a shared exhaust port and the valves are on the top of them, near the intake side. It's been a long day...

[CGCINC]

I'm an idiot. I've even had the heads off. The center two cylinders have a shared exhaust port and the valves are on the top of them, near the intake side. It's been a long day...

I'm pretty sure your not an idiot!

[redbeard]

Disc brakes? Now you're just showin' off.

[CGCINC]

Disc brakes? Now you're just showin' off.

... Ya gotta stop, right?!?!

[CGCINC]

This is a hard picture to get but I put some guages on the dash as well....

[CGCINC]

I'm trying to figure out if I want paint on this truck or not. I like the color but I think it takes away from the fact that it was hand built, makes it look like a "model" or a kit....
If I do keep the paint, I plan on sanding most of it off and just keeping a small amount of color with rust on the sanded areas to make it look aged.

Any opinions????

[DaveO]

You're asking the right crowd- there might be someone here willing to give opinions.

Here's one: maybe a patina rather than paint? Skull head shifter knob... dash gauges... you put in a lot of imagination and then figured out how to make the imagination real (and well done, BTW)- you don't want it to look like one of those TV advertised / "highly collectible" / "factory authorized" / "certificate of authenticity" / "limit 3 per caller" because we're ashamed to rip you off for more than that / "free shipping if you call now" deals.

[CGCINC]

you don't want it to look like one of those TV advertised / "highly collectible" / "factory authorized" / "certificate of authenticity" / "limit 3 per caller" because we're ashamed to rip you off for more than that / "free shipping if you call now" deals.

lol... and that's exactly what I feel like when I see paint on it!! I like the red but it doesn't say, "Hey, I have about 60 hours in this stupid car!"
Time to dip it in acid!!

[redbeard]

... Ya gotta stop, right?!?!

Ok, I withdraw my earlier statement.

This is a hard picture to get but I put some guages on the dash as well....

NOW you're just showin' off!

lol... and that's exactly what I feel like when I see paint on it!! I like the red but it doesn't say, "Hey, I have about 60 hours in this stupid car!"
Time to dip it in acid!!

The first thing that I thought was that the nice shiny restored wood bed wouldn't really go with a patinaed body, but then I remembered this bad boy:


and sorta changed my mind.

[CGCINC]

The first thing that I thought was that the nice shiny restored wood bed wouldn't really go with a patinaed body, but then I remembered this bad boy:


and sorta changed my mind.

The bed is very easy to pull out so if it does look goofy I can change it pretty easy.


I tried to rough up the paint for an aged look but I still didn't like the look.....


Now I'm letting it rust before I seal the body. This was about two hours after I stripped the paint, should look pretty good by monday.

[CGCINC]

I didn't like the look of the truck as a rusty heap so I've re-painted a little and will continue the rust process.... it's trial and error so who know's what I'll end up with.








I painted a "Ford" on the tailgate...