BUSY BOLTERS Are you one?  The Shop Area
continues to pull in the most views on the Stovebolt. In August alone there were over 22,000 views in those 13 forums.
| | Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | |
8 members (GMCJammer51, IHPWR, DJHobbit'46Chevy, Danielbolt, Dragsix, RBs36, 2 invisible),
556
guests, and
1
robot. | | Key: Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod | | | Forums66 Topics126,780 Posts1,039,296 Members48,100 | | Most Online2,175
Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 | Hi everyone,
Is anyone on here building a 55-59 task force rat rod? Does anybody know someone who has a rat rod from these years? I love the creativity factor that goes into building rat rods and typically love the end results. I am currently working on my 58 apache and turning it into a rat rod. I am wondering why there are so few, if any rat rods from 55-59. Any pics, or suggestions as to why this is, would be appreciated.
Rat Rod = less money, more creativity, more rust, and the ability to do things different from typical hot rodders. | | | | | Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 84 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 84 | Casey welcome back, its been awhile since your last post..I have a couple pictures of Rat Rod task force trucks from a car show (the primer nationals) I went to over the Labor Day week-end. The first picture is a well done over Rat Rod, meaning it has a nice paint job, The second one (brown truck) was pretty ruff but I know for a fact this is a truck that is a daily driver and the third one (blue truck) looks to be exactly what your looking for. Enjoy. http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr25/JAWDY101/IMG_0205.jpghttp://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr25/JAWDY101/IMG_0189.jpghttp://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr25/JAWDY101/IMG_0203.jpgAnd if keep looking at my pictures in photobucket you will see a gold brownish looking color mercury? that really caught my eye. This color of paint I couldn't get over. I had to keep going back cause the color was just awesome. I've decided that this will be the color I'm going to paint my old truck. Rat Rod style of course...By the way how's your truck coming? JOSH | | | | | Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,082 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,082 | | | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 | Thank you Thank you Thank you! Those are some GREAT looking rat rods. The link for the green truck is sweet. I love the stance on that truck, not to mention where the rear view mirror is located! I also like the links for the trucks in primer and pinstriping. I want my truck to be that low if possible.
Sorry I've been gone for awhile, I moved to Utah and it's taken all of my time. But now it's time to get back to business and work on my truck. Good to see you guys are still posting on here. I just bought some 55 oldsmobile 98 taillights for my truck and a mexican blanket for the seat. I am almost done with the drive-train. There is still a lot of work to do. How is your truck coming Josh?
I don't need to ask about your truck leonard--- already done!@ | | | | | Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,082 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,082 | yea, those are all nice killer trucks.
mine is done for now, since i dont have any money to do anything to it, but one day i want to get a car rear end so i have more choices on wheels. right now it has a truck rear with 5x5 lug pattern.
really want steelies with wide whites, and lower it more.
good to see your back.
leonard | | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 42 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 42 | I'm new to the forum but I've just grabbed a '54. I'm picking up a project truck in the middle, the body is primered (I hope), but the previous owner has a nice stance and wheels already on it.
I'm going to concentrate on the mechanicals first, get the thing running, and then move to the interior. That's the great thing about this genre, anything is OK.
Brian Hill
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 | brihill, are you building are rat rod? | | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 42 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 42 | It will probably be an evolution depending on the success of previous steps. I don't mind the rat rod idea, though some of the staged ideas seem a little too weird for me. Stuffed birds in the grill, rats on the package shelf, etc.
Clever use of normal items laying around in the garage, or hardware items used in unique ways seem fine though.
Another thought is to spray the whole exterior with a tough bed liner, almost impervious and easy to repair. No waxing either!
But then, I see a nice paint job, mabye some flames or a nice two tone with some well thought out colors, and I want it.
Whatever, I want to try and do as much as possible by myself. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at painting or interior work. I bought a project truck, no sense in paying money to have someone else finish it for me.
Brian Hill
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 | BLAHHHHH. What kind of car shows do you go to that have stuffed birds in the grill? lol. I am certaintly not about that kind of stuff. But you're right, using stuff around the garage can be used for creative parts on your truck. It seems most hot rod shows you see the same stuff, over and over and over. But not the rat rods, I love what they do to their stuff. Keep us posted on your build Brian. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 | Nearly every AD and TF truck I every built started as a rat rod until I got rid of them, their nests, and the volumes of poop. Seriously, one can see some very innovative ideas applied to some of these creations.
Evan
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 | Here is a great example of a 58 rat rod. I want my truck to look like this one by the time I'm done. Hey Josh, look at the tail lights on this truck--- Exactly what we're both trying to do. Keep posting more pictures of 58-59 rat rods if you have them! COOL Rat Rod Cool rat rod Cool 58 Side View Engine Interior Bed
Last edited by REAL_RAT_FINK; 10/01/2009 3:17 AM.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,262 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,262 | I almost didn't look at this thread because the title is "Rat Rods". I am glad I did look though 'cause there is some really cool trucks here. Flipping through the attachments I have yet to see a rat rod? All the trucks listed appear to be well thought out, stock appearing Hot Rod or Custom style trucks, all of which have been lowered. The term "rat rod" is over used these days. "Rat Rod" is a derogatory term reserved to a quickly thrown together mix matched set of parts that typically produces a "oh my god" reaction. As in "oh my God that's a death trap" or "oh my God what was that guy thinkin". Hot Rod, Custom or Shop Truck... much better. These two that were posted are in no way rat Rods: http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/...ws/?action=view¤t=DSC02010.jpghttp://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr25/JAWDY101/IMG_0205.jpgI am betting if you told the owners of these trucks "Hey, Nice Rat Rod" you would at best get a negative reaction and at worse receiving a complementary knuckle sandwich. Not trying to be a smart * here, just lookin' out for my fellow stovebolters. A lot of people get really * 'bout the "Rat Rod" label. Go spend a little time on the H.A.M.B. website... you'll see what I mean. Here is an excellent example of a "Rat Rod" ... "oh my God": http://www.dieselpowermag.com/features/dodge/0908dp_1928_dodge_brothers_sedan/photo_01.htmlJohn
Last edited by cletis; 10/04/2009 5:37 PM. Reason: language
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,554 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,554 | Nice to see,someone trying to explain the term,rat rod.Going back a few years the term rat rod referred to a hot rod with a big block engine.The small blocks were referred to as mouse engines.Anymore it seems the rat rods are more or less a POS. | | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,262 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,262 | I like Dale's correlation.. easy to remember...
Rat Rod < P.O.S. | | | | | Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 707 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 707 | Some of em have a certain style, but I don't get the point of deliberately building something won't get over a speed bump.
1951 3800 Be the change you want to see. -hotshoe
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 36 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 36 | Personally I'm with the "Rat Rodder" fans. I love the ingenuity these builders have. I am also a big fan of the flat low luster paints. The "patina" that some of them have. The white wall tires and those obnoxious red or bright colored steel rims topped off with a beauty ring and a dogdish hubcap. I like the chopped tops, the "low ride frame draggers", you know the ones with a little personality. Don't get me wrong fellas, the totally restored to stock and shiny ones are pretty too. I guess I like more of the rebel look, the creative flare and that little kiss of rust that tells the people on the road that my toy has weathered the storm of time and is still kickin'.
Maybe cars are like women, the shiny ones would be equal to that hi maintenance model type. The stock ones like that cute "girl next door" type. And the rat rods would be like the girl you wouldn't bring home to meet you mom.
Whatever you have just like the girls, they're all fun in their own way. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 841 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 841 | i sure hope we don't copy the hamb aproach to rat rods, i get pretty sick of reading about it there. i don't have one but i bet the first one was prob pretty interesting and different, it's just the fact so many are copying that same style like the one in hot rod john's last link. those extreme ones aren't meant to be driven, but a lot of people on here even want to lower their truck to the point of it's not a useful truck anymore. if they want to do it more power to them and in some ways they look pretty cool. i like the idea of building them on the cheap if that's all you got. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 149 | Wow, this thread has generated some interest. Jawdy, that truck was indeed on Ebay a few months back. I only wish I had been the one that bought it! I wonder where the truck resides now.... As far as the taillights go, I think I can visualize the problem. Looking at the tail lights in the pic "cool 58" it almost looks like the reflector portion does stick out a little bit. How far does it stick out on yours Josh? 1/2 inch? 1 inch? I will do a mock setup on my truck soon enough and we'll what it does on mine. And just to clarify, a rat rod is an awesome POS. 
Last edited by REAL_RAT_FINK; 10/07/2009 5:54 AM.
| | |
|
|
