Another what would you do thread.

Rat Rods Rule

Help Support Rat Rods Rule:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
You are an interesting character Dave. :cool: What instrument do you play? In any bands i would have heard of ? (i still vote for the 235 in that '46)

Thanks, e-man! I don't mind being an odd bird. In fact, I revel in it! LOL

I play(ed) guitar and lead singer (no one else could carry a tune!). Also can do bass, piano, drums and a bit of sax. You would never have heard of us because we didn't play pop music, so never in the clubs and bars. Being the live jukebox was not our thing. We were "The Famous Nobodies" for that reason! Mostly private parties and always jammin' at the house and lovin' life! Ah, Southern California in the '60s and beyond... Don't play anymore and sold off most of my kit.

If I had $500 I'd be on my way to Tucson!!! Something about those 1940 body styles is really attractive. Friend of mine had a '48 Stylemaster back in the day and we would either cruise in that or my '46 pickup. Ah, memories ... Time to make some new ones !!! [;)
 
Last edited:
If it isn't fun, then F it !!! :D

Rock on, Dave!

It sounds like you live by my motto, "If it isn't fun, do something else."

You got it Skip!

Just got the chassis delivered, and it's way cool !!! Neat guys too, as most car guys and gals are. Father and son, both ASE certified and the son does glass! We shot the bull for about 2 hours. I told him to join this site, as he is putting the '54 body on a Caprice LT1 chassis, first build attempt. They were going from project to project out back saying things like, "Man, that's cool!" "Holy S" and other stuff. Good times!!! [cl

--------------------------

The '54 car frame (probably already mentioned this) could be running and driving pretty easily. They cut the brake and clutch pedals and the steering column down low to get the body off, and ripped out all the wiring. The '59 truck has those pedals and a steering column on it, so I'm considering swapping that onto this frame(?). It might sit too low, though. Gotta do some measuring and thinkin' (which is always dangerous! LOL). Ideally I would rather put a car body on it, like the '46 Stylemaster down in Tucson. More and more I am considering selling the M3 and fill up the money jar and fund some of this stuff. We'll see ...
 
Last edited:
No word from Tucson about the 46 body. Why don't people pull their ads when sold?

The '59 cab will fit on this chassis and sit LOW. :D

Put the M3 on craigslist. I'll hate myself in the morning... :(
 
Patients, lads. Good things often take time. I answered the ad for my altered (or whatever it is) when it was about two hours old, and didn't get an answer for almost a week. The guy was overwhelmed with calls and such form six states, and pulled the ad. I was the only local to contact him. Boy was I surprised when I got a 10:00 p.m. text to come see it on the weekend. Needless to say, a deal was struck within five minutes of my arrival at his house. :D Then we BS'ed about car stuff for an hour or so. :)
I mailed the '46 guy as well. No answer.
 
Talk is cheap, time for a plan!

Enough speculation and bologna sandwiches... :)

I was surveying this chassis today, looking at what needs to be addressed before it gets a body on it. Since they cut the steering column off and the brake and clutch pedal near the master cylinder, those will have to be made to work somehow, or look into replacement.

As for the steering rack, it is cut about 6" above the box, so probably good to replace that with a complete setup. I see them on CL once in a while Then it looks like all I would need is a little wiring. The good fellow I got it from said it runs and drives. It needs a gas tank which sat at the back of the frame, fuel line runs all the way back. Hmmm, I have a 5 gallon fuel cell, an old air tank that no longer holds air, but no beer keg. :cool:

As for what body to use, the two IH Scouts are sold, not to me, even though the guy said I was first contact and had "dibs." Fine. The International cab I have is fairly complete, with doors and latches and dash and lots of little bits. A short channel to get the floor to sit on the chassis would take care of my aesthetic preference not to see the frame under the body. Since this is the "cab without a home," I might try that first. Then again, it sits pretty low, so might not even BE an issue. A Chevy cab would be around 5" off the ground at the running board which might scrape the rounded curb in my driveway, at least with the current tires, but all Chevy would be cool too! Decisions, decisions ...

One tire is flat and obviously has had tire sealer in it at one time,, as it has oozed out the bead, but they are all worn out anyway. I have some low-profile tires looking for a home. It looks like they will mount and clear the frame. So basically, I have the stuff to make this one happen.

The enclosed drive shaft is interesting. Small drum brakes are probably lots of fun to panic stop, but otherwise most of the chassis is there. This is sitting in my #1 work bay and may be the easiest to make into something, and as the Hodge Podge is in stalled mode, the '59 in parts collection mode (which means waiting-for-money mode), I think I will play with this a bit...
 
Last edited:
Front springs have been cut. There's probably 5 degrees of negative camber which explains why all the tires are worn out on the inside. Ecklers has fresh ones for $99. Also will need shocks front and rear, but that can wait until it gets a body on it. I may just throw a battery on it and see if it runs!

The parts list begins...

If anyone has '54 Chevy chassis parts, let me know! :D
 
Ok! Now we are talking speedster! [cl

YOU are a dangerous person, E-man. :D

Me? Convince the owner he was making a big mistake by pulling it out from under that car.

I would have to agree with that, but he did what he did and now I reap the benefits! That body is going on a Caprice chassis (if I haven't said so already). To each their own, I guess. And I get to do something with it. All good. :)
 
This might work

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/4787117969.html

attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • 46_ford.jpg
    46_ford.jpg
    74.1 KB · Views: 103
Never mind. I was going off your original post of the 46... and forgot that it was a Chevy.

The ford is still a good deal for your growing junk yard :rolleyes:
 
Never mind. I was going off your original post of the 46... and forgot that it was a Chevy.

The ford is still a good deal for your growing junk yard :rolleyes:

That is true! I still have room, and plenty of time, but short on money. If I had money, I would need a bigger place! Heck, if I had money, I would HAVE a bigger place. :D

Went and bought a pedal assembly from a '42 Chevy pickup that the guy is going to build into a gasser, and right next door was a '41 Willys 4 door that has probably sat there for 20 years, sinking into the ground. Not for sale, of course.
 
Hahaha!

Nope. Just need to learn to stack better.....

Used to drive a truck and learned to pack that sucker beyond its capacity, but I don't think I want to stack cabs and frames and engines on top of each other, to be honest. I have room enough for now, so will continue. :D

PS. There is yet aNOTHER project in the wings. Don't want to say much until I actually have it, as the last idea (the IH Scouts) fell through. BUT ... I will say this ... it's a Pontiac and will most likely become my daily driver. ;)
 
Spillin' the beans for earthman. LOL

PS. There is yet aNOTHER project in the wings. Don't want to say much until I actually have it, as the last idea (the IH Scouts) fell through. BUT ... I will say this ... it's a Pontiac and will most likely become my daily driver. ;)

Friend of mine and his girlfriend are having a kid in May, and he has a 1990 GMC Suburban 3/4 ton with 454 automatic in it. He brought it over yesterday to keep it at my place rather than on the street and we got to talking. He wants to sell it to buy her a ring and make an honest woman out of her. He said, "I'll take $1200 for it, so if you can sell it for more, keep the extra." It didn't take me long to ask, "How much if I buy it?" $1000. Sold!

So yesterday I went out and took all the parts he had in the back of it out, including the 3rd row seat (will go into one of the pickups), trim pieces, broken dash cover and such, and re-routed the coolant lines from heater core since it was leaking, and fired it up to make sure there were no leaks. It had a control module issue, but he just replaced it, so all is well! It has HUGE new tires on it, a lift, and would probably tow a house! I call it the White Whale. (pics to follow)

"But wait, there's more!" This one replaces the Trusty Rusty 1988 Suburban, which becomes spare parts (350 V8 auto), chop and drop project, or ... Wheel base is the same as the '94 pickup project, so might just swap the Brown 'Burb body onto that and build the Suburban Assault Vehicle and have a "Nosferatu" of my own that should get 20 mpg (V6 auto). Then move the '56 Chevy cab over to the '54 car chassis (Hodge Podge) and one day get to the '59 truck and International as well!

The mystery vehicle is a '54 Pontiac 4 dr with no drive train. Missing front seats, bumpers and grille, but most of the rest is there Would be sweet with a 350 & AT in it, no? Either that or the 235 & 3 spd and the 350 can go elsewhere. I have a notebook that I try and keep track of all this stuff and what goes where and in what order to attempt them. It just got REALLY messy!!! But as they say, it'll keep me out of the bars. Not that I do that anymore anyway. :p Oughta keep me busy for a few years. :D
 
While getting a coffee and carbohydrate (donut) this morning, I got to talking with the guy about the "new" Suburban, and he wants to buy it! And at a profit, I just can't turn that down. Now, whether or not he has or can come up with the money is a whole different story. To be continued ... That's life around here! LOL
 

Latest posts

Back
Top