46 Ford rusty cab, my first build

[Ratcrazy]

Thanks Shea. Yeah it has changed alot hasnt it...[cl[dr for the better too.

 

[Corsair]

Its been said so many times, but its true: Its your vehicle, you go ahead and do what you wish! If your thing is body work, then more power to you. I think it looks cool. 5 coats of primer, can't help but look great.

 

[Ratcrazy]

Thanks Corsair

 

[CR55]

It seems since I started repairing the body on my build that no one wants to talk about things done. Maybe my build isnt concidered a rat any longer and more of a hotrod. So be it, to each his own. I just cant get away from my roots I guess you could say. I was a bodyman for years and repaired all kinds of car from crashes to rusted out junk.

Anyway this is what I got done this weekend. A little more blocking and 5 more coats of primer. The before pic is from the passengers side, thats how the the drivers side looked before I started.

Larry

I've been following your build and I've got to say it's great! I like the open top look and as far as making the body near perfect, I love it and I don't think there's anyone on RRR who would make a bad comment to what you're doing with it. Keep up the god work and the pics...plenty of pics please!...CR

 

[rainman]

I haven't been on here in a while you're really making good progress. I think it looks great, as far as the finish I think thats to each his own, I think if more of us had the skills to slick out a body we would, so go for it.

 

[Ratcrazy]

Thanks CR55,

I guess I was getting discouraged not hearing from anyone in a long time since I had to go back 5 pages to find my build thread.

As far as it being perfect its a long ways from that. I just want to make it look nice and have something to be proud of when its done and on the road.

On the road seems to be a long ways off now being my wife was just in the hospital so those bills will have to come first before I can spend anymore on my build. All my disability checks will have to go there now. But I am thankful and greatful she is ok, thats the important part.

Larry

 

[Shea Laking]

Get the little lady back in good health first. The truck will be waiting patiently for it's turn.

With regards to the bodywork-I'll post up my $.02 here, even though it will ruffle alot of feathers. I LIKE PAINTED CARS!! This whole leave it rusty thing does NOTHING for me...The whole reason I come here and watch guys post things is because of the "out of the box" thinking, the creative building and fabrication techniques and just plain the whole helpful atmosphere. I like LOW BUCK hot rods. Just cause it's painted, doesn't have to mean the bodywork has more man-hours of block sanding than the rest of the build. I don't dig on the trailer queen cars but there is very little chance I will ever build anything "rusty." I guess growing up poor in the "rust belt" has made me think that anything "rusty" is a clunker-And yes, I've owned and driven my fair share of those. I respect and appreciate the desire of others to "just leave it be" and I ALSO understand AND respect the desire to build and drive, as opposed to being a chamois-toting anal-retentive car show snob. To each their own, that's the GREAT thing about this board.

Anyway, I think lunch is about over-there's a school bus waiting for me to get back and wreck it... Hope I didn't whizz anyone off TOO much, cuz I really love y'all!

Regards,
Shea

 

[CR55]

Shea, I second that![cl A rusted out car or truck does nothing for me.[S I'm OK with primer or any type of flat paint, but for someone to bring a vehicle back to life by massaging and turning a rustbucket into a thing of beauty, That's a build! Your Rat doesn't have to look like it's gonna fall apart any minute and on the other hand it doesn't have to have a shine that you can see your face in either....my 2 cents and some more ruffled feathers!...CR

 

[Ratcrazy]

Thanks to the both of you for saying what I think also. [cl

Trailer queens, you can have them. Rusty rats that are build safe and dont leave parts all up and down the highway, ok by me.

I like the looks of many ratrods on here and some others leave alot to be desired.

I admit when I started building this car I had no idea how to go about doing it. There has been many people on this board and others as well that has given me great information and encouragement on my build.

It just seems to me the more I build on it the more I want to build something that will last a few more years than me and not fixing a rusted out body just dont seems fair to me with the time it takes to build a safe ride or the body I am bringing back to life.

These old bodys are getting harder and harder to come across these days thanks to the buy back of scrap metal and money hungry people who want to make a quick buck and could care less about them.

Though I am building this for myself and the lil'lady, in the near future it will end up at my grdkids home, hopefully.

Stop and do a little thinking about this and ask yourself this question; How many of these steel body cars and trucks will be around in 10 more years from now? Very few is my guess.

So this is why I want mine to last and not rust away setting in the driveway or going down the road. I intend to be driving this for a few years without major body problems or repairs.

Thanks again Shea Laking and CR55

Larry

 

[Shea Laking]

Shea, I second that![cl A rusted out car or truck does nothing for me.[S I'm OK with primer or any type of flat paint, but for someone to bring a vehicle back to life by massaging and turning a rustbucket into a thing of beauty, That's a build! Your Rat doesn't have to look like it's gonna fall apart any minute and on the other hand it doesn't have to have a shine that you can see your face in either....my 2 cents and some more ruffled feathers!...CR

Guess I'm not alone!

I'm actually a bit of a shine whore...I can't WAIT until it warms up enough so I can give my daily it's spring cleaning and wax....BUT...it's got it's fair share of dents and stone chips, so nowhere NEAR perfect!

Anybody else remember the whole "Dare To Be Different" thing in Hot Rod Magazine back in the eighties? I think we're having a similar type of revolution in the hobby all over again. Back then, guys were buying and building Nashes, Studebakers, Hudsons, et al because nobody could afford a clean Deuce Coupe anymore. Now, everybody's building T-bucket chassis with big engines and putting rusty truck cabs on 'em because we can't afford a plastic bucket! Just kidding, I know there's more to it than that, but the bottom line is this shouldn't be called "Rat Rodding," but rather "Reactionary Rodding." It's a knee-jerk reaction or opposition to the mainstream. Cool. Glad y'all don't hate me 'cuz I like shine.

Regards,
Shea

 

[Daman]

"Reactionary Rodding" [cl

I'm stealing that line Shea

 

[Shea Laking]

"Reactionary Rodding" [cl

I'm stealing that line Shea

No problem. It just seem to be "The Right Thing To Say" at the time. Sometimes, you just have to let the brain spew forth.

Reactionary is really what this whole thing is all about, anyway. Even the guys here who have "BIG BUX" try to stretch the envelope by building cars that are not only beautiful, but also built outside the guidelines of what's commonly considered "Traditional." The nice thing is, having a place like this where bucks-up guys AND low-or-no dollar guys (as well as loser looky-loos like me) can all come, share ideas and talk civilised like. THAT'S what the car hobby should be all about.

Regards,
Shea

 

[bob w]

Sorry we're using your thread for lots of editorial comment and philosophizing, But, I'll throw in on the subject too.
I'd rather have 8 home built (by me) hot rods ranging from surface rust, to primer to tractor paint, than one professionally finished and upholstered $50,000 car. And I do. Figured out a while ago that for the cost of professional bodywork, paint and interior I can build at least two additional hot rods. And for me, the fabricating is the most fun I can have.

Although I can do bodywork that could be painted shiny black (I did a black '66 ChevyII Supersport years ago) it takes so much time and effort and pain (bad wrists and thumbs) that the rat rod or unfinished look has been a godsend for me.

I really like the offshoot of Rat Rods that are creatively sculpted with lots of attention to detail and/or have shiny paint.

On one should be sheepish or concerned about a negative reaction for doing fine work on their hot rod.

 

[Ratcrazy]

Thanks Bob, I agree with you 100%.

It's mind and what others think is ok too. I am building to please me and grdkids anyway.[cl

 

[Ratcrazy]

Update On My Build

Been a couple of weeks since I posted anything on my build. Thought I would post a couple of photos of what I have been doing on the body.

Right now I have evrything above the body ribbon finished and in primer. I need to get the body off the frame now to finish the lower sections. Been doing a panel at a time so I dont get too far ahead of myself and have to backtrack.

There were several holes/dimples and a couple of unwanted vents I had to weld up in the dash and some really serious rust there that had to be addressed before I could do any finish work on it. You can see in the last photo the rust problem I had on the dash before I started.

After I welded up the holes and plated the vents I did a good grind over the whole dash and washed it good in acid and then let it set for 34 hours and washed it down with hot soapy water and began the body work on it. I think it came out nicely.

Anyway heres the photos and thanks for taking the time to look at my progress.

Larry aka Ratcrazy

 

[C1ph3r]

[cl

looking good man.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Every time I look at your build thread I'm impressed with how well you did on the windshield frame.

 

[Ratcrazy]

Thanks guys.

The windshield is stock in shape. Still the same heigth. I started to chop it 3 inches but after looking at it after removing the top I decided it needed to stay stock.[

Again thanks guys.

Larry

 

[rusty46]

It seems since I started repairing the body on my build that no one wants to talk about things done. Maybe my build isnt concidered a rat any longer and more of a hotrod. So be it, to each his own. I just cant get away from my roots I guess you could say. I was a bodyman for years and repaired all kinds of car from crashes to rusted out junk.

Anyway this is what I got done this weekend. A little more blocking and 5 more coats of primer. The before pic is from the passengers side, thats how the the drivers side looked before I started.

Larry

Don't get discouraged Larry, what you have done looks real good; ratty or not so ratty. I really admire the fabrication skills that went into this[cl

Other sites have slammed on me for an IFS build, and honestly it is what I could afford. I don't lose sleep over it because those words were coming from guys that would have just crushed my cab anyways.

Take care
-M

 

[Ratcrazy]

I hear ya Mike, that old rusted out cab has come a long ways since we swaped Ford for Dodge hasnt it.

Naw I dont get discouraged, its what I wanted to build and its suits me just fine reguardless what other people think.

If they dont like it let them go out and buy their own and build it the way they want to........I did!!!![cl

The springs and steering box are here whenever you want to come by and get them..........remember to keep an eye out for me the E-brake we talked about.

Thanks
Larry