Dirtyrat
Got Fins?
That steering wheel came out spectacular, did you do all the radius work on it by hand or? If you did, damn fine work making it look so uniform and consistent on all the radii!
48 fire truck roadster
- Thread starter truckster
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rods Rule:
First thing I thought when I saw the steering wheel pics was "that would look killer wrapped!" Then I read you're going to wrap it with braided leather - yeah, that will do it.
Do you do that braiding? Either way, can you get pics of the process? We have a thread on RRR about wrapping and that would be a good addition to it.
Do you do that braiding? Either way, can you get pics of the process? We have a thread on RRR about wrapping and that would be a good addition to it.
Joe Hardin
Active member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2010
- Messages
- 39
steering wheel
Dan and Dirtyrat thanks for the complements.
Dan I had thought about a wooden wheel but the amount of work and time to do one was more than I wanted to spend. It would be neat to try one with two steam bent pieces and joining them with ferrules just below 3 and 6 o'clock.
Sorry guys my mind was running away there, this is about the 48 not a wooden steering wheel. Dirtyrat, I hand shaped the center section with a 4.5 inch grinder an those multi layered sanding disk. I don,t know the technical name for them but it really was not to bad. The worst part was cleaning up where it joined the rim.
A member named ZZ Rat gave me the idea after he saw the bike post and he was going to try one but I don,t know if he ever did. Check out his build, he has a boss 9 motor and a neat 39 ford pu going.
The trans should be done this coming week and the shifter came in from Summit. Dan thoughts were to use the the B&M street rod shifter and after it came I think it will do the trick. Is any body running one and how do they like it? I can,t wait to get to that tranny in and get that big block hooked up to the rear wheels.
Dan and Dirtyrat thanks for the complements.
Dan I had thought about a wooden wheel but the amount of work and time to do one was more than I wanted to spend. It would be neat to try one with two steam bent pieces and joining them with ferrules just below 3 and 6 o'clock.
Sorry guys my mind was running away there, this is about the 48 not a wooden steering wheel. Dirtyrat, I hand shaped the center section with a 4.5 inch grinder an those multi layered sanding disk. I don,t know the technical name for them but it really was not to bad. The worst part was cleaning up where it joined the rim.
A member named ZZ Rat gave me the idea after he saw the bike post and he was going to try one but I don,t know if he ever did. Check out his build, he has a boss 9 motor and a neat 39 ford pu going.
The trans should be done this coming week and the shifter came in from Summit. Dan thoughts were to use the the B&M street rod shifter and after it came I think it will do the trick. Is any body running one and how do they like it? I can,t wait to get to that tranny in and get that big block hooked up to the rear wheels.
Joe Hardin
Active member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2010
- Messages
- 39
braiding rawhide
Sam Fear, I wish I could braid like that but it is way over my head and is a real old time art form. The guy that does it, is supper nice and I will have him take some pictures while he is braiding it so we can put them on the site. He scrapes the hair off the hides and makes his own strings and so on. Most of his work is for the horse people industry.
Sam Fear, I wish I could braid like that but it is way over my head and is a real old time art form. The guy that does it, is supper nice and I will have him take some pictures while he is braiding it so we can put them on the site. He scrapes the hair off the hides and makes his own strings and so on. Most of his work is for the horse people industry.
AZ4GEMAN
Well-known member
Joe:
It is great to see that you have added some new energy to this project. Great work so far.
Sorry you missed Bike Week and the Cruise on Central last weekend.
The next Good Guys event is in Scottsdale in November. I plan to be there with the F2 Stang (with mods) unless they flood the polo field again. The pressure is on.
Maybe we can both try the slalom course with our rods at Good Guys in the Spring of 2014.
Don't forget to save me the parts we discussed last week.
It is great to see that you have added some new energy to this project. Great work so far.
Sorry you missed Bike Week and the Cruise on Central last weekend.
The next Good Guys event is in Scottsdale in November. I plan to be there with the F2 Stang (with mods) unless they flood the polo field again. The pressure is on.
Maybe we can both try the slalom course with our rods at Good Guys in the Spring of 2014.
Don't forget to save me the parts we discussed last week.
truckster
Well-known member
[P Past time for some more photos and a progress report!
truckster
Well-known member
[P[P Still watching.....30 days and counting.....
truckster
Well-known member
[P[P[P
truckster
Well-known member
watching and waiting....
[P[P[P[P
[P[P[P[P
sawzall
Well-known member
It is great build.....but what happened to it? no progress?
8literbeater
Well-known member
Almost 4 months since the last update.
Still can't compete with the delays in my project; almost 11 months.
That's a lot of popcorn. [P[P
Still can't compete with the delays in my project; almost 11 months.
That's a lot of popcorn. [P[P
truckster
Well-known member
Progress??
Well, seeing as how no one else has brought this up to date, I guess the thread reverts back to me by default. Just wanted to let all of you who have followed the progress on this where it went.
I am getting all of this third hand; from Joe to Dan to me, so hope to be able to confirm all of it in a couple of weeks, and maybe, just maybe, post up a few pictures.
Shortly after Joe posted his last report, his business started demanding all of his time. Don't know where exactly it happened, but somewhere in there he lost interest in the truck.
Somehow Joe know's one of the Blastolene Brothers, don't know yet which one for sure, but, long story short, it seems that Rodney Rucker bought the truck from him a few (2 or 3??) months ago, put some of his guys to work on it.
I received word today that the truck is finished. Dan and I will be taking a road trip to Northern Arizona in a couple of weeks to get a tour.
More from one of us later...and hopefully some pictures of the finished product. Like Dan said yesterday, " I guess folks who know what they are doing, do it faster."
Well, seeing as how no one else has brought this up to date, I guess the thread reverts back to me by default. Just wanted to let all of you who have followed the progress on this where it went.
I am getting all of this third hand; from Joe to Dan to me, so hope to be able to confirm all of it in a couple of weeks, and maybe, just maybe, post up a few pictures.
Shortly after Joe posted his last report, his business started demanding all of his time. Don't know where exactly it happened, but somewhere in there he lost interest in the truck.
Somehow Joe know's one of the Blastolene Brothers, don't know yet which one for sure, but, long story short, it seems that Rodney Rucker bought the truck from him a few (2 or 3??) months ago, put some of his guys to work on it.
I received word today that the truck is finished. Dan and I will be taking a road trip to Northern Arizona in a couple of weeks to get a tour.
More from one of us later...and hopefully some pictures of the finished product. Like Dan said yesterday, " I guess folks who know what they are doing, do it faster."
GJunktionMike
Something's wrong with that boy!
I was wondering what ever happened to it.
truckster
Well-known member
earthman
Fascinated by rolling objects!
Well isn't this a strange turn of events. Now the Blastolenes will finish it and it will be in Leno's collection. 
Thanks for the update T-ster. I figured after all this time we would not hear about it again.
Thanks for the update T-ster. I figured after all this time we would not hear about it again.
truckster
Well-known member
Hey Earthman! I think you missed it....it is finished!
DJ3100
Well-known member
To amend Truckster's last report. I had my time line wrong - Rodney Rucker and crew actually completed Firetruck only 3 weeks . Joe said it is painted black. They used the seats as is - (I wasn't that happy with the upholstery, but it was ok and fixable.) Polished the dash and put the dual quad tunnel ram on it. Runs great, sounds great, and drives.
Joe had actually done quite a bit of work getting the shifter mounted and adjusted, building a new steering wheel, installing the beefed up 700R4 and converter, and installing the custom built drive shaft. He also had the tunnel ram polished and had the carbs and linkage ready to go.
Still no photos yet. Joe and Rodney are about 3 1/2 hours away - so we haven't worked out a time to get up there yet but I'm desperately wanting to see it.
Joe had actually done quite a bit of work getting the shifter mounted and adjusted, building a new steering wheel, installing the beefed up 700R4 and converter, and installing the custom built drive shaft. He also had the tunnel ram polished and had the carbs and linkage ready to go.
Still no photos yet. Joe and Rodney are about 3 1/2 hours away - so we haven't worked out a time to get up there yet but I'm desperately wanting to see it.
