Pilothouse rat truck

[RustyRatRod]

Sorry for the delay. My wife and I were in a serious auto accident Monday and totaled my daily driver. Dammit all. Anyway, as promised, here are pics of my project. It is a 49 5 window Pilothouse cab on a 1983 D150 chassis. I have a Dana 70 HD dually rear end and will be getting 1 ton dually spindles, hubs and brakes for the front. And of course, my power plant, a 1956 331 Chrysler Hemi.

Next to last picture is the Hemi freshly picked from the salvage yard and the last is where I am today.

 

[Country Misfit]

Glad you and tour wife is Ok.Cars can be replaced.Nice looking truck.Nice hemi,also.

 

[skull]

all right

cool. a pilot house being saved[

funny looking small block chevy[S

HEMl--great choice

glad your'e 0K from the wreck.

please keep the updates coming.

Later

 

[Dirtyrat]

Definitely glad you are both ok!
Everyone loves the hemi motor, should be a perfect powerplant for the pilothouse!

 

[1952B3b23]

Glad to hear you and the wife are alright. Love the pilothouse, i have a '52.

I got a question, are you running front sheet metal on the truck? Im wondering how it will fit with the larger D150 chassis.

-Chris

 

[RustyRatRod]

No sir. I am going to make a hood but there will be no sides or fenders. Gotta show the Hemi off, you know? I have a radiator shroud from a Durant Star Car from about 1925. Very similar to a Model A shroud. I plan to run a Model A radiator inside it and bolt headlights to it or either the frame, depending on where they look best. I have some really cool old forklift headlights with heavy duty cages over them.

 

[1952B3b23]

Cool sounds like you have a good plan for the truck. I hear ya on showing off the hemi, that's a must.

-Chris

 

[maverickmk]

Wow, glad you guys are alright.
The truck looks like it's going to be a cool ride, love the Hemi [dr

 

[RustyRatRod]

Progress. I got the rear cab mounts bolted onto to the frame. Woohoo.

 

[skull]

progress

nice you are able to get back to it[cl

Later

 

[RustyRatRod]

I am trying. The whole thing with the wreck is turning out to be a good thing. I decided to get out of Mopar (except for the truck) and have been selling everything not associated with the truck off. I am going to build a much more affordable Ford street car. The original plan was to get the rat truck running and sell my Ranger. But, I got out of the Ranger sooner than expected. lol I am disabled and have been dealing with tremendous depression the last few years, but somehow, turning loose of all the Mopar stuff, the wreck and new Ford project have lit my fire again. I hope it continues. I am gonna do my best to make sure it does. Thanks for the well wishes. It means a lot especially since I am new here and yall really don't know me. Makes me feel welcome.

 

[skull]

ya well

we were all new at this place at one,time too.

hang around a while, post up some cat pics, funny pics and keep up the build thread.

Later

 

[RustyRatRod]

Now how in the WORLD would you know we like cats? My wife and I run an impromptu cat rescue. We just adopted out 5.

 

[skull]

0H

Now how in the WORLD would you know we like cats? My wife and I run an impromptu cat rescue. We just adopted out 5.

you didn't know[S

were Clairvoyant here

we keep our own psychics on staff just to freak out the new people.

Later

 

[RustyRatRod]

Got a little more done today. Front cab mounts done. So now the cab is mounted to the frame. I know some of you will ask why so high on the frame? I guess the simple answer is that's how I want it. I don't want to channel or chop the cab. I want to leave it stock Dodge. so with that in mind It needs to be high so that I can move the engine back as far as I can. I do plan on lowering the truck's suspension 6" in the rear with an axle flip when I put the Dana 70HD in it and 4" in the front. It will look good when I am done.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Haven't done anything on this in a couple of days. Going this morning with a friend to get another project tat will eventually be my new daily driver since I wrecked my Ranger. Stupid as it sounds, it's a 1976 Mercury Bobcat. I did a V8 Pinto about 30 years ago. I was just a kid and didn't do the best job. Always wanted to do another to redeem myself. It's not going to be a rat rod, but I will post pictures anyway. Going to put a 1999 Explorer 5.0 GT40P engine and a T5 5 speed transmission in it. It is a complete bolt in swap, so it's not like I have to have a lot of mock up time involved. Should be a lot of fun.

 

[Sam_Fear]

I can relate - I bought a 66 4dr Caddy to replace my S10 winter beater. The neighbors just scratched their heads...[S

Nothing wrong with runnin' highboy style.

Cats....

 

[RustyRatRod]

Leave my cats outta this. lol Sorry I haven't been back in a little bit. Haven't gotten anything else done on the truck, but I have been getting parts together for the Bobcat because I need to get another vehicle running. Soon as I do that, it will be back on the truck.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Please forgive me for being away and not updating in such a long time. It has been one thing after another this year. We are really struggling. Wife lost her job. We were in foreclosure, but it looks like we may have that taken care of. Things are still very tight for us. I'm really scared, guys. I swear, I don't know anybody who has any extra money for anything. Lots of business going under left and right. Times are tough. If you have it good, hit your knees and thank God. Ok, enough of the bad stuff. I HAVE made some progress, however slow.

I decided to make it a dually. I stumbled on a Dana 70HD rear end for 100 dollars. Delivered. I know. Stupid cheap.

I am trading a friend a rebuild carburetor for the one ton front suspension. That was about the simplest swap in the world. Word to the wise. All the BULLCRAP on the internet about this swap is WRONG. It's very simple. lol

Found a super cool gas tank. decided to make it a bed mount. Made some feet for it to sit in and tied it down with chain and turnbuckles.

Lastly, the Hemi is comin along. I have the alternator bracketry figured out and have the plugs, tubes, seals and valve covers all on. Got come cool little air cleaners. Like I said, it's progress but slow. At least I am moving forward.

 

[christcrusader13]

i love what you've done with the tank!