Design Advice for my rat rod...

[kelseydum]

I'm stumped here on what I should do. I've got the frame boxed and ready to be blasted and painted and am ready to move on to the cab and bed. I love the choped and channeled look, BUT I was wanting to keep this truck in as original shape as possible ( beautiful rust and bullet holes). If I keep the bullet holes and rust and chop and/or channel this truck it will of course show fresh metal on the outside and might even require adding some patch panels.

Here is what I was thinking:
1: Chop and channel and just try to induce rusting on the new metal and replace a few new bullet holes.

2: Cheating and adding about a 2 to 3 inch skirt at the bottom (of the cab) to hide the frame some and extend the bed down to proportion the height with the cab and to hide the frame.

3: Just leave it as is and get it rolling.

Here are a few pics... and a couple to see about a 5 inch photochop. WHAT WOULD YOU DO???

 

[LordMaximo]

There is an artical in doing a hide-the-rails job in one of the custom rodder pubs from last year. They use a 34 Ford 3-window as the show boat. Basically a new floor was designed and laid down, the inner channels were then welded to the new floor, and the outer body was lowered down over the new tin and welded back together. Then the whole mess was once again lifted off the chassis as a one complete unit for the finish work. That is a great way to do a perfact channel, build the floor and wrap the body onto a new platform. It takes a great deal of time and patience to complete such a job. It is going to be around your time frame and plans for your ride. Take the time to lay it out on paper and wiegh in the can and cannots. Everything takes time and money, its up to you on what you want, a ride for now or later. Good luck, Maximo

 

[SmallBlock Jimmy]

I would channel that sucker and skip the chop! I think that cab will get some major attention with that patina!!

 

[joehalford01]

i like the way it looks chopped, i think you should channel it and get it on the road, then chop it later if you still want to. the method lord was saying sounds good to me.