my first rat build

[butchman_3]

few things done

got a few things done, got my headlight bezels in and coated and assembled. welded up some extra sheet metal welded in the back of the cab for extra protection from a 3rd member explosion, rear sheet metal is all spot welded in place, painted the dash just to see what its going to look like and started cutting frame rails today and hoping to get the front section and cab section of the frame done tomorrow.

 

[XtremeS10]

I hope when I start on my very first build I can do work half as nice as your stuff!! Where did you get the suspension from? I like that setup

 

[butchman_3]

coming together

seems like small steps but i made huge progress today, cut, measured out, and welded up the front part of the frame and under the cab. i probably measured stuff and marked stuff for 3 hours, then would make a change and spend more time measuring. but at the end of the day, WOW, big change, or at least in my opinion it is.

 

[butchman_3]

thanks xtremes10

the set up came from a sam (?) pope. i bought the complete set up from rotor to rotor complete. being my first build, i wanted to make sure the suspension and everything was correct. and trying to figure out which parts are which and what interchanges would take me awhile, and finding the parts in my area would be even harder. im my own worst judge when it comes to my work, always nit picking it, yet someone else will look at it and think its amazing. just how i am though.

 

[butchman_3]

small progress done

got my spring perch plates from the water jet, tacked it in place, mounted the hubs and got a set of rims for it, set the ride height, made my wishbone mounts. tacked everything together, welded some stuff solid, drew up the gussets for the spring perch which i hope ill have them by wed. had to set the cab back on it and set the mock trans and motor back in it to get some more ideas

 

[Yeagley]

Looking good!!

 

[butchman_3]

waiting on some parts

been waiting on a few parts to come in and been busy working on some trucks traveling through but worked last night yanking the old wood out of the bed and seperating the bed from the homemade trailer it was attatched to. ground down the old rivets from the bulkhead of the bed, cut it down to the middle stake pockets which will be right at 45". tacked the bulkhead back on for now till i can build a full box tube frame for it and square everything. time is getting limited to work on it, hoping this week end will be a HUGE change with it.

 

[butchman_3]

not much done

didnt get to work on it hardly at all, but here is a glimpse of what its gonna kinda look like, set everything together and getting ride height figured out

 

[butchman_3]

finally got time on it

got my motor mounts done, used my dirt modified motor mounts, made things super easy, cut the firewall out some to cover over the trans, worked on the rear frame rails behind the cab, set the 9" to height, tacked the spring mounts in place, welded up 90% of the rear frame rails, set the cab back on and set a tire up against it for looks, going to run a 31" tall tire on the rear, things are slowly coming together, just need the u-bolts, and rear spring shackles and it will be sitting on its own and rolling

 

[butchman_3]

minor stuff

got my radiator mounted in place, cut down my grill and had to cut the center bracing and split it to widen to fit around the radiator, cut the bed floor framing and cross members out and set the bed over the rear frame to get some ideas of the height i want, got my 9" placed and height figured out and spring perches welded and rear shackle measurements done, seemed like i spent more time raising and lowering the bed most the time to see what i like, and still not sure if i know where i want it

 

[Magnum]

looking good... at 1st I thought the front frame seemed really long, but looks like it's coming together pretty nicely

 

[butchman_3]

thanks magnum

at first it was gonna be long cuz i was going to stretch the front out so i didnt loose any foot space in the cab from the trans, but after i sat abck and looked at it, i didnt like it, so i made a happy medium, only took 10" out of the firewall and going to have a bout a 4 to 6" driveshaft tunnel. i have to head to indianapolis this weekend for a moster show and then i get to work on it next week. hope to get the bed and cab mounted, finish the suspension, and start doing the smaller stuff.

 

[butchman_3]

sorry no updates

the rat got put on hold because of work, building another chassis for bigfoot and had to do a massive clean up of the shop for a magazine deal with pics and all, but the rat keeps whispering to me from under the tarp wanting to be worked on lol. working 2 jobs 7 days a week and trying to get things ready for a little one on the way, the rat is on hold for another week or so then ill get back to working on it. hope everyone is doing good

 

[halffast]

It looks like you have have a plan and you are going to make it work.Great looking project.

 

[butchman_3]

sorry for no updates

sorry havent done any updates, after building the new bigfoot 21 chassis, the g/f has been in the hospital since dec. 9 with pregnancy complications, so everything is on hold till momma and lil man is fine. but while sitting in the hospital, been doing alot of thinking and designing on the truck, just getting to where i can work on it again, but priorities had to be put in order. heres a pic

 

[Tim...Ok]

Like the looks of the truck, gonna be a cool ride!!

and the bf chassis ain't bad either

 

[rboutlawmotorsports]

Awesome Truck

Dude looking good , moving along like your thread Keep on keeping on (The Outlaw) ... [P [cl

 

[Ezheimers]

So Cool...

This Has Been A Great Build To Follow... Nice Project, Good Story Line and Great Pictures.
This Will Be One Fine Ride If This Quality Of Work Continues... Good Job Butchman...!

 

[butchman_3]

thanks everyone

appreciate the votes of confidence, anxious to get back on it and get it finished, but im going to have my little helper here really soon, so once he is here, i can start back on it

 

[butchman_3]

sorry

want to tell everyone thanks for the comments and all BUT due to blowing the trans out of my truck and then the engine letting go in my work car, had to sell off the project. didn't want to and i sold it way cheaper then i should have but, i sold it to a father and son that was going to finish it up. was going to be the last project the dad does due to declining health issues. ill snag some pics of it once they finish it.