new rat rod project

[terryth]

I have been out of old car projects since my lasts ones in about 1999, a 65 dodge dart convertible and 65 dodge townwagon truck. My father and uncles have always been into street rods and customs so i grew up with the itch. I have been mostly into motorcycles, sportbikes, dirt bikes, vintage, and dual purpose bikes, with 8 in the garage. This last year or so I have developed a friendship with a guy who lives out in the country with some land, our kids play together, with a yard too tempting to ignore. I traded him a 1975 Yamaha RD200 motorcycle for this project. Its a 1947 on a 1981 silverado 4X4 3/4 ton chassis, minus engine, tranny, and transfer case. I also bought the 78 chevy in the distance in the background, also a 4X4, for the 350 engine and drive train to put it all together. What I am really liking about the chevy trucks is that nearly everything is available reproduction for them, unlike the 65 dodge truck I had. My wife calls him an enabler, since I don't have any room for this kind of thing where we live.





Here is the front of the house by his garage.



Here are couple of shots of the field behind the house.




He's mainly into tractors and has a several early 50's cars that he wants to do and just ends up picking up the trucks at farm auctions.

I am also probably going to buy this 63 GMC thats behind the garage. This ones only needs a front main seal and new radiator to be fully drivable and he has another one with a decent bed.


Terry

[joe231]

cool projects....keep us posted!!
oh and

[mr48chev]

I thought I was looking at photos of my buddy's back yard for a moment. If he finished a project a year he would be 90 before he finished everything he has sitting "out back".

That flatbed would give some of the "patina" boys on some of the boards fits as they spend a lot of bucks to duplicate that time worn look.

[terryth]

Yea, I though that was kind of cool. When I was in Montana on vacation I was showing one of my uncles the photos and the first thing he said was "You're not going to paint it are you". That was the first I had heard of the rat rod/patina thing.

My initial thoughts on the 47 when I traded the bike for it, was to get it running with the 4x4 chassis, get the interior livable and put some vintage air in it (needed in the summer time in Nebraska) and use it for a daily driver to haul the dirt bikes around and worry about body and paint sometime in the future, since it is quite expensive for good bodywork and paint.

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I thought I was looking at photos of my buddy's back yard for a moment. If he finished a project a year he would be 90 before he finished everything he has sitting "out back".

That flatbed would give some of the "patina" boys on some of the boards fits as they spend a lot of bucks to duplicate that time worn look.

[Daniel U]

That's like finding hidden treasures. What a gold mine!

[FRENCHBLUE72]

That school bus would look kool dumped on the ground..

[thirdstreettito]

Anything been done on it yet?

[terryth]

I am actually buying the 63 GMC this weekend, we fired it up last sunday. My buddy and I have mostly been getting the Yamaha RD200 I traded for the 47 running right, carb issues that don't seem to want to go away. The carbs are currently soaking overnight in a gallon can of carb cleaner. Once its back together and going we are going to get started on pulling the drivetrain out of the 78 to start going through it and cleaning it up and deciding on what set of axles we are going to use, either the 3/4 ton under it now or the 1/2 ton stuff under the donor truck.
Terry

Originally Posted by thirdstreettito

Anything been done on it yet?

[thirdstreettito]

Oh, cool. Remember, we are all pic addicts here!

[55dude]

to bad your not closer i have a running 63' gmc i would damm near give you.

[49gmc]

hes got some awesome stuff out there. if he comes across (or already has) a chevy or GMC school bus like that 54-55 hes got, but a 47-53, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE contact me! the man i bought my truck from had one but i didnt have the money to buy both then, and i have been desperately searching for one since then. if anybody reading this knows where i could get one either, please lemme know. preferably a short bus, but i aint picky. i will definitely take a long if theres nothin else.

[Swifty]

awesome find!! i'm still looking. I know what you mean about finding parts. Its a pain in the a$$ finding stuff for my 68 Dodge truck. Thats one reason why i wanted a Chevy for a new project.

[neolowrider]

he should sell me stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


looks good....

[BigBlocksRule]

Originally Posted by FRENCHBLUE72

That school bus would look kool dumped on the ground..

Chip Foose did one for John Force with huge rims, etc. It was badass when Foose was finished. There's a '52 here that I'd like to get my hands on, but no luck so far. Those things have potential to do anything in the world with 'em.