Thread: Project 29 rpu is underway!!

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Dan and I went to Billetproof this past weekend and it got me fired up to start on my latest project. I mentioned that I have this RPU body Dan gave me when he bought his new body, and I have been wanting to make something out of it. I also have the frame and chassis we built for the 39 Dodge body, and last week we lifted the RPU body onto it and found out it fit as if it were made for it. I only have to redo a couple of mounts and it will fit perfectly.

So, tonight while Dan was sanding away on his frame I started playing around with my new toy. This car is very much like my very first hot rod. I had a 32 pickup that I cut the top off of, installed an Olds 394 engine backed by a LaSalle 3 speed, and a 57 Chevy rear axle. When my Kids were like 6 months old my Wife and I would take them for rides around our neighborhood, and get back before the cops would show up. We lived in Pennsylvania at the time and driving a fenderless hot rod ranked right up there with bank robbery. I never could get that rod inspected, so I blew it apart and used the parts for other cars.

I want this new rod to be a lot like that one. It has a 30 over 394 Olds, backed by a 4 speed hydro, and an S 10 rear. I am going to leave it a little rough around the edges and may even paint it with a brush, or at least sand through the paint to give it that old time look. I'm going to keep this one simple and bare bones. Up front I am going to have the Moon tank Ken gave me, and the radiator will be in the bed, hidden by the louvered tonneau cover Dan also gave me.

So, here are some pictures of how it is starting to look. As soon as I get the rear wheels powder coated red I can get it up on wheels all the way around. I found some neat 56 Olds hubcaps at Billetproof this weekend, and I like the way they look..........just the right amount of patina.

Don