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Hello fellow forum members!!
I am just getting in to the idea of making me a rat rod truck, I am mechanically inclined and I have taken welding classes, I have a ton of questions and lots of forum reading to do. I tried to do a search for where to start in building a rat rod truck and nothing came up!!
What frame should I start with?
Semperfi,
Marine6212
Either pick something specifically because it is close to your truck, or because it is cheap or parts availability.
Welcome to this site. Lots of folks here to help. Give us some more specifics as to year and model of truck for a start.
Welcome to CHR! The term Rat Rod brings up all kinds of ideas, but the bottom line for every build needs to be safety and reliability. Tell us what you want to end up with, and there's lots of folks to help you get there. Depending on how radical you're wanting to go you might start with a complete old truck of the era you're wanting, or you might start with a pile of 2x4 tube stock and fabricate from scratch.
Well I always liked the Chevy 5 window pick-up trucks. I was planning on getting one of these trucks and doing a restoration, but I've gotten the rat rod fever! Went to bed last nite thinking of the look and the only thing I could see all nite was a shadow of a pickup truck! LOL!!
Semperfi,
Marine6212
Chevy 5 Window's are very popular, and people are getting proud of the old ones left around so you're going to have to do some looking. Good thing is there are lots of small towns in Georgia where one might be hiding. You'd want to start with a complete truck, keeping the stock frame as your base. A friend of mine finished one recently, putting in some dropped spindles to bring it down towards the weeds, added discs to the front, put in a nice 350 crate engine & 350 tranny, cleaned up the insides but kept it pretty well stock looking and then did some selective sanding to increase the "show through" on the primer, added some "highlights" of color to increase the "out of a field" look, and shot it with satin clear to keep it from rusting away. Has a really nice truck that drives right, stops right, and is very reliable but looks like the survivor it is. He uses it for his shop truck most of the time now, enjoying driving it more than his 2010 F150. I can try to swing by and snap a couple of pictures of it one of these days if you'd like, but I don't get into town every day any more....
Thanks rspears, I appreciate the thought! I have been looking for a 5 window p/u for a while now! If I find one its already restored and $$$$$,$$$$ or its so rusted out that it would fall apart trying to trailer it:CRY:!! LOL. Last good one I saw was in Long Beach,Ca and the guy wanted $20 grand for a rolling frame and cab.:confused::eek: No motor or trans and rear end had been disassembled with a pipe welded into the pumpkin to hold the axle shaft in!!:LOL:
Welcome to CHR, tons of experience and good advice here on CHR.... How far you want to travel for a good 5 window, just happen to know where there are a few.....they must be easy to find, I don't like Chebbies and still manage to trip over them!!!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:
After the Holidays I am willing to travel 100 miles for a good one and a good price!! The BOSS laid the LAW down on me!! No truck buying till after the Holidays!!:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Severson
Semperfi,
Marine6212
I know the old 5 windows are revered out here. I think Rogers idea of keeping the body intact and just lowering it would be o.k. with the Bow Tie boys, but start chopping on one of those is enough to insight a riot! :) Also as you already know they go for a fortune! I remember in the old days of my youth you could get an old one with a 4 cylinder 3 on the tree for about 500 bucks running! It's amazing what they demand now!
I'd watch Craigslist, but more than that I'd freestyle pick so to speak, and drive the old country back roads looking for one sitting in a field or driveway and then cautiously approach the residence asking if they'd consider selling it, not mentioning "Rat Rod" per say, just you want to fix it up for a daily driver.
Here's one packed and ready to go on a trailer in Texas on Ebay, still low priced as of now
Chevrolet Other Pickups 5 Window | eBay