Thread: 17 hour build

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Ok so what have we learned from all of this?

Those who liked rats before the posting still like 'em, while those who didn't, still don't.

I personally don't really care for rats, it's not really my cup of tea. I choose to go a different route and spend a bunch (in fact, an excessive amount) of money buying all new parts or rebuilding everything because I want it to last a long time. I also have learned enough over the years that I don't want to have something break on me halfway between origin and destination. I want it reliable X 2.

All of that being said, I would also say that I think what they were able to accomplish, based on the pix, from start to finish IS pretty damn impressive for a 17 hour time frame.

No, it's not a looker and obviously isn't going to be taking a bunch of trophies or go for a pretty penny at Barrett-Jackson; but, I think it's pretty obvious that's not exactly what the builder had in mind.

There was a mention in a previous posting that there was no apparent theme involved, I respectfully (and I really mean that) submit, that perhaps, the theme was a 17 hour build. What I mean by that is, take a pile of parts and 17 hours later, have a running, driving car. Not a show winner; but, a running, driving car all the same.

I wouldn't do it, because it's not what I like, but I also know, and will readily admit, that I couldn't do what they did in 17 hours. I also would have never had the balls to drive it the 20 or so hours that it would take to get from Vegas back to WA. Not unless I had a damn good back-up plan to get home. My hat's off to them for that.

As for the safety aspect of it, that is something that should have been (I'm not saying it wasn't) the #1 priority IMO. I'm not talking about the safety of the driver/passenger here, because if somebody wants to turn themselves into a greasy spot on a road, that's up to them and there will most likely be nothing I can do or say to stop them. I'm talking about other drivers on the road. If it wasn't safe, it shouldn't have been out there.

All well and good, but answer me this.........Did that car have a sealed firewall and floorboards when it left after 17 hrs?......Doesnt look like it from the pictures. If it did, fine...........If not, I would consider it unsafe. Maybe Nevada safety regs are not what they are here...................

It had floorboards and a firewall at the end of 17 hours, yes. It was not sealed with silicone or anything but it was safe, very safe.

-Austin

Welcome austin, i see you found mine and dons other hiding place.

Austin great do even though im into finish not a show i too want to drive the car . In the time span and the entertainment that is a accomplishment . I hope more people where interested and got the bug. My definition of a rat rod is one that is low to the ground and chopped. All the paint dont change that . What i remember in rodding is all where high in the air with tall tires and hi boy comes to mind .

Well now that the builder is here Lets hear some more about this,what motavated you guys to do this build and do you have any more pics?
If you watched the vids I posted ,this will exsplain where alot of the rusty car attitude comes from.The vid was from 58,soo thru the 60s and 70s this stuff was drilled into the fellas about projecting a good image as a rodder,the main thing other than the ,thats not my type of car rebutals,the only thing most everyone is concerned with is saftey....why.........because all it takes are a couple bad apples for them to put all of our cars in the same baskett and ban em..........To the normal joe,your ride is no different than a boyd or fooose car......when one gets a bad rap ,we all get a bad rap.....that is why most get in a uproar about those type of cars,I personaly want to build a ride that I will not have to kill someone over door dings,unlike the one that I am workin on now.

I shouldn't like it. Everything Dave Severson says it true!!! But Damn, I do like it. Thats the kind of car, that if I met it while driving down the highway, my head would swivel right around like the girl in the Exorcist, trying to watch it go down the road!!! Granted, if I had it, the welds would all be made with my 220 Volt Lincoln, and the top would be filled, and the floor would be in, and the paint would be shiny, and---and ---and---- And I hate ratrods anyways----but----maybe (and thats a small maybe)---maybe I'm just getting to be a fussy old fart thats forgotten the roots of this hobby.

So here is how the story goes...

My father built show cars his whole life. I could post pictures but just trust me they were as nice as any here on this forum. When I was 12 I bought a Model A coupe body from a farmer for $400. My father and I worked on the car and finally got it on the road when I was 20. It was crude, rude, and very low budget. I loved it!

Now I am 30. Out of all the builds I remember, it was the best. It was built to drive. I still have the car to this day and I will give it to my son someday.

Last November, my father and I were driving down the road and talking about cars. I thought that it might be cool to build a car at a show from scratch. Of course if you are going to do this, it needs to be a bare bones hot rod. What better place to build a bare bones hot rod than Viva Las Vegas.

I contacted them about the idea and they were all for it. We talked with a few friends here and made it happen. The 58 chevy bus we drove down in was the frosting on top of the cake. The whole experience was magical. I will never forget it.

We have over 65 hours of video and 1200 pictures. I am meeting next week with a professional editor to make it into a DVD.

It was more work than you can imagine preparing for it. My father had lists on top of lists on top of lists... In the end, for me, it was all worth it.(I cant speak for anyone else but I think they would agree)

Hot Rodding is a passion and a way of life. Our hope is that some of the younger generation sees that they can build a rod too. Heck, if 4 guys that look like us can pull it off in 17 hours then anyone can learn to build a car. You dont need thousands upon thousands of dollars to have a cool hot rod. You just need some parts, some time, and a dream.

Thats the story. Take it for what its worth....

-Austin
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I'm so happy to see Austin come on here and discuss not only the 17 hour build, but his lifelong involvement with rodding.

I've mentioned his forum a few times on here, and I was one of the early members. Hotroddaddy sent me a PM and told me I should check out this new forum that was just getting started. That was back in Sept I think. At that time, when you would log on you were sometimes the only person on at that time. But there was something special about it even then, much like CHR. The first thing I noticed was that Austin was a gentleman. He has his head screwed on straight, and was always extremely polite and wanting good things to happen for his forum.

Right around December, I think, things got crazy on Killbillet, and a flood of new members started coming on board. Suddenly there were 50 things going on at one time, and Austin was still doing everything alone, so all the members had to act as unofficial Moderators and keep the new guys civil and understanding that no foul language or fighting would be tolerated. To everyones credit, we had very few problems.

What I like about that forum is what I also like about this one. Everybody is respectful of one another, and there is none of the bad lanquage and talking down to others, like you see on some other forums. Austin has done a great job in setting up and maintaining that atmosphere.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I'm so happy to see Austin come on here and discuss not only the 17 hour build, but his lifelong involvement with rodding.

I've mentioned his forum a few times on here, and I was one of the early members. Hotroddaddy sent me a PM and told me I should check out this new forum that was just getting started. That was back in Sept I think. At that time, when you would log on you were sometimes the only person on at that time. But there was something special about it even then, much like CHR. The first thing I noticed was that Austin was a gentleman. He has his head screwed on straight, and was always extremely polite and wanting good things to happen for his forum.

Right around December, I think, things got crazy on Killbillet, and a flood of new members started coming on board. Suddenly there were 50 things going on at one time, and Austin was still doing everything alone, so all the members had to act as unofficial Moderators and keep the new guys civil and understanding that no foul language or fighting would be tolerated. To everyones credit, we had very few problems.

What I like about that forum is what I also like about this one. Everybody is respectful of one another, and there is none of the bad lanquage and talking down to others, like you see on some other forums. Austin has done a great job in setting up and maintaining that atmosphere.

Don

I looked through some of the posts. What I saw is that we are a bunch of "glitter boys" who simply write checks for everything and that most of us here don't know a thing about "real hot rods". I also noticed that at the car shows nobody looks at the "glitter boy" cars that the "rich guys" buy and "trailer" to all the events....

Sounds to me like the same old Rat Rod BS that has been going on since day one. I will say that the post are clean and not a lot of vulgarity, so congrats on maitining civility, anyway.

I'll never like Rat Rods, but I would fight to my last breath for someone's right to build them. Why do rat rodders seem to come on here one or two at a time and start bad mouthing us? There are two of my cars in my shop now, and I would venture to say there are more hand built parts (by me, not a checkbook) then there are on most rats...

I know the majority of the rat rodders are as talented as anyone here, that's never been a concern of mine. What concerns me is that I lived through the era when cops and the general public scorned ALL hot rodders, they made no distinction based on the type of rod it was. They hated us... What is scary to me is that the "fringe element" of the rat rod crowd, the unsafe cars with lousy brakes, poorly placed and mounted fuel tanks, etc. who are so dang dead set serious about being anti-safe and sane hot rodder are going to do something really stupid that will result in the deaths of a lot of innocent people. Then it isn't a rat rodder, it was a Hot Rodder and we will all suffer the consequences. I don't want to be back in the days when I had to sneak out of town on the backroad so the cops wouldn't get me. Sure, it could be a car one of us "glitter boys" build, too. I'm concerned someone is just going to be so dead set against us that they will be out to prove just how crazy they can be.... Hopefully I am way off base with these concerns. In many states, Hot Rodders are about one law away from being legislated out of existence anyway. Let's not give these do-gooders a chance to throw our beloved sport of Hot Rodding back in time 40 years to the days that we are all hoodums again.....Please.....

Great story and thumbs up on all the work and planning before hand.
I live out here in cali where everything has to be perfect and shiney/they sniff the butt of your car to make sure it smells ok and everyone lives in houses that look identical and perfect....phoooyey
I want on that can be door dinged in parkin lot and not contemplate killin people over it.Something that can be used on a daily basis and not have to be polished,unlike the engine I have now,I want to have fun in it and not be scared to do a burn out in it......I have had some old beater pick-ups and they were alot of fun to play in and abuse
I used to do some abusive driving and I would not feel good doing that in a show ride
I do like paint and matching stuff ,just not 3,000 hrs of block sanding /like my current ride is taking

OK I'm know I'm supposed to be lookng at the car but..................COOL BUS!!!!!!!!!

Well, don't blame the agency, blame the people WE sent to Washington who make these ridiculous laws.... Get politically active and stay informed on proposed and existing laws that effect hot rodding, or watch the sport go away..... The VOTE is still the single most effective method of counteracting laws to limit and or ban hot rodding....

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Well, don't blame the agency, blame the people WE sent to Washington who make these ridiculous laws.... Get politically active and stay informed on proposed and existing laws that effect hot rodding, or watch the sport go away..... The VOTE is still the single most effective method of counteracting laws to limit and or ban hot rodding....

im very informed on this matter. the epa is a agency that runs itself you or me cant vote who works for them, Your from SD did ever see Daschles law on the book where he wanted to crush every thing ten years or older. the minute i read that i call Rep Al Waltman he was customer and Dem. he checked in to it and it lost .

Your right, forget it. All is lost. Absolutely nothing we can do.... SEMA is just wasting it's time....

The EPA did not exist until 1970... It didn't just come into being by osmosis. The people we sent to Washington created the agency.

By the way, that was Lady Bird Johnson who authored the crush em legislation and it was introduced in congress by the two senators from her home state, Texas. Tom Dascle wasn't involved.....