Trucks: Going Fenderless (opinions?)

I think I'll retract my statement there.

It can be done, just do it tastefully.

 

Bill, I love that motor mount. Sweet idea.

 

I really didn't even notice the motor mount, but it too is just another piece of how awesome that ride is going to look when completed.

 

I never thought of running an AD Chevy fenderless. It looks good and has nice proportions. I have been eyeballing a '48-52 F1 cab with the same thought in mind though. I like the flat windshield. Both of these cabs can still be found for cheap too.

Tom

 

Bill, that looks plain SICK!!! Are you going to box the iron crosses as well?

 

Rob, any more pics? I want to see more of that front end.

 

heres one of the front end,i did a build pic post check it out for more pics.Later Robhttp://

 

Rob? Where's the radiator?

 

it's mounted in the back,i had a huge alluminum rad and it was way to big for a front mount so i just hung it on the rear,ran the water through stainless 1 1/2 pipe down the frame.

 

Do you have any pix of the rear suspension? Truck looks great by the way!

 

Hers a pic after i painted it,truck arms out of a 66 chevy homemade airbag mounts on the frame and used bags instead of coils. The bags came off an old tag axle.no fancy compressor , just ran the lines to a commen shader valve air up any where. Later rob

 

frogot the pichttp://

 

If You Ask For Opinions, Thats What You Get, Opinions. I Say Use What You Got And Build What You Want. Fuck What Anybody Else Thinks. If Its Gonna Be For Your Boy, Ask Him What He Wants Man. Drive It With Ugly Billit Wheels If Thats All You Got, I Bet The First Time Out You Could Trade A "street Rodder" For Something You Like Or At Least Sell Em For Enough Coin To Buy A Set You Like. Thats The Way To Go Man Do What You Want Man. If You Follow The Masses Its All For Nothing Man, Nothing. But Thats My "opinion" And I'm A Fuckin Retarded Asshole Anyway.

 

Try to pull it off tastefully though.

Nothing crapped onto a 1989 S-10 frame with a tractor grill.

And you'll be alright.

 

There's a great quote often attributed to C.F. Kettering:
"Parts left cost nothing and cause no warranty problems."
(whether he actually said it or not, I still like it)

As long as you don't frequently drive in the rain or on gravel roads, leave 'em off. It will look better, be done sooner, and be easier to work on.

.

 

Fenders?

 

If you can get a pre-war truck go for it. If not... chop it too much, flat paint is a must, tuck the rear end in way too close to the cab, cover it in the most gaudy/busy pinstriping you can, get a 40 inch tall shifter and top it off with a skull shift knob and put skulls and shrunken heads or whatever behind the grill (anywhere really, its ol'skool no matter what) and you'll be golden.

almost forgot, dont narrow the cab either.. You want it to look fat and out of place.

 

Problem with the Cougar IRS...It's just damned wide...maybe close to 64 inches wms to wms...unless you're to run some super big wheels...you have issues with making it up in the offset and keeping the rubber by the bed/frame/whatever you use.

I'm thinking the suspension you have in mind is better suited to a mid-late 50's Ford truck..with fenders...there's nothing attractive about the Cougar IRS...in fact I have one in the driveway I can take a pic of for yo, just to show you it isn't pretty or easily adapted like a Jag/Vette/aftermarket one.

 

I didn't read one mention of IFS in his thread,only mentioned disc brakes.

 

Really?

 

I did mention the IRS, but not sure about the IFS. The only reason I was speaking of it was because it is there and wouldn't cost anything. Like I said, I haven't even looked at it, and understand NOW that it probably wouldn't fit. It's no real problem, later model rears are easy to come by - hell, I scrapped a '92 Firebird the other day and by the time I was finished, the rear end and 4 steel wheels and tires were free.

I do like the ideas of what I've been shown here. I most certainly like the truck without a front radiator. That lends itself to an interesting design, and would cause many to do a double-take to see what they missed.

Ultimately, since I've chosen my planned direction, it is going to be up to my son. If he shows interest in something like this, then we'll go for it. Otherwise, this has all been an exercise in the learning curve.

 

This ones going to be fenderless, but traditional. As stated above good ideas but kinda straying away from the core of this site.

 

I just reread the first post and he mentioned disk brakes with air bags, I just assumed he was going to use IFS and from PM'ing him back and forth I was right.
Sounds like he has a better foundation for building a cool truck now than when he first posted. The HAMB saves another one!

 

I would warn against the 3.8L V6 because it just sucks. Traditional or not.

 

HAHAHAHAHA...I got it, did anyone else!?!

 

I don't like to criticise anyone's "Rod" or anything, but the examples that these guys posted are about as "right-looking" as any Post-War "Fat" truck without fenders will get.

 

I wouldn't go so far as to say you've saved me, but only slightly changed my train of thought! I may still wind up building one of these, but I have learned quite a few things.

1. Cougar IRS = Bad!
2. Fenderless IFS = Bad!
3. 3.8 V6 = Bad!
4. Stock firewall = Bad!
5. Plan well = Good!
6. Listen to voices of experience = Good!
7. Put Radiator in bed = Good Idea!
8. Have fun = Good!

Thanks for the pictures of your rides! In the end, I do like what has been shown to me here, and things that have been explained as well. At least now I know what not to do!

 

Actually...You could go up to '47 or so with Fords, their a little tall. But find one thats been used to store fertilizer for 30 years or so and all the "sectioning" work will already have been done for you. Just need a cleaning up.

'46 is about the limit for Chevies also. Still a little tall. But these aren't "fat" trucks either.

 

I'm going to change some minds about Internationals, too. As soon as I get these two things together.

 

I have a KB-6. Originally planned to possibly put it on a different frame...but then realized that its fender/cab layout would be a little hard to engineer. Its about a '47 or '48.

Right now...its a little too big to do anything practical with.