First of all THIS ISN'T RAT ROD JUNK, it has patina on the body but it doesn't have any other rat rod characteristics (like Mexican blanket seats, insane choped top, skulls/spider webs, tractor parts and Mad Max inspired stuff), it will have a painted frame and drivetrain and most the parts used are pre-1965, if the administration think that this isn't H.A.M.B friendly warn me and delete the thread. Im from Passo Fundo, in the south of Brazil, and i started this build with my dad about 5 years ago, but since we changed some things and we only work in the car in the weekends our progress is slow. We are using a 1928 chevy frame and front end, with a GM 7.5" 10 bolt rear end, the engine is a 261 chevy with a T-85 transmission from a Brazilian c-10 (in the pictures it has a 221 flathead but as i said we changed the project overtime), the engine will have 2 single barrel carbs and a "split" exhaust manifold. The wheels are 18" "High clearance" or "divco" wheels, and the headlights are Guide 682c, for the interior i have a set of 1937 Ford gauges (btw we wont use the coca cola can as a cover) This is a mock up that we did using a tractor grill that we had around (it wont be used), the bed will be lowered in the frame, shortened and painted, and we will use a "half hood" hold in place by leather strips The cab we are using is a German Ford fk cab, and it is channeled about 4" in the frame.
here are some build pics: this was before cab was bolted in place , it shows how much the cab was channeled This is the interior, it will be all painted, in this picture the frame we built under the seat can be seen, the cab looks rough but the only real problem is the right side door that is coming apart(the door skin is separating from the frame at the bottom) This picture is a little shaky, but it shows the "stance" or ride height that the truck will have, and as you can see by the frame length the bed will be actually quite long (i'm not a big fan of "bobber trucks")
Bem Vindo, Good looking project, using what you have available is hot rodding. When you set up the bed and cab height, try to keep a straight line with the bottom of the side window and the top of the bed, they don't have to line up, just be on the same plane. In your bed mock up pic the cab is leaning back and the bed is leaning forward. How's fuel availability, I used to travel to piracicaba a lot, isn't all the "gas" ethanol? Can you set up the old carbs to run on it? Read this thread on CLR, it's a mild acid cleaner, some guys are using it to clean exposed rust while preserving the paint, apply car wax heavily after that. Just a way to clean up the existing paint for a while and slow down any rust. I'm sure you can find a comparable product or mild acid in Brazil. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/whats-the-story-on-using-clr.990241/ The cab and bed are in good shape compared to some of rusty stuff we work with here, keep the updates coming.
I am aware of the cab-bed alignment, the cab is tilted but that is a easy fix, the bed was just droped in place for the picture, it doesn't have proper mounts yet As for the fuel we do have gasoline/petrol in Brazil, but it is mixed (about 73% gasoline and 27% ethanol), the carbs can be setup, but if the car gets parked for a long time the water on the ethanol destroy the carb gaskets Thanks for the CLR tip, i will try to find a equivalent
In the last few weeks we made some progress on the truck, we placed the engine and made the mounts, we also reinstalled the 38 chevy radiator that we had and done some mock ups with the 34 chevy grill we will be using. We also changed one leaf on the left-rear corner, when putting the suspension together we missed the fact that one leaf was thinner than the others and as result that side was lower than the other. The picture above also shows the gearbox we are going to use, this was originally a column shift, and despite kits to convert these gearboxes to floor shift being avaliable someone did a bad job converting this using the original cover... This picture shows the expected final ride height with the wheels and front tires we will be using (we are still trying to find a alternative to the radials we are using on the rear) Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Ahh the joys of a father and son project. Good times and great memories. I like that you're using what's available to you, looks great. Can't wait to see the finished product. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
In January the project has been put on hold again, my grandfather, who was the owner of the farm and the garage where we we work on our cars decided to expand the garage, so we had to stop the project, Sadly on February 16 he passed away. The project is in hold ever since, because my family now has to take care of the farm and my Grandfather's car collection as well We finished the garage and moved the tools to the new area ,the old area is now the garage of my grandfather's 2 F-100s (one of which he bought brand new in 1958) Before all of that happened we installed the clutch and the gearbox in the truck and bought in a trip a 1953 Dodge bed (for about $15) which we left in a friend's house and only now brought home, since it had no floor we just mocked it up on the frame. In my opinion it is much better than the homemade one we had before. Sent from my ASUS_Z00LD using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Last weekend we got the project going again, we filled the tires and put it on the new shop, we built a proper (bolted) structure to hold the bed sides together so we can build mounts, this weekend i plan to take the transmission out so we can finish the clutch (installing the throw out bearing and the fork), put it back in and install the driveshaft. Right now i and my father are discussing about the pedals we are going to use, our space is limited because of the position of the transmission mount and the bellhousing, so the idea of a firewall mounted setup is not discarded. I also discussed with him the idea of painting the truck, i was thinking about a slightly darker blue than the one in the cab. Meanwhile i did some research on some of the parts we are going to use, i found out that our diff , which is a Braseixos out of a 70's Chevrolet Opala (and one of the only "modern" parts we are using) is a licensed GM 8.2" 10 bolt axle.(edit. It is actualy a 7.5", Brazilian 7.5"s have a cover similar to the 8.2"s) I'm still trying to figure out what our gearbox is, it is a Clark 260T out of a Brazilian C-10, it appears to be a licensed Borg Warner T-85, but i ain't sure, mainly because it doesn't have a long tailshaft like the ones i've seen. I will leave this picture of a 260T so you guys have an idea of what i'm talking about
I know things are different in other countries. For us, these would be 1955 and 1960 trucks. Is the one on the left your 1958 model?
Yes, the 1958 is the one in the left, it is basically a 1955 with 1956 grill and trim, the other one is a 1963
Great build. Especially with father and son. brings back great times with my fathers builds. Good luck. Looks great.
Thanks guys Last weekend we built the bed mounts, we still have to do some tweaks on the alignment and find a front panel for the bed, but the bed is finally in place.
Wow, 8 months since i last updated this thread... time to get back on this project, i have some jeep stuff i have to deal with but i think that in about 2 weeks we will be working on the truck again I did start fabricating an intake manifold, the only thing i've done so far is the plenum (I know people use these Ford driveshaft tubes to make headers, but i think i will be the first one to use one on a intake) I decided to set aside the 38 Ford gauges and use these instead, they are 1963-64 Aero Willys gauges, i also have the speedo, but i think i might not use it.
Good stuff @GraeffSS and belated condolences on the passing of your Grandpa...You are fortunate to be able to have such a great place to build, a supportive family behind you and some things left in the family along with the memories and experiences you shared with your Grandpa. Cool first Hotrod Jalopy your building.
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