Hot Rods Folk art jalopy? It’s not a rat rod

The story is the owners dad built this in the 40s at the age of 16/17
Drove it cross country from Al to Ca and even Canada.

 

I disagree...

 

Beverly Hill billies come to mind.
What am I missing?

 

May not be a rat rod in your mind, but to me....... maybe the first rat rod if its that old.

 

I guess it’s not the polished car most folks imagine.
It’s a nice piece or example of what you found in my neck of the woods.
Hard to call it a term that didn’t exist when it was built. Well built by a kid in the 40s with nothing other than some hand tools and a torch. He later became a machinist.

 

Reminds me of the Beverly Hillbillies truck, something built from necessity.

 

Go cart built in the 50s reportedly from the same guy.
Had a grandkid making laps in it

 

Hell, I couldn't have built it when I was that age. I can see a lot that I'd want to do, but it's better than some of the RR shit today.

 

Personally I cannot fathom people’s overwhelming need to categorize everything, that there looks to me like way too much fun

 

I like the kart!

 

It's a jalopy. Looks like something our junkyards would have built to pull parts in the yard.

 

Well, Anthony’s title to the post is sure to elicit responses. He may have not been asking specifically “what do you call it..” but it does seem to warrant the discussion.


In my minds eye, it would have been built to “run around on the farm” kinda like a dune buggy thing.

I guess the fact it was driven across country makes one think a bit, looking closer I see if there was an icebox full of food and beverage, there’s no reason to ever stop unless gas was needed.

 

I get where your coming from, it was built with what was available on a kids budget back in the day, crude by today's standards but I'm sure it was a blast when it first hit the road.

We pieced together something similar back in the early 60's, traditional, street rod nor rat rod terminology didn't exist, we called it a hot rod. HRP

 

Clearly you have not witnessed some of the modern 'rat rods' that are 'built on a budget'.
My favorite is the profuse use of rebar and broken components in steering linkage 'for flair'.
*shudders*

Anthony's posted pics are of a proper Jalopy.

 

its a traditional R*TR*D because its vintage

 

Now I’m going by the current owners story.
The chassis appears to be later than 41 (I could be wrong) which would have been from a new car at that time.
It has a spring in front juice brake set up
But he did state it changed over the years by its builder to suit needs. That’s probably why its a truck/utility vehicle.
According to the story of the cross country trip it wasn’t in the “truck” form but had a canvas top that extended further back.
Has had several different flatheads even multi carb intakes and cheater slicks at some point.
The work on the body appears to be all done with a torch and brass. All the hardware is correct for an early build.

 

I notice the kart has the chain dangling in the dirt.... Just sayin.

The car? I'm sure it was fun to build as a kid, tear around the farm? Etc etc. Nothing I'd consider a rod, nor folk art. Jalopy seems to fit. I'd take the flattie off his hands... He could keep the rest.

 

A close up of the modified steering column

and a better shot of the “unique” roof

 

Yes. If it’s genuine I’d consider it a jalopy hot rod.
I grew up listing to stories of relatives building “cut downs”. I guess this car would fit that description.
From what I can gather from my kinfolks, “hot rods “were scarce where I grew up. Most old cars turned into circle track and demo derby fodder and cut downs.

 

definitely interesting. i’ll have to just say it’s doing with what you have.

 

I did something kinda similar but very crude in the mid seventies.
definitely not as cool.
1959 hillman body. and mid sixties chevy. it drove and was fun for the summer. until it got cold in flagstaff az. then no more. i sold off parts and even gave away what remained.

 

has an extra place for an early carb linkage to hook up. Could support having multiple carbs at one time story.
The heavy duty coolant plumbing lines are the radiator supports

 

i think i still have the hillman taillights somewhere. (if i haven’t sold them already. )

The crazy shit I used to do…

 

The more I look at it the more I dig it. I'd drive the crap out of it here around town.

 

Both my grandads had similar home built trucks on their farms. My grandad Funkhouser had one built from a 1930 Chevrolet, and my granddad Day, had one built from an model A. The Chevy even had a dump bed on it. My dad used the Chevy to build our home back in 1953. Now days I call them Doodle bugs. This photo is one I took of the farmer that I bought my 29 A coupe from for a $100. I was helping him feed his cows the day I took the photo. Back then if you didn't have the $$ kids would build a jalopy, and farmers built trucks. They didn't have the money to spend on new stuff. I loved driving them old trucks too.

 

It definitely has a unique appeal, granted its not for everybody's liking that is for sure, but it would be a great car for running around in the pits at Bonneville speed week, easy to pressure wash out the salt without wrecking anything.

It has a good bed to carry coolers and supplies and umbrellas. The seats are interesting, as well as the frames for them.

I wonder what they were out of ?

Would I drive it to Bonneville ? No, it would have to be on a trailer, or even better in a trailer !
IMHO.
That's my 8 cents worth .

 

I sure like the flatty .......

 

I’m not an aircraft seat expert or if these even are. Seems military but these appear to be made out of steel.
But if you zoom n on the belts it looks like a 40s inspection date