When I was a kid back in the mid-1960's there was a little bobber truck that I use to see at the local watering hole. I was too young to go look at it when it was in the parking lot but one day it was parked out near the highway so my dad and I stopped to look at it. I am pretty sure it was an International cab, no fenders at all, the motor was exposed too, it was kinda crude the way it was put together. I remember a beer keg in the back of bed too....I found a picture (see attached) on the internet of a more current built one but with the same flavor, I would like to recreate again... What would the period correct way to get it lowered??...This one I even saw a video of and it has airbags which I am pretty sure in 1965 it was not part of the one I remember...were the guys then running like 283's yet..I can't recall what it had for a motor..pretty sure is had standard transmission..it might have had the brake and clutch pedals hanging off the firewall... Thanks for any help. I wish I had taken pictures of it back then as my memory is kinda foggy going that far back. MikeC
65 most guys that did pickups would run 327 283 or fe motors the poor kids like me used whatever we could buy for 50 bucks. You are probably going to get some static but that is a rat rod in your pic.
If you lost the weird grille shell, funky exhaust, odd proportions,lost the beer keg gas tank, centered the rear wheels in the bed sides, fit big and littles, painted it nicely AND GOT RID OF THE BOTTLE OPENER, it has a chance to be a decent Hotrod. Otherwise it's just another JUNKROD( notice I didn't use the R word?) . At least it doesn't have skulls, cobwebs and goofy huge rusty wrenches all over it. Don't really like that idiocy. Mitch.
Also, the trucks after say 1938 don't really lend themselves to well to the bobber truck idea. The tend to end up looking bulky and kinda clumsy looking, just my observation. Mitch
So how would most young guys in the early to mid-1960's lower a truck like that truck appears? As far as standard transmissions what the popular choices back then? thanks in advance. MikeC
Rudy Rodriguez’ ride is a much less ratty version of what you describe, the attached article says it is channeled over a stepped frame. https://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Rudy_Rodriguez'_1935_Ford
A fenderless hot rod truck really shouldnt be shoddely ? built, no reason for that. No reason for R___rods at all but this is a free country. Mike, if you got your hands on an old truck, why not build a hotrod out of it utilizing all the fenders and such. I can remember ALOT of hotrods from my youth and honestly most were really cobbled together pieces of weirdness. Your truck your money ,your time but please build something you will be PROUD of for a long time. Good luck, Mitch.
That truck above and 'traditional' don't belong in the same sentence. Looks like it started as an International (also about as traditional as a new Camaro.)
In upstate NY is where I grew up...there were quiet few of them...one was 34 Ford and then there was really round cab one...so I assumed it was an International...long time ago
^^X2. The closest thing to that style I ever saw were 34 truck cabs without fenders. Anything newer than that without fenders just look......well, stupid in my biased opinion. As for the lowered appearance, channeling it over the frame makes it look low.
Build what you want. What gets you excited? That truck would not be for me, but that should mean nothing to you. If that is what you always wanted, so be it. Bottle Opener? There was a guy back in the late 50's early 60's that had a cigarette lighter mounted under his roadster for when he was working on it. True!
What gets me excited ....I can't afford...a 1928 thru 1940 Fords...way out of my price range tho....so I go back to something that I remember from back in the early 1960's when I first became aware of this type of stuff that I can afford to build and not mortgage my house... Love that picture...very very cool right there.. MikeC
The grill looks like an International unit, maybe from a larger truck but I think it is from a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck. it has the front part or the hood cut off and welded to the lower grill section. As far as making it look better, maybe not channeling it so much and chopping it some. Getting the radiator in under the grill would help some also, along with the wheel placement in the bed. I know I'm a little biased (owned my '46 for over 40 years) but the '41-'49 International trucks look very nice and have an older style than other trucks of those years and could make a nice hot rod if done nice. I just don't know about the fenderless thing but I have seen a '35 Ford truck that was done on the HAMB without fenders that came out very nice.
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