If you could just get it lower, I think you will have nailed it! Nah, I like it! I just couldn't get out of my own driveway without more clearance...
Can you raise the bed until the top matches the body beadline? And can you move the radiator back behind the crossmember and drop it about 3"? How about a better pic of the Caddy?
im going to try to have it there and those are not running board brackets the cab was sitting on those as I built the floor
This thread is going better then I imagined. You fellas going soft on me? I think that you have a really cool start to a hot rod right there. The engine choice is really cool! Shorten the bed and raise it up a bit and I would drive the shit out of it! Keep it up.
I agree with the other comments, the bed is too long and a little too low. Otherwise, it looks good, I just hope you can get it out of the driveway.
SCRUBLINE! There, it's been said, loud and clear. Don't take your wife or little baby for a ride in that thing if that is the true ride height. OR do you have airbags? Even so, don't take anyone you love for a ride without redesigning that guy by bringing the cabin up as noted in a previous post by 3"": or more. It is uncouth, and downright ugly, to have a car or "pickup" with a radiator that is higher than the cowl of the vehicle. On the bright side, I don't mind the extra bed length, the placemnt in relation to the cab is off a bit but I see it's basically just a mockup anyway. The longer bed gives the truck a more definite 40s-50s feel that offsets the too-chopped cab.
How much do you plan on actually driving it- and where? I personally think its waaaaay too low as it sits for that wheelbase. But I prefer daily driveable rods, so my tastes may not reflect yours. I can tell you that in South Texas that thing would be high-centered pretty darned easily. I'd raise the cab to a more realistic height & cruise with a little piece of mind, if I were the owner. I actually like that long bed, but agree that its sitting too low in relation to the cab. Overall, its a decent looking project- & it'll really stand out with a nice glossy paintjob.
I think the truck would look a lot nicer if you painted the rear wheels the same color as the front, and had whitewalls on the back. And yeah, it's kind of low, but if that's how you want to roll...
Instead, I'd raise the body about 3" (at least) that way rad is now lined up with the cowl AND the car is high enough to actually drive. Where I live, I could build a car like that real cheap since the driveline wouldn't actually have to work, cause that thing would never be able make out my driveway.
I'll have to mimic the other things said on here. I'd raise it up a few inches, if you're planning on driving it or having anyone you car about ride in it. The guy across the street from me when I was a kid had a bone stock 67 GTO. He was coming home one day and as he turned down our street, he found that the city had stripped our road for new paving. Someone had stolen the caution sign that straddled one of the (now raised) manhole covers. His front cross-member hit that at 30mph and stopped the car dead in its tracks. His face hit the steering wheel and his knees hit the dash. The car was totaled. It folded that Goat in half at the firewall and he ended up with a crushed face and two broken knee caps. He couldn't work for 5 months and the hospital bill was astronomical! Just don't sacrifice your family or friends' safety to have a 'cool' stance. That being said, I think you have the start of a cool project. Just don't cop out and make it into a rat rod. It has potential to be so much more. And, ya, I'd take about a foot off the rear end of the bed. Just offering my opinion. It's yours, do with it as you will, as long as you don't endanger anyone else in the process.
Long bed is good, when you get the rear spring back from spring shop, installed, it's on it's way to being a bitchin' rod. Then I'd lose the runnin' board mount brackets. I'm guessing your'e about 5' 5". Looks too neck crickin for me, I'm 6'
The Jalopy Journal
