Jairus

My Comcast server is acting like “dial-up†today and I almost didn’t respond. But, felt it was important that you and anyone reading this know that: There is a wealth of information in the Tips and Tricks section of this forum. Yes, I know… there are many, many pages of stuff to wade through. Well bunky, do a word search and most likely you will find what you need including basic subjects like hinging doors, latching, cutting trunks, decals, scratchbuilding, vinal roofs, photographing models and… YES, even how to “Z†a frame. Check it out first before you post a question please. As for the basics… The following pictures describe as best I can the steps. Here also is a thread where the question was answered in the Tips and Tricks section. How to "Z" a frame.

Harry, you are mostly correct. Much of the underside of a daily driver becomes uniform to an extent. The variables are oil and heat. Hot exhaust pipes continually burn off any dust and dirt as well as will heat shielding. Oil leaks will create a darker shade to any dirt collected around the transmission tunnel and the 5th member. Low clearance from parking lot speed bumps will scrape crossmembers.... ###### caught in the undercarrage will whip around and knock off dirt making circular markings in the dirties collected from years of use. Basically, when weathering the underside of a model, you are writing a story about where the vehicle has been. CSI at it's finest! Great thread!

Market rules. If the market wants SUV's then the producer makes SUV's. If the market wants economy cars then the producer makes economy cars. If the market cannot pay the fees for a car the stupid government officials want everyone to drive, then the government subsidizes it! How hard is that?

Better?

Read what I wrote again please. I said "Turbo supercharger", but I suppose should have said turbine? I understand what you are saying but sometimes the word turbo can be confused. The Germans used a centrifugal fan that was powered by a small hydromatic like transmission. It allowed controlling the boost pressure. Very cool.

Pretty sure the Allison had carb floats and it was the Rolls Royce Merlin which could fly inverted. At any rate, the Junkers DB engine was much better designed due to it's variable speed turbo supercharger and fuel injection. Here is some interesting pics.... Oh, wait! How'd that get in here?

P.S. This is the book I was speaking about. Note where I purchased it by the sticker on the cover (Salem Speed Shop 1985) and check out the latest issue of Hot Rod Magazine. (Jan '09)

then why don't 'cha marry it... (nener, nener, nener! )

On that, Muscle Cars, Mark and I agree!

Wow! Big red letters. Actually I have to disagree. Rat Rods, at least when they were first identified as such, were indeed representative of what was built back in the day. For example: This rod was photographed in the summer of 1951. Of course we up here in Oregon do things differently... and most of us in this depressed economy of the Willamette Valley couldn't afford chrome and miles deep paint like that found on the streets of L.A. But rods here actually did look bolted together, slapped together and dangerously similar to what Rat Rods looked like in 2000. However, as I mentioned in my earlier post, they have "morphed into a caricature of late"! Like most trends, builders always want to push the edge and raise the bar. If one skull is good then two must be better seems to be the American way. The above image (Sorry if I crossed the line with respect to copy-write rules but a point had to be made) was published in a book written by Albert Drake. Remember him? He grew up in Oregon. He has a world re-known automotive parts business and he published a book back in 1982. The book, "Street Was Fun In '51" covers Albert’s youth and is the subject of what Hot Rodding was like in the Northwest in the early 50's. Maybe 50 total pictures along with names of car owners and stories are represented. Many of them almost exactly like what is now termed a Nostalgia Rod or Traditional Rod... and yes, even what is currently termed a Rat Rod! complete with miss-matched wheels, primer, rust and .... a complete and total passion for street rodding! Mark, your viewpoint is your viewpoint. Albert Drake's viewpoint is HIS view point. It is an opinion. We all have them so maybe you should hold off on the declarative statements and large red letters. Because it is up to interpretation with regards to what was what back in the 50’s, just as what is a Rat Rod now and... what is not. Respectfully submitted,

Very nice Rick! Good tips and very nice presentation. 3 thumbs up!

80K? Well, don't forget that the dollar has been devalued of late. Ford is only expecting and predicting the inflation rate of the buy-outs and the effect of continuous 24-7 operation of the presses at the United States Treasury!

No one is forcing you to build one. I felt that Pro-Street sucked big time... but never said it before now. What is it to you that someone want's to build what they want to build? Sheesh.... lay off the sauce a little buddy.

Mark, performance is measured a lot of different ways. If someone wants to build a flathead 4 "T" bucket as a "gowjob" and drive it downtown... you can be assured that it will have it's doors blown off at the traffic light by the stock Mitsubishi Eclipse. Technology of the 30's cannot compete with current tech. However, that same Mitsu will be ignored and even shunned by most of the public compared to the guy or gal driving the "T"! Street Rodding is always about building what you WANT to build, be it a blown 427 big block or a nostalgic flathead with 2 deuce carbs. It matters not if you personally approve, only that the owner likes it and enjoys driving the machine and likes working on it. Personally, I love tinkering in the garage changing the plugs on a classic antiquated carbureted V8 while 60's rock-n-roll plays softly on the little radio while the sun is setting. For some reason, the world all makes sense at that moment... Pushing the envelope is fun... but sometimes you just have to stop and enjoy what has gone before. You know?

Yeah... I get that a lot!

I answer this question every couple of years. The first time I answered it was for Ed Sexton who was doing research for a series of 1/64th scale hot rods. The second time was in Model Cars Magazine complete with pictures April '02 issue. Then again in Model Cars Magazine, in quite a few Ask Gregg and Jairus columns... but I guess it is easier to simply post a question on the forum instead of researching it yourself... The Rat Rod type of vehicle is a spin-off of the Rat Bike from the mid 70's. The first time it appeared in print was March of 1975 issue of Chopper Magazine. The sub head was: "Rat Bike of the Month". The subject, an old cobbled together 1936'ish Indian chopper. It was dusty, rusty and very fast! The interviewer could hardly believe it even ran but run it did. The description of a Rat Bike at the time was as a statement against the high dollar choppers being built by professionals. Most of the bikes being shown at car shows across the country then had everything chromed or painted miles deep metal-flake candy paint with pinstripe everything! The guys who built the Rat Bikes were simply trying to make a statement. Fast forward to 1998, where I had managed a nice phone interview with Gray Baskerville before his passing and he said that the first time he had ever heard the term Rat Rod was when he interviewed the members of the Shifters car club in L.A. He said that the guys in the club sort of liked the term (Some members thought it a slur) and the purpose for their cars were the same as the Rat Bike, in that they built them as a statement against the high-dollar stuff pouring out of shops like Coddington. The cars in the club were not so much customs although many sported chrome and shiny paint. Most however were simply bolted together using cast off bits and pieces purchased at swap meets. The theme and challenge was to build a rod with your head rather than your pocket book. The cars were safe but looked unsafe. Like unfinished projects pulled out of a barn in the mid-west. Some sporting weathered original paint, some in primer. Most cars built using the term "Rat Rod" actually fall into the category of "Retro Rod or Nostalgia Rod". This is a rod built to look like something that could have been built during a specific time period. Could be shiny and could be painted in primer only. Could be some chrome and could be rusty. The key is the fact that it is nicely built with parts that would have been sort of expensive back in the day. The Rat Rod today has really morphed into something completely different of late. What began as just a statement against overworked and over done rods, has now become an over done and over used caricature of itself. The application of bigger and bigger engines, skulls everywhere and none-automotive related costume "jewelry" has made the term very much over used. The punch-line is that it is up to interpretation just like Pro-Street of the 80's where big rear wheels and mono-chromatic paint do not a Pro-Street make! A Rat Rod is built simple... utilizing basic speed parts and what ever engine you can find. It looks dangerous to your health if it were driven regular but fun just the same. A skull shift knob is not required equipment but using different and cast off stuff for a different look is a requirement. Like Lawn Chairs instead of auto seats, a mail box with flag for a scoop or using a broken sword for a shift lever... that is what makes a Rat Rod! Slightly dangerous and with a touch of attitude.

Bill, Did you notice that the front fenders have ridges? First time I have seen this on a retro car and it is something I have been harping about for years since the 1995 Mustang appeared. Actually, the rear end is not that bad.... Still holds the cove for the lights and allows the lights to wrap around to the side slightly... thus fulfilling the side lighting mandate. Lot of plastic running down around the bottom.?!? What's up with that? I know it would have been expensive tooling... but would have been cool if they lengthened the roof for a Full Fastback!

Bob is right. The eyebrow for the outer headlight pods on the 69... and the twin-slot scoops on the 70 should be horizontally straight from the peak of the hood all the way around to the fender. Both the 70 and 69 kit piece droop, with the 69 being worse. The 70 grill is also too flush and should have been recessed a bit more. The 69 grill headlights are also too far inboard in my opinion. I used to own a beautiful '69 coupe and I felt that the nose of that car was the most beautiful thing going down the road. My favorite thing... washing that car!

Actually... they are $4.50

Yeah, that two-door vs. four-door thing bugged me too having read the book before the movie. However, I was not that upset with the lack of gore up on the screen... Nice work on this project Eric! Will be watching your thread with great interest.

I just got home from the Bob Paeth memorial. There was standing room only in the chapel I must add.... At any rate, Jan Bob's wife showed me a peddle car that her husband had purchased at an auction many years ago. It was was suggested to have shown up in a kid type movie in the 30's. The car is made from metal and wood and actually has room for a person to sit inside and operate. Unfortunately nobody can figure out how someone would climb through the small windows. Jan is going to sell it... most likely via eBay. But we would like to find out as much information about it as possible first. Anyone have an idea the name of the movie it may have had a role in or any other information? Incidentally, a large amount of Bob's model collection (mostly projects and parts)are going up on eBay later in the coming week. The plan is to use the name "Bob Paeth" in the subject so those looking for stuff can use his name in an eBay search.

This forum software is weird. If you change your email address then the system locks you out. It is something weird with the software and it happens 100%. Just email Gregg and he only needs to open your parameters and click the check box that you are OK! All other stuff can be changed at will with no problems.