’38 Ford-based Rat Rod – Biggy Rat

[Lobo2me]

When I need a break from straightforward, well-organized model kits, I prefer to take on something challenging and a little bit nutty.  While stewing for a couple of weeks after completing a rather complex Le Mans racer, I decided to take a deep dive into the parts bin to see if I could come up with enough fodder to build a convincing Rat Rod.

Almost!  I salvaged a body and chassis from an old Lindberg, ’38 Ford Custom Van kit, but then decided this one deserved a more fitting motivator and had to have the right seats, so I ordered a resin Chevy 572 Twin-Turbo crate motor and bomber seats.  And I ordered a resin beer keg for a gas tank, semi-truck wheels, and tires.

Then, I set about rounding up all the other parts and supplies, such as styrene sheets, rods, and tubes.  I used a lot of scale diamond plate, gave it suicide doors, and scratch-built other whimsical goodies like the 12-volt battery and sliding fabric sunroof that is fixed open.  The shift lever is a hockey stick, and the straight exhaust pipes are aluminum tubing with heat shielding made from foil butter wrappers. 

I printed a dozen or so license plates (with personal initials and dates), road signs, and my favorite hockey team’s logo.  This one is named “Biggy Rat & Itchy Brother” after one of my favorite cartoons, and decals of the mascots are on the doors.

The Lindberg kit already had a 4-inch chop to the roof, but I removed another three and slammed it for a more appropriate stance.  I added “sort-of-vintage Corvette-like” taillights with red plex lenses out back and mounted turn signals on the shock towers up front.  The headlights and grill are from Revell’s ’37 Ford Pickup 2’N1 kit.  The grill is mounted upside-down.  I made coil-over suspensions, North and South, and the steering is poseable.  The resin bomber seats are mounted on springs, upholstered with Mexican blankets with some stuffing, and painted in Rust-Oleum Metallic Finish. 

Using various rattle can paints, I gave it a god-awful rust bucket look and experimented with a weathering technique using Elmer’s glue and salt.  First, I ground away small areas and drilled holes to create rust damage, then covered everything with Mr. Surfacer 1000 Gray Primer, then flat black (Ace Hardware, Premium Flat Black Paint & Primer) undercoat, followed by a coat of Red-Oxide Primer (Ace Hardware), then one more coat of gray Mr. Surfacer 1000.  Elmer’s glue and salt were used between coats and on top of the final coat of Tamiya, Black, TS14.  After curing for four days, I sanded away nearly all the black, exposing most of the red oxide and the Mr. Surfacer Primer in some areas.  Here’s what I ended up with…..

Thanks for looking and comments, please.

[XYHARRY]

This has a 'Mad Max Fury Road' feel about it. Lots of cool details and outside the square ideas. Well done Steve.

Cheers,

David. ??

[Yeah Nah]

A marathon effort Steve! Looks amazing.

[Earl Marischal]

Wild! You’ve certainly captured the fully rad rat look.

steve

[Lobo2me]

5 hours ago, XYHARRY said:

This has a 'Mad Max Fury Road' feel about it. Lots of cool details and outside the square ideas. Well done Steve.

Cheers,

David. ??

Good morning David....thank you for the nice review. As you can tell I enjoy trying to come up with creative fun personal projects. All the best 

[Lobo2me]

4 hours ago, Earl Marischal said:

Wild! You’ve certainly captured the fully rad rat look.

steve

Thanks, Steve. Now, what's next? I'll probably float around in limbo for a few weeks till something else bites. 

[Lobo2me]

4 hours ago, Earl Marischal said:

Wild! You’ve certainly captured the fully rad rat look.

steve

 

5 hours ago, Yeah Nah said:

A marathon effort Steve! Looks amazing.

Thank you Garry. Happy modeling...

[crazyjim]

Nasty looking thing but very cool.

[espo]

I have only seen pictures of 1:1 cars of this nature, but this sure looks like some of the ones I have seen. The body finish has the rough look to it. This is a build you have to really look and study for a while as you keep finding little details everywhere you look. Like the duel rear tire setup. 

[Paul Payne]

Excellent rat! Looks like it could give your Lemans racer a run for its money!

[Lobo2me]

16 minutes ago, Paul Payne said:

Excellent rat! Looks like it could give your Lemans racer a run for its money!

Thanks, Paul. That would certainly be entertaining! Biggy Rat may not be as fast down the Mulsanne Straight but it probably would be louder!

[Koellefornia Kid]

That looks freakin‘ kool, Steve! Great idea and some very nice details! Very well done!

[Lobo2me]

5 hours ago, espo said:

I have only seen pictures of 1:1 cars of this nature, but this sure looks like some of the ones I have seen. The body finish has the rough look to it. This is a build you have to really look and study for a while as you keep finding little details everywhere you look. Like the duel rear tire setup. 

Rat Rods are the automotive anti-Christ of the Hot Rod world. I had a great time adding a lot of little details and personal touches. Like my favorite comedy trio, my hockey team, and "stick shift", and most of the license plates are significant family dates. Keep modeling....

[karbuildr]

Totally kool, totally wild. I've looked over your photos several times and I keep finding new details each time. Outstanding.