Jairus Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 4 or 5 years ago James Warkentin called me up and said that he had started a new project, a T-bucket type of rod with a straight 6 engine. He brought it over and I saw that James had really gotten the stance LOW! I was inspired to build one of my own and quickly mocked up a T-bucket using the body from AMT's '25 Model "T" kit. We shot this picture after getting them together for the first time. After many months James finished his car and it didn't change much from the beginning mockup. My car on the other hand got changed a number of times. My first motor was suppose to be a Dusenberg straight 8 but the darned thing was sooo long and tall that the bucket behind looked like a Roman chariot behind a team of horses. The second motor was the Flathead V8 you see in the above pic. The final choice was a Lincoln V12. Here are some pictures of James finished rod. The decision to have skeletal drivers was made early on. The driver you see here is holding a trophy we can only assume that he considers himself to be the fastest car of the two because of this fact. This pic shows a relationship between a stock car of the period and how low in relation James car sits. Right side engine shows a weird duel wire ignition system utilizing double coils. Note the worked sheetmetal look of the cowl and careful placement of rust spots. A trio of Updraft carb's feed the thirsty babbit pounder 6. They feature complete throttle linkage and all plumbing. Note the radiator hose clamps... Next: I will post pictures of the T, so stay tuned!
crispy Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 That's cool! I would have loved to have seen the Duesy engine! Really nice detail Jarius. Chris
Dr. Cranky Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 Man, that looks FABULOUS . . . great shots . . . Yeah, this refreshes my memory . . . I think I had seen this pair in SoCalCulture's site . . . These two just embody the spirit of rat rodding . . . at its best . . . cobbling together elements from the parts box, the way it's done in real life . . . SWEET!!! Yeah, keep the pictures comin'.
Jairus Posted October 28, 2007 Author Posted October 28, 2007 Chris, I did not build the black car, that was constructed by the able hands of James Warkentin. This is my car and entry for GSL way back in 2005. Notice how low it is compared to a couple of period vehicles. The engine I settled on was a Lincoln V12 from a fictional 1950 Continental in the wrecking yard. Built from two V8 engine blocks out of the Monogram 50 Pickup, features all the correct plumbing and electrical wiring. Lic. plate is aluminum foil embossed over a kit molded license plate. The rear axle is a mix of parts and I have little idea where most of the pieces come from. Driver is smoking and has a holstered 45-cal revolver in his lap. On hand on the steering wheel and the other wrapped around the shift knob. Front wheels are position-able and the drag link works as well. This front shot shows the radiator which is made up from an American La-France shell and photo-etch screen lined up and glued together to create a mesh that looks thick but you can still see through it. finer mesh may have been more realistic but ... I like it. Well that is my brain on dirt... any questions?
Dr. Cranky Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 Wow, those are great shots, J . . . and yeah, remembering all the parts to a build like this would be a headache, though it also helps to keep a list in a little "WIP" notebook . . . Do you remember how you and James built those gas tanks?
Jairus Posted October 28, 2007 Author Posted October 28, 2007 Yup, James scratch-built his from styrene tube and two vacuum formed ends. While mine is a de-chromed version from the Tom Daniel Pie Wagon which I laid back and added two strips around the edges to simulate a rolled and beaded edge.
dub Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 This is one great pair of builds! Lots of inspiration here! I can't get enough of rat rods and traditional rods right now. This will keep me going on the one I've started and might even cause me to start another one! Thanks for sharing the fine work shown off by the great pictures!
Dr. Cranky Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 You know, I got this idea that one helpful thing we could all do, at least for those of us new to the world of rat rods, might be to discuss the best kits when it comes to parts like front and rear suspension, etc . . . I know that I have used that '29 Ford Pick Up truck kit from Lindberg, and I also love the Revell '32 Ford Highboy and the Coupe . . . but I'm always impressed when I see some new parts . . . I wonder if there's already a thread and/or site that discusses or lists these great parts . . . Just because when you are building one of these, everything comes in handy . . . just a thought.
James W Posted October 29, 2007 Posted October 29, 2007 Jairus asked me to fill in some details from our twin builds This pic shows a relationship between a stock car of the period and how low in relation James car sits. A trio of Updraft carb's feed the thirsty babbit pounder 6. They feature complete throttle linkage and all plumbing. Note the radiator hose clamps... Thanks for posting those shots Jairus, I forgot that you had those in progress pictures. The height of my rod, Stray Dog, was established by the tall chev 6. It was to stand proud of the cowl. To accomplish this a frame was scratch built with lots of Z and the front axle on the same level as the front of the frame. The floor 'board' is mounted under the frame rails, torque tube through the passenger compartment. The updraft carbs also emphasize the tall engine. Manifold, carbs and throttle linkage were built on a jig separate from the engine and mounted as an assembly when finished. The driver will have to operate the choke at the carbs. The triple exhaust pipes were a favorite theme. The center pipes run siamesed cylinders, the outside headpipes join to a single exhaust. If you know the firing order of a six you know what I was going for. Jairus was right about the trophy. I think my rod could beat his. The often overlooked detail is the smaller trophy lying on the floor board. Mr. goatee is a proud racer, only as good as his latest accomplishment. This was a kick butt build for Jairus and I. We fed off each other and got together often while building to compare notes and plastic. Jairus built a skeleton that he was going to leave out when he found out I had one going. He did not want to upstage me. What a swell guy. We had GSL '05 as a goal and debuted them together there. It was lots of fun to build together and then show them that way. Highly recommended.
geetee66 Posted October 30, 2007 Posted October 30, 2007 Awesome! Good combination of humour and skill! Very original-looking cars. True rats! Your work is an inspiration to me. Can't believe you had a lot of people look at this post but not leave a comment. Is this usual for this forum?
bobthehobbyguy Posted April 28, 2021 Posted April 28, 2021 Cool rods. Glad to see the pictures are available.
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