Modified Trucks

[rustbelt]

Hey you custom on a budget and dare I say Rat Rod guys out there (and I know you are), let's see what ya got. I'm looking to turn my 61 step side into a 'none other' without busting the bank and am a little on the RR style without going to an extreme. I want the "hey check THAT out"look, yet want to remain recognizable as a Chevy truck. Lets see your pictures or ideas.

[brokenspoke]

Just wat makes a truck a Rat Rod...I always thought it was a unsafe POS

[Mack B]

Originally Posted by brokenspoke

Just wat makes a truck a Rat Rod...I always thought it was a unsafe POS

No it could totally be a safe pos
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[Crabshack]

I'll play. Here's my perfectly safe 62 POS w/ EFI LT1

[NCD1966]

heres is my rat (i guess) very cheap paint job (engine paint and no sanding), grinded white walls, and a lowering kit on a budget. but it stops and hauls ass pretty good.

[rustbelt]

Thanks for 'playing' Crabshack, and NCD1966. What you both have done and are doing is just what I'm talking about. I probably should not have used the term Rat Rod, since in some folks it apparently congers up some immediate negative reactions. I certainly didn't intend to offend the purists that painstakingly rebuild their trucks to look showroom new. Not my thing, but I respect their abilities, wishing I had a fraction of their skills. Then again, I really didn't expect the first few responses that followed my post. If I were a young lad, checking out this great forum, I might have gotten discouraged or worse yet, entered into a back and fourth game of what a POS really is. No time for that and enough said on the subject. I like the many black trucks I've seen on this site, and really enjoy the bits of personality owners tack onto their rides. That's what I wanted to see, things guys have done, created & improvised to make there truck their own. That is why I titled this thread Modified Trucks. Now, I'd sure like to see something different, something that makes your truck unlike any other. Thanks guys.

[Mack B]

Originally Posted by rustbelt

Thanks for 'playing' Crabshack, and NCD1966. What you both have done and are doing is just what I'm talking about. I probably should not have used the term Rat Rod, since in some folks it apparently congers up some immediate negative reactions. I certainly didn't intend to offend the purists that painstakingly rebuild their trucks to look showroom new. Not my thing, but I respect their abilities, wishing I had a fraction of their skills. Then again, I really didn't expect the first few responses that followed my post. If I were a young lad, checking out this great forum, I might have gotten discouraged or worse yet, entered into a back and fourth game of what a POS really is. No time for that and enough said on the subject. I like the many black trucks I've seen on this site, and really enjoy the bits of personality owners tack onto their rides. That's what I wanted to see, things guys have done, created & improvised to make there truck their own. That is why I titled this thread Modified Trucks. Now, I'd sure like to see something different, something that makes your truck unlike any other. Thanks guys.

I am sorry you took my post as such, I was light heartedly being tongue and cheek about the pos statement above mine. I truely am sorry it came off the way it did. My truck is faded black and as low buck as they come, I love this style truck, but I wouldn't refer to it or the examples above as rats. I once got burned on a eBay deal on a 56 sedan, a real pos, I dropped it, got it running and safe and enjoyed the crap out of it, it looked like it belonged in a junkyard tho, prob is now lol. Sorry to ramble just didn't mean to come off as a jerk.
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[tincan1966]

Our '66 GMC "au naturale" Slight altitude adjustment and split header(on a 250 inline) w/2" straight pipes.

[vgnope]

Here's my beauty POS..

http://youtu.be/YQvIPO8rZKg

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[fryer1979]

Here's mine...semi-recently....now she's parked for the winter to undergo some more "broke redneck mods".

[rustbelt]

You're a stand up guy Mack B, how about a picture of your black truck? That two tone truck of VGNOPE is sweet. Checked out your video's, I like the 2 tone slightly more than the all black. Looks like plain ol primer..?? Nice. I've been going back and fourth on paint decision, you've possibly made my mind up with that 2 tone. I'll post some picks of a couple of mods I've done tonight. Keep em coming...

[NCD1966]

Thanks for the comment rustbelt; definition of a POS to me is really a vehicle that is dangerous to drive. like have faulty brakes or a suspension that is rusted out

[chevyrestoguy]

You can build a clean, safe 60-66 pretty cheaply if you do your homework. A lot of the later '73-'87 suspension parts will interchange, and those things are plentiful in the wrecking yards. Hit the swapmeets, check Craigslist, sell some of your old parts to buy the parts you need, trade parts with friends, etc.

Make it a fun experience. A little elbow grease and some rattle cans doesn't cost much, but it can pay huge dividends. The pictures that the members have posted on this thread are exactly what I'm talking about.

Just don't make it "Ratty". There's no excuse for that!

[vgnope]

Yep.. Your guess is correct rustbelt.. What a few good turns of wet sanding can do before paint.. The bottom is a flat black primer, 8 cans.. .99cents each.. The top is rustoleum red primer.. 3.49 each, 6 cans.. I didn't wanna spend a whole lot on painting it, also it has a few too many dings and scrapes.. I view it as a truck.. Need to move something or haul some rocks/dirt/lumber.. I just made sure that when I pop the hood, turn the key, and punch it on green, that's all I wanted outta her..
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[MOTOIMPAIRED]

Here is my hot rod I guess you would call it.. Finally got the front bumper mounted. All I need is glass and a seat.

[Narxoleptic Customs]

Here's one of ours... S10 springs on front w 1 3/4" stepped lowered arms. Rear - removed a few springs and extended the factory shackles 2"...

Springs - free
Arms - $100
Rear shackles - $50
'75 chevy front bumper - $50
Nissan Titan wheels - free (lots of CL trading)
Simple paint can stuff after that...




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[NCD1966]

Originally Posted by MOTOIMPAIRED

Here is my hot rod I guess you would call it.. Finally got the front bumper mounted. All I need is glass and a seat.

thats a cool bumper

[BR3W CITY]

Motoimpaired has the only "theme" truck that really looks **right** to me. The touches are there, some are more caricatures of the theme. Its a great example of creativity and yet if you take the "Theme" stuff off, it would still be a nice looking mild custom truck. To me it helps illustrate the ideal of picking the *right* parts at the right price, and sometimes at the right time.

To the OP

You can do more, easier, if you can pick a few major goals, instead of going at it like "i only have x# and need to build the biggest beast I can for that"....think of it like "if I could only do 1 or 2 awesome things, what would they be? Accomplish it, budget for it, and then enjoy it. Then move onto the next big thing.

I.E. If STANCE is the most important thing, decide if you want to save for bags or go static. A GOOD bag setup, even pieced together can cost a bit of coin, but has a huge BANG factor for what you spend. Delmos patina-pimpin rides show that a stock OLD even RUGGED body can be sick with a great chassis/stance...though you might not need to take it to the stratosphere as he has with some awesome builds. A stanced yet otherwise stock truck will turn more heads than an-over customized "look at me" mobile.

Or if your a go-fast guy, the same thing could go, build a sick sleeper, something that means you can upgrade the body and paint if money comes up, but if not you have a truck that gets ignored (good for avoiding tickets), yet COMMANDS some neck-breaking looks with serious underhood ponies.

Or yet again, maybe pure "clean" is your style. Find a nice runner and get that body sweet. We've all seen a truck at a show that isn't really all "that" custom, yet people are fixated on it because its soooo clean. Small touches, accent colors, a some good paint...or even paint with the "Right" kind of character.

Sometimes less is more.