1953 International HEMI Rat Rod USA Build Thread

[grenade]

The thing about the skeleton hands and door lever? Many things were considered before doing that.
It adds a whimsical nature without being too cliché. Typical rat rods use a grenade for the shifter, skulls and cross bones everywhere, old license plates for floor patches and it's basically the same thing over and over.

I've no desire to spend hours searching Fleabay for a fairly priced used 1953 door handle or hood ornament. To make it a "sleeper" would be to try and maintain a stock appearance and that costs lots more money than pulling parts out of a bin in the garage. I don't want a typical "tries way too hard" to be a rat rod vehicle either. This is merely a pair of junk vehicles morphed into one fast, old looking junk truck. When it passes someone on the road, they will turn their heads either toward it, or away from it. Either way works for me.

I've used parts like tattoos (even though I don't have any)- What I mean is, I've chosen things that #1, fill a need, #2 actually mean something in a small way. BMX parts and dirt bike parts are all over the place in my garage. The skeleton hands I copied from some smaller ones I saw on the internet because I wanted to see if I could do it, and I had a big bin of bolts. The internet wants a million dollars for old truck mirrors and anything custom or non Chinese. #3 main concern? CHEAP.

At first glance, it will look old and junky, because it is. Upon closer inspection, you'll see a few odd touches of rat rod to let people know that it's not taking itself too seriously, because serious builds cost serious money and this, isn't that.

As far as tires and wheels? I'll say the same thing here that I mentioned on another board with relationship to the wheel & tire package:
I'm in Cleveland, Ohio 44134. If anyone wants to pick out the coolest, most awesome wheels they want to see on this truck,(brand new or second hand) rims and correct tires and lug nuts and or wheel spacers, the entire wheel and tire package and send them to me via UPS, USPS, FedEx or Royal mail, I will be happy to install them on the truck and give a big thanks! Otherwise...

I have these rims on the truck. What's done is done. Wheels and tires cost big money and usually hours and hours of time finding the right sizes, styles etc. I might paint these ones rust color, or black- not sure yet. I might leave them. I'm getting new tires for my daily driver soon and I'll take the ones off my truck and put them on these rims, myself, in the garage with my manual tire machine. I won't even re balance them. I'll just put them on and that's that. This thing, is cheap. I have far less money in this build than the last four things I've built that's how it's staying. I love the interest that this thing is getting worldwide. I love the enthusiasm for it!

It's really enjoyable to hear the comments about the truck! This thing is silly cheap fun. Oh yeah- it's going to be fast!

[forkliftfred]

I've used parts like tattoos (even though I don't have any)- What I mean is, I've chosen things that #1, fill a need, #2 actually mean something in a small way. BMX parts and dirt bike parts are all over the place in my garage. The skeleton hands I copied from some smaller ones I saw on the internet because I wanted to see if I could do it, and I had a big bin of bolts. The internet wants a million dollars for old truck mirrors and anything custom or non Chinese. #3 main concern? CHEAP.

It also adds individuality and a personality. Anyone can throw money at a build and make it look good, but skill and an eye for the obscure or different are a talent.

[nmretro]

Just stumbled on to this, another great build by you.
Love the door handles and mirrors. The wheels? Not so much but I'm sure you'll come up with a cheap way to make em look cool.

[mylittletony]

Sorry, I really don't mean to come across as negative

Mar 23, 2016 13:08:38 GMT grenade said:

...This is merely a pair of junk vehicles morphed into one fast, old looking junk truck...

^^This sums it up perfectly for me, you've used what you've got kicking around and made it really, really bad-ass.

If it were mine, I'd not have the skeleton mirrors, just some random ones attached in the simplest way possible. Function over form. However, that really is just my taste vs. someone else's and if it were mine, I still wouldn't have removed the original body, so I should probably shut up.

[grenade]

Hahaha! It's all good around here, I didn't take any offense to anything, I'm just a bit of sourpuss I'm a get it done and ask questions later kind of a guy, basically working hard and bull$hitting my way through this thing.

Love the RR board, it's great, thanks!

[mattiwagon]

With regard to the wheels, if its discs all round just run it let the brakedust build up an leave it at that, wicked truck! Are you still stencilling the doors?

[jpsmit]

Mar 23, 2016 12:20:14 GMT mylittletony said:

I've got to say I love the look of this. And the speed at which it's coming together.

I'm not a fan of the skeleton mirrors or door handles but I do like the hot button , I think it's trying a bit hard (just my opinion). The natural patina carries it on it's own, but combined with the sleeper element you've got a killer combo.

This comment sums it up for me too. I love love love the truck, but don't want it turned into an art truck or a novelty truck. It needs to have a bit of edge and a bit or subtlety to my mind, though, your truck, your choice!

[maf260]

I bloody love this build and get excited when I see an update. The fact that you have made something incredibly interesting and different for cheap is a credit to you. You've built it to your taste and seemingly had a lot of fun doing so - hats off to you, I feel very lazy in comparison, although I currently don't have a project

[westbay]

Leave the wheels as they are, strangely agricultural ...

Not sure about the 'hands' are the 'thumbs' worng way round ?

Great build, just right.

[grenade]

Hahaha- the hands are made as if the bolt skeleton was standing in front of the truck facing the front windshield with outstretched arms.
I can see that maybe I could have made them as if the skeleton was inside the truck holding the mirrors and from this angle, this thumb on the door mirror looks a bit disfigured:

Ahh, just pretend he's like me, I've broken my thumb several times and now it's a bit "off". haha, also like me! The door stenciling has been cancelled because I think it will sell better as a blank canvas.

[theholty]

First off, I absolutely love this thread and build and have been awaiting new updates with bated breath. Amazing work, wish I had anywhere near the talent myself.

Mar 23, 2016 13:08:38 GMT grenade said:

The thing about the skeleton hands and door lever? Many things were considered before doing that.
It adds a whimsical nature without being too cliché. Typical rat rods use a grenade for the shifter, skulls and cross bones everywhere, old license plates for floor patches and it's basically the same thing over and over.

Like others, I'm also not a fan of the mirrors, door handles or saw blade/sprocket/whatever it its sticking out of the hood. I think it just looks a bit 'trying hard to be an edgy rat rod' which is ironic considering what you wrote above. Too much fuss and cliche when simple is definitely best.


Again, not being negative, because overall I still think its awesome!

[grenade]

Good points all. The sprocket is welded on. It's staying because I like it and it would take quite an effort to erase it. I'll do a "poll" or something on the mirror mounts. I can use no mirrors really. They're not welded on yet, I could always put them on Fleabay or give them away as a gift. Facebook people seem to love them...

The door handle, if it's not the little con rod I've stuck on there, it would be just a bolt welded to a lever because I'm cheap. The door handle I made can come off easily, it's just one bolt, but I have to use something in that place, it needs a handle.

I'm leaving the HEMI 5.7L badges because I bought them and they're stuck on. I wanted people to know that there is something cool and relatively modern under the bonnet so those, I like.

I wasn't sure I was going to use the hands at all because of that very reason, but isn't the entire truck kind of committed to the rat look anyway? Not the over the top fuss, but the only other thing I would do besides the mirror mounts, is make the exhaust stick out of the side somewhere, use this huge giant chain to form a sling hanging off the 4" steel rear tube bumper and that would be about it. I have the old spot light (50's style police "A" pillar light)that I was going to try and save also.

So fair enough, it can go either way. The badges and the little sprocket are staying, but the other things don't have to get used. This is for sale at the end, so do I use little personal touches or do I leave it plain with no real theme, neither rat rod similarity nor restored/sleeper thing?

[grenade]

Oh, and I think you have to join this other forum to view this thread, but it's worth it if only to see the pics from the car show we attended:
www.twobrutal.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?23954-An-American-Custom-Car-Show-Have-a-Look-150pics

[Deleted]

I have given the mirrors some thought as I love the concept and the hands.
But I think they are to shiny.
I reckon if you dulled the forward face of them they would look better.
Its easy to test, just mask one up,spray the masking tape , try it and see.

[mattiwagon]

Use your rust recipe!

[Deleted]

But thats permanent, what if he hates it?

[veldhuijzen38]

Such a cool truck!

[grenade]

This next bit of kit is to serve a purpose. I believe it has done that. It's better than two long hoses that just flop around in the bay.

I am using the 1953 Heater core/matrix. Because of that, I have installed a bypass loop, or valves for two reasons: The first reason is there really aren't any heater controls on this system. It's either on full blast or off. I might be able to use a potentiometer and regulate the fan speed, but the fan just moves air. I could install a cable driven or cable operated flow control to cut down the amount of hot coolant but seriously, this is PLENTY good enough. Also- I had all this stuff just sitting around, doing nothing for years. Again, total cost? ZERO.

The second reason is, if the 63 year old heater core starts puking coolant inside the cab, you can just open the bonnet, close the valves and the hot coolant is returning to the engine as if the heater core wasn't there at all. The additional bonus is, if you're driving along and it's too hot in there, you can close the valves until you get a livable temperature inside the cab. It's really just for the odd snowstorm day where the new owner wants to go out and do some donuts on the ice. It is 4x4 after all.

It'll have heat & defrost, I MIGHT put a wiper on it. But probably not. Some people on the board are saying that the skeleton hands, the dirt bike sprocket on the bonnet and the con rod door handle are making it seem like it's trying too hard to be an "edgy rat rod".
I say; Because this thing was such a pile of $hit when I got it and I am a bit odd myself, that I'm just making it as cool as I can, on budget and with whatever I have in the parts bins. Since the chassis is stock- it's going to be safe, I didn't weld on brakes from a Honda Accord after all...  (like the last thing I built) 

I'll let it progress with what I have on hand. If it seems really cliché or cheesy- I'll change it. I have a budget and a timeline for completion. So far? I'm under budget but the time line is getting close. I'm not outta the woods yet, but I can see the clearing ahead....

Go open a beer!

[07lilredwagon]

keep at it and trust your gut.....its your build after all....as far as hitting the mark, you just somehow seem to have nailed this build on so many levels it really speaks to a lot of us....

way to go man!

JP

[grenade]

Mar 25, 2016 1:49:28 GMT 07lilredwagon said:

keep at it and trust your gut.....its your build after all....as far as hitting the mark, you just somehow seem to have nailed this build on so many levels it really speaks to a lot of us....

way to go man!

JP

Thank you sir. A tip of the hat in your direction. I think those words ring pretty true all around. It is, what it is. It does, what it does.

It makes me laugh all the damn time and sometimes makes me proud of the achievement. That has value beyond what it'll sell for at the end.

Most of all, it's entertaining to the readers on the 'net and car guys on several forums. Now that's a bonus.