Rat Truck Project

[RustyRatRod]

I got the truck cab. It's a 1949 Dodge Pilothouse cab. It's a five window cab. Kitty says it'a a nine window cab cause of the split windshield and vent windows. lol

Anyway, I think it's real solid for a piece of 49 tin. I'm callin it a "rat truck" but I think it's gonna be more traditional than rat. I'm thinkin hot rod black. Maybe a checker black and white firewall. It'll come to me as I go.

Cab floor at the rear has a little rust.



The removeable front strip between the firewall and floor has some rust. We'll just make another one.



Over in the RH corner is the worst of the floor inside. It involves a little of the permanent floor, but we'll fix that right up.



Another shot at the rear of the cab floor. I think it was under water up to the floor at one point, because it had about an inch of mud all over the floor.



A shot of the whole thing. Remarkably solid, IMO.



Here's the original seat with all the mud still there.



Passenger side.



Driver side.



More.



The only glass it actually needs is the passenger side windshield and both vent windows. I'm going to replace both side of the windshield though. Since all of the glass is flat, my local glass shop can cut it cheap with a template. I even got all four original cab mounts too. The cab roof was dented in pretty good. Looked like a couple of kids mightta jumped on it, but I got over 90% of it out. I'll take my time with a hammer and dolly and get the rest. I was lucky in that it did not crush thw rear window opening or the windshield opening. I think it's a fairly solid start.

 

[MoparMitch]

Fairly solid ??? Looks to me like its super solid. Not much rust to repair at all. And its a good thing you didnt have to find that curved glass. What kind of frame you gonna use or fab?? What style bed?? How bout power??

 

[RustyRatRod]

Fairly solid ??? Looks to me like its super solid. Not much rust to repair at all. And its a good thing you didnt have to find that curved glass. What kind of frame you gonna use or fab?? What style bed?? How bout power??

83 D150 frame and chassis. Wood flat bed. Already made. HEMI.

 

[67 coronet]

looks like the start of a very nice project.can not belive that cab is that solid after all those years.please keep us notified of how it goes.love the wood flatbed look.where did you find that cab?

 

[RustyRatRod]

It was advertised over on The Hamb for 250 bucks. I got BenD over there bring it to me from Cushing, Oklahoma. He was going to the big swap meet in Moultrie, Georgia this past weekend and he gave me a screamin deal on delivery since he was comin this way.


I put up a thread over there on the Hamb askin about what constitutes a traditional hot rod from a rat rod, as the traditional rod is the direction I want to go. But it was deleted, because you're not allowed to talk about rat rods....even though I was askin about traditional. I guess I'll have to find out elsewhere.

 

[67 coronet]

i think of rat rod vs traditional like i think of restorod vs restoration.almost anything goes on a ratrod,but you need to stay period correct for a traditional rod.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Well, I got rat rod down....that's easy. The traditional part I am havin trouble with. Obviously, since there are so stringent rules over there regarding it, there's a very specific definition to traditional. I don't think mine can be traditional with an old cab on a new chassis. But I am going to make it as traditional as possible, I think.

 

[Propwash]

That looks to be a great build! 49's have a pretty cool style about them. Nice N' Solid indeed and at a good price. Should be pretty fun watching this one come together.

 

[HT413]

My dad is jealous, rusty. He had a 49 when he was a kid and is looking for a finished one (or close) for a while now. His was yellow w red fenders (the colors of his dad's appliance business bitd).

i think the diff between rat and traditional is this - traditional is pretty much building it like a kid woulda back in the 50's to take it out drag racin, but maybe cleaner lol. None of the modern stuff (ps, pb, sterio etc) and minus anything original that was heavy or looked too much like "dad's truck".

rat seems to be any old thing cobbled together from a junk yard, more rust the better sometimes and then you add some skulls and rats and you're done. Now, i like a lot of rat rods so i'm not hatin.

 

[moparstuart]

It was advertised over on The Hamb for 250 bucks. I got BenD over there bring it to me from Cushing, Oklahoma. He was going to the big swap meet in Moultrie, Georgia this past weekend and he gave me a screamin deal on delivery since he was comin this way.


I put up a thread over there on the Hamb askin about what constitutes a traditional hot rod from a rat rod, as the traditional rod is the direction I want to go. But it was deleted, because you're not allowed to talk about rat rods....even though I was askin about traditional. I guess I'll have to find out elsewhere.

have you tried here http://www.killbillet.com/showthread.php?t=36221



i would have to chop the top some on that thing , nice score

 

[RustyRatRod]

Thanks for the kind words, yall. I think mine will fall somewhere in between. Gonna have A/C, but I am eliminating the P/S I think. It should be light enough going fenderless that I can get by.

 

[moparmarks]

Nice. Looks like a pretty solid cab. So your not going to chop it. Would look really cool but I know is alot of work. Flat black goes well on both Rat and traditional but rusty fits Rat real good. I'd think about leaving it as is.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I like the look of the Dodge cabs because from the side, they already look chopped. Look how far up the door the bottom of the window opening is. phords and chebbies ain't like that. I may chop it, but it will be down the road a good bit.

 

[daredevil]

cool!reminds me of one of mine.But it wants to be a mudder.

 

[Ron 73]

Real cool project Rusty.. This should really be a fun one to watch! Good luck in what your after..

 

[snakeyes]

take 3-4 inches off the top and channel it down :headbang:

 

[747mopar]

Should be a sharp truck. Check out the truck that Sylvester Stalone drives in the first Expendables, sweet truck and the flat black looks awesome.

 

[snakeyes]

Back in the day we use to use hot rod primer:headbang:

 

[old tired rebel]

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