Rodger Hoyt on his Scrap Rod 1934 Ford Pickup:
I spent eight months building my trucker-themed 1934 Ford pickup Scrap Rod from the frame up. The project credo was "Build, don't buy." Cheap took precedence over cool. Generic supplanted rare or vintage. Fun and homemade were the watch words. My priorities were:
1) Utilize whatever parts I already had on hand (hence the name "Scrap Rod").
2) Fabricate everything possible.
3) Perform all the work myself, with hand tools only - mostly just a welder and a grinder.
4) Buy as little as possible. Nothing new, everything used or swap meet.
5) Use available parts instead of exotic.
6) Always choose the least expensive option.
7) Eschew trendiness.
8) Avoid the "Evil P's": Perfectionism and Pretension. Nowhere on the truck did I attempt to "show off" my fabrication skills with elaborate bracketry or anything else pretentious. Nor are there any expensive vintage parts. I tried hard not to fall into the trap of spending big bucks to look low buck. This truck is intended to make people smile, not envious of how wealthy or talented I am.
All work was done by me, the owner. Almost no bolts match anywhere on the truck; even those were left-overs saved from years of projects. Most measurements were simply eyeballed, and anything that wasn't quite right I refused to do over. No attempts were made to square the cab or box. Crappy farmer welds were left as is. This is a fun and creative way to build a hot rod!
Note to those misguided souls trying to "improve the image of rat rods:" We've made some real headway over the last decade. Please do not try to drag us down the street rodder's road of competitive car building. If you improve the image, they won't be rat rods!
Salient features include:
Twin roof-mount Spartan 6-volt trumpets ($15, swap meet). Running 12-volts, these are loud enough to make kids fall off their bikes.
Mack bulldog (free, from neighbor) mounted on the cowl vent. Illuminated eyes.
Twin 3 1/2-inch trucker exhaust stacks with big rig heat shields ("salvaged" after-hours from local scrap yard).
Battery: Walmart.
Battery box: old Sears Craftsman toolbox.
Peterbilt shift handle (free, from neighbor).
Turn signals: used big rig cab lights, cowl-mounted, with 6-volt bulbs for extra brightness.
Dodge PU steering box (junkyard).
Chain-drive steering system (for closeup photo see next blog installment, below).
Cragar SS wheels from 1965 Mustang (all four wheels and tires, $125 Craigslist).
Hyster seats.
2 x 4 rectangular tube frame with suicide front perch and rear kick-up, fabricated from raw steel.
6-inch dropped I-beam front axle (used, Ebay).
Model A front wishbones (ditto).
Speedway front spring with two leaves removed.
Master cylinder: 60's Chevy clutch/brake combo, NAPA rebuilt.
Front shocks ($5, swap meet) with fabricated brackets.
Drag link and tie rod: plumbing pipe.
Ford tractor steering wheel (came with cab) welded onto shaft with plumbing nipple adapter.
Rear suspension: four-bar fabricated from plumbing pipe remnants.
Homemade rear coilovers made from stock shocks with overload springs welded on.
307 Chevy engine, used (see Build Priorities # 5, 6, 7 and 8 above: NOT exotic, NOT expensive, NOT trendy and NOT pretentious).
Camaro front disc brakes (new - Build Priority 4 outweighed by 5, 6, 7 and 8).
Engine mounts: fabricated from scrap metal.
Edelbrock/Rochester tri-power (stored for 10 years; runs, but needs rebuilding).
Transmission: Chevy S10 5-speed (Nickle ads, $125).
Shift lever: 12-inch long bolt.
Rear end: Ford Maverick 8-inch (junkyard).
Taillights: trailer
Dietz headlights (swap meet, $4) mounted on plumbing adapters.
Radiator: Ford Mustang 3-row aluminum (Ebay, $89).
Radiator shell: 1930 Ford (left over garage wall decor from previous project).
Gas pedal: homemade from big rig mudflap bracket, with used bicycle brake cable linkage.
Clutch and brake swing pedal assembly: Ansen style, homemade from scrap metal.
Cab floor: plywood scraps
Trans tunnel: 20-gauge sheet metal, bent over my knee. .
Gas tank: 14-gallon steel (fabricated).
Cab chopped 4 inches, channeled 4 inches (m/l).
Box shortened 22 inches, narrowed 8 inches (m/l).
Bed floor: scrap T1-11 siding, neighbor's hot tub cover.
Paint job: just as it came from the farmer's barn. Multi-layers from 74 years of previous owners attempts at beautification.
Wiring: yes.
Upholstery: no
Stereo: twin Cherry Bombs.
Spare tire: Fix-a-Flat
Gauges: stolen.
See Rodger's Blog: http://scraprod.blogspot.com
Video & Photography ©2012 by Johnson ArtWorks
http://www.johnsonartworks.com/portfolio.htm