Black Rat 55

[zzrodder]

Thought I'd post some latest pics of my pickup project plus a couple from the completed mock-up. Some of you may recognize it from my build thread on KB. For those who haven't seen it before, the cab is made from the doors, rear quarters and door frames from the gutted remains of my first vehicle, a 1955 Chevy pickup. The upper door frames, roof, extended firewall, lower rear bulkhead, floor, box, grille and virtually everything else is of my own creation.
I'm using a 46 Chev front axle and 8" Ford rearend, homemade bones on front and homemade triangulated 4 link in back, on airbags front and rear. I started on this build in November and I'm getting near the finish line and gettin' real itchy to krooze!! All paint is Rustoleum (Tremclad here in the Great White North) gloss on th frame and semi-gloss on the body with 20% flat added to dull it a bit. Interior is going to be upholstered in a brown to match the milkshake colour on the tin parts.
If you guys want, I could post some earlier build pix so you don't have to go on that other site to see it, heh, heh. Lemme know....

[wannaby]

Very nice and an original idea love it when this kind of build comes up wish I had your talent. Also dig some of those other builds that used rear quarter panels from cars for the box.D

[bullet]

Sweet looking truck, the cab really suits that style.

[Sam_Fear]

I wouldn't mind seeing a few more pics of that cab work! Very nice work.

[bowatjr6969]

I followed this build on another site and it is well worth looking at all the work that went into this build. What's more cool is what this truck started life as..
ZZ Rodder you are one talented guy, I plan on seeing this truck in a magazine at some point!!

I just love the inovation in this build!!

[Mr.Gussett]

Very Nice work! I like the flow of it! Please post some pics of the build process!

[zzrodder]

Okay, from the beginning.... Don't freak out 55 Chev lovers, the pix at the dragstrip are from 1978, I was young and these trucks were cheap, most of it was scattered to other projects, though I still kept the cab and doors. Hey, who knew the gasser look would come back ?? It was some fun ride, tunnel rammed 327, muncie 4 spd. and 4.88 geared 12 bolt, I was running mid 11's in the quarter. Tore it down to do a blower motor but ran out of bucks. About 1986 I decided to chop and section it, tube frame, Camero front sub, pro street was in then but never got it done (marraige, mortgage, etc.).

Fast forward to Oct 2009, got an inspiration to make something from the carcass and drug it home from the barn at my folks place. It was pretty much just a shell so it had nowhere to go but up !! Out comes the sawzall and chopsaw...

[Flipper_1938]

Glad to see you on this board! It is a nice group over here.

[Hotrodsparky]

That's a brilliant idea! I really dig the speedo with the guages inside, great thinking.....
It's comforting to know we have years of roddable material left, heck-you could probably do something like this all the way up into the late 60's trucks!

[zzrodder]

Here's some pics of the frame. I prefer the contoured look to the frame rails instead of the typical chop and weld at an angle Z type treatment so the front horns and the rear kickup are cut from 1/8" plate capped with 1/4 x 2" flat bar. These are dovetailed into the 2x6" main rails and 2X3" rear rails. Lotsa sturdy crossmembers and a double K member in the middle, this frame is stiff ! You can jack one corner way up and no twisting. Wheelbase is 120", so I wanted it strong.
Found a nice narrow 8" ford rear in the boneyard, and a buddy gave me a 41 Chev pu axle which I trimmed and finessed to use split bones of my own design. Air bags front and rear, 890 and 560/15 Wide whites and chromies. I later changed to shorter front shocks and lowered the 32 headlites 3", they just looked too high.