Hello, I am currently positioning the engine on my Rat Rod build and as I set the engine back for a better wheelbase my back engine plate quickly runs into my firewall. Then I started thinking what if I position it so that the back plate becomes my lower firewall. Since I'm just doing the mock up and measuring and because i plan on having the floor and firewall attached to the frame -as opposed to the cab, it might just be easier to use a ⅛ steel plate as both my engine plate and firewall; then just bolt the floor and upper firewall (which would be on the cab) to the engine plate. What would you think about this. The vehicle would be a 46 Chevy truck cab on a 2x4" Z'd frame with a traditional straight axle front end and a drag race 4 link suspension with a 9" in the back, it will also have a full cage and a tunnel rammed fuel injected BBC with a TH400
Threads about rats tend to get closed and deleted quickly. Plenty of other websites discuss this sort of non-sense. This isn't one of them.
Rules: 1. No profanity in subject lines. 2. No political/religious/racial posts at all. No exceptions. 3. No*****. 4. We cover traditional '65 and older American cars only. All other threads will be deleted. We don't cover rat rods, muscle cars, mustangs, or VWs. 5. No commercial posts. Some good reading material for you: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-h-a-m-b-rules-guidelines.44274/
Yes, duly noted... My truck's plans were transitioning from a Rat to attempting to become a Hot Rod. It all started with my removing the BBC from my Street/Strip Camaro in order to replace the six inline that was originally planned, choosing a nice HOK shimrin paint color as well as purpose buying parts as opposed to building with whatever I could find. But this was refreshing, a timely reminder to probably keeping my build unapologetically primed and fun instead of chrome shiny and uppity. Thanks for setting me straight.
Don't run off mad. If you keep "rat rod" out of posts, you'll find this a great place to learn and share. This forum is absolutely not all chrome shiny.....and not uppity by any means. It's a 65' and older traditional hot rod site.....if that floats your boat, I'd stick around.
Just keep the Rat Rod out, Are you calling your Rod a "Rat Rod "" because of BBC ?? Your Avatar pic looks like a Hot Hod
The only reason anything should be called a rat is if it has a big block. In my youth snitches and stool pigeons were referred to as rats, the lowest of low life. People at car shows( the unwashed and unknowing) are surprised that some of us feel the same offense as if they used the N word.
Mr. Chevelle... To actually answer your question - If...I read your question correctly, NO...I would NOT connect your rear motor plate to the any part of the body. The engine torque will twist (yeah, even with a roll cage) the frame upon depressing the accelerator pedal hard. I seriously doubt you want the body twisting with the frame / chassis...for MANY reasons. Both the front and rear plates should be a frame attachment only. Mike
Personally I don't care what they want to call their cars, it's their car, they can call it a truck if that's what they want. Point is in this age 80% of the people out there has no idea what the true definition of hot rod, custom, low rider, rat rod, work in progress etc is or even means anymore. Go to car shows and how many times does some guy come up to a custom and say hey nice low rider (insert any car genre here you wish). Hell how many times do conversations on this board go back and forth on what is or what isn't a custom, hot rod etc? We can't even agree 100 % of the time. Anyway I'll go back to lurking.... better to run people off than to try and educate them.... ..
The reason that Rat Rod threads get closed quickly is that we just don't do them here. We are a traditional hot rod and custom forum. He was actually gentle and polite with you. I have been known personally to suggest that someone may be using their sphincter for a hat band. That of course is for someone I like and I have cleaned up my act out of respect for the Boss. Now as for your rear engine plate question way back in time there have been competition cars (trad race cars are acceptable here) that have used the engine plate for the firewall. That does work. Me personally if I was stuffing the mill into the cowl I would just move the firewall back and build a hump. Now this is just info for the masses. Yes I am high jacking the thread. One thing that we used to do when I was coming up was get a wheel barrow and use it for a divot for the engine to sit in and weld it into the original firewall. Works like a champ. OK back to regular programming. Good day
I can remember maybe Don or @SamIyam doing a tech article on the wheel barrow trick long ago on a brown primer coupe
With a big block depending on HP you want to make, it will have torque. Keep that in mind with your twist points on firewall. It's your hotrod, like it or not whatever people call your build. Make it safe, driver friendly, and not a complete eye sore and be happy with it. Some of these guys on the board get a kick out of a word right out of the gate.
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