I've been bracing the body of my '27 Roadster, digging out expanding foam from every nook and cranny and welding in some tubing. Previous owner filled everything with the foam. I've been finding lots of rust, and fixing what I can as I go. The steering support structure in the cowl area was there before I got to it, and it is useable but ugly. So I have been reinforcing that and trying to tie everything together into a somewhat rigid body system. After hours of cutting, welding, smoke and burning foam, and warm bondo falling off, I feel like I'm getting somewhere. But I also feel like the car is a cobbled up rat rod. The car will work for it's intended purpose when all is done, but I just hate the feeling of having something less than stellar. Now when people ask "Is that a rat rod?" I guess I'll just say yes... I used to take the time to explain traditional vs. junker Halloween rods. I guess it's time to fab up a spiderweb grill insert... The little tubing is just some floor support, not the body bracing...but anyway, here's the junker. I only have these photos- they don't really show what I'm whining about.
You're doing the right thing,these highly sophistacated bitches take time,its true when they say haste makes waste.
I can't remember who has the signature here (sorry to them) but it's something like: "It's NOT a rat rod. It's not finished yet!" I understand your anger and whine away if you need to but like brewsir said... send it my way if you get sick of it. Expansion foam. yuck Good luck and try to enjoy the build.
dont get discouraged amigo, you have one hell of a start there, and when it all comes together you'll be grinnin' ear to ear.
well, you own a steel 27....haha not many can say that anymore...and if you don't want a rat rod, then don't have a rat rod...
Looks like you're doing your best to keep from having to call it a rat rod...keep going...you'll get there.
Drink more....it will be an AMBR winner by the time the 12 pack is gone!!! Seriously, it looks pretty good to me and only you will know what it took to get it done. Sometimes "builder's amenesia" is a good thing!!
You said Halloween junker rod! That is some funny shit. Never heard em called that before but well put. Look @ the big picture.....We are ALL limited by our time, money, & our skill level (or lack of) Some of us have lots of all three, but for most of us, its an unbalanced combo of these things. Work w/ what you have. Learn to enjoy the process. In the end, you may not have a detailed machine worthy of a rodders journal piece, but it will be YOUR machine. Your effort in it. Your blood on it. As they say, "Ya gotta start somewhere". Looks like you are off to a good start.
WOW! You guys are great! I think I'll do less whining and more welding tomorrow after work! I appreciate the first quote- I DO have to start somewhere, and my skills vs. money vs. time aren't always in sync. Thanks for the encouragement, I'll get back to building my traditional rod and forget about those rat rod ol' skool skeleton-and-maltese-cross nightmares. Whew!
Thanks man. I couldn't afford real stanchions, and besides I don't like the side curve-in of '27 lower glass so I made these ghetto- tacious stanchions. I welded studs to the torch cut plates after hammering 'em to shape on a piece of wood. The uprights are just round tube, but it doesn't really look that bad.
Aw man, I have a roadster like yours but it is in WAY worse shape... And WAY just doesn't explain it... But it is what I can afford and it is what I am going to use some day. In the mean time I drive what MANY people like to refer to as a rat rod. But you know what? If I scratch the paint I don't worry about it, and I am doing what I can afford to to make it look more traditional than rat. Although I personally don't mind the term rat (but it IS a big deal on this site) anyway do what you can and keep your chin up. Be proud of your work think about how many people out there have no skills at all. They have to pay other people to build everything for them. I have father inlaw like that. He can barely change spark plugs. I think you have a great start. Here is mine that someday i am going to build into something.
Ok, CRH you've thrown us the bait now lets see the rest of it. That looks like the makings of a real hotrod to me.
awesome car - and as it was said before - haste makes waste... you have one hell of a start, its hard when every owner of a car has to dig in and get his fingers wet... but it is always worth it in the end..
Looks like a nice rod in progress, not a rat rod. Now, if you were calling it done at this point.... Well, I'd rather not go there.
when you get tired of digging out the filler foam pour acetone on it and it will melt away . just make sure you air it out for a few at least before you weld maybe do it before bed one night
Undoing someone else's "better idea" always seems to cost more, both in time and money. But you're doing this car good...fixing years of patch jobs...and hell, how old is it? They haven't made that body in a while now. I bet you never thought you'd be a "preservationist"...keep at it!
All good advice the guys have given, keep doing what you're doing, any forward progress is good. One thing that may help is avoid looking at everything that needs done to get you where you want to end up. Focus on one small project at a time, and keep knocking them out. It's not so overwhelming this way, and before you know it you are way down the to-do list. Cool car btw! Dan
love the word holloween hot rod thats great. could have a cool jalopy that word is way better that rat rod and i guess more orignal. billy
A bit of work cleaning up a '26-'27 firewall - nice job. One thing that can be done to the dash panel to improve its looks is to trace onto stiff bistle-board the curve from the left side, cut it into a pattern, then trace this pattern onto the right side. Cut out the curved wedge (leave the bottom flange intact), then carefully shape the flange to contact the cut curved edge. Tack weld every inch as you establish the curve. Carefully finish weld the edge. The result is much more pleasing to the eye, almost a precursor to the Deuce dash! My $0.02.
Looks identical to how mine was exept for the rust, almost got it straight enough where i can lay some mud and put shinny shit on it, i'm figuring black but i might fall back on flake
you know...with the body all fixed up you could go find a stock running model-a chassi, drop the body on and GO! you'd have a period correct hot rod from the 30's-40's for very little spent sell off what your not using and you might come out ahead? good luck Zach
The Jalopy Journal
