Trucksters - traditional?

There were thousands made "back in the day" ..........they called them doodle bugs, rarely left the farm though. The "new ones" are just as ugly, but far less useful. Not sure that makes the traditional.

 

Thats just what I was going to say! check out some websites with old farm photos, you'll find them hauling hay. A few of my relatives had trucks like that back in the day, but they didnt leave the farm, and they sure as HELL didnt call them "hot rods"!

 

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Dang. I put my phone down for one cl*** and look just now to see how much more extended this thread is.

Russ- sweet pictures. That's photographical evidence, good enough in my book.

I do have to admit, there are a few bobber trucks I like. Rudy's, Notch's, the straight 6 truck in TRJ, etc. To pull one of those off, like Rodster said, is all about proportions. There's a difference between a Rudy-style truck and a FED and most of those poser r*t r*ds don't get it.

Lots of good points from both sides. A very good debate to boot.


iPhone - TJJ app

 

^^Theres one, theres one!!ROFL! Good one Cactus.

 

So what would you consider Mr. Norwell's diamond deuce? Myself and Rod and Custom seem to think its fantastic.

 

Your truck and Norwell's are gorgeous. But both are pre-'34 so they naturally look good with that treatment IMHO.


iPhone - TJJ app

 

Thats steve's

 

I live in an agricultural area. Many of these modified, hot rod trucks did exist here. Lots of people called them "farm rods." From what I hear, they were rough and didn't come to town much.

 

Good debate.....the same discussion comes up in our neck of the woods too. I've often wondered where my example fits in to the scheme of things...now I know....Neotraditional ! Perfect.
Yes it has a long wheelbase but it's a IL6...and yes it has disc brakes and radials, but I use it a lot and I want to stay alive.
I can also say that it is very well constructed and has just completed a 'round NZ trip of more than 2500Km with hardly a hitch.
Here's a few pix...be gentle...

 

..........

 

Amaverick nice truck, that side/rear angle picture is really cool

 

Kidding aside, I have even seen 1 or 2 that I like. theres a guy that has a thread going right now with a green one that he is talking about putting '34 fenders on the back, and cycle fenders on the front. I think it will look DAMN good. Hey, there are a few other "neo-traditional" cars that I like too. But "traditional"? Not a ****in' chance. Full stop end of sentence.

 

Thanks Russco, I've never called it traditional myself but I have called it traditionally inspired.......now I have the proper term.

 

A year or so ago, I believe it was Rod and Custom ran some sketches done by Steve Sanford? using 50's and 60's cabs and loosing the roofs, mounting them on new frames and called them trucksters (truck and roadster), got me started on a similar project for a '47 Ford that's got as far as the photoshop stage.,

 

So, yeah..... I do believe you should check the facts before you get all snippy. The HAMB is 1964 & older. Always has been as far as I know.

 

Finally.

Someone understands RAKE.

 

It match's the wealth spreader even down to the big and little wheeels.,

 

It's Steve STanford. If that was painred red it would be FRED Sanford.

 

The rake, pitchfork, shovel, etc. are in the bed.

 

I have always liked the Reeps/Sellers truck. Everyone is correct in saying there are only a few good examples built of a "Rudy" truck. Here is another.

 

i usually hate these things, but the red oxide one has pleasing lines. i don't like admitting this.

 

What the **** do these guys have against paint? Who would spend $55,000 on a truck without paint?

 

One more.

 

I remember seeing a fenderless 40's Ford truck in the 60's with a bobbed bed and it would definitely be called a rat today.

 

The first fenderless hot rod I ever saw answered the description. This was in Port Hope Ontario (population 6100) about 1960. It was parked on a residential street in an old part of town.

It had some kind of pickup truck cab, from the late 30s channeled low over a Ford frame. It had a Dodge Red Ram hemi engine painted silver picked out in red. No hood. The body was Bahama blue. Behind it was a home made pickup bed about 3 feet long made of varnished wood. This was a well finished car with good paint and detailed about as well as any small town hot rod of the time.

Even then Ford roadster and coupe bodies were hard to find up here. The pickup cab was a handy subs***ute.

 

Maybe not main-stream traditional, but I have to admit...I like 'em ok if the proportions are right. They're a pretty good way to get the early fenderless coupe vibe without spending a whole lot of money. I had to sell all my old cars recently, including my '29 roadster project, due to finance issues. But I've still got an AA frame, '33 p-car grill, Guide headlights, early Ford wheels/Merc caps, Model A axle, a couple of engines, etc. I'm seriously considering building one. And if some don't like it, that's ok. Probably just wouldn't post it here. I gotta have somethin' to mess with with, though.

I like this one.

 

The red oxide and the 59D that Mr. Ford posted are excellent examples of a great looking truck done up in that style with proportions in mind. The wheel and tire selections are pretty important too but what I really dig about those two are that they're not cobbled together like most of the other "Rudy-wanna-bes" out there. These are actually thought out, planned, and executed very well.

There's a thread on that 59D truck here somewhere. The owner hit something.. a deer, I think.. and got to rebuilding it and getting it back on the road.

 

For any Rudy-style trucks, consider this thread on the 59D truck source material.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=575462

 

Not completely uncommon to see a sedan or coupe with an older pickup bed or wooden bed grafted on sitting in a tree row on a farm. Farmers converted cars to trucks during WW2 due to scarcity of newer ones and increased fuel rations. They weren't done for hot rod purposes. I imagine some farmer's kid getting to drive the dog water out of it once WW2 was over.

I should say it is uncommon now, due to the fact that many of been magically transformed into true rat rods- Nippons and Turdotas.