Projects This car suffered a brake failure. Don't do this.

Remember...Not all butchers work
at the DELI!

 

If it was mine it would get stripped and redone from the ground up. Wow!

 

Just like real estate, paints worth $10.00 in the bucket and $1000.00 on the wall.

 

I believe he owned turkeys cause that is most definitely turkey s@#t on that there frame

 

That is about as scary looking as I have seen! I guess I have a hard time understanding how someone could have done any of that and not seen the problems coming.

 

I thought I saw some rough stuff when I hung around with guys who raced at Heart O Texas Speedway in the early 70's. That frame matches or beats their work.

The square tubing welded inside the frame to "strengthen" the frame and other indicators show 60's early 70's dirt track stock car technology. At least Central Texas style when you rolled over a Tri-5 Chevy to get the frame for your new race car.

From the looks of it I'd guess that the "builder" is one of those who still argues that you will never get the body realigned if you pull it off the frame to do the frame. We used to have a lot of guys who argued that one in the mid 70's.

What gets me most though is the guys who actually can't see what's wrong with it. Every where you look on every section something is done either wrong, crudely or without regard to the concept that it will break. Some things like the brake line wrapped around the exhaust pipe show a lack of paying attention. It's not just the scab welds but the lack of thought in mounting components or the placement of components.

 

I see some of the same products that I used in mine BUT man, what a mess. My '28 chevy is at the inspection station as I type for a PA Enhanced inspection by a really good shop. I don't care what I have to fix, I want it safe.
j

 

Fuel line, then whole car will go....

 

I'll be the forst to step up and say.. That welding is no worse than mine. Just sayin. Of course the only thing I weld is exaust and the odd non structural thingy for myself.

That's why I always say no when a customer asks me to weld something other than a garden ornament.

Pretty scary fab skills.

 

There are literally thousands of hot rods out there that have work equal to this. I had a 50 merc, supposed high dollar car come into my shop. It was literally cut in half front to back and over the rear axle. It was not put back together well at all. The fuel line was rubbing against the tire. I can go on. Customer has no clue, I explained it to him, showed him, then sent him on his way. He is currently trying to sell it for 125k
He went back to his previous shop who did the work for his other cars because they were $20 an hour less then my rate. And my rate is great for socal

 

This reminds me of a car my neighbor's nephew drove in from southwestern Missouri to central Oklahoma around 1988 or so. The kid was driving his '65 Barracuda to San Antonio, TX, where he had a new job awaiting him. It had a miss when he got to OKC, so my neighbor wanted me to take a look. This car looked great from 10 feet or so. This car was literally put together by the nephew with bailing wire and tape!

First, the '72 Mopaar 340 that was in it was just sitting on the pass side engine mount and not bolted down. The driver side was held in place with a small turnbuckle and two lengths of dog chain! Only two bolts held the transmission to the engine block. The tailshaft was held, barely, with two large worm clamps. The exhaust was lengths of exhaust pipe interspersed with Coke cans and hose clamps that held those lengths together. No mufflers at all. Four different sized tires on four different 14" wheels (two aluminum, two steel, no matches). The floor shifter was a pair of Vice-Grips attached to a length of steel bolted to the trans linkage. He had one windshield wiper. One taillight. Two headlights. No blinkers. Starting the car was a matter of a button hotwired up to the coil, starter solenoid and battery.

He had already driven this, on the TURNPIKE, over 225 miles! Fortunately, once I showed his handiwork to his Uncle (my neighbor), he bought the nephew a bus ticket to San Antonio and gave me the car.

I sold the Barracuda body, and kept the 340 and automatic, along with the 8-3/4" rear axle.

Plus, likely saved the kids' life!!!

 

Plus I've seen your work. It's spotless!

 

i have seen the same bad work done by many on here.


i have seen just as crappy welds cleaned up with a grinder and people say how great it came out.

 

lol......

 

I looked at the pics again, - think this car tried to kill itself!

 

i find it hard to believe that ANYBODY, after losing his brakes and wrecking his/her car, wouldn't listen to a experienced craftsman about the repairs needed to make sure it didn't happen again.

 

Those welds are worst than mine...and I don't weld!

 

You are looking at a car here in California, we don't have required state inspections. At least as far as I know, I have never had to deal with one. I do have a 65 TBird with a CHP inspection on the windscreen, but that sticker has been there a long time, I bought the car from the orginal owner.

 

C'mon guys, the bigger the glob, the better the job. What stood out for me most was the booster bracket hogged out to be like a universal, then washered up to fit.
The line on the exaust was pretty spectacular too.
We're a funny bunch. I just finished an O/T and my wife was wondering about why I ran the front clip wires without even crossing them. I didnt even think about it, its just doing things right.
BTW, I have a friend who welds for me. I have the car trailer.

 

Horrible,

So many guys out of work right now and starting "hot rod shops" that really have no business doing so. I have one such of these types of vehicles I am completely redoing.

The owner had this built, not a home build but a "professional shop" did this rat rod. I am trying to think if I have seen worse, but I can't. It is at least on par with badshifter's example.

Thumb through this album: 1932 Hudson Rat Rod

Keep your barf bag handy while you do so.

 

So your saying my welds shouldn't look like this? I would think that thing weighs 3 tons.

 

what the hell is up with that brake hose touching the exhaust pipe....why? I just dont get it

 

The old frame was built from 2X4 .188" wall box tube. And a lot of it!

This is car was actually the work of two maybe three shops. None of which were remotely qualified to do this sort of thing.

A "glue gun" MIG and a chop saw does not make you a fabricator.

 

I am in the process of rebuilding one built in the 70's with about the same level of thought put into it. Mine had grade five bolts brazed to the tie rod ends on the front rack and pinion. The deeper you dig the scarier they get.

 

Oh man... That Hudson rr thing, we all have scrap piles that we pick some good pieces out of to build cars. However, that does not mean use the whole pile

 

Calling these cars ''pieces of shit'' is an insult to shit. I feel real sorry for unsuspecting owners paying good money for garbage work.

 

I really wish each and every one of you guys could have been by my side as I completely dismantled this car. Everything in the OP was copied here. Load bearing brake lines and all.

This sort of stuff needs to be stamped out of existence by our own hands. The shops that built this stuff need to be called out...

 

looks ok at a distance, say 400 feet, but looking at the pics what a heap of shit, looks like the gave the apprentice his first build

 

Obviously, not an old ride out of Boyd Coddington's shop.....

 

Thats a hazzard for sure. Horrible hack work...