updated 05/05/2010
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There are many cars on the road that have been tagged as "rat rods" when really all they are is "unfinished". They are a coordinated and ordered creation of a vehicle maybe without the shiny paint and precision graphics or without a finished interior. Rat rods really started the hot rod movement--builders took the pieces of whatever was available to them and made them into a car. There were no catalogs to order from, no internet for searching parts. Paint, if any, was done in the barn or maybe even behind it. There might or might not be any interior or upholstery to speak of and comfort features (power anything, heat, air, matched and comfortable seating) were for sissies. And if what you wanted to use didn't fit, well then...a little trimming here and a little bending there would make it work. It is not necessarily a totally bad thing that today's builders have so many resources available to them but it sure is a real treat to come across a vehicle as true to the spirit of the rat rod as this one. The bucket is a 1920 Maxwell 3-seat roadster that was rescued from its final resting place in the Wyoming prairie. It offered unlimited potential and was lucky enough to be found by a very creative artist who is also a car guy (or is he a car guy who is also an artist? Hmmm...have to work on that.) who shaped it into a 4-wheeled work of art--retro style! The beginning of the story (along with pictures!) of discovery and rebirth can be found here: http://www.thehotrodarts.com/roadster1.htm. The car went through a handful of configurations before what you see here was settled on. Hand-built, hand painted, custom sand-cast emblems--with something new to discover each time you look at it. The basics are: 1920 Maxwell bucket sitting on a 1940 Ford pickup frame and front axle with S-10 disc brake rear end powered by a 283 short block Chevy V8 from 1957 sitting under 3 deuces with cast iron power glide automatic transmission. The grille is from a 1938 Oldsmobile, the front bumper is off a 1965 Ford Mustang and been adjusted to fit, the bi-fold hood is off an old Hudson, the instrument cluster and shifter are from a 50's GM truck, the seat frame is Model A, the seat is a 90's Mustang back seat covered with a Mexican blanket, the windshield is a replica of one found on an Auburn speedster, the interior door panels and part of the floor are made from old wooden dynamite boxes. The battery is mounted under the floor, the spare is mounted on the rear. It does have an aluminum fuel tank but no gas gauge--you have to "stick the tank" to determine how much gas there is--just like way back then. And just in case you are thinking that it is just for looks or show--think again. It has proven itself to be a very dependable driver--the builder/artist's wife used it for her transportation back and forth to work without a problem.
custom sand casting done by the builder
more custom work
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