‘38 Ford 1 Ton Ratrod build

[Barramac7]

Hi all

My name is Barry, I know a lot of you, a lot of you know me. Used to be active on J44 and TNI. A few years ago I decided I had enough of NI and hopped on a plane. Ended up in Dubai. Currently drive a 1.6 petrol berlingo and 2.7 petrol hiace.

I thought you would appreciate my new project.

It’s a 38 ford 1 ton pickup cab and front end. Chassis is custom fabricated from box section. Sorry I didn’t take more pics but it is what it is. I’m not into build threads but someone suggested you guys would like this. Rear end is from a corvette. Engine is from a mustang, 351 Cleveland with 3 speed FMX transmission. I have a lot of experience in the 351 Windsor so this will be something new and fun for me.

Engine had no wiring at all so I did the bare minimum and hooked the coil and starter motor to an external battery. Nothing. Engine has good compression when turning with a spanner so suspect starter motor. Pulled it apart and found the armature windings were fecked from 50 years of use. So new starter ordered along with a load of parts.

Don’t expect a big money build. This will be a true rat rod built with whatever parts I can scavenge.

 

[Barramac7]

First thing I did was mount the battery behind the seat and make a chassis ground. The seat got in the way so I cut a hole in the floor, fabricated a bracket and mounted it underneath

 

[Lappintyre]

Wow! Fair play, not something we’re ever likely to see around here

 

[carmad.]

awesome

your not barry that used to work in swatra?

 

[Barramac7]

Wow! Fair play, not something we’re ever likely to see around here

Since I left NI, I've had the chance to drive many things I've never even seen in the real world. Ferraris, Porsche, Lamborghini, big fat hummers etc. one of my last projects was a 911 turbo with methanol injection pushing 800bhp. I don't think I'll ever go back. Some change from screwing bits off in a scrapyard!

You know, classic American stuff can be bought in Dubai for half the price it costs in America. Check out emirates auction website. There's money to be made for anyone who is prepared to show a bit of initiative. You can buy a 68-70 mustang for £3-4000 if you keep your eyes open.

 

[Barramac7]

awesome

your not barry that used to work in swatra?

Hi Rory

How's James? Tell him I said hi!

 

[southsky sunrise]

awesome

your not barry that used to work in swatra?

SIDE WAYS LEGACY?? Swl that you laddd???

 

[Barramac7]

SIDE WAYS LEGACY?? Swl that you laddd???

Hi Fred! How you keeping? Tell mr morrow and that mad cousin of yours mccready I said hello!

 

[southsky sunrise]

Hi Fred! How you keeping? Tell mr morrow and that mad cousin of yours mccready I said hello!

All good bud. Loving the Rat Rod just you all over.

 

[Barramac7]

At present it weighs around 600kg and is putting out 250 BHP. I have a 4 barrel Holley carb sitting which will take it to around 280. So we're talking 466 BHP per tonne. It's going to be a wheelie machine when I fit the fat rear tyres. Also need to look at fitting wheelie bars. Realistically, it's going to be a drag machine. It won't go round corners with 50 year old suspension

 

[carmad.]

mate i’ll pm you but your not the only one at this crack

 

[southsky sunrise]

mate i’ll pm you but your not the only one at this crack

View attachment 187852

 

[gizmo98]

I thought you were dead !!

 

[Barramac7]

It’ll take a lot to put me out


I got the rear bed ripped off it. Wasn’t happy with the proportions. So I’ll lengthen the chassis and either make a longer bed or fit a crane of the back Mater style. Nothing is set in stone, I’m just playing it by ear. I don’t know how long this project will take because I’m splitting my time between this and building a twin engine jet boat in my spare time and work is pretty busy.

Got a nice beer keg to make a petrol tank which will be mounted behind the cab. It’s a bit small but to be honest, this isn’t the sort of think you would want to drive far anyway with no AC and the temperature hitting 50 degrees in summer.

 

[carmad.]

we need a vid off this thing running

 

[southsky sunrise]

we need a vid off this thing running

Nah Rory I think we need to go see it in the flesh lol.

 

[carmad.]

dubai ??

 

[Ollie]

Wow, fair play Barry. Always remember you keeping bits over for me in the j44 days.

 

[southsky sunrise]

dubai ??

Exactly lol

 

[Barramac7]

Wouldn't recommend coming here until October-November time. Summer is just starting to kick in and I wouldn't want to waste a week visiting you pastey white boys in hospital for heatstroke.

As soon as I get a starter motor I'll get her fired up and post a video. Parts are taking forever to arrive. She'll be noisy though. Nothing resembling an exhaust on it, only the manifolds. Plus the manifolds need to come off and I'll have to make up some custom ones. Original ones are going to put the exhaust in the way of the chassis. I'd love to put some unsilenced up pipes on it but registering it for the road will be an issue. They have their own version of the MOT here but a lot stricter. Even bad paint is a fail. But, on the plus side, it's really easy to register it as a kit car as long as it's safe(ish) and the work is all up to scratch. Anyway, I'm planning to run some silencers down the side of the cab with side exit both sides, but again, we'll see what happens.

 

[carmad.]

bad paint is a mot fail


no sleepers out there then

 

[southsky sunrise]

bad paint is a mot fail


no sleepers out there then

He called us pastey and that’s all you got?

 

[carmad.]

i am pastey faced


ya ever see a snowman on holiday lol??

 

[Barramac7]

Plenty of sleepers here but more in the Q car style and it's mainly bigger stuff. They love their 4x4s here. Lots of boys dropping 6 liter Denali engines into patrols and stuff like that.

These days when a Ferrari or Lamborghini goes by I don't even take any notice. It's something you see every day. But every so often you'll see something crazy that will open your eyes. My latest favorite was a blue mustang fastback with white stripes and a Supra engine under the bonnet (Resisting the urge to say hood).

I'll fire up a thread some of these days with some oddities I've spotted but I have to trail through my old hard drive. Like really oddities like LM002, Ford F650 with 6 doors, even the general lee passing my house.

 

[RubberLover]

Love it. Love it. Love it!