This is the largest top I have chopped yet!

Well I’d have to be the first to admit that this is one top that I’ve chopped I wish I didn’t have to do. Why? Because its a truck and not this truck.

I would much rather have chopped this truck

But this is not the truck I’m referring to.

This is a project I just kept putting off until the day came I just had to start it. As with any hotrodder we all have projects to start but there is a BIG BUT here as something always appears to take priority. So again we put the project on the back burner.

This project just lingered in my yard idle for 4 years, with the wife nagging for me to get rid of it. (does that sound familiar) Well I always knew I would get to it one day and that day had come in 2010. Now this truck had made me lots of money and I have had it for years, actually it’s the one I started my business with, so I thought why not give it a birthday and put it back into use.

It all sounds good in words until you start the task and as you do you find nothing goes to plan. Now this did need a large plan or a lot of planning once I made the first few cuts and once the first cut is made there is no turning back.

So what is this truck I have made my largest chop top on?

It is my original work truck in my Bobcat days, an International Acco Twin steer and they were prone to rust severely hence the need for a top chop, notice I said need and not want. This actual top chop is a little different than the normal chop you would do on any hot rod in the sense it had too much rust.

So I thought I might as well show what has kept me busy for the last few months and away from my 1936 Ford coupe, also from posting any articles on this blog, no excuse I know but it was a large job which to this day I have to complete the painting and assembly.

So here is a few photo’s just to show you.

I’ve got to keep smiling though as my coupe is next.

Chopping a truck and no it was not a love job.

The reason I did this was due to the amount of rust within the roof. So with another donor cabin I thought it would be easier just to change the top. This was left at standard height so sorry to disappoint you but I wasn’t doing this one to be a joy ride.

As with any top chop we all need helpers. Thanks Nev and Dad

I didn't just chop the top I'm putting all new skins on too.

The reason I did this was due to the amount of rust within the roof. So with another donor cabin I thought it would be easier just to change the top. This was left at standard height so sorry to disappoint you but I wasn’t doing this one to be a joy ride.

But wait there’s more!

I did not just stop at the roof I purchased new sides and front skin for the cabin and continued to remove the dead ones. What would happen if you raised a coffin after 10 years and removed the lid, ( hope I never do this) but everything would be rotten or gone.

Well the trucks bones or frame as it is was well past its use by date too. So the can of worms has been opened and the reconstruction had to begin.

Cutting all the rust out from the frames

No rust left here now, all gone.

Once all the frames had been replaced these were all treated with fish oil spray within and where items were to be covered the metal was primed and painted.

Fitting the new donor roof

The roof is nearly done , next is the new skins.

And now for the new skins

All galvanised side skins are being fitted

The new front skin fitted

“And when this is complete I can get back to my real Hot rod”

My current hot rod project, 1936 Ford 3 window coupe.

Happy Hotrodding

The Vee-Dub’s

They even drag race them

Volkswagen Beetle was originally known as Kafer, a word in German which means “Beetle”. The VW then became the most famous small car model in the world due to its superiority in comfort compared to other European small cars and also because of its unique design. It also becomes the generation trade mark style for many decades until now.

Adolf Hitler was the inventor of VW Beetle in 1924 when he was imprisoned in jail. He came up with the idea when he was trying to find the solution to the unemployment problem in German. His passion in cars, although it never made him to obtain a driving license, definitely played a big part in the idea. With the production of the people’s car (Volkswagen), the average man would be able to have a car and the government would need to build autobahns as the infrastructure support for the cars. Once the Nazi ruled, the project was started immediately.

There were no other cars which could compete with the momentum the Beetle had seized. No other creators could compete with the comfort, price, and reliability. The Beetle came with 62 mph max speed for 42 miles per gallon, air-cooled engine, and space for 2 adults and 3 children for under $200 market price. In other words, the Beetle had been the support of West Germany economic miracle.

VW Beetle also served as a change in trend and style. It symbolized the stability, self-discipline and lust for life. It was soon becoming the best seller in USA and a benchmark for US compact cars. Beetle also ranks fourth in the 20 most influential cars in 20th century.

Small variations then took place in 1970′s. Super Beetle was launched offering MacPherson strut front suspension. There were also several changes in design and fuel injection system from 1971 to 1976.

The 1976′s version did not only undergo engineering changes, it also underwent some cosmetic changes mainly in paint and interiors such as adjusted and improved seats, full carpets, blinkers in front bumpers, etc. In complete, the engineering changes in 1976 Beetle were dual port 1600cc engine, rear window defogger, front disc brakes, two speed air fresh fans, elephant’s foot tail lights, trim chrome plated, and rubber inserts in the bumper bars. The Beetle then stopped being produced in German on January 1978 and was then produced in Puebla, Mexico until 1985.

How do you want to do your investment? Are you interested in investing in classic cars?

Original classics are always an investment

Do you often see people who have classic cars and wonder how they can keep their investment without losing it in the process? The following tips will greatly help you maximize value when investing in classic cars.

If you want to invest in classic cars and be successful in it, then you must learn a lot about the cars. Start by picking one favorite car and learn everything you can with that one car. You can get a book which is called “By The Numbers” written by Colvin. You can get it at your local Barnes and Noble book store.

The main crucial thing when you invest your money in classic cars is that you need to know the numbers. What I mean by numbers are the VIN number, (vehicle identification numbers) transmission & rear end tags, the RPO codes, date codes, and casting numbers. If the car is a GM car, then you also need to know the protect-o-plate number.

These numbers are the only way to know whether the classic car you are after is authentic. If you buy the car for an investment, then you definitely need to make sure that the numbers are valid and that the car is the complete vehicle as assembled from the factory line. Why is it that important?

Well considering the car has been on the road for all those years, at some point of time it may have had an engine transplant or the owner may have changed it from manual to automatic transmission, these points are crucial when checking the VIN on the I. D. tag which is normally mounted with 4 pop rivets on the firewall. How ever, if your intentions for buying the car is pure enjoyment, then you can consider buying a car with any driveline combination you want to satisfy yourself in your hobbies.

These authenticity numbers are applied to all classic cars. It is important to be reminded once again to pay attention to the numbers if you want to make your investment in classic cars.

Next, you also need to know what options are available in the car you choose. It can be the available engines, the matching colors, the paint codes, the transmission, etc. Of course you need to know about all these things before you decide to buy a car for investment. It is true that you can ask someone else to do the car authentication for you, but it will not be a smart way to learn about your own investment.

Source out as much information as you can about the car you want to buy. Do not hesitate to buy books on cars to learn about classic cars. Do not feel sorry on the dollars you spend for a classic car book. You may lose much more than that if you do not buy the book  which contains the relevant information.

“This video has something we all wish we could find”

To those who have always wanted his own hot rod project, it appears tough to find a descent choice. First up by not knowing where to look, choosing the correct papers and magazines are all key resources with an abundance of information. Whether it be swap meet allocations and dates, garage sales, clearance sales or private sales they are all generally advertised within each edition.

You must make some planning and do your homework first, to decide if you have the time, the place to build whether it’s at home or at a mates place. Do you have some skills, though that should not hold you back as anyone can embrace extra hands within their friends or local car clubs. Deciding on a particular brand and model is generally not a hard decision, as you must like the appearance and shape of the car first.

Many projects become abandoned, these are great finds.

Fords have always out numbered hot rods at any show or gathering, but that doesn’t mean they are the best choice. Remember we build our hot rods to enjoy ourselves not just to please the other parties. Theres plenty of other choices out there as projects, just look at these for example: General Motors, Chevrolet, Willy’s, Jeep, Studebaker, Chrysler, Nash, Lincoln, Grahams, Essex, LaSalle, Anglia, Rugby, Buick, Plymouth, Cadillac, Dodge, Pontiac, Oldsmobile.

I think I have made my point. There is plenty of styles to choose from. To find any of these its great to have the internet today, with just a click of a mouse you can immediately have a selection for sale right in front of you within seconds. There may be some distance between you, but with the excitement of finding a project we all source out a way of getting it home.

The terms slender fenders range from the 1920’s through to 1934, and from 1935 right through to 1948 were known as fat fenders. Hiboy’s have evolved from the 1940’s and became most sought after projects (particularly the roadsters) with the returning service men from World War 2. Today they are even more popular which in turn as it did in the early days makes the project so much cheaper to build.

What are Hiboy’s?

Highboys will never date.

They simply removed the mudguards and running boards with the 1932 being the favorite for all these years. So much easier to build also with no alignment of those extra panels required, less paint and preparation means less cost to you. As Hiboy’s roadsters are mainly used throughout the summer months, most do without a roof as well. When we start to discuss cost, there is more consideration to be made, do we build a steel hot rod or a fiberglass street rod.

Time becomes a huge factor today, so consider the effort needed to massage a metal body together whether you do it yourself or pay someone else to. This method is going to consume a lot of time, and time is always set at an hourly rate. With fiberglass, you can place your order today and continue with your everyday life activities (work) within a month you will be bringing it home on the back of a trailer, generally with minimal effort to make them prepped for paint.

It is a good choice to get them on the road quicker and if we are using the old budget as a guide for our decision, the metal can at most (if you are paying someone to do the repairs) cost you more dollars and time to complete the hot rod. Today they are making fiberglass bodies for many brands and models with some examples here: Ford, Chevrolet, Willy’s, Anglia, Dodge which range in styles as roadsters, pickup trucks, 5 window coupes, 3 window coupes, tudors, deliveries, tourers, t-buckets and a new term we use today, phantom body styles.

Happy Hot Rodding

P.S… “See the great grand father of Hot Rods below”