Turbo Chev Rat Rod

[DROOPZ]

For the past couple of months I've been hastily putting together a nightmarish contraption made from rust and spare parts for our annual Rejex Rally.

The event concluded yesterday, so the veil of secrecy has been lifted. I have been very slack in keeping a build log, as honestly, we made most of it up as we went.

In lieu of a pile of pics, I had a spare GoPro setup in the corner of the build shed taking pics through most of t he build. Towards the end things were getting pretty tight as the timeline closed in, so there were a few bits the camera missed.

Anyway, this what i have...



The first time it moved under its own power was just to get it onto the trailer on Friday morning...





Arrived in Darwin Friday night. Thats my fathers new VN-EK turbo that was making its maiden voyage as well.





UNBELIEVABLY the truck passed scrutineering and is waiting at Mindle Beach for the event to begin.




I don't have much media from the event itself just yet, as I was usually driving.






As more stuff from the weekend gets online I'll through it up.

Remarkably the truck survived the entire event. Some steering-stop issues ment all the tires are rooted but everything else went very well. Unsurprisingly, I wasn't that competitive lol, but fuck me it was fun.

[DROOPZ]

[9triton]

nice one .
PS - your old man is called DROOPS?

[DROOPZ]

Yup. Droops (with an S). I became Droopz (with a Z). More hip, and edgy i guess.

[Gammaboy]

Cool as shit.
More details on what it is?

[DROOPZ]

Chassis - 55 Mainline
Cab - 50ish Bedford A model. Has history with Katherine and Darwin Dept Civil Aviation in the 60s, so ideal for Rejex.
Engine - 350 TPI from my old Camaro IROC + GT40
Trans - Built Th400. Manualised but standard pattern.
Front grille - 30something Dodge Fargo
Steering - XD power steering box and spindals
Diff - EL wagon lolz
Brakes - Hopper Stoppers VT conversion front and EL rear disc up back

Misc
- Painless loom and 8 switch panel.
- 044 pump
- Stainless keg (Castelmain Berweries) fuel tank.
- 6.5 inch chop on the cab.
- Hydraulic handbrake

Probably more, but a heap is going to change as I refine things and spend more time on it.

[69r1]

That timelapse is pure gold.

[big_pete]

Very cool!

Need to lose those wheels though! steelies + whitewalls FTW

[DROOPZ]

[blownhemi]

Nice work, timelapse vision need to end with a test burnout out the door.

[DROOPZ]

I have 16inch steelies but the offsets are all wrong on the front, and they hit the top balljoints.

Since this is pretty my all the truck will be used for, I'd rather sort out a coilover solution (IRS or 4-link) and go really wide on all 4 corners. The understeer when i was actually trying to do the courses was retarded, even for a heavy rod lol.

[macktheknife2]

Just gotta love it.

[darwinschops]

Fuck yes. Love it mate.

[DROOPZ]

Look at all that headroom!

[darwinschops]

And please tell me that's a beer keg for a fuel tank? that better to fool the natives?

[DROOPZ]

Lol. Yeah its a stainless Castlemaine Breweries keg, tapped with fittings and a surplus filter cap from an F18 belly tank i think.

[darwinschops]

Hah! Fuck yes indeed then!

Until any mad max props rise from the dead with spiked yabba heads fanning out from behind the cab, this is the manliest cartruck in Aus. Native fooling fuel tank and hornet filter cap just the icing on a manly cake of VB swilling manliness.

No chance this thing will ever be able to see a public road (legally)?

[DROOPZ]

Funnily enough it is still on a temp permit for the rest of the week, but no, I don't think i'll ever bother with rego. Its really only being built for this one single event a year, and maybe to drag out to local khana and show etc.

Got a few pics before it made its way back into the shed to be cut up again...







Grrrrr...

[Passion-Fingers]

i want one.

awesome.

[DROOPZ]

With the rush over, and plenty of time to work on it, now the build will take a slightly more thought-out path.


Planned list of major changes currently sits at;


- Cut out firewall and move cab foward. Replace weird shaped firewall with nice flat one.
- VT commo rear IRS clip and bring the wheelbase way in. Trying to get to 100inches if i can.
- Might use the VT front subframe and R&P steering since its sitting there. We'll see.
- 3-way adjustable coilovers on all 4 corners.
- I need to find more appropriate tyre and wheel combo. I destroyed over $800 of 18inch rubber in 2 days I was thinking widened 16-17 inch steelies.


Millions of little things obviously. Better seats, either baffle the crap out of the keg or install a surge tank, install these cool ex-military heli lap belts i scored....


The list will never end, im sure.

[Gammaboy]

Pull engine back as far as possible?

[DROOPZ]

Already is. The way the drive train sits on on top of this chassis means the auto cant sit any further back without fouling on the pan.

[Chad]

Loved the time lapse. Thanks for putting that together. Cool work mr droopz.

[ALLMTR]

That's awesome, well done.

I like the idea of the time lapse and wouldn't mind doing it with my build. What's involved in setting it up?

[HoonBoy]

Why the VT IRS? Seems like you would introduce issues with that shitty design.

[sammm]

This guy built something similar that is probably worth checking out


Build Thread
http://www.killbillet.com/showthread.php?t=21900

Videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/Toylar

[DROOPZ]

That's awesome, well done.

I like the idea of the time lapse and wouldn't mind doing it with my build. What's involved in setting it up?

Just an old gopro hero stuck up in the corner on the auto pic mode. Set to take a shot every 1.5 min. Just have to turn it on and empty the card when you're done.

Why the VT IRS? Seems like you would introduce issues with that shitty design.

I have a lsd one here for free, and it's the cheapest/easiest way for me to move to coilovers and put the rear axle where I need it.

This guy built something similar that is probably worth checking out


Build Thread
http://www.killbillet.com/showthread.php?t=21900

Videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/Toylar

Im well read Up on the 41 and have been following it since I started this build. He is one of the main reasons I'm keen on a IRS rear as he mentions he is limited by the 4link he uses. Fucking love his wheel and tire combo.

[Monk]

That. Is. Without a doubt. Awesome!

And yeah, time lapse video is cool too.

To go with your arty grrrr shot, I reckon it sounds like an angry animal in the rod2 video.

Please change the steering wheel when you do the other wheels too...

[DROOPZ]

Abso-fucking-lutly. If i end up using the front clip from this VT, I guess ill move to a commo column which should be easier to grab a boss kit for than a poxy XG ute.

[darwinschops]

Watched the time delay and rod 1 last night. Awesome.

Was a bit confused about wanting to put old dore chassis in but makes a lot more sense now.

If you could chuck up some more good pics, I have found a new background for a while i think...