Topic: 1925 Dodge Coupe - Need Help On Theme

[rust25]

Hey Guys,

So far I'm loving this forum! Almost pissed away most of my day at work browsing the site 


Anyways, I'm running into a bit of a snag for the theme on my 25' Dodge. I'll post some pics below of where she stands right now. I dropped it off at a friends place last weekend and had him do some pinstripe work; seeing as he just got into it and this would be his first vehicle to work on, I figured why not. He did some pretty good designs all around the vehicle and did my logo on the sides of the doors "Zombie Outbreak Response Team". Came out looking pretty clean. Color theme was cream white and sky blue.

This is some stuff I've recently done to the car:
- Ran most of the electrical wiring in the cab through 3/8 copper tubing
- Old tobacco can as a cup holder (can't drive with one had and have my drink in the other, learnt that the hard way)
- First-aid kit as a fuse box
- Front 'face' of the vehicle is made from rebar welded together
- Rear 'latch' for the truck is made from rebar and shaped together to look like a hand
- Soon to be .50cal ammo box to replace my current ignition box. I plan on mounting the switches on the ammo box
- Trailer wiring harness used for easy connect/disconnect of turn signal level
- Bomber seats

As for the other parts:
- Open top (I'm 6'3" and for me to drive this comfortably I have to sit up straight and my head sits out the roof)
- 350 Chev (couldn't find the right hemi engine at the time
- 39' GMC headlights, grill shell, steering box
- 39' GMC front axle
- 84' Chev 1/2 ton 4x4 rear axel
- Street tunnel ram with twin edelbrock 500's
- Custom open headers

Now, I managed to get a hold of two Russian military gas masks and a "zombie permit'. I plan on putting the permit on the back window, but as for the gas masks, I'm not sure what to do with them. I was planning on getting some coat hooks and mounting them just to the side of each of the doors and then placing the masks on the hooks. But I'm not sure if I should mount them on the vehicle in a way that nobody can steal them and have them on the vehicle at all times, or just put them on the vehicle when I go to car shows. Or maybe just leave them off all together.

Any and all opinions are welcome!!!

During the build and finishing the minor details:















Now here are the current pictres:

[Rubberhead]

Very nice! Personally, I'd leave the gas masks off and only use them at shows. Consider mounting them in the back corners in a manner that makes them appear deployable at a moments notice; think older airliner cockpit O2 masks.

[bigj]

Looks awesome I'd say you got it fingered out but some old in case of emergency break glass cases in the back with the axe and the masks would be killer.

[lowboy]

very kool ride i'd do like Rubberhead said mount and use only at shows you also need a Zombie "bumper buddy" i got one in my "safety seat" in rear

[hotwheels]

I would have to agree, only use them during car show's, unless you can set up the trunk area with a zombie killing set up. A friend of mine had a brass knuckle shifter, stopped at a walmart for a few minutes, came back out and they were gone. To boot, walmart claimed the camera for that area of the parking lot was down, so he lost his wicked shifter.

[miraclepieco]

This car is what they'd call a "shock rod" on a certain other rat rod forum (you know, that one where they spend big bucks to LOOK low buck?). That's why I love it!!!

I think your current theme is perfect: hilarious and entertaining. That's why the public continues to love rat rods while the purists and big spenders hate them so badly on those other sites. It's an undeniably cool hot rod, but it will make people laugh too - a winning combination!

Gas mask? Hell, I'd wear it every time I drove the car!

[rust25]

Thanks for all the positive feedback guys!! I took it to my first car show today and it was a total hit!!! Pictures were being taken left right and center!

I placed one of the gas masks on the shifter and then hung the other mask around the back seat. I had my ammo box finished (didn't mount in the switches just yet)

I'm already searching to find a 'bumper buddy'. I was thinking of getting a zombie/mannequin to ride passenger with me and then maybe place the gas mask over their head and put on a black tactical vest over-top of them. I tried on the gas mask and holy hell!!!!, either I have an oversized head, or these things were made for tiny people. It's a b***h to put on and take off.

I would have to agree, only use them during car show's, unless you can set up the trunk area with a zombie killing set up. A friend of mine had a brass knuckle shifter, stopped at a walmart for a few minutes, came back out and they were gone. To boot, walmart claimed the camera for that area of the parking lot was down, so he lost his wicked shifter.

This is exactly what I'm worried about! I always park this thing where I can see it. Most people aren't dishonest, but if given the opportunity to take something and not get caught, they would.
Some people just get jealous that others have something and they don't.

Looks awesome I'd say you got it fingered out but some old in case of emergency break glass cases in the back with the axe and the masks would be killer.

I'm searching for that already! Awesome idea!


I was thinking of using the Crystal Skull Vodka bottle as an overflow and then place some food coloring in the water and give it the illusion that it's blood. Just a thought for now. I'm letting my mind run wild with this thing. I thought my theme would be too much, but you guys seem to like it and so do quite a few of the people at the car show.

[bigj]

Easy to make the cases a rusty box and a jigsaw with a metal blade and a glass shop can cut you glass get what's called seeded it looks old epoxy it inside and have it lettered. Here's a box I made just no glass.

[rust25]

Well, I managed to snag Best Rat Rod @ the show in Chestermere. I went to a car show over the weekend and a god dam monsoon came down on me when I was going home. Open wheel and open top cars do not go well with rain. That sucked!!!!! I realized I get more people taking pictures of the stickers and symbols on the door than the whole car itself. Real show stopper!

Now, I'm thinking I need a roof for this thing. Someone that I can take off and put back on easily. My only problem is that I usually drive the car with my head sticking out the top, on the highway I duck down. I was thinking of making a roof out of road signs (have about 15 stock piled up). I could weld all the signs together to fit the top of the car, then cut it in half and put it on hinges. That way I can have the roof fully covered, and when I'm driving I can flip it back up.

Any ideas or tips? I haven't started any fab work for the roof yet.

[miraclepieco]

Best Rat Rod?? That's COOL! Congratulations!